Legend holds that Cornelius Vanderbilt had built a massive fortune in the steamboat shipping industry, but then realized the railroads were the way of the future and invested almost his entire net worth into railroads. The gamble paid off and made Vanderbilt one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs ever. But risks are inherently…risky. How do you think about risk and how has it affected your life and career? Some of our community favorites share their perspective below.

Anu Dhakal

If I didn’t take risk or took a chance on myself, I’d never be where I am today and I will do it over and over again because I believe in myself and my ability. Not going to lie, it was very scary to leave a secure job where I was getting a paycheck every 2 weeks but I knew I wasn’t born to follow but to lead! Read More>>

Crystal Elyse

I can honestly say that at first, I was scared to take a risk. But when I fully trusted the process, I realized that taking the risk was exactly what was needed. It allowed my business and personal life to grow, and I was able to witness it take off in a new direction. Each risk became a stepping stone, revealing the strength I didn’t know I had. I truly believe that before taking any risk, asking the Most High for guidance is key—for with His direction, even the unknown becomes purposeful. Read More>>

Salena Ramirez

Risks are an essential part of growth, personally and professionally. For me, taking risks has often meant stepping outside of comfort zone to pursue opportunities with uncertain outcomes, but high rewards. The beauty industry is always shifting with new trends; innovation is essential in this industry. Taking the risk in starting a business has opened so many doors for me, that never would I have done without being in this beauty industry. Not all things have gone as planned and hoped for but regardless every step has been such a great learning experience. Read More>>

Denedra Hutchinson

Risk-taking has played a major role in shaping my career path. I started later than most, but choosing to pursue a career in the beauty industry has truly been life-changing. From meeting incredible people to learning from some of the best in the field, the journey has been nothing short of inspiring. Read More>>

Shana Boatswain

I think of risk as choosing growth over comfort. For me, taking risks has always been tied to trusting that discomfort often leads to transformation. Whether it was starting over in a new city, rebranding my influencer journey after years of feeling stuck, or launching a deeply personal blog—I’ve had to bet on myself, even when the outcome wasn’t guaranteed. Read More>>

Laura Schakosky

After the first 5 years of my career, I had built a career in Dallas overnight, but I longed to work with successful people in the big league. I wanted to see what I was capable of, make a name for myself and to see what made celebrities tick. I wanted to see what set them apart from everyone else and I needed to determine that up close and personal. I decided to take a risk – to move to Los Angeles with 3000 in the bank and a big dream. Read More>>

Gabriela Juarez

Growing up, I always valued stability, which led me to a steady job in the medical industry. It was fulfilling, but I felt a pull toward something more dynamic. On the side, I dipped my toes into real estate, working part-time for a couple of months. The flexibility and potential excited me, but it wasn’t until an opportunity arose to relocate to a new area that I faced a defining moment. The idea of leaving a secure job to pursue real estate full-time was daunting—fear of failure loomed large. Read More>>

Chris Robles

Taking any risk is definitely something I have learned to do throughout my journey to grow both personally and as a business. I started a weight loss journey in 2019 when I reached my heaviest of 320lbs, and at this point of life the only two options were give up and continue down the dark path or go out and figure out how I was going to make a change. Same exact feeling came when I started to step into the role of being a personal trainer I was either going to continue a 9-5 job or do what made me happy. Read More>>

Boss Kaee

RISK = REWARD from the great words of the well-known philosopher Epictetus

“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?”

I never let fear get in my way, I won’t ever let fear get in my way!
My business is built on the lack of fright! From me driving around seeing someone with Locs and literally stopping just to ask if they had a Loctician, to me participating in hair shows! I took my first risk in 2021 when I put my all into Locs, quit my job, went full-time time and haven’t looked back since! I must say it seems like my resilience against fear worked in my favor! Read More>>