How do you think about risk? What role has taking risks played in your life/career? Check out responses from hidden gems from our community below.

Mary Cheng | Hairstylist @marydoesmyhair

Personally, I find a healthy amount of risk to be a good thing, however that doesn’t always carry over equally into a professional reality when it comes to making business decisions. When you are self employed, you are responsible for protecting your resources such as your time, so when it comes to risk management, you have to shield your business and your brand. The biggest role I would say is learning about to calculate risks, and understanding that personal feelings about making someone happy aren’t always the optimal business move – even in an industry that promotes self care. Read more>>

Shaletta McDade | Labor and Postpartum Doula & Registered Nurse

Life is about taking risks. Stepping into that unknown. Why not take that step? You only have one life to live! Although it can be scary, it also rewarding in the end. Not only because of what the outcome may be, but you also learn a lot about yourself in the midst of that. It makes you grow as a person and in that it propels you forward. For me personally, this is what risks have done for me in my life and career. I can say I am one that steps out on faith regardless of how it looks starting out. I believe the first big risk I took was leaving my career in nursing after my first year of working. Read more>>

LaCoya Windham | Professional Hairstylist

I think the higher the risk the higher the reward. The lower the risk, the lower the reward. I took a risk back in 2013 when decided I wanted to move from the small town of Laurel, Mississippi to a big city such as Houston, Texas. At the time, I’d never traveled to Houston, but I knew that if I wanted to be a celebrity hairstylist and to accomplish big dreams, I had to take the risk. When I finally made the decision to move here, my dreams started to materialize. I went to cosmetology school and opened my first salon suite within 2 years. If I hadn’t taken a risk, who knows what I’d be doing right now. Read more>>

Tiandra Briggs | Scientist & Beauty Brand Owner

I think about risks much like that of Thomas Jefferson, “with great risk comes great reward.” I believe that everything we do in order to achieve success will have some type of risk. It’s all about knowing how those risks can affect you before they happen so that you can plan the next move properly. I have taken major risk through out my career including recently moving to Houston in order to elevate my brand and talents. Read more>>

Hannah Rice | Hairstylist & Influencer

I think like most people, taking risks can be terrifying for me. But taking risks has actually been what’s elevated my career. If I hadn’t taken some leaps of faith, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Choosing the self-employed lifestyle and going out on my own was a huge risk. Branding yourself and taking on every single responsibility that goes into running a business is a lot of work. Read more>>

Ariane Cienfuegos | Entreprenuer

Taking a risk enables and encourages improvement in all areas of life which can be an important factor towards success. When risks are taken they can either fail or become a big success. Although failing seems devastating, it’s not always a negative thing. Prior to my small business ELOTEX, I took the risk of opening other small business. I had dropped my full-time job for these businesses, which didn’t end up succeeding. It was upsetting but I learned and grew more as an entrepreneur. Read more>>

Kelli Washington | Co-Founder, Birth Worker

Life is about taking risks. Many people are familiar with the concept of ‘taking a leap of faith’ and I believe that concept alone defines just how living your life to the fullest involves walking in faith and taking lots of risks along the way. If I did not take a leap of faith by leaving my 9-5 in 2018 to pursue Maternity Journey, I do not believe we would be where we are today! I wouldn’t have the time, I wouldn’t have made the connections, or impacted the community as we have if I would have stayed complacent or listened to what most people said I should do … if I did not take the risk! I believe that you have to get uncomfortable, yeah leave that comfort zone, in order to truly shine and achieve any goal, but especially any entrepreneurial goals! Read more>>

Joy Johnson-Gunter | Interior Decorator

I have taken many risks in my life: Joining the military, separating from service with a 10-month old with no plan, moving to a new city and state with no job or housing lined up, and bouncing from job to job until I was comfortable with the pay ( in Corporate America they tell you that this is frowned upon). My outlook on risks are not necessarily bad, but I always tell myself that I just need faith as small as a mustard seed and God will take care of the rest. I personally would not be where I am today or as successful if it were not for me taking the risks, no matter how detrimental the outcome could be. Read more>>