There is a wealth of academic research that suggests that differences in risk appetite are at the heart of differences in career and business trajectories. We wanted to go beyond the theory and ask real people from the community about their perspectives and experiences with risk and risk taking.

Timothy Jones | DMin, Pastor, Entrepreneur

Risk taking is not for the weak. I believe risk tasking is something that most successful entrepreneurs must embrace and not fear. If you don’t take risks you will never know how high is the mountain, how deep is the sea, or the amount of effort required to complete something that looks so far away. Risk is to be embraced and brought close to you. Once you do that with a strong embrace the risk transforms into courage and belief. It erases the fear and trembling that sets into the bones of those who are not willing to take the risk. I would say grab risk, sail on its back and when risk has brought you to shore burn the boat. Then look back at the fire and thank risk because without him, you would have never reached a new island to conquer. Read more>>

Julie Kincaid | Functional Integrative Nurse Practitioner

Change is inevitable. Things will change with me, or things will change without me! I view implementing change as a risk because it usually takes faith and effort. I’m a faith girl 🙂 I believe God is using me and my experience to impact peoples’ lives in a positive way. This means I continually need to take risks that sharpen my growth and be my best for the patients I serve. For example, as a bedside nurse I stepped into the Charge Nurse role with great pride in serving my coworkers.  Read more>>

Mike Floros

I’m pretty sure everyone has heard the statement, “No risk/No reward.” In 2014, my wife encouraged me to re-renter the musical arena-mostly to save myself from going bats#it crazy on my sportbikes. At that point, It had been 15 years since I played guitar or even bothered to write a song. Within 6 months of picking up the instrument, I’d become a better player than I had been previously and also had a better grasp at what it took to write a good song. By nine months I’d released an EP. Read more>>

Les Oajaca

Les- Honestly, I don’t like taking risks. I feel safe when I know what will happen next, and when I feel like I’m in control. I do well in predictability- but nothing interesting happens there. Sometimes it paralyzes me, because I’m too afraid of what might happen. It might go terrible, but it also might go terribly well- the satisfaction of knowing how things turn out is what pushes me to get over it. I’m scared, but I’ll often do it even when I am. The outcome always seems worth it. It either goes terrible, and I learn, or it goes terribly well and I celebrate. Try, or you will never know if it would’ve worked or not. Read more>>