Risk is the most common topic that comes up in our conversations with entrepreneurs and so each week we ask entrepreneurs to talk to us on the record about how they think about risk.

Aron Sultan Levy and Nathan Barzilay Levy | Residential and Commercial Real Estate Advisors | REALTORS®

We believe that there is a kind of misconception that must be confronted when bringing up the word RISK, or rather a sort of stigma we must always surpass when bringing it up since it is oftentimes simply associated with loss, harm, and danger. But that’s only half the story, for although it’s true that risk leads you to travel on unfamiliar roads, we are firm believers that if you have a plan and a clear goal in mind of where you want to get to, most of the time that risk turns into reward and success, both on a personal and a professional level. When speaking about us, it is important to recognize that we are both risk-takers, but also that although the results of our decisions and actions have not always led to the expected results in the past, we’ve always been able to draw valuable lessons from those experiences, from which we’ve learned how to make better decisions, and how to become both better human beings and more successful entrepreneurs. Read more>>

Sidney Martinez | Shop owner

The risk are always there, the scariest part actually and being a parent pretty much doubles it. I’ve always been a risk taker. Since I was a little girl I’ve always known in the bottom of my heart I was meant to do something. That something felt completely when I became a mom however as time passed I felt it again. There is was, the urge to do something more. Nothing in life comes without risk. Read more>>

Liam and Aly of Kismet Vintage | Collector/Seller of Fashion & Styling

We think taking risks is a necessary step to propel yourself forward. How someone manages risks, is the key to their success. For us it was risky when we opened our business in 2008 during the Great Recession. We faced an uphill battle against a wavering economy, and uncertain times. Each year and season we’ve been open, there are more risks to take as we evolve with the changing world around us, and ultimately that keeps us on our toes and open to new ideas. Read more>>

Kenneth Lesley | Content Creator, Creative Director

Risk, in my opinion, has always felt “black and white”; nonetheless, there are many factors to consider. I was fortunate to have been raised with both of my parents growing up. Their advice and effort to provide a foundation for my sister and me is pretty much what I built my life on. Study hard, get good grades, go to college, secure a job, etc. So what did I do? Just that, checking off every measure as I grew up. I received a degree in Hospitality Management from Florida International University in 2016; Immediately after, I began applying to jobs within the industry and working my way up the ladder. Read more>>

P Fadwah Halaby | Certified Nurse Midwife/Autonomous Advanced Practice Registered Nurse/Natural Birth Consultant

The concept of risk plays a central role in my life as well as my career and business. I’ve always been a willing risk taker and for the most part it has payed off for me. For example, after extensive research into the state of birth in our culture back in the early 80’s, I chose to provide my own prenatal care (knowing I was a healthy, young woman with a natural, healthy lifestyle) and birth my baby at home with just myself and my partner. This is now known as ‘free birth’, although I didn’t realize that what I was doing would eventually become a movement among dissatisfied birth consumers. And, as a Certified Nurse Midwife who provides assistance for people to birth outside the system, I cannot condone free birth as I believe the risk is too great for some who don’t realize the risk they are taking. Read more>>

Toni Counts | Owner & Founder of Innovation Counts

Being a risk taker is one of the main qualities of being an entrepreneur. If you are unwilling to take risks, you will never know how far you can go. Taking risks is what has driven my businesses to where they are today. In the beginning I operated my business as a side hustle to my full time job. This went one for just under two years. Making the decision to leave my W2 job and go 100% self employed was a huge risk for me to take. The pressure to succeed became more prevalent as I was letting go of the “comfort” of a steady paycheck and company provided benefits. Within a month of leaving my full time job, the salary I was making was replaced with the onset of new clients. Two months after I left my full time job, I started a second bookkeeping business with a business partner to keep up with the flow of new clients. Had I not taken that risk to leave the comforts of being an employee, I would not have experienced the growth and success that I have today. You must be willing to take risks in order to make it further in your life and career. Read more>>

Maya Fuhr | Photographer, Director & Artist

I think that risks can come in many shapes & forms, they aren’t always what you think it is. For me, the riskiest things I do in my career are putting myself on the line or having uncomfortable conversations.. Especially in my art practice, getting gallerists to come into my studio was nerve wracking for me. I always thought that since I didn’t have “formal” art training, i’d sound like I didn’t know what I was talking about. However, the more I talked about my work while being myself in those moments .. I discovered that it wasn’t risky, it was actually fun. Read more>>

Chelsea Waddle | Small Business Owner / Shirt Maker

Taking risks is something that can be really scary and difficult to do, but I think it’s a necessary part of life. In my opinion, if you don’t take risks, you won’t grow. In 2017, I was working a typical 8-5 office job, working for someone else, sitting in a cubicle all day. When I got pregnant & had my daughter, I was offered the opportunity to work from home for a few weeks after my maternity leave ended. When my baby was six months old, I was told that if I wanted to keep my job, I had to put her in daycare and come back to the office full time. The choice to quit was easy, but it was probably one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. Leaving a job that gave financial security to me & my family and becoming a stay at home mom was both terrifying & liberating. Read more>>