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.

Blessing Shuman

I define success as persistence in pursuing a goal even when the reward is not immediate or recognized. We live in a culture addicted to applause and it can steer us away from doing things with the purity of heart we started with. Success isn’t a destination, but a lifelong, messy, beautiful journey. Read More>>

Amiah Mims

Risks are opportunities to learn. Whether calculated or impulsive, they teach us through lived experience and push us beyond our comfort zones. The outcome may not always be what we envisioned, but there’s always a lesson within it. My entire creative career was born from a risk—leaving my full-time graphic design job at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after five years to pursue art and start my own company. Read More>>

Makayla Willingham

For me, risk has always been an act of faith — faith in my purpose, my vision, and the belief that I was called to create something bigger than my comfort zone. Every major shift in my life and career came from listening to that inner voice that said, ‘You’re ready, even if you’re scared.’ Read More>>

Isabelle Galan

When I started my Photography business in 2018 it was more of an impulsive act than a well thought out decision. I was in college for Music in a very structured 4-year program that basically planned out my life for the next 10 years. The only thing was that I wasn’t happy with what I was doing. My dad had a nice camera when I was growing up that I had enjoyed playing with, but I never really considered photography as a career since it didn’t feel “practical” to me.  Read More>>