Are you a risk taker? Do you think you have a stronger appetite for risk relative to your friends and family? We asked some folks from the community about their approaches to risk and have shared their thoughts below.

Le’Ronnie Bussey | Dancer

The biggest risk I took was when I moved away from home at age fourteen. The school I was at wasn’t feeding the needs I had for where I wanted to go for my career, I had a dream of moving to New York at 14 to join the JKO school but I’m happy that my previous mentor/teacher, Wes Chapman, brought me to his school in Birmingham, Alabama. At The Alabama School Of Fine Arts and as a result of the risk I took leaving my family and friends behind I found myself and I found purpose for my career. My thoughts and my dancing matured in a way that I never thought would happen which at the time was what I needed. All it took was a simple risk of going against what everyone at my age was doing at the time. Read more>>

NaKeisha Dennard | Tax/Financial Professional

Risk means taking a chance, trying something new, and possibly failing or succeeding. We must all experience risk in our lives. Taking chances is one of the most crucial ways of helping to advance one’s skills and gaining experience. Imagine a life where everything was the same.Everything was safe. Everything was easy. Most importantly nobody failed. How would we learn, grow, and adapt without risk? Taking risks has pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I have always been an introvert. I knew I had to become more sociable and interactive to build my clientele. I took the risk at putting myself out there. Now I am connected to some of the biggest in the tax industry. I’m having conversations and gaining knowledge from millionaires. Read more>>

Ava Hart | Actress

Taking risk when you don’t know the outcome is always going to make someone nervous but what if it is the best outcome? I took a huge risk when I moved to Atlanta knowing only one person to begin an acting career at 26 when I didn’t have experience in it before that. This risk paid off in more ways than one. I have grown, made great friends, I met my husband the first week I was house searching, and I now how a full resume that continues to grow from acting since moving to Atlanta. Read more>>

Matthew Dormus | Creative

Having survived multiple car accidents, a severe health crisis, and near-death experiences like being very close to a drive-by murder, I have an increased gratitude for every breath I take now. Along with gratitude comes an intentional decision to make sure my life counts, and risk-taking plays a monumental role in that effort. Currently, I am a nineteen-year-old sophomore ministerial theology major at Oakwood University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Huntsville, Alabama. I was recently chosen to campaign for Oakwood University Royalty for the title of “Mr. Oakwood University” against one other student. Read more>>

M K | aspiring professional dancer, mentor and content creator

In the past, I used to have an amazing relationship with taking risks. I was fearless and ready to try anything. I didn’t care about the consequences or effects of being a risk-taker, I just knew I had a goal and I needed to accomplish it for myself. Even if that took me doing something over and over until I mastered it. Unfortunately, the older I got the more taking Risk became a challenge for me. I became an overthinker, a procrastinator and just intimidated by everything around me. I lost my drive and confidence in taking risks. Just now in my 20-somethings, I am forcing myself to completely say F#*k it. I am forcing myself to tap back into that little girl who just wanted to accomplish anything life tossed at her. I learned that just taking one risk could lead to the next best experience of my life. . . I no longer wanted to sit around and think about what would happen if I just tried. Read more>>

Hermelyn Latouche | Financial & Insurance Educator

Being an entrepreneur is not an overnight decision; it takes a lot of planning before stepping into the role. However, sometimes you have to just jump into the water and take a chance. I thought about the freedom that comes from being your own boss, building an empire from the ground up, and the lessons that I will learn from being an entrepreneur. There are a lot of risks involved when it comes to owning your own business but there is no reward without risk involved. As an introvert, speaking to people or evening mingling was a challenge because I don’t like a lot of people in my circle but a prior manager of mine said to me that “people will always see your work but they won’t promote you unless they know you”. Read more>> 

Tracy Englund | Wedding Photographer/Videographer and Venue Owner

My husband and I are very much of the mindset that we’d prefer to take a risk than wonder if we ever could have done it. One of my favorite inspiration talks are from Steve Harvey, when he talks about jumping~ “The only difference between you and the successful people you see in your life every day is that they have jumped. You cannot just exist in this life, you have GOT to try to live.” Read more>>