By far, the topic that comes up most in our conversations with entrepreneurs and creatives is risk. We’ve had conversations about risks that worked out and risks that did not. We’ve seen eyes light eye sharing about career-trajectory changing risks as well as folks sigh about the risks they wish they had taken. Below, we’ve selected and shared some of those thoughtful conversations.

Shalandria McGlown-Allen | Owner of Hot Commodity EyeWear

As we grow daily risk becomes easier. You see the growth in the vision and it gets addictive. I feel the more elevation you do in life the more you want to bet on yourself. Just stay committed and consistent. Read more>>

Ruben Rodriguez Santana | Industrial Eng. / Entrepreneur

Risk taking is something that we all do at certain point in our life, the most important decisions in life came with some kind of risk, what career should I take? Should I have kids? Should I quit my job? Should I start a new business?, The risk is always there, however, the way we manage it is what matters, otherwise, risk can become gamble and gamble, for me, is not having control, I like to have control. Read more>>

Torenzo Gann | Professional Artist

Life is full of risks. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Be bold. But be wise. Gather information, seek wise counsel. Learn from your failures. Success in my case is an accumulation of failures. Read more>>

Hannah Sourbeer | Professional Adventure Sports Photographer

I’m slowly learning to become comfortable with risk taking. It was always this scary, daunting thing – it still is in some ways. After college, I was really stressed out about money so I was always taking the safe route. I couldn’t take the risk of not having a steady job, or ask for time off to go shoot an event. I wouldn’t want to introduce myself to someone at a certain event at the risk of humiliating myself either. But a lot of those moments where I have taken more of those risks have paid off way, way more than the moments where I didn’t take those risks. Read more>>

Daniel Oh | Entrepreneur/CEO of Ecom Scaling Solutions

In my life I’ve realized that: 1) Every cause has an effect, for every input there’s a calculated output, & with every risk there certainly is a reward.
2) People are afraid of risk but what they are truly afraid of is failure. I believe that you truly don’t fail until you give up. Just like every risk has a reward, every problem also has a solution. If you truly learn from your experiences both good and bad, it can only help you progress in your life & business. Read more>>

Keith Montero | Photographer

Risk taking is everything. Starting my career after dropping out of school was a risk, moving to NYC without any real connections was a risk. Even falling in love is a risk. I realized long ago, if it scares me, then it must be the direction I must go in. Read more>>

Nuna B Beauty | Hair stylist & Lash Artist

Taking a leap of faith is risky, especially with something as important as your career. But some risks are worth taking. If you play your cards right, you could achieve more than you ever thought possible. 99% of the risk that I’ve taken in my business worked out for me or prepared me for the next step that I need to take. I believe that you have to be willing to take risks and not seclude yourself in a bubble. Read more>>

Ellie La Gringa | Singer

Taking risks is pretty essential to have a career in a creative field. It is not something that is guaranteed, like maybe other careers where you go to school, get a job, and just work. Creative fields are competitive and multi-faceted, so you have to put yourself out there and bet on yourself. However, there are some caveats to that. I don’t believe in taking huge financial risks, because that can really mess you up long-term. Read more>>

Marjorica Ducheine, MA, NCC, LPC | MFG National Fit and Humanitarian Queen, CLR VIP Model Ambassador & Top Model Female, USOA Ms Lehigh Valley, Licensed Professional Counselor & Mental Health Advocate

I started getting into pageants and back into modeling during in the peak of the pandemic. With my platform being centered on spreading mental health awareness and the importance of the balance between mental and physical health, I felt that starting my fitness journey and paying close attention to self care was essential during a time where anxiety and the feeling of a lack of control was absolutely prevalent. I traveled to new places, masked up, and eager to share a new experience and perspective on making new connections and spreading awareness on my platform. Read more>>

Krystal Jugarap | Mother, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist

Taking risks is so critical to success, but it’s important to ensure those risks are calculated. For so long, I played it safe. Even though I felt my entrepreneurial calling since high school, I was a perfectionist by nature & refused to throw things into the world that weren’t perfect. Because if it wasn’t perfect, then I’d be risking failure or criticism, right? Thankfully, I’ve come a long way since then. Read more>>

Carla Oliva | Founder & CEO of DashBar

Life is all about taking risks whether you realize it or not. Every decision you make has an impact and an outcome. When I was a teenager, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She passed away a few months after I turned 21 years old. It was probably one of the scariest moments of my life. It’s as if you have this person who always had your back and looked out for you to knowing that I was basically all alone to fend for myself and my young daughter. Read more>>

Kingg Kong | Ceo & Executive Producer

Risk taking is not for everyone who isn’t ready mentally, it is a fine line between success and complete failure. Most of my life I’ve always took a risk no matter what it was and I also failed many of those times. Throughout the course of failing I’ve became knowledgeable about a lot those losses I took were lessons and it turned me into a champion. Read more>>

Camille Burke | Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Risk taking has forced me out of my comfort zone, it has allowed me to tap into skills I didn’t know that I had. Risk taking has helped me to prioritize myself, set boundaries, set wild goals and train my mind to think as I leader as I was never in a leadership position other then presently starting and running my own business. Read more>>