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.

Rhodes Perry | Bestselling Author & Founder of Rhodes Perry Consulting

The idea of risk taking is an interesting one as it relates to my life and career. As a bisexual and transgender man, living my most self-actualized and authentic life is a risk. This reality often gives me greater courage and confidence when I encounter a challenge, and it also offers a source of inspiration to work through that challenge, knowing the kind of inner strength and intuition I have cultivated by living my truth. Read more>>

Ashley Robinson | Hairstylist & Makeup Artist

To me, Taking a risk means taking a leap of faith. The outcome may be a hit or miss but in the end it is worth the shot. Sometimes you have to step out your comfort zone to get to the next level. In most cases that means overcoming your internal fears and overthinking. Before I became the successful stylist I am today, I was working a 9-5. I always did makeup on the side and worked so hard to balance both. One day I had a client right before I had to go to work. Read more>>

Jessica Holmes | CEO & Wedding Planner

Risk taking is a must! Some risks are worth taking while others are not, so you definitely have to weigh the costs. Looking back on my career and life, I can say that taking risks has played a pivotal role in where I am today. I took risks in moving to unknown places, leaving jobs, and pursuing different careers etc. If I had been afraid to step out of my comfort zone and try something new, I would not be in the position that I am today. Read more>>

Kelly Bader | Artist and Realtor

When it comes to risks, for whatever reason I really have never been afraid. If I hadn’t taken the risk to leave my comfortable country laid-back lifestyle in Ohio as a 19-year-old wild child I never would have the life that I live now. I never gave it a second thought when I left Ohio to go explore Colorado. It was all very exciting to me. Read more>>

Ron Bernick | Baseball and Softball Development Coach

As an entrepreneur and business owner, risk is inevitable, especially at the beginning when you’re just getting started. When we opened Hot Corner Athletics, the goal was to provide as much value to baseball and softball athletes that we could. The biggest risk that we had was the initial startup of the company and taking the risk to even open the business. From there, hiring more employees and understanding how to create a foundation was the next big step to the risk taking. Not knowing who we were hiring and what the hiring process looks like what definitely a great learning experience and some risk was involved in hiring before really knowing what our numbers looked like. Read more>>

Brandon Smithwick | Chief Digital Marketing Strategist & Lead Digital Marketing Instructor

I think about risk in terms of reward. My biggest growth has always occurred when I’ve entered into the unknown. When starting my career in digital marketing, I moved out of state for an entry level marketing role on a 90-day contract making less than what I was when I was laid off from a company. After a month into the role, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. I didn’t let that stop me from trying. By the end of 3 months I was promoted from being a Coordinator to Manager level. Read more>>

Sharday Aka Artmomshay | Visual Artist

Risk to me is exposing oneself to the possibility failure. Overtime I’ve learned that failure and success go hand in hand. Failure teaches you a lesson and in time if you learn from that lesson, whether you have to fail a couple times or once, you eventually learn. The problem is we allow fear to stop us from exploring risk. Fear of failing is something that held me back for years. I would come up with innovative and creative business ideas all the time for myself but because I don’t have the business education or the finances to fund it I would shut it down as quickly as it came to my mind. Read more>>

Tyler Gerald | Musician (Flutist)

When you make that decision to pursue music as a career, you have to be ready to take some huge risks, and I truly believe these risks are necessary to become successful. The biggest risk you take, in my opinion, is letting go of stability. I was stuck working a job that had nothing to do with what I wanted to do in life, but it paid my rent/bills and I could count on getting paid every two weeks. I wasn’t giving music my all and it was getting put on the back burner because I had to go to work and I had to get paid. Read more>>

Rashadah Jordan | Physician Associate

Risk-taking is the reason for my success. I cannot live out my purpose in fear. I cannot bring out what God put in me in fear. The enemy wants me to operate in fear, doubt, etc. The enemy would love for me to be too distracted by social media, tv shows, and drama to not be fruitful. I have learned to be intentional about paying attention to the moment I am in. Read more>>

Jorge Gallegos | Digital Content Creator & DJ

Risks are necessary to take, especially if you’re reaching for the stars. Taking risks has always been part of my life and career. For example, right after I finished University in Mexico, I decided to move to the States. I somehow ended up in East Texas, working in a fast-food restaurant. However, that taught me resilience and fueled my desire to achieve more. After almost two years there, I moved to Dallas. Read more>>

Gabriel Veasley | CPA Entrepreneur & Real Estate Investor

Risks are necessary to make progression in one’s purpose. As an individual who has an entrepreneurial mindset, taking calculated risks have played a major role in my life. Any major achievement or milestone I have reached thus far is because I saw the big picture with the opportunity and took the risk. I realized early on in my career that my edge was that I was willing to do what others would not, which set me apart in my field. Some people are naturally more risk averse than others and I am definitely more risk tolerant than the average person. I use what others see as risk to my advantage in order to break down barriers that would otherwise delay my progression towards my purpose. Read more>>