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.

Brandon Preston | Fashion Designer

Risk taking is its own art, when people take risk they think either the best possible outcome or the worst, but from experience I can say the universe will reward you just for taking the risk .Kanye said ” Reach for stars so if you fall, you land on a cloud”.That lyric has to the most accurate outcome on taking risk. Another way I go about risk would be looking at the wrestler Jeff Hardy.Why do we all love Jeff Hardy? It is because deep down he is reflection of us.Every high risk move he made is what made him who he is and the same is what I apply to my life.Every high risk move I make will make me who I am meant to be. Read more>>

Alexis Earley | Hair Stylist & Entrepreneur

Being an entrepreneur is all about taking risk. If you look up the definition of “Entrepreneur” it’s a person who takes on a risk to operate a business. To accomplish anything in life there are risk you have to take. When I look at risk I look at something I have to give up or sacrifice to achieve a goal. In my case I’ve risked time and money for years in order to put myself in a position to win. When it comes to risk I feel like the only way to find out if something will work or not is by taking the risk. Kind of like that saying “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” you never know if something works or not if you don’t try. Read more>>

Natasha Camp | Beauty Content Creator

Risk is what you’re willing to do to put yourself out there. Risk is what I take every time I create content to put out there on social media. I’m thankful I took the risk of actually putting myself out there, and showing the world what I love to do. It’s definitely opened a lot of opportunities for me. Read more>>

MaDrique | Recording Artist

Honesty I think risk is very important, it’s the glue to everything. I don’t think none of this would exist if we didn’t take it. Risk plays a part in our lives more than we know; even just waking up every day and leaving your house is a risk. You’ll never know what could happen to you or those around you. Now in terms of creativity and where I’ve taken things; early on having this dream and not knowing what to do was a challenge I had to overcome but I knew what my end goal was. So every song I make is a risk because I have to bet on the beat, my words, and how the world is going to perceive my art. I risk myself every time I put out a new project. Read more>>

Tanesha Houston | Certified Christian Counselor/Life Coach, Author & Artist

Risks are two-fold, there are risks that are unnecessary or that should not be taken but when it comes to new ideas or goals, I see risks more like steps of faith toward reaching one’s full potential. For example, starting a business, doing freelance work, or even focusing on being an author, all dance around risks such being a failure, financial struggles or challenges, rejection, etc. Yet, in my life and career, the risks taken come with some success and lessons learned. Whether it has been a nice amount of book sales, or being selected for a movie scene, or a slow first year in business, any and all outcomes from the risks taken direct my path toward my full potential because both, open doors and closed doors still work to my advantage. Read more>>

Nadine Daniel | Yoga Instructor & Spa Assistant Manager

Taking risks in my life have propelled me into new opportunities for growth even if it caused a setback. I come from immigrant parents both of whom have taken risks that could have potentially lead to death which was their journey from El Salvador to the United States. They took the risk for better opportunities which were not found in a third world country. From their example, I have found that risks were necessary to take in order for success to happen. From my teens to now I ventured into different avenues that opened new experiences to me such as in middle school, I took a baton twirling class to help boost my confidence as I was such a shy child. Read more>>

Taylor Stroud | Hairstylist

I view taking risks as a huge opportunity for growth. My career, in many ways, is based on taking risks. I started as a student in the traditional university system, and while it was certainly a safer route, I knew it wasn’t what I wanted. I took the risk and chose to dive headfirst into hairstyling, backing out of my degree to attend the cosmetology program at Paul Mitchell. Similarly, after having worked at my previous salon for 2 years, I felt that I was playing it too safe and existing solely in my comfort zone. I, again, took the risk and accepted a position at Forté, where I work now. To me, although the unknown is definitely scary, taking risks and stepping out of the safety of my comfort zone is always an opportunity to grow, both in my career and my personal life. Read more>>

Angel Pean | Actor, Narrator, Creator

Personally, I’m a creature of habit, so when it comes to taking risks and embracing change, I tend to hesitate. I’m a Virgo through and through; I’m analytical by nature. When it came time for me to start taking chances in order to get what I want out of life, I tried not to overthink too much or focus on every single detail. Leaving myself open to the unknown while still being prepared quite literally changed the trajectory of my life. Taking these risks took me out of my comfort zone and pushed me to grow into who I am today, personally and professionally. Read more>>

Emely de Paiva | Actor, Director

I would say one of the biggest risks I have taken in my life was uprooting myself and moving to New York to pursue acting. I had a stable job, as a project manager, in a creative field but I felt like I had to go after this dream, that I had put on the backseat for too long. So you could say that taking risks does play a big role in my career – would I have not taken that risk I wouldn’t be where I am now. Read more>>

Yvonne Angolina Amores | Owner of The Luxe Galore Studios

I see risks more as opportunities for exciting growth and expansion. I can’t sleep at night knowing I didn’t take an opportunity or risk that could’ve changed my life. Even if I lose, at least I did it and learned from it, rather than sitting back complacently and letting opportunities pass me by. Read more>>