Risk is the most common topic that comes up in our conversations with entrepreneurs and so each week we ask entrepreneurs to talk to us on the record about how they think about risk.

Angel E. Dickholtz | Hair & Makeup Designer/Department Head

I believe it to be true that any career as a creative comes with some level of risk, whether that be artistically or financially. I moved to NYC just after I had turned 21, with no full time job lined up, and only three-four months living in savings. That definitely was a risk. But it was a necessary risk for my career to be where it is today. There was a risk in eventually leaving NYC and moving back to Oklahoma during 2020 after excepting two feature film contracts, but it resulted in helping create seven feature films back-to-back through 2021. Read more>>

Antonio Washington | Actor & Artist

“No guts, No glory”, Is something I’ve always believed and understood wholeheartedly. The idea of chance is something that is negatively taken due to the unknown or what some call as “the fall”or failure, But being terrified and or resistant against failure is honestly true failure. The risk is what makes the situation worthwhile, It’s what fuels the moment because you don’t know The outcome. You have some that think it’s not going to work, it can’t happen to me but in honest opinion for myself the confidence that brews from it I embrace it, You can’t run from it, and You can’t hide. Without risk a lot of the things, People, and or situations we see wouldn’t have been achieved. Read more>>

Christiön Dior Draper | Opera singer, vocal coach, mentor, husband, follower of Jesus Christ

Risk has always been something I’ve welcomed. I live and make many hard business decisions with this scripture backing me. Proverbs 18:16 “Your gift will make room for you and bring you before great men”. I display this scripture atop of all my documentation that I have to give to someone in authority. I’ve experienced exactly what this scripture states, I’ve been in rooms, on panels and had conversations with very powerful people/ decision makers and for some reason they’ve asked for my advice, MY ADVICE! Read more>>

Jamie Berger | Flower Shop & Venue Owner

There is no safe lane, in owning a business. If you are not willing to “gamble”, then there is no way of ever knowing how far you can go. The flower shop was a huge gamble, we really knew nothing about 1, owning a flower shop, or 2, owning a retail storefront. All I did know, is we could figure it out! Read more>>

Sarah Burton | Pilates Teacher, Pilates Studio Owner, Dance Educator

I never took risks growing up really. I tried with all my might even as a teenager to stay small and quiet because I never quite felt “enough”. But somewhere in my late twenties I adopted the phrase “what’s the worst that can happen?” Taking small steps that moved me forward in my career before I felt 100% equipped is the only reason I am a business owner today. At first the mistakes I made felt humiliating and created a sense of failure at every turn. No one told me that feeling uncertain and being awkward was part of the growing process. And boy did I feel awkward and ill equipped, especially during the Covid shut down! Read more>>