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.

Patrick Van Negri | Content Creator & GQ Insider

Risk had been a significant foundation for anything I achieved in life. Risk if fun and rewarding. I know what your thinking: “but what if I fail? Failure was not worth taking the risk.” you might say. I completely disagree. Failure is even more rewarding if done correctly. You will never learn from success as much as you will from failure. Risk is the main ingredient for both instances; I see it as a win-win play. When you are thinking about it deep enough and thoroughly – there is nothing to lose. Read more>>

Holly Doughty | Photographer & Owner

I love taking risk in my photography and images. You learn so much about lighting and photography angels by taking risk. Every photo shoot I try to do at least one thing new and creative I have never done before. I love seeing other photographers work, it inspires me to do more with my business and artwork. Read more>>

David Rousseau | Director

Taking risks in my career has always been part of the plan. in a creative field, you have to be Able to step outside your comfort zone and take risks. if not you risk stagnation and complacency. Read more>>

Rafaela Gonzalez | Founder & Owner

From my perspective, risks are simply leaps of faith. At least for me they’re something like that. I’m hoping for the best outcome. I cant see it but I’m hoping and trusting in the move. I believe that starting a business was a risk and/or leap of faith because I knew the road wasn’t going to be easy, I knew that I could potentially fail and be left with financial burdens. But how could we possibly get anywhere without taking the risks. Success isn’t possible without risks when it comes to the business world, and most areas of our lives really. Read more>>

Ricardo Echeverri | Vice President of Tropicals

I believe taking risks is essential for personal and professional growth. Taking risks oftentimes forces you out of your comfort zone and enables you to evaluate circumstances with a much broader and larger lens. An unfamiliar situation sometimes can be very exciting and rewarding, but the hesitation and uncertainty of taking the jump will stop you from ever experiencing it. I have taken multiple risks throughout my career and lifetime. The most significant risk that I took in my young adult life was leaving my family and friends back in Colombia to relocate to the United States. Read more>>

Ruth Avra & Dana Kleinman, KX2 | Artist / Sister Collaboration

Just deciding to be an artist is a huge risk!! An artists life is not easy. It is filled with uncertainty, rejection, and chaos. It can, of course, have the most amazing fulfilling moments, but the vast majority of artists are not able to sustain a career long enough to enjoy the acclaim of outward fulfillment. An artist must learn to love the small risk and reward the artwork within the studio can bring. Then take the risk of putting themselves out there again and again to gain the hope of someday receiving the acclaim of others that will lead to sales, awards, grants and beyond. Read more>>

Sabrina Alfonso | Founder of Propolis Digital Marketing

Taking risks is inevitable if you want to grow or evolve in any way and I consider myself a risk-taker in many pursuits. When it comes to my personal life, I am all about risk and seeing what happens. I am the kind of person that thinks of every single possibility and then makes decisions on a whim. in the past 4 weeks I have taken risks by cutting my own hair, DIY-ing several home remodeling projects, teaching myself new skills, and agreeing to do this interview. But when it comes to my career and my professional evolution, however, I tend to think twice about risk and what it means. Read more>>

Michael Gray | Visual Artist

As an artist, I feel like everything I do revolves around taking risks. I think that is what essentially sets artists apart from everyone else. I realized early on that there is no exact guideline for making art. Sure, there is Art History, there are technical manuals and texts, sure there are teachers who can guide you, but there is no exact formula to how to become an artist. You have to rely completely on taking risks to move your work forward. Then, you have to expose your emotions, feelings, and thoughts with the world and that is also a risky business. Read more>>

Osmany Mondaca | Founder and Principal Broker of NXT LVL Realty

My entire life/career has been built around taking risks but I prefer to think of it as seizing opportunities and taking action. If we don’t take action (or the “risk”) then we miss out on the opportunities presented to us. And when I say opportunities I don’t necessarily mean monetary opportunities- I mean learning experiences and relationship building, for instance, which are just as important because it can put us in favorable positions to achieve the success we are searching for. Read more>>

Susan Pincus | Owner of SoLa Seasonings, Inc.

I have taken quite a few risks in my life and fortunately, they have all paid off. After graduating from Louisiana Tech in Vocal Music Education, my husband and I wanted to find a teaching job. Even though we were both born and raised in Louisiana and our families lived there, we realized we needed to take a risk and seek employment outside of the state, in order to make a good living as teachers. We both decided to interview for jobs in the Dallas area, as their salaries at the time were very good. Read more>>

Jessica Tucker | Consultant &

In all honesty, I dislike risk (#NoCap). I am a creature of habit — I like predictable outcomes and have a very structured, routine-driven life. However, I learned pretty quickly that in order to truly grow, develop emotionally and become the person I want to be… risk is mandatory. I think risk involves three considerations: calculation, vulnerability and bravery. Though this can feel counter-intuitive (as risk can have an energy of impulsivity and blind admission), it’s a solid formula for stepping into the unknown. Before I take any chances, I consider the range of potential outcomes. Read more>>