In our experience, most folks, including ourselves don’t have enough of an understanding of risk and the role it plays in our lives and careers and so we have made a concerted effort as a team to have conversations about risk with our interviewees. We’ve shared some highlights below.

Bresean Pierce | Fashion Stylist & Influencer

Born & raised in the 1of the most Violent Cities in the state of Virginia, you just want to make it out. Growing up as a hood baby in Portsmouth, Va you just trying to stay alive, make it out & put your city on like any other artist. That shit comes with risk! I never approach risk, I take from it. I take on risk with faith in God & Intuition like a bully.. ya know? Whether it was a blessing or a lesson it was for me! And I’m going to get what’s mine regardless. God reminded me of that with every risk he present to me. When I think about risk? I like to think of us as a toxic couple. Joker & Harley Quinn type shit! It’s something about me and risk that mix so well then we don’t. Certain risk I took led me to the highest points of my life & career but it also led me to the lowest points. No regrets! I took from it instead of it taking from me but that’s God credit. Read more>>

Shaheed Brown | Dj Shaolin “The World’s Most Dangerous”

I always knew that without taking risks, there could be no reward. From an early age, I realized I didn’t want to work for anyone else. Being an entrepreneur and forging your own path isn’t for the faint of heart. It requires a level of boldness—maybe even a bit of craziness—because you’re stepping into the unknown without any guarantees of success. But for me, the pursuit of financial freedom and personal fulfillment was worth it. Read more>>

Joey Nappo | Frontman, Love You

As an artist, I view risk as an ally. An Excalibur level weapon that when calculated correctly will rocket you past your doubts and insecurities. There are always a million reasons not to do something, but taking a risk is not about the “why nots,” it’s about the one “why you should.” When you think of risk as an ally, you’re not taking one. My experiences have led me to self-assurance and to take a conventionally obvious risk by starting my own band. Don’t set goals, just make decisions. Read more>>

Abby Schmit | The Bunny Hive Roswell, owner

I’ve always loved Erin Hanson’s quote: “What if I fall? Oh, my darling, but what if you fly?” It captures how I think about risk—balancing fear with the possibility of something extraordinary. Read more>>

Liliana Steeg | Actress & Nurse

Almost everything in life comes with risks and benefits, which can be scary! The reality of taking a risk is that you might stumble, but the possibility of achieving something awesome can make it all worthwhile. Read more>>

Brianna Haddock | Actress & Model

I firmly believe that taking risks is essential to growing not only as a person, but as a professional. Staying in your comfort zone is nice, but I’ve found it doesn’t really get me anywhere! For example, taking on a challenging acting role is a risk. It’s scary to feel like you might not have what it takes. It’s also incredibly intimidating to audition and put yourself out there, but all of these things are what help me learn. One of my favorite sayings is, “don’t be the one to tell yourself no.” If you automatically count yourself out and don’t take this risk, there’s no way to move forward. A risk can be frightening, but it can also be a blessing. I’m naturally an introverted person. I’ve never been a social butterfly, so deciding to pursue acting and modeling was a risk, but I am so glad that I took it. Read more>>

Jivon Cole | Entrepreneur, Creator, Student, Visionary

Taking a chance on my clothing brand, Novij La Flare, was hands down one of the best moves I’ve ever made. I started it when I was 18, just a few months out of high school, with no real clue about what I wanted to do next. I ended up going to community college, and instead of playing it safe, I took all my refund checks and put them straight into the brand—not knowing if it was going to pop off or flop. Read more>>

Joshua Horsford | Writer, Actor, Producer

Firstly, I think balance is the most important key to life. However, you have to figure out a way to balance risk and do it consistently just to build the muscle. Because honestly, knowing how to take calculated risk and having consistent work ethic is what separates most people in the artistic, entrepreneurial, or any highly competitive field. Take risks as consistently as possible, if it’s as simple as a more difficult conversation or as complex as tackling societal issues in your art, you must build the muscle. Not to say they all will work out, but you have to be willing to take risks and fail to grow Read more>>

Darian Fisher | Actor & Police Officer

Life without risks is not a true life. Nobody in this world got to where they are at without taking some types of risks. Be it, taking out a small business loan to start a business not knowing if it will succeed or not, moving to another state to take a job not knowing anyone in that new state, or taking a girl on a date not knowing if she could be the “one”. Read more>>

Dj Bivins Ii | Fashion Influencer/Model & Content Creator

Risk taking plays a major role in my life. At first, I had a few struggles because trying out fashion influence and content creation was never a part of my game plan. I had to adjust to posting myself more and trying new versatile styles with clothing. I also had to realize that I could not fit in with the crowd around me. I knew that I had to stand out. I started posting daily on social media all while still being in school and other activities that were going on. I started to find myself in different environments and meeting new people and facing the fear of failure. I took a risk diving into the content and fashion industry not knowing what would come with it, but I mentally prepared myself to take on whatever challenges came with it. All the judgment, negativity, backlash, and struggles came and still come my way till this day, but it does nothing but motivate me to go harder. Being afraid to take risks can hold you back tremendously! That risk that you are scared to take might be the risk that helps your business or role in your career take off. Not attempting to do something automatically means failure because you did not try, but if you at least attempt to do so, then there might be a positive outcome. I take risks everyday trying new things that I might not fully feel comfortable with. My advice to anyone who is scared to take risks is to not be afraid. Have faith in everything you do and walk like you already have it. God will show you the pathway that is meant for you. Read more>>

Shawn Holiday | Filmmaker, Director, Screenwriter, Actor, also a Man Of GOD

Risk taking to me means being goal oriented. Taking a risk is having faith that you will obtain the goal to completion. The path that you choose to go down in life is always a risk you’re taking for the good or bad. What risk are you willing to choose? Read more>>

Dior The Chocolate Doll | Model/cover girl/music artist/ entrepreneur

I’m not afraid of a challenge so I definitely take risk if need be. Never know if that one little risk will change your career tremendously. I have taken risk as far as doing things a lot of people doubted me to do with my career and it helped shape me to a bigger star. Read more>>

Sumi Zhang

I surfed on life decisions from the age of 14 and came to study in the states across the planet. Risk-taking might be interpreted differently depending on your perspective. Each minor or huge decision or change can be viewed as a risk or a fresh opportunity, depending on how you handle it, your strengths, or the upbringing you bring to the situation. I enjoy unexpected life experiences; each new opportunity fosters personal growth, presents new challenges, and inspires creativity throughout my journey. My artistic drive stems from researching various sectors in my life, which I became engrossed in when I initially started college with only one degree and little time to explore. I was pursuing a new career in tattooing and took a year off to learn it professionally. It may appear to be a risky option for most others, including my family, yet it led to a broader understanding of my artistic vision and personal growth. After a year of working, I gathered what I needed and returned to college to study illustration, reshaping my artistic life in this new path while still working as a tattoo artist. This life risk leads me to the next one: dipping my toes into the artist world with a gallery position. Being a curator and a tattoo artist allows me to open my workshop as an artist in the gallery, tell my story, and share my skills with more individuals who enjoy trying new things in their lives. Read more>>

Shubham Rajpal

For me, risk-taking has been the backbone of my journey—both personally and professionally. I started my career studying architecture, a field I devoted five years to during my undergraduate studies. But midway through, I realized my true passion lay elsewhere. So, I made the tough and risky decision to step away from architecture and dive headfirst into set design for film and television—a field I was deeply drawn to. Read more>>