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.

Freddrena Wright | Business Owner & Baker

I’m the type of person that normally wants to know what’s the end game and results before I proceed. But going through any process you have to take chances. Trusting your first gut instinct on what feels right… trust that. I wanted to grow and expand my market and did so in the middle of a pandemic. I opened my first store location inside of the painted tree marketplace. 3 months into what has changed our lives and I’m thinking what the heck have I gotten myself into. I kept reminding myself stay the course and enjoy the process. Has it been easy; of course not and sales were not there. But that was to be expected. As time slowly passed and world started to reopen my business once again started to blossom. Now I’m currently in the process of opening a second location. Taking certain risks have made a positive impact in my career as far as advancing to another level that didn’t seem obtainable working alone. It has also given me a broader perspective with re-branding the business and keeping a buzz. Read more>>

UPILE MANDIWA | Fashion Designer & Technology Consultant

Everything about starting my business has been a risk. I have lost a lot of money with some of the decisions I have made. The thing about risk is that you never know for sure if something is going to be successful. I choose to take risks because of the passion that I have in my business. I look at my failures as lessons learned. I look at my wins and think of ways to make it better. I think when you do something you are passionate about, risks/losses are a small price to pay for potential long term wins. Read more>>

Morgan Powell | Owner of Morgan’s Mini Cheesecakery

Growing up I stayed away from risk. I was always afraid of something bad would happen and/or end up in a bad situation. Probably around 25, I saw myself already having “regrets’ or having those Should of could of would of thoughts. So stepping into being an entrepreneur, I started off slower because I was still trying to avoid taking risk. Avoiding risks comes from a place of fear and I do not want my lack of risk taking to hinder the growth of my business. I have to take risk to better myself and my company. Taking risks have opened my mind to new perspectives. Now taking risks are a necessity. Read more>>

Tanesha L Matthews | Founder/CEO of Endow’d Intimates and Certified Bra Specialist “The Bra Whisperer

I’m definitely a risk taker. I’ve tried out several careers just to see if I have a passion for them. If I’m bored easily after trying that career out I try something different. I also lived in different places, moving around. If all fails, I dust myself off and try again. I never been afraid to start over no matter how if may look to someone on the outside looking in. I’ve failed at several things in my life by taking risks, but I also got back up and started over. Some people may look at it as failing and that’s why they don’t take that risk because they’re afraid what others may think of them, but not me. I will try no matter how long it takes. That’s how I’ll reached my goal because of that. I never worry about what someone thinks about me. This is my life. Read more>>

Caleb Smith | Media Personality & Content Strategist

Taking risks as a young creative and entrepreneur is the key ingredient that will take you to the next level in life. From transferring schools my senior year of high school to earn a football scholarship, to later transitioning from the football field to becoming an award-winning journalist in college, to now running my media company full-time – I would’ve never been able to accomplish these feats if I didn’t believe in myself and take risks. I believe that risk taking teaches us so much about ourselves while making life exciting. The adversity paired with the fear of the unknown that comes with taking a risk is what molds us to step into our greatness. Recently, I quit my 9-5 to run my media company “3 Milli Productions” full-time. Yes, it was a major risk but it was also calculated. I knew that in order to take my business, my impact, along with my legacy to the next level, I knew that I had to bet on myself and trust the process. I the words of the great Nipsey Hussle, it’s all about “The Marathon.” Read more>>

Shaneese Bailey | Personal Trainer – Fitness Entrepreneur

When I think about risk taking, I think about believing in myself, having confidence. To get where I am today I have taken some pretty big risks, from deciding what school I want attend to play collegiate basketball, to deciding to transfer from that school, leaving home to open my first business then deciding to close down my gym and move to Atlanta. These are some of the many risks that have molded me and prepared me for the position I am in today. In no way were these risks comfortable but growth happens outside of your comfort zone. Take that RISK! It will pay off and even if it doesn’t work out exactly the way you want it to, learn from it and most importantly GROW. “If you’re scared to take a chance how you think we gon’ get rich? – J.Cole Read more>>

Donnisha Brown | Candle Maker | Digital Marketer | Writer

Risks are essential. Risks are like experiments, you go in with this hypothesis or expectation. Sometimes you weigh the risk & reward and sometimes you don’t. For me, I do. Either I excel or I try again, and again until I get the result I need to manifest. Where I am professionally and personally is because of the risks I’ve taken. I moved to the East Coast from Los Angeles looking for new opportunities and growth. I am still growing and open to new opportunities, however, I have come so far in short timing. I owe that all to being a risk-taker. Read more>>

Jordan (Jay) Buehler (Lacosa) | Fashion Designer/Music Manager A/R

I have had to take many risks pursuing my dreams, many of the risks I take is a financial risk of putting money into my business knowing I can make my money back plus more but sometimes I have learned things do not always go to plan as you can lose a lot of money. I also put my personal life on hold for all my businesses so there are a lot of sacrifices that are needed to be made to get where you want to in life. Read more>>

Aly Merritt | Community Connector & Startup Enthusiast

Both can be predicated on some level of luck, of course (although studies have shown we tend to attribute success to ourselves and failures to other factors — including bad luck). But taking ownership of failures, and really investigating where you could have/should have done something differently, can make you think of things in a whole new way. It can force creativity, motivate you to overcome obstacles, and quite honestly can humanize you to others. Hearing from “successful” people about the pitfalls they have faced and the recoveries they have made from failures is always fascinating, not to mention super helpful! My default personality is risk-averse, actually, so it’s been a learned skill to be willing to take something on and fail, AND to be open and transparent about what didn’t work or what I didn’t do well. Some days I’m better at it than others — being willing to jump into a whole new industry and essentially rebooting my career and my network is what led me to SalesLoft, for example!. Read more>>

Keturah Daniel | CEO & Yoga Instructor

They say “No risk, no reward”. Thats so true in business. Its truly about stepping out on faith, being willing to not always have a clear path. I’ve had to take risk often along the way…pretty much daily. When the reward is obvious, I take it as a lesson and of course when it works out, It gives me that boost of confidence that I need to keep going. Read more>>

Yvng Bangerzz | Music Producer, Beat Maker, Engineer in The Making

Taking risks are always a good thing to take in my opinion a man who can’t give up something important will never gain anything. Taking risks has helped me get closer to my dreams and more success in my career. Read more>>

Logan Renee | Creative Director & Fashion Stylist

I didn’t take risks at all. “But what if it doesn’t work out?” would always play over and over in my head, plus I was shy. So I played it SUPER safe, only working with people I knew. Terrible idea because my career was VERY stagnant. It wasn’t until I broke out of my shell and started talking to more people in my industry that I noticed taking risks was the ONLY way my dreams could become my reality. There were times I would fly out for an opportunity knowing I had no money, but I did it to gain the experience and exposure. Once I started putting myself out there, I got booked from being referred by previous clients. In the fashion industry, word of mouth will get you much further than anything else. Your network is your net worth! To this very day, some opportunities still give me butterflies, but I take a deep breath and put my big girl shoes on. Read more>>

Sherman Harris | Creator & Investor

Risk is necessary for growth. I’ve always kept a fair amount of risk in my life and career, it helps me stay away from my comfort zone. I decided very early in life that the “satisfaction” of being comfortable isn’t worth expensing my growth and goals I set for myself. Read more>>

Gavin Mayne | Recording Artist & Comic Writer

I find myself constantly wrestling with risk. The artistic journey, for me, has seemed to be a marathon riddled with hurdles of uncertainty. Right when I’ve convinced myself that I’ll be able to press on, I’m faced with another challenge that doesn’t promise a clear solution; which can hold up my process and what I intended to accomplish in that season. However, these past two years, I’ve not only been in the process of making my first full-length music project, but also my very first comic book with Thodoris Laourdekis. Looking back at the steps I’ve already taken as a creator, I’m recognizing that everything is a risk. No matter the project, you’re serving yourself on a silver platter and asking the consumers, “Do I have what it takes?” For example: it’s easier to sit in my room and produce beats for hours beyond end, but it’s much harder to turn them into songs for everyone to hear. Read more>>

Jason Howard | Owner of M37 Management & NLS Distribution

I think risk is the key ingredient in growth. In my life I’ve picked up and relocated 3 times. I was 24 before my first move, I had put the move off for two years because I had just brought my first home three years earlier. I was scared and nervous at the risk I was taking because I was so comfortable and thriving in the environment that I grew up in – although I knew in my heart that I wanted a change. After taking that first leap of faith and landing on my feet, relocating the other times didn’t feel as risky. I’ve taken that confidence with me into being an entrepreneur and not being afraid to try new things and invest in new endeavors without knowing if I’ll see an immediate return. That entire process of taking on the challenge of the risk and coming out on top has allowed me to grow in ways that I never would have imagined as that 24 year old kid scared to leave Philadelphia. Read more>>

David Jin | Data Analyst & Photography Hobbyist

I think some risk-taking willingness is extremely important for artists. Broadly defined, I feel like the phrase encompasses the ability to try new things and learn how to adapt when dealing with unfamiliar situations/people/ideas. You do not need to risk your life (climbing skyscrapers to take pictures) or poke the side of a lion (painting graphic images to invoke public shock) if you do not want to, but its important to not exclusively play it safe with your art, especially if you’re a hobbyist. If you are good at landscape painting, there is no harm in trying to improve at drawing people if you want to be the best artist you can be. That being said, I am a bit guilty of some stupid and potentially dangerous actions when I was starting out in photography in order to try to create some adventure for myself. I can’t say I’d do it again, but the experience did teach me to first make the best decisions I could for myself and then fully commit. Always keep learning because its fun to get better. Read more>>

Indya Bussey | Actress

Risk taking… All I have to say about it is just do it. If I hadn’t taken any risks, I would not have gotten one of the biggest roles of my career, as of yet. In my opinion, taking risks is essential when it comes to living life to its fullest potential. Not taking risks is being … well, comfortable. For me, a comfortable actress sounds like an oxymoron of sorts. Acting IS taking risks because acting is living. I take a risk when I step out of myself in order to find a character. It’s in the job description… Like I said before, I took a major risk just two years ago when I decided to quit my job working at a hotel. If I did not take that risk, I don’t think I’d have the same feeling of accomplishment and self-fulfillment within my life and career that I have today. Read more>>

Derius Mccombs | Private Chef and Comedian

I think some risk are definitely necessary in order to grow or elevate to the next level. Risk taking has pushed me to purse my goals and dreams and be more confident in my self and my abilities. Read more>>

Prestys Miéra | Model

Without the proper understanding of risk, also know as faith; we succumb to fear. What if that risk you are afraid to take will lead you to your breakthrough? It’s impossible to view this in the right perspective without, wisdom. That’s what makes the very notion of risk scary; the lack of revelation. As I ponder this topic, I can’t help but recall the many moments of risk assessment I’ve contemplated in my life. I’ve traveled outside of the country, moved to a different state and shifted my career path. Based on my assessment, I’ve concluded that my world view has been broadened and I’ve been positioning myself for greatness. When I left Ohio to come to Atlanta, I had no idea how things would workout. I simply stepped out on faith. My life has changed drastically, since taking that risk. I have a robust network, opportunities chase me down and I am being positioned for something major. Read more>>

Demond Drayton | Photographer

Risk taking, to me, is moving away from my comfort zone to challenge myself to take on a new venture. As a photographer, it’s easy to get stuck with a certain “look” or get put in a box based on what a client wants. I try my best to push my boundaries with every shoot. A lot of the time, as entrepreneurs, we have to jump into things head first- knowing there’s a chance it may not go as planned. But I’m willing to take these risks to build my brand. Read more>>

Shuna White | Entrepreneur/Business Coach

I am big on taking risk. My entire teen and adulthood life has consisted of taking risk. If you don’t take risk then are you really living? Everything you do in life is a risk, a chance of an uncertain outcome so why not just do it. Forget the thought of “it won’t work” and adapt the mindset of it will work because I am going to take the necessary steps to ensure it works. Wayne Gretzky. said “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” and I am taking ALL the shots. Read more>>

Shana Alexander | Creative Branding and Designs

I believe risks plays a huge role in the success of your life and/or career. Without taking risk you won’t gain the strength needed to learn and be successful. As an educator, teaching my students that taking risk is a part of life is a goal that I want them to take away as a real-world connection. I understand that risk is a part of the learn process and with reflection, you become a better person and entrepreneur. I take risk everyday but mostly when starting my business. I believe that taking risk forces you to being comfortable with the uncomfortable. Networking and financially, I thought, wow! how am I going to do this? It begin as a hobby for making my own teacher tees but now, its Ssalexacreations llc. Believing in the unthinkable has gained me more confidence by taking the risk of starting my business. Read more>>

Dr. Monica Thompson | Clinical Director & Founder | Therapy For Queer People of Color

Risk is a necessary aspect of learning, growth, and change for me. Taking risks is usually a scary prospect for me because I’m fairly risk averse, but I’ve learned over time to push myself through the fear, uncertainty, and self-doubt. When I’ve been willing to do the internal work, I’ve consistently found that taking risks pays off in various ways. Maybe things didn’t always go the way I planned, but I always learned new things about myself in the process that allowed me to grow. Opening my virtual business in 2016 was a huge risk. Not many people were offering therapy online and it was a challenge getting clients to see the benefits. Fast forward to 2020 (cira COVID-19), where my initial instincts about the value of online therapy are validated. I was able to generate an entirely new income stream around consulting with other clinicians that were forced to transition their face-to-face therapy practice to an online format. Read more>>

Jaron Jones | Founder of WILD THING$ BRAND

I feel like taking risk is what is needed to master your dreams/life, the world is built off risk takers. Taking risk has always been apart of my life and career, I wake up every morning excited because I get to live off of it. Our mission statement kind of targets that (risk taking), we would like to help people understand that they have that go getter in them. No matter what life hits you with, go out and make it happen. Read more>>

DON KING, JR. | Entrepreneur

The courageous take Risk, The cowardly lives a life of uncertainty. Chose your side. In the end what we regret most are the risk we never took. With business, being an entrepreneur isn’t all about starting a business, its about seeing a world of opportunity, instead of a being at the bottom of a chain of command. Taking on obstacles while others take refuge behind a clock. It’s either a promotion on French Fries or a Promotion of from the ordinary 9-5. In life we often wonder if we did just that one thing differently, would it have changed our lives from the for the better. As, an entrepreneur I’ve learned that being “self made self paid” creates a larger revenue because your income never sleeps. Opposed to waking up to a hourly waged job where your hours are limited and scheduled to keep an overhead and spending cost down. Programmed for the same routine over and over until you’re too old to remember that you were supposed to live. Read more>>

Anna Santiago | Entrepreneur/Business Owner

There are certainly financial risks I’ve taken in my business that have been uncomfortable. Some have worked out well and some have hurt my wallet. But my philosophy about money is that it is always there if I keep moving forward in spite of the losses. It’s just money – not a reflection of my own personal value. So in hindsight, financial risks have not been nearly as dangerous as the risks to have a business in the first place – those risks I’ve taken to be different than who I am expected to be. As a woman, as a single mother, as the granddaughter of immigrants, and as a daughter of blue-collar parents – from these identities, there are so many expectations for how I’m supposed to show up in the world. Or NOT show up at all. Looking back on my life, every time I made a choice that was different from what my parents and grandparents had, or different from what the women in my life had, those are the times I took the biggest risks and when I lost the most. Read more>>

Will Thomas | Director

I’m all about risks. When I started directing visuals 10 year ago, I was a total novice. I didn’t attend college for film production, I was broke so I didn’t have investment money for a camera or computer. And I didn’t know the first thing about editing or color grading. All I had was a dream and I was too dumb to see that I wasn’t qualified. Well, at least by normal standards. But I took the leap, with much prayer (a lot of prayer lol) I quit my job as music producer and started making video, before I owned a camera. I remember the night I decided to pursue this career, I was praying for direction and I heard in my head, I need to tell all my friends I was quitting music and going full time into film making. So I did just that, and unbeknownst to me a friend of mines just won a major lawsuit that paid him quite of bit of money. So once he heard I was going into film with no camera, he blessed me with a Canon 5D MkII! And from that point forward I knew Jesus was with me. Read more>>

Jalen Simmons | CEO of JMixtape Productions LLC

Risk taking makes my life worth wild. I wouldn’t have a business if I didn’t take risk. I started off with a small handheld camera filming a High School basketball game on the baseline with no other camera man in sight. I did it for the love of the game, the love of the players, the impact it had on players recruitment to get to the collegiate level as coaches and scouts took more recognition of my content. Risk is everything, when I’m not taking risk I’m not myself. I like stepping outside the box and finding ways to help bring exposure to people who need it. I took a risk going into Real Estate, Commercials, Comedy, and Event Management with a new outlet brand called The Evaluation. Risk is essential as an entrepreneur and is seen as a lifestyle more than the term entrepreneur to me. Read more>>

MAKO Girls | Recording Artist & Entrepreneurs

Taking Risk is a big part in our career. The role risk taking as played in our career is us creating our own opportunities and platforms. We invest in ideas that we come up with hoping it corresponds well with our audience. For example, when we first came up with our Carnival Glow Party, it was just a unique way to introduce us to the music industry and turned out to be something great we do annually!. Read more>>

Melanie Ammerman | Co-Founder of VaVa Virtual Assistants

The role of risk taking in my life has been tied to pursing my interests and truly making the time and effort to find a path I was happy with. I had many different interests and if I wanted to explore them in order to build the life that felt right to me, I had to first become okay with the fact that I was not going to follow a “conventional” lifestyle. I allowed myself the freedom to explore what the world had to offer other than what was right in front of me. It was very difficult at times – leaving family, friends, the places I knew, etc. But in the end, it was well worth it because I now live without the regret I might have if I didn’t allow myself that. I would have had a lot more “what ifs” in my mind that wouldn’t have sit well with me. I went through a lot of struggles and confusing times, but in the end, those risks I took led me to the person I am and the path I’ve gone that I’m happy with today. Read more>>

Constance & Grace Pierce | CEO’s of Sprinkle Grace

Sprinkle Grace is a Speciality Online Retail Store. Sprinkle Grace’s Mission is to Sprinkle Grace and Spread Love to Little Girls, Their Moms, and Their Grandmothers; Through Clean Beauty, Lifestyle, and Wellness Products. The faces behind Sprinkle Grace are a 6-year-old firecracker and her risk-taker mother. Sprinkle Grace started two years ago when we followed our hearts and spent 30 days in California, exploring Grace’s acting and modeling career. It was there that we decided to launch our own business, solving our skin and holistic needs through essential oil rollers, lip balm, and body butter. It is my goal to teach Grace that it is better to take risks rather than to say “what if”. My mother followed her heart and opened my town’s first African American Florist and eventually became my town’s first African American Clerk of Supreme Court. My parents raised us by their actions, which showed us how to take risks and we will take on the torch building our own legacies. One day we will follow Clarie’s (retail store) lead and people will find us inside of their favorite upscale mall, serving little girls, their moms, and their grandmothers. Read more>>

Jett Hattaway | Brewery Owner

Risk is a necessary part of learning and growing a business. I’ve been relatively risk tolerant for most of my career, becoming more conservative and diligent about assessing value against risk as I’ve accumulated more experience in business. The foundation of this high degree of risk tolerance comes from my experiences training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu since I was a teenager. This art granted me an opportunity to depart my comfort zone at an early age in the name of self-improvement. Being able to take calculated risks and overcome adversity on a regular basis cultivated a sense of self confidence and respect for my opponents in a way that transformed my life. I began to see risk as a learning opportunity – seeing a win win scenario in every competition and training day wherein no matter the outcome I was determined to learn something. I began to understand that my greatest learning opportunities and subsequent improvements were found not in winning, but in my losses. Read more>>

Tasia Graham | Brand Designer + Creative Director

Taking risks is what being an entrepreneur is all about. Think about it — you took a risk as soon as you decided to start your own business. You don’t know what’s going to happen, but you did it anyway. There’s beauty is risks. Sometimes that’s what we need in order to get to that next level. If no one else will bet on you, you have to bet on yourself. Read more>>

Kimberly Powell | Video Director and Curator

being adverse to risk will constantly be a battle for entrepenuers, self-employed freelancers, or creatives. I can trace my journey by a series of risks. I can also say the steps to be where I desire ultimately, is a series of even bigger risks. entreprenuership in business, or self employment for freelancers is esentially a process of paving your own path. as much knowledge as you can develop through others, courses, mentors, etc., you will always learn the most by doing, taking risk, and stepping out by betting on yourself. Read more>>

Maria Dix | Content Creator

Life is about taking risks, that’s how you succeed and learn lesson. So definitely risks play a big role in my life because if I don’t try, I’’ll never know what could’ve been. Read more>>

Artravious Twyman | SBIC Brand Owner

The word “Risk” has been one of the most influential word throughout my life. Mainly because I learned at a early age you have to take risks in order to get to where you are trying to go in life. My parents always told me “ you never know how far you can go in life if you don’t take risks”. So I always try to keep that in my head when I be second guessing things. Read more>>

TJ Burrowes | Independent Label Owner and Streetwear Designer

Since I was young, my life has always been fueled by taking risks. I’ve always had the urge to try to accomplish things that nobody has done yet or people say is very hard to do. Stemming from my pops always wanting me to do things that were uncomfortable to the average person, to make sure I would be ready for everything growing up. Read more>>

Laura Cadenhead | Owner of YouNeek Art Studios & Boutique

When have I not taken a risk? Apparently, I have been doing that for most of my life. My childhood wasn’t easy. I love my parents but they had a hard time understanding me. I learned early on how to stand up for myself and for what I loved, which was art. My parents are both left-brain thinkers and very traditional. They wanted to see me in ballet or cheerleading, but that wasn’t me. I noticed early on how much I enjoyed coloring and drawing. I would always get lost in my drawings and would make up stories about each character. I spent the majority of my childhood on my own (I am an only child). As I got older, I noticed (I’m sure my parents did as well) that I really excelled in art. It was the only thing that could hold my attention. I also have ADD. What was I saying? Lol. I remember in middle school I signed up to be in band class. I love music but wind instruments weren’t my thing. I don’t know why they made it like this, but your only options were to join in band class or art (I hope they changed it). Read more>>

Souff | Artist

I take the most risks out of all of my family and friends . I just think different . I don’t care about certain things . A lot of ppl only care because they were told to . You have to risk to gain something, Of course I take calculated risk. It’s all apart of not caring too much on what you can’t control. Read more>>

Tsega Beloved | Music Artist & Designer

Being open about having bipolar disorder and being open about my sexuality are enormous risks, especially as an east African woman. I understand that I place myself in a vulnerable position, and that it likely will come with negative perceptions that I have to let roll off my back. Ultimately it’s not praise that I’m creating for, it’s representation. Many women have privately come to me and told me how they feel seen through my art and message. If I can make a single person feel like they aren’t the only one that feels what they feel, then it was all worth it to me. Read more>>

Erica Neubauer | Branding & Web Designer

I’m naturally a very risk-averse person, but I am working on viewing risks not as “potential failures” but as “possible successes.” I’ve definitely taken some risks in my work as a graphic designer. Not every gamble works out- but I try to chalk it up to experience and move on. I would like to see the business community talk more openly about their failures- I think there’s too much emphasis on sharing success stories. The reality is- failure happens to everyone, even the very best. If we normalized missed opportunities, we actually encourage people to keep trying and to go for big. I love the Michael Jordan quote where he talks about about how many missed shots and lost games he’s had in his career- he says, “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” To designers and creatives (and anyone really)- don’t be so afraid of failure that you don’t try something big. Read more>>

Julia Deckman | Visual Artist & Creative Collaborator

My career and life didn’t begin until I started taking risks. Early on I avoided risk at all cost, but I came to realize that avoiding all risk also kept me from pursuing my passions and purpose. Being an artist is an incredibly “risky” way to live. There is no guaranteed paycheck or benefits every month; it’s a very vulnerable career and profession. But all the risk and uncertainty is greatly outweighed by the fulfilling life I now lead. I now view risk as inevitable. I no longer allow fear to dictate my decision making. Instead, I keep my goals and values in the forefront of my mind. Read more>>

Tia Hart | Brand Manager & Creative Producer

One thing about me, taking risks, when it comes to my creativity, is a natural process. I see “risks” as a norm and when I realize there’s a risk taking place, I know that I’m challenging myself. My brand thrives because of the challenges I have faced, both personally & professionally, and because I take on clients who want to trust someone to take risks for them. I choose to take the risks because that’s what makes me stand outside the box and that’s what keeps the referrals coming in. I’m not your average Communications Professional and often, the one service someone thinks they need is either not the only thing they need or it needs some other things done before it can be accomplished. Trust me, it’s even a risk to tell someone during a Consultation Call what they need rather than just take their money and provide a service. Read more>>

KcByNature | Content Creator | YouTube Explorer

Risks are a sense of motivation. When it comes down to my character and my career, I believe that risks are what make me want to strive more, they are what pushes me to go above and beyond. If you’re not taking risks, you aren’t elevating, because those are the obstacles that make you stronger. Focusing on my career, I travel. I’m in the AirForce so I take risks weekly, also with the content I create on YouTube. From mountain climbing, to walking on frozen lakes, hiking, exploring ancient caves, you name it! My entire business is a risks. I explore the worlds greatest beauties by myself, all while being an African American woman, one of the GREATEST risks of all. If I didn’t take any risks, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. People tend to limit themselves when they face a decision making problem, not me, I go beyond what my eyes can see. Being away from my family is definitely a top tier that concerns me but yet pushes me, that includes my military life and my traveling endeavors. Read more>>

Asha Riley | Owner and Operator of Gemocracy

As an entrepreneur you have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. That feeling is what motivates me to go hard! I look at high risks with the potential of having a high reward. Looking back on my life thus far, every milestone moment came after a risk was taken. Read more>>

Afiya K. Hooker | CEO & Licensed Psychotherapist

In my opinion, risk is a necessary aspect in life and business. It is a prerequisite to success. One cannot have success without failure and one cannot fail or succeed without taking calculated risks. The main difference between risk takers and people who give up, is that risk takers keep going! If I had given up my entrepreneurial pursuits when my mother (justifiably) shut down my operation of selling Happy Meal toys and bottled waters to classmates in the third grade, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Had I not opened my current counseling center due to spending all of my savings on a previous business venture (which failed), I wouldn’t be where I am today. If I had chosen to give up on my dreams and stay comfortable in a job that was unfulfilling after 3 years of being there, I would not be where I am today. Basically, every aspect of who I am makes me a risk taker. Read more>>

Hermence Matsotsa | DEIB & Culture Facilitator, Global Health Workforce Strategist, Cultural Intelligence & Communication Consultant

According to the Science Direct Advances in Psychology Journal, risk taking is any consciously or non-consciously controlled behavior with a perceived uncertainty about its outcome, and/or about its possible benefits or costs for the physical, economic, or psycho-social well-being of oneself or others. In a nutshell this definition describes my life and career journey. The concept of taking risks I inherited from both of my parents. My mother a young Gabonese woman who defied her tribe’s cultural norms and expectations and risked falling in love and choosing my father, a young American man who accepted the call made by President Kennedy and joined the Peace Corps as a construction volunteer in a village on a continent he knew little about. Together, they were tone deaf to the opinions on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean who told them their union was blasphemy, and perceived past the cultural norms, language and educational barriers, and racial systems that existed then and still do now. Read more>>

C.J. Stewart | Transformational Coach

As a former athlete, I believe that taking strategic risks is liken to lifting weights. Lifting weights actually tears the muscles and with proper rest/recovery and a healthy diet, the muscles get bigger and stronger. If you aren’t taken strategic risks, you cannot become successful. To be strategic is to take into account where you want to go and work backwards. While working backwards I start with: – What experiences have I had that shape where I am today spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, relationally, and financially? – Who do I need to help me get to where I’m going? – Who will it help when I reach my goal? – Who will it hurt? – Then get going with courage. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. (Martin Luther King, Jr.) For me, courage is the proper response to fear when you know that you have been called to fulfill an assignment for the Lord. Read more>>

Whitney Bond | Makeup Artist

I believe everything we do in life is attached to some sort of risk. The bigger question is knowing to discern how much of a risk you can afford to take. And, I’m not just saying this about financial capabilities, but emotionally, mentally, physically, etc. In terms of starting Beat By Bondy, I knew that it was a comfortable risk, business wise. However, I hadn’t really showcased my makeup, especially on others, to the level in which I do now. So, the fear of my work not translating well was a huge risk I was taking. Plus being in a booming city like Atlanta can sometimes make you believe certain industries are oversaturated. But, I had to remember why I even started doing makeup. I enjoyed helping people feel beautiful in their own skin. And, so many of my clients have had traumatic experiences from bad makeup jobs that they have been scared to try someone else. The fact they are willing to share in a risky moment is always a vulnerable experience. And, I’ll be forever grateful to my clients for entrusting me to their faces!. Read more>>

Xavier “Flyywalker” Drayton | Dancer & Creative

Risk is the key to success. Moving from my hometown of Buffalo, New York to pursue my passion here in Atlanta was a risk that changed my life forever. The thought of taking that risk initially brings fear, but the reward is well worth it. Risk requires discomfort, and people don’t want to be uncomfortable. I wouldn’t have accomplished much without taking risks. Read more>>

Stuart McClean | Inertia’s Root Founder & CEO

Inertia’s Root started on the principle of risk tasking. The cannabis industry is a volatile business, and when I decided to leave corporate America for good in order to chase my dreams, it was a considerable risk. Shortly after starting the company, my first child was born. At this point, I found myself at a crossroad, and my next move had to be my best move. I decided to take a leap of faith and risk my family’s future and sustainability on myself. The first two years were challenging, but we managed to find some success and raise some funding but in the third year, COVID-19 flipped our business on its head and left us scrambling to figure it out. The commitment to the brand and our ability to pivot has allowed our amazing team to overcome some very challenging times. We are very fortunate to have a thriving business during a time of such uncertainty. There is no reward without risk. Go big or go home!. Read more>>

Samad Davis | Serial Entrepreneur

I’ve been an Entrepreneur all my life. I had to make peace with taking risks and starring into the unknown a long time ago. In my early days I would just jump out the plane and hope I landed softly, but now I am much more calculated. My father says it’s like “Being a hire wire act with no safety net!” You get nowhere in life without stepping out on faith and taking risks that others are too afraid to take. Think about it. We would not be able to catch a flight, if the “Wright Brothers” didn’t risks their lives trying to figure out how to get mankind to fly. I could go down the list of inventors and entrepreneurs who changed the world off the back of the personal risks they took. I believe I am sitting in a unique position in my career based on the risks I’ve taken and the failures I’ve had along the way. It gives me a different level of confidence, because through my failures in life I discovered my super powers. Read more>>

Jamar Rivers | Actor/Producer

Risk taking is a road untraveled. You get to explore your strengths and weaknesses. This journey gives you a multitude of perspectives to grow, learn and explore the bigger picture. It has taught me lessons for the better and the worse. Ultimately, I’ve grown to be a better person not only for myself, but for others as well. Taking this path has taught me the values of confidence, blind steps and most importantly to have the ability to discover. Read more>>

Amaka Amalu | Founder-VP Mechanical Engineer & STEM For Girls Advocate

I have always had a huge fear of flying, that I would drive to Texas and take a train and bus to NY rather than fly. One day, after wasting my precious few vacation days on just getting to my destination in the past due to my fear, I decided to take a ‘risk’ and fly. Included in that “risk” was traveling to a location solo for the first time. That first solo trip and flight was phenomenal, I came back with a new high, feeling empowered, not only for my personal life but for my career. I had noticed I had tapped into something, Overcoming my fears lead to huge internal and external rewards and new found passions. I started doing research on taking risks and saw that men who were successfully in life took risks, that they got comfortable being uncomfortable. So that is when I became intentional with the decisions I made with my life. I was…I am..an introvert, but I always felt deep down that I wanted to lead something, but the world didn’t seem accepting of introverted leaders. Read more>>

Bella | Esthetician & CEO of Bella Dior

True leaders and entrepreneurs take risks. You have to take risks in order to get to where you want to be. For me, investing in myself, taking a loan out to take classes knowing that I was barely making it was a risk. After 7 months into my business, I took a risk and quit my 9 to 5 job that I had been working. I was so nervous because that was a big step! Again, 1 year and a half later, I took another risk and opened up Bella Dior Spa in a building. Throughout my business I’ve taken many risks and I’m sure i will take many more but it’s all for the betterment of myself and my business. Read more>>