We asked some of the most interesting folks in the community to open up about how they think about taking chances and the role risk has played in their lives and careers. Risk is by far the topic folks talk to us most about and we hope the responses below will help shed light on many different perspectives.

Ori Masias | Musician, Songwriter and Producer

For me, risk is all about sacrifice, delaying gratification and having a healthy concept of what it is to plant your seeds so you can reap its rewards later on. I have always been weary of safety nets, given that in order to purse a career full of uncertainty and instability, you must give it your all. I guess I’ve always been opposed to the concept of a “Plan B”… for me, there isn’t any plan B, only plan A. My intention is to always shoot for Plan A, even when Plan A seems far and the path is treacherous. Read more>>

Marina Efstathiadis | Real Estate Agent & Clothing Line Owner

I am typically not the risk taking type when it comes to everyday life decisions. I like to play it safe most times and I’m pretty analytical with my decisions. However, when it comes to making business decisions – I don’t necessarily play it safe and I act based on passion and research. I had a great salary job when I was in my early 2o’s but knew that my salary and career had a cap. That was when I decided to take my first big risk and that is when I truly became an Entrepreneur. I left my cozy desk job and pursued a career in a commission based job (with no salary or hourly pay), I became a Real Estate Agent. Read more>>

Ohouo Goa | The Intimacy Maven

Wow! Risk is everything. I believe that the person who doesn’t take risks has nothing. Only when you risk and purposely stretch yourself outside of your comfort zone can you grow and develop a deeper intimacy with self. You don’t know what you don’t know about yourself, right? But this could be different if you dare and risk everything. By trying new and uncomfortable things you get to know a part of yourself that would have never been tapped into if you have caved into fears. Read more>>

LoLo Rachelle | Musician & Model

Without risk, you aren’t going to achieve the life you desire. Goals and desires are there to take you out of your comfort zone and into the unknown; aka risks must be taken. You have a desire because it’s something you have yet to do. Taking a risk is a nerve wracking experience. It’s scary diving into something you’ve never done! But we have desires for a reason. Our intuition speaks to us through ideas which lead to inspired action. The actions we take lead us to achieving our goals and eventually to the life we desire! Read more>>

Pia Vasquez | Singer/ Songwriter & Co-Founder of Meliora Whisper

Risk has played an incredibly positive role throughout my life and my career. To me the idea of taking risks is about trusting my intuition and following through with my all. One of the biggest risks I have taken in my life was moving from my native country Ecuador to Miami to pursue my dream of making music and becoming a singer. I knew this decision was necessary if I wanted to grow, learn, and succeed in the music industry. That decision has proven to be the right one as many incredible life changing events have come from it. Read more>>

Amanda Doering | Interior Designer

My thought on risk is that anything worth having or doing should contain an element of risk. Risk has always been a motivator for me as I enjoy anything that tests my comfort level and keeps my blood pumping. Life should be exciting! I started my business at the age of 24 with no formal design training. What I had was a lifelong passion for the subject and a drive that pushed me to teach myself everything I know about interior design and about running my business. Read more>>

Linda Rosen | Novelist

I once thought the word risk and my name would never be uttered in the same sentence, other than to say “Linda is not a risk taker.” I’ve never skydived or gone parasailing. Any hikes I take are gentle, none where I have to scramble over loose rocks on a cliff at the edge of the world. Yet if I didn’t take a risk, I would never have become a published author. As in the poem, “The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost, when nearing my sixtieth birthday, while looking for a new creative endeavor, I came upon that proverbial fork in the road. Read more>>

Kimberly Carrasco | IMCU Nurse & Artist

Due to the nature of my nursing career and partly of my personality, I am a strategic person who likes to plan ahead. I find comfort in knowing the next steps and what to expect. Though, when I have dreamt to start a stationery shop years ago, making it a reality was quite the scare because I lacked the business experience and just didn’t know when and how to start. That hesitation took a quick turn in the wake of COVID-19, and reality hit hard when my unit in the hospital converted into a COVID floor. That was when I realized I would’ve lived a life of regret if COVID took me into the wrong direction before I had the chance to even start fulfilling my dream. With that said, I started my Etsy shop “Blushing Boba Studio.” Read more>>

Terrain Small | Musician & Poet

I think risks are a necessity in life. However they’re also a very scary part of life. If wasn’t for me taking risks in my life I wouldn’t be nowhere near close to where I am now. When you want to jump into different professions like music and business like me; you have to take those risks. Nothing in life is guaranteed whatsoever. Without taking some risks a lot of doors in life will stay closed. Especially when it comes to the music business. Read more>>