Taking Risk is essential, but how much, when and why?  Taking risks effectively is as much of an art as it is a science and we’ve asked some of the brightest folks in the community to tell us about how they think about risk taking.

Abigail Bruton | Director of Creative Experiences

I believe that we take risks in everything in our life’s journey. Falling in love, Starting a new Career, Starting an Investment Portfolio, Starting a Family and so much more. Learning to take calculated risks. Not being afraid to fail has helped me in my career and in my life. Learning about the event planning industry has been an interesting journey. I worked in corporate America and at a public college where I was entrusted with coordinating important events. From employee appreciation events to academic awards ceremonies and so many other social events. I realized how much I loved the process of planning, and curating a special team to bring our clients vision to life. This love affair found me. When I decided to branch out on my own, I reached out to a seasoned professional and asked if he could answer questions for me and mentor me. This new relationship brought my vision to a new level. Read more>>

Alette Simmons-Jiménez | Mixed Media Interdisciplinary Artist

Artists take risks… that’s what we do. From the very beginning, we look outward and inward to discover our own process and style of expression. Every step is a risk. sometimes big sometimes small. But without risks, experimentation, exploration, and sometimes just going with your gut, nothing original can occur. It is essential to the creative process. In my opinion, there are no rules for making art. A lifetime dedicated to one viewpoint or one expressive pathway does not sustain my interest. I live and work to take risks, to discover and learn something new around each corner. The time I spend daily in the studio is dedicated to visualization, problem-solving, and a never-ending struggle to discover and create the best interpretation of my thoughts. I think that if I ever completely figure things out, I’ll be done. The magic of making work will be over. Read more>>

Jorge Parra | Visual Artist & Commercial Photographer

Contrary to what others may think, risk-taking is a standard aspect of, and I would say, a necessary trait, for any creative career. This applies to business careers, artistic ones, etc. Basically, if you are not comfortable taking risks, jumping into the void without knowing what comes next, if you do not enjoy those moments of uncertainty, the not-knowing , then there are little chances that your creative career will flourish. Same thing applies to some critical moments in life. Some decisions are life-changing and difficult to reverse. So you either do it or not, and either way, your life will be different. In my case, I certainly jumped from being a 9 to 5 chemist, working in a lab, steadily married for years, and almost overnight I switched careers and became a freelance photographer, with no insurance, no corporate protection, no fixed income, not knowing when the next check would come out, my wife could not take it and we had to separate, and all things considered, I just could not help it, I was just happy with the massive change of career and my drive would not let me stop for anything, So you get some cool things, and you also loose some. Read more>>

Rachel Speck | Studio Owner

Risk taking and not taking has probably one of the most important aspects of my career. I believe to be successful, you have to take risks, but it’s also crucial that you take them at the right time. I moved to Miami Beach from Carlisle, PA all by myself when I was only 15 to pursue my ballet career. That was a huge risk, but also a very necessary one. I would never have accomplished everything I have today if I hadn’t taken that leap back at 15. Opening my own ballet school and fitness studio was an even bigger risk. This was all about timing though. I had been wanting to do it for about 5 years, but rushing it and opening too soon would have probably led to failure. I waited until I knew I had enough students and a reputation in place that it would be successful and grow. In business, I believe you have to have the right balance of taking risks and making that leap, but you also have to use facts and data and make an educated decision. Read more>>

Reginald Andre | CEO & President

One characteristic I hold pride in is that I am willing to take risks. In my field, not every client or issue is uniform, and there are times I am presented with a new issue, hurdle, etc. A lot of my success has come from taking a leap of faith. Sometimes it does not work in my favor, and that is where a learning opportunity presents itself so that in the future I know what NOT to do when presented with a challenge. In essence, taking risks has grown my business tremendously; it has done me more good than harm, and I will advocate to be a risk taker! Read more>>