Shoot your shot? Take a chance? Society bombards us with messages, phrases, examples and stories of how taking risk is the key to success, but is anything ever that simple? We asked some of the brightest folks we know to tell us about how they think about risk. We’ve shared their responses below.

Anca Vlasan | Comedy TV Writer

Television writing is an industry where you’re constantly taking risks. Not just with your career or with your content, but also within a comedy writer’s room where you’re constantly pitching new ideas. In my first writer’s room, I was self-conscious to speak up. But I was committed to doing what’s best for this project, so I had to put my own fears aside. And the more I pitched, and the more risks I took, the more comfortable I become with that uncertainty. Risk-taking became the norm! And guess what? Not every pitch will be a winner. Not every risk will merit a reward. But NOT pitching could be even more detrimental to your career and to the project. So get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I promise you it’s not that bad. Read more>>

Haley Dani | Professional Makeup Artist

Risk means being willing to fail and try again. I’ve struggled with perfectionism, so risking failure has always been terrifying. I’ve always wanted to be good at something from the jump and it took a lot of time to be real with myself and say that that’s just not how it’s going to work. There are a lot of opportunities that I could have said no to because I didn’t feel ready or like I was capable of being successful but I had to push through those negative self thoughts and just take action. The anxiety only lasted up until the moment that I actually experienced the opportunity and then everything fell into place and made more sense. Read more>>

Maggie Schneider | Singer-Songwriter

Honestly, I think taking risks in your career and life are important. I define a “risk” as putting yourself out there, or out of your comfort zone. I’m not talking about a stunt like cliff-diving or jumping out of an airplane, but more about taking everyday opportunities that present themselves. If you don’t try new things or take new opportunities, you are possibly missing out on something positive and life-changing. As a woman in the music industry, I am constantly taking risks in the pursuit of following my dreams. Whether that is reaching out to someone new in the industry, or sharing a new song with a sold-out crowd, I try and push myself to do things that are uncomfortable. If you don’t try, you never know what could happen. The results can be magical! Read more>>

Rhodis Eason | Custom Bespoke Clothier & Image Consultant

Throughout my life, I have always looked at risk with the idea of loss to gain, and often times it would be more focused on the loss, rather than the gain. It was until I heard my pastor give his explanation of risk, that it all became clear. Risk are merely an extension of faith. And as I looked back over my life, that was all it took. Just an extension of faith. It’s not a matter of loss and gain. It is simply an extension of faith. Read more>>

Terquita Chantee’ | Business Owner & Creative

Hmmm risk… what one may call a risk I would call taking a leap of faith. There is always something that potentially “go wrong” or that may not yield the results one may be seeking. However if you are not will to take the “risk” or step out on faith what’s the point. Life has lead me to step out on faith more and more. Even when I don’t get the results I was originally seeking I learned something to continue my journey. I believe the things you need for your vision and purpose and added as you continue your “risk” journey. One can be timid but bold enough to at least start and continue on. Risks teach that it may not be as hard as you may have originally thought it would be. Risks or faith teach us that it is ok to fail. Your faith can place you in rooms and networks you never imagined you could be a part of or experience. Take the risk. Step out on faith. Jump. Read more>>

Pastor Will Francis | Senior Leader & Strategist

The HUB has done some really great work over the past few years within the communities we serve. Since April, we have served over 45k meals to seniors and those experiencing homelessness in and around the Atlanta metropolitan area. Something of that magnitude, especially for a smaller organization, would have been daunting if we were not INSPIRED and committed to our mission which is to simply “provide Help, restore Hope and allow hearts to Heal..” So the short answer to the question is Be Inspired by a Mission/Purpose you truly believe in. Read more>>

Chanita Simms | Founder

We often associate risk-taking with being a negative thing to do. Why is that? Is it because it takes us out of our element? Or maybe because it re-writes the narrative that society forces upon us and false generational beliefs? Risks are simply the possibility of something terrible happening. We tend to forget that while bad things can happen, there is also a possibility for greatness with risk. I’ve been called a risk-taker, brave, daredevil, completely irrational, and even foolish for the things I’ve done over the past decade. Have all of my risks turned out to be beautiful stories full of joy and success? Of course not. Have I learned from every single one? 100% yes. And I don’t regret a thing. Risks are necessary for growth and enlightenment. If we’re honest, a life with no risks sounds pretty dull too. I still remember the first significant risk I took, dropping out of college. I never had any intention of going to college in the first place. Read more>>

Fanicia Howard | Poet, Writer & Content Creator

I believe risks are essential for growth. Becoming an independent poet, writer, and author was unfamiliar territory when I first decided to release my body of works. The risks I take is having to wear multiple hats: I am the creator, I market, I brand, I promote, I furnish and replenish my own product, and I manage my business’s finances. I am solely responsible for the direction of where I take my art and I constantly take leaps of faith knowing I have to create the security blanket and it is not handed or waiting for me. The great thing I have learned while taking risks is that consistently pushing my poetry reinforces the belief that my art form has a place in this world and that I should always be an advocate for my art and my voice. The risks become rewarding when you know your purpose and you diligently work towards showcasing your gift/s in every way. Read more>>

Krisjana Turner | Owner & Creative Director

Risk-taking is essential to growth! If I haven’t taken a risk in a couple of months, then I feel that I am not really challenging myself. I am more comfortable operating in a conservative manner. The thought of potentially failing is never something that I look forward to doing. Saying yes to a project that causes me to operate in new territories has really shown me that I am stronger than I give myself credit for. Taking risks even in a COVID environment has allowed me to grow and expand my team, my business, and really helped me understand that if you want to achieve a goal, then you have to learn to be comfortable taking risks. Read more>>

David Melman | Director of Operations

I think there is an inherent risk in everything we do. The real question is “how do people calculate risk” to then decide what the appropriate action needs to be taken. Risk has been a huge part in my life and in growing Melman Law Group. My wife Marina Melman started Melman Law Group – Personal Injury Attorneys after a few years practicing family law. Her decision to switch the type of law she wanted to practice was really the first risk we took. From there, I then took a risk and joined her full time as Director of Operations. These two decisions for the both of us came with a lot of thought and calculation. What do we have to lose? What do we have to gain? After dissecting each risk we realized we were young enough to take a chance and come together to become the best client service based law firm in Georgia. Read more>>

Brandon Sanders | Wildlife Expert & Musician

Life is all about taking risk. Every time you move or buy a new car it is a risk you are taking. I started my company in 2015, and again in 2017. The first time I started in 2015, I took a risk and failed. By 2017 I figured out my kinks, learned from my mistakes, and took another leap. Since I have grown my company and now have more work than I could have ever asked for! I am still taking new risk every day, and learning as I go. I am so thankful I took that initial leap, because without my failures I would never learn how to grow and remain strong in my decisions in life. Read more>>

Dajzha Little | Director, Photographer, Videographer & Creative Director

I have grown to not be so afraid to take risks. Risk are opportunities to grow because risk cause you to push yourself out of your comfort zone, which is NOT where you should reside if you plan to grow in your business and career. Risks and the idea of them as a whole have been a very big motivator for me. It puts me in a mental competition with myself and my fears. I always want to prove my fears wrong about the control they have over the moves I make in my career. But I also use risks and the stigma of them, to help keep my evaluation of every situation balanced and to not be so hard on myself. I like to think of risks as win win situations: you either take the risk and succeed or take the risk and discover an area where you can improve. win win. Read more>>

Cameron Oneal | Artist

I see taking risks as a necessary thing to do to get ahead in any aspect of life. It’s important not let the fear of failure hold you back from accomplishing something or even trying. I’d rather be able to say I tried and failed then didn’t try at all. Read more>>

Deon Draper | Fashion Designer, Business Owner & Brand Ambassador

There is an old saying that I love and have lived by over the last few years of my career, and my life in general. “In life, when you take a chance, sometimes good things happen, sometimes bad things happen, but if you don’t take a chance at all nothing happens”. I totally agree with that, cause it has been proven true to me time and time again, admittedly sometimes for the bad, more often than not, for the better. As young entrepreneur I’ve learned that our gut is our biggest weapon and asset, fear is our biggest enemy, we take chances more than anybody else, and have to make difficult decisions on a daily basis. Everything from branding, to marketing to general growth force us to weigh many options a lot of which can be very confusing and intimidating when we are first starting our businesses. Read more>>

Chanel Cooper | Team Leader & Hairstylist

Risks are a way of moving out of our comfort zone, psychologically, then taking action. I encourage healthy risks, of course, in the sense of taking a step today that will benefit your future, no matter how unpleasant or uncomfortable it might be. Because there is a possibility that things may not work out in our favor, we must remember that most of our growth happens from chance of failure, discovery, unpredictability and unexpected outcome. As a styling professional in the beauty industry, breaking out of my comfort zone includes networking with seasoned beauty pros, promoting my brand to strangers, performing services I haven’t mastered yet, and upselling and cross-selling to enhance the customer experience. These are some of the responsibilities of being an entrepreneur and I am continuing to put forth the effort of accomplishing these tasks each day. Read more>>