How do you think about risk? What role has taking risks played in your life/career? Check out responses from hidden gems from our community below.

Olivia Fortune | Entrepreneur

Risk-taking has been a big part of my life in the last few years. I realized if I didn’t do things now then when? I’m in my early 20’s so I feel like this is the perfect time to try new ventures and explore what life has to offer. Risk-taking has gotten me out of my comfort zone and I have also met some really amazing people during my journey. I will continue to Risk take and bet on myself especially at a pivotal time like this during my life. Read more>>

Jessica Kirkwood | Model

Personally I feel “Risk Taking” is very important. I know it sounds cliche but the bigger the risk the bigger the reward often times it’s very much true. As a child it was always a dream of mine to become a model it was all I ever wanted but because of my disability I really didn’t think I could. I decided to take a chance and go after my dreams and was very surprised no one had an issue with my disability. I use to be extremely nervous and apprehensive about “modeling nude/ semi nude” because of the fear of getting a really negative backlash and being judged so harshly well I took the risk and it was actually very much the opposite and everyone was so supportive and positive and it really helped elevate me and my career and people still reach out to me to tell me how inspiring I am. I say take that risk more often than not it’s probably life changing and will lead you right where you need to be. Read more>>

Andrew Johnston | Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiologist & ELDOA Practitioner

I’m not sure I actually believe in risk. See, there are really only three choices: the optimal one, the sub-optimal one, and doing nothing. The optimal one is the one which we all hope to choose. But oftentimes that takes a bit of trial and error. So even if the choice made ends up being the sub-optimal one, at least that’s movement. And moving in the wrong direction is better than not moving at all. It’s a chance to meet the Pain Teacher. And she’s quite the motivator. Her lessons are rarely subtle and often will, as Osho puts it, punch you in the face! Those blows have been critical in my evolution. My third concussion ended my cycling career at the age of 26, forcing me to figure out what I was going to do for the rest of my life. Read more>>

Tony Curry | Artist

A quote that constantly resonates with me is ” Take risks in your life, If you win you may Lead. If you Loose, You may Guide.” -Sawmi Viv. In this life you’ll never know how far you can go unless your willing to take it that far, unless your willing to risk it all. I was raised to walk my own path ,baring my own light. Learning the path least traveled is often the most rewarding .I draw a lot of my inspiration from my childhood , from things I was “raised on”. Raised with full confidence that me, myself, can do anything in this world I want . With that instilled at a young age, it applied to every aspect of my life. Never limiting myself in things I wanted to do , wanted to say and even wanted to wear. Something I remember very vividly is 2012 my sophomore year In highschool. Read more>>

Erica Dias | Serial Entrepreneur & Author

It has played a major role in my career! I will always invest and bet on myself. Once I set my mind on something, it’s go mode for me. Taking risks is what has helped me tremendously along my journey and I would not be were I’m at in my life, if I didn’t take a risk. Read more>>

Gwendolyn J. Jackson | Film/TV Producer & Boutique Beverage Distributor

Risk is an interesting word because by definition, ‘risk involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that you value.’ So why in the world would we take risks. And yet everyday we wake up and do all the things that matter to us at the ‘risk’ of those rituals causing us harm. That is why taking risks in life are inevitable and necessary. You can not live without taking some risks at some time in your life, especially if you want to be free to make your own choices. Now, of course, there are people who love taking risks more than others. For me, I’m sort of a cheater when it comes to risk because I try to step out and farther than my boundaries with the security of having one toe back on safe grounds. As a kid, my first risk was challenging my mother—that lead to bodily harm. Read more>>

Derin Lindsey | Graphic Designer/Creative

Taking a risk on myself and my gift was been extremely beneficial. I am now a full time entrepreneur! After being let go from my job in corporate America I made the decision not to apply for another job but to bet on myself! So far it’s been very rewarding. Read more>>

Khalil Walthour | American FashionDesigner & Entrepreneur

I feel that risk taking is extremely important. Without risk you’ll never know what will work and what wouldn’t. As a designer I take risk all the time whether it’s pricing my products or a specific fabric of my product, it’s all a risk to take. Read more>>

Myles Jackson | Personal Trainer & Business Owner

Many times, throughout my career and my life I have made decisions that led to me gaining new insight, growing, learning, evolving. In fact, while many people assume my success is due to a mixture of good timing and luck, it is more an accumulation of the experiences gained and the lessons learned from taking risk after risk. For example, I did not know when I started my business if I would succeed or not – but I did not let fear stop me from trying. I knew by starting my business I had two options: fail or succeed. I understood by not trying I risked not knowing if I could ever succeed. I risked not following my dreams and at the very least I risked the opportunity to experience new things if I did happen to fail. Read more>>

Avnah Long | Fashion Designer & Master Cosmetologist

I think taking risk in my career has always been something that has moved my brand forward in a sense. Although some risks may not pay off many will and those risk will actually get you noticed on another level. As a designer I am always taking risk. A lot of those risk have been a great outcome but even if not, I always look at any failure in risk taking as an opportunity to learn. You have to be willing to take risk and experiment with new ideas because that is how you grow and learn. Read more>>