Are you a risktaker? - SHOUTOUT DFW

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.

Kelton Jeffery | Healthcare Administrator, Business Owner

In approaching risk, my first instinct is to thoroughly evaluate potential negative outcomes and associated consequences. I conduct a comprehensive analysis to ensure that the risks taken won’t have a detrimental impact on myself or my family in a way that cannot be overcome. If the potential downsides are manageable and the overall impact aligns with our ability to recover, I am more inclined to consider and, if appropriate, embrace the calculated risk. This approach allows me to navigate challenges with a balanced perspective, weighing potential rewards against the manageable risks involved. Read more>>

Venane Brune | Mortgage Loan Officer

I see taking risks as an everyday adventure! Every decision, whether it’s related to work or my personal life, has an impact on me. Some decisions might be riskier than others, but I always ponder if they’re worth my time and energy. I often ask myself if a choice will not only benefit me but also bring me closer to my dreams and goals. Taking risks has added a thrilling dimension to my life, allowing me to experience things I never thought possible. It’s like an exciting journey that has introduced me to amazing people, taught me valuable life lessons early on, and pushed me to step into opportunities that fear might have otherwise held me back from. Now, I’m totally comfortable taking leaps of faith, whether it’s trying a new business venture or experimenting with a new hairstyle! Read more>>

Kaitlin Hays | Wedding and Creative Portrait Photographer

I think taking risks is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself, even more so in your career. Without them, we don’t really move forward or grow or go anywhere. We stay stuck in the same place. My whole journey in going full time started with a risk, really. I was kind of forced into unemployment just before the pandemic, and once things started to go back to normal, I leaned into the fact that I had no job to return to. I thought, “well, if there’s a time to really do this whole photography thing, it’s probably right now.” I spent so much of my time that summer learning, experimenting, and building all the little ins and outs of everything. Somewhere along the way, someone told me that 2020 was the year that would be a “make or break” for so many people. And so I decided that for me, it was going to change everything. Read more>>

Bri Morales | Portrait Photographer

You always hear people say that life begins outside of your comfort zone. I can personally attest to that. In February of 2022 I was working a wonderful, steady 9-5 when I was offered a position to be a full time photographer and have the chance to grow my business, Photos by Bri. I was petrified. Being 26 at the time, about to lose my insurance under my family’s medical plan, and having the autoimmune disease, Lupus, I thought to myself that there’s no way I could possibly make this leap.. But as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.” And a quote Erin Hanson popped in my head: “What if I fall?” “Oh, but darling, what if you fly? Read more>>

Karla Karla Nunn | Longevity Consultant

Starting a business is a risk, starting a business as a single parent is riskier! This risk allowed me to pursue my dreams while raising children and helping them fulfil theirs! Read more>>

Charlie Leavitt | Executive Director

I have lived a life of taking risks. Doing new things or helping others do a new thing has always been fulfilling. Making a choice to work full-time in non-profit company was the biggest risk I have ever taken and one of best decisions I have made in my life-path. I have taken a few risks in my young business life did not take hold. Yet, I learned some of my greatest lessons from failure. I pressed on. Metro Relief was started by Austin Bonds twelve years ago. I met Austin 4 years ago, when I heard his vision and intentions for the homeless population. Austin had a vision of having people as Mobile Case Managers so that these staff members could have the Metro Relief office in the Relief Bus and in the outreach vehicles. He had already helped start Mobile Outreaches in Detroit Michigan and Columbus Ohio. Read more>>

Monica Keen | Co-founder and CFO at CharaChorder LLC

I believe in taking calculated risks. Risk-taking has played a significant role in shaping my life and career. It has taught me valuable lessons that I would not have learned otherwise and has helped me grow professionally and personally by testing limits and boosting self-confidence. Read more>>