Legend holds that Cornelius Vanderbilt had built a massive fortune in the steamboat shipping industry, but then realized the railroads were the way of the future and invested almost his entire net worth into railroads.  The gamble paid off and made Vanderbilt one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs ever.  But risks are inherently…risky.  How do you think about risk and how has it affected your life and career?  Some of our community favorites share their perspective below.

Tiffany Gonzalez | CPA & CEO

Risk has inspired me throughout my whole life inspired by my fathers trip from Cuba on a Raft. I have always held the feeling of uncertainty he must have had taking off at night leaving your home and family to start a brand new life alone. The uncertainty of the amount of days he would be at sea before he made land fall, if ever. I have kept this mindset with me throughout my life and it has pushed me to risk more, to believe in myself. Read more>>

Xierra Itayem | Artist & Entrepreneur

Art is an adventure into an unknown world, which can be explored only by those willing to take risks. -Mark Rothko I don’t know that you can be an artist without risk. I mean, being an artist in itself, is the embodiment of risk. I had known from a young age that I wanted to do something in the arts, and like any middle-class parents trying to make ends meet, mine were concerned. Read more>>

Maria Grazia | Photographer

When I first moved to the NY Metropolitan area directly from Italy, where I was born and raised, my creative outlet had always been theater from the high school years throughout university, to the point that I started taking some improv acting classes in New York City. My formal degree is not in Arts, as a matter of fact, I have a Masters in Political Science and Personnel Management from the University of Bologna, Italy. Read More>>

Carla Berkowitz | Executive Producer of the upcoming movie Critical Thinking. I’m also the Founder of Perfect Balance World

I’m a risk taker I admit it but I also trust my intuition 100% of the time which guides me. Timing & Follow-Through is EVERYTHING…and knowing how to recognize opportunities is a skill I’ve developed. BUT…most importantly, I’m also extremely patient. I’m able to move the deadline/needle/project/idea to a more appropriate or different time without much drama and without the damaging the project. Read more>>

Mariah Fox Hausman | Artist Educator

I consider risk taking essential to my creative practice and career. When I reflect, it’s been those “risky” moves that set me on the paths which turned out to be ultimately, really rewarding life choices. In fact, it’s hard for me to remember risks now that ended up to be “mistakes.” The funny thing is, I’ve always been the most cautious person in every way, and I worry a lot about making the right decision. Read more>>

Mindy Kim | Esthetician

Success leaves clues. My approach to risk has always been to look at the most successful people in the world and copy their approach exactly on any given thing. If I can do that, the road to success is virtually guaranteed. If there’s some reason I can’t copy a successful roadmap completely, then I don’t take the risk in the first place. Success is not a gamble, it is a calculation and risk is a possibility but unimportant in the face of clear evidence a win is likely. Read more>>