Shoot your shot? Take a chance? Society bombards us with messages, phrases, examples and stories of how taking risk is the key to success, but is anything ever that simple? We asked some of the brightest folks we know to tell us about how they think about risk. We’ve shared their responses below.

Alyssa Cullen | Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach

I took a risk in 2019 when I stepped away from working in a conventional gym environment and opened my own home gym. I noticed many people wanted to incorporate fitness and wellness into their life but they were intimated by a gym environment, didn’t want to pay for a gym membership, and / or didn’t know what to do at the gym on their own. Read more>>

Rosselen Castellar Parra | Massage Therapist and Esthetician

Risk is intimidating and scary to me. I would like to avoid it, but I find myself needing to face it when I want to move ahead. As soon as I start to feel too comfortable in my current situation, I know it’s time for a change. Read more>>

Chris Onorato | Antique Dealer

Risk is a factor on a daily basis in my line of work. Being an antique dealer, there is no “set price” of what something may be worth. It’s not cookie cutter where you’re making a product for x amount and selling it for x amount. Read more>>

Kevin Ruiz | 23 Year-Old Business Owner

If you had asked me 2 years ago, I would’ve argued convincingly that to win big you have to bet big. I was of the opinion that most people are risk-averse and this is why many don’t realize their full potential. I see things differently now. Read more>>

Kristen Khamistos | Owner of The Major Music Company

Failure is always a risk when you start something new. It’s the same when you start a business. When I started The Major Music Company a year ago, there were some aspects that got stronger through trial and error, and some mistakes that I had to learn from. Read more>>

Adil Ali | Real Estate Professional and Realtor

I love taking risks. I like to live by the saying, you have to risk it for the biscuit when I come across any decision I have to make. When it comes to these risks, I always lean on my research and analytical skills and trust the results that come out of this. Read more>>