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.

Joe Moerschbaecher | Owner: Pura Vida Adventures llc, Mountain and Adventure Guide Service

Risk taking plays a major role in my career as a professional mountain and adventure guide. One of the most important skills of an adventure guide is assessing risks and mitigating those risks through training, experience, study, decision making, and awareness. Read more>>

Tracey Hague | Screenwriter, Director and Producer

Every aspect of my life over the last five years or so has been about taking risks. Wanting to get into the film business is a leap in and of itself and when a person leaves a twenty-year career to pursue it, it’s all about the why. It can’t be just about movies. Read more>>

Robyn Frost | Entrepreneur

I’ve always believed that the fear of failure is what keeps so many from doing what they are meant to do in this world. “What if I fall, oh my darling, but what if you fly” has always been one of my favorite quotes to live by. I know if i didn’t chase after my dreams Id most definitely be miserable and bored. Read more>>

Victoria Hoffman | The Dreammaker & Luxury Hospitality Expert

My parents taught me from an early age that if you don’t ask, you don’t get. That’s pretty much been my philosophy in life and has enabled me to succeed in my business and even personally. As an independent creative thinker I came up with the idea of crazy over-the-top WOW experiences and started pitching companies on some of the concepts I curated. Read more>> 

Dave Isaacs | musician, teacher, and writer

My father was against my pursuing a career in music because he thought it was too risky, and I would not be able to support myself. Thankfully, we were able to reconcile that before he passed in 1999. He came to recognize, as I already had, that music was a mission and a calling, and to ignore that is another kind of risk. Read more>>

Gerell Webb | Fitness entrepreneur and Content Creator

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” – TS Elliot I believe in pushing the limits. If I am honest I don’t believe in limitations . There is is always a way to make your dreams and goals happen if your are willing to pay the cost. Read more>>

(TAMI) Tami Jones Andrews | Top International Charted Billboard and Music Week UK recording artist

The word risk itself bodes uncertainty and worry. I guess I don’t think about risk as much as I do choices. Even as a child I was compelled to weigh my choices. When I was riding my bike or playing Neighborhood games, do I jump over that curb with a skateboard, do I go down the hill fast? Read more>>

Jackson Hill | Songwriter & Producer

There’s a strong push to “ do what everyone else is doing” play as many rounds as possible, go to every mixer or write with everyone you meet. I can’t help but think “ but thousands are doing that, I’d just be one more”. Read more>>

Abby Underwood | Writer, Producer & Actor

Taking risks has been part of my career from day one. As a creative, you’re constantly rejected. You take a risk every time you show your work to someone and hope they like it. Or in my case I take a risk every time I cold-call a comedian hoping they’ll do my sitcom. You take the 99% rejection for the high of the 1% acceptance. Read more>>

Kayla Glaze | Artist, Singer, Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist, Music Producer, and Mixing Engineer

I believe taking risks is vital to achieving what you want to achieve in life. I would not be where I am right now if I had not taken a very specific risk five years ago. Five years ago, I decided to take a trip to Los Angeles to go to the ASCAP Songwriting Conference with an EDM group I was collaborating with at the time. Read more>>

Susan Binkley | Founder and President

I am an avid risk taker and cannot imagine any other way. Every business I have started began with a trust fall because I knew nothing about it when I began. One of my first ventures was running a large horse boarding operation on a 120 acre farm. Read more>>

Hannah Byrom | Morning Show Host – Mix 92.9

I think to be successful in any field, you need to make calculated risks. I’m a definite believer in “high risk, high reward” because if you stay in your comfort zone, you will never grow and unlock your full potential. Read more>> 

JT Sudderth | Realtor & Investor

Risk has sculpted my strategies as a business owner. It is essential to a successful and thriving business, but it’s more than just risk. This will be explained very soon. I believe in full transparency, just so you know, and I’m going to tell you about the mistake I made that influences every decision I make in my business. Read more>>

Rodney Mitchell | Salon Owner & Restaurant Aficionado

Obviously, going into business for yourself is a huge risk, especially when you are using your own money to do it. And I know it’s a cliché, but if you don’t take the risk, you don’t get the reward. And it’s important to remember that not every reward is about money. I have opened 5 salons myself. Read more>>

Tresa Halbrooks | PR | Media Strategist & Event Producer

As the saying goes, “no risk, no reward”…. isn’t that so true? When starting my own business, I began planning my escape from corporate America several years before taking the leap. I saved as much money as I could to fund my business so that I would have enough water in the pool when I dove off the diving board, so to speak. Risk is uncomfortable. Read more>>

Andy Imlay | Comedian

I took a risk in 2018 when I flew to Orlando Florida for an opportunity at the Orlando Improv. Read more>>

LaJuan Ransom Jr | Shoe Doc

Risk taking has brought success in my life thus far. I was raised in a household where we didn’t believe in taking a risk, it was more about playing it safe. Taking a risk at the right moment that my gut feeling will give me.  Read more>>

Emily Myers | singer songwriter

Taking risk is an essential part of being a musician. I will admit I was not always the best at taking risk, but learned over years to cope and manage my risk aversion to be a better performer. The key realization and shift to make taking risk easier was realizing that most people were on my team.  Read more>>

Coley Spencer | Wedding Videographer

Before being a wedding videographer, I worked as a nurse. Nursing was definitely much more of a stable job than free-lancing because of the steady paycheck and hours. However, I wasn’t happy in that career. So I could either continue to do something that drained me but had predictable pay and benefits, or I could take the risk to be self-employed and start my own company. I’m so thankful I chose the latter. Read more>> 

Matt Wheatley | Songwriter, Producer, and Composer

Risk taking for me has been a vital part of my success. In 2016 I was working on my 7th year as a meter reader for a power company. It was a good job. Retirement, health insurance, a clear path to a good life I could clearly see laid out. But it wasn’t what I was passionate about, which was making music. Read more>>

Mylo Kidd (Pederson) | Artist, Creative, Musician, and Goofball

I think that risks exist on a spectrum and are a necessary part of life and growth. Without them, things would remain on a straight and narrow path that goes nowhere but where it has already been. Read more>>

Mauro Gallardo | Tennis coach and content creator

Risks are a big part of life. Whether you decide to pursue your goals or not, risks will always be present in your life. If you aim low in life, there’s always the risk that things get worse. If you aim high, there’s always the chance that you fail. Read more>> 

Brittany Bishop | Visual & Tattoo Artist

Embracing risks involves taking a leap of faith, acknowledging that life’s challenges are inevitable on the journey toward achieving dreams. Recognizing that hardships contribute to personal growth, I’ve come to understand the value of persevering through difficulties. Read more>>

Taylor Hughes | Country Artist & Songwriter

Risk is an interesting topic because it can mean something different to everyone. Of course, “risk” probably has a negative connotation to most but to me it doesn’t. I think taking risks is necessary if you want to succeed in any business, especially the music industry. Read more>> 

Troy Castellano | Nashville Country Music Artist, Songwriter and Producer

I believe that you have to “jump” to find out what’s on the other side of the challenge you face. There will always be apprehension and insecurities but I have found when you take that leap of faith, whether you succeed or fail, you will surely grow from the experience. The best stuff is on the other side of the challenge! Read more>>

Brody Ray | Singer-Songwriter

The way I think about risk is, if we don’t ever take them how can we grow? How can we learn? How do we get better? How do we figure out what we’re capable of? Ever since I watched the movie Yes Man, I changed the way I lived my life. Read more>>

Coleen Hebert | Botanical Jewelry Designer

If there is anything I’ve learned so far in life, it’s that leaving your comfort zone is scary. But I’ve also learned that every time you do leave your comfort zone, incredible experiences and growth happen. Read more>> 

Rafe Carlson | Country Music Artist

The aversion toward risk is rooted in fear, and is why we have things like pensions and salaries. The scariest, yet most liberating realization you can make is that there is no such thing as security. Read more>> 

NIXED | Rap Artist

As a family man first, taking the risk of pursuing a music career has been difficult. I believe a lot of people in the industry has weird standards, especially age. Regardless, music is more than just a hobby for me and to take risks for something I love is worth it. Read more>> 

Alexis Soler | Owner/designer/operator/concept creator

There is always risk in taking chances. Depending on how you move forward through that risk is what makes you successful. Entrepreneurship is made up of risks because every decision has an effect on the next and it’s impossible to move backward.  Read more>>

Nickola Magnolia | Musician

Risk taking is such a huge part of any creative endeavour. It’s starts with choosing this path in the first place, but I still feel the risks everyday in the studio. There’s place you can go with your voice that aren’t mapped out yet, and you risk not getting right by going there. Read more>>

Sherria Hester | Youth addiction, behavior, and mental health Recreation Supervisor, Events and Hospitality professional and model

At this point in my life I’ve learned that taking risks does not always result in failure. Part of my Master’s degree studies included risk and facility management. Your plan or vision is everything! That’s what drives you through the uncertainty, doubts, and challenges. Read more>> 

Becky McNeese | Retail Innovator

In my mind, risk is the coin tossed in the air. It hangs momentarily in the air before hitting a surface below and spinning to land either heads up or down. Applied to life, it is a decision, made in a moment or mulled over long hours, weeks, or even months and years. Read more>> 

Larry Robinson | CEO, KUDZUKIAN

KUDZUKIAN’s entire genesis and existence is based on risk. When I started the company, it was a departure from both my corporate and marketing background. I was venturing into completely new territory in terms of the type of work (podcasting, digital content, event production) and this level of overhead/responsibility. However, we are starting to truly reap the rewards. Read more>>

Ners Neonlumberjack | Artist & National Park Ranger

I am National Park Ranger. I could not have stated this just over one year ago. What a rollercoaster ride of an adventure it has been in this short amount of time. And none of this would have happened had I stayed in my comfortable home, so I took it upon myself to rebuild my ’64 camper for life off grid. Read more>>