Taking Risk is essential, but how much, when and why?  Taking risks effectively is as much of an art as it is a science and we’ve asked some of the brightest folks in the community to tell us about how they think about risk taking.

Asal Shokati | Ayurvedic Practitioner, Yoga Teacher, Lecturer & Consultant

I love that you asked about risk! Risk to me is following my Heart even-though my mind cannot make sense of that decision. Risk is doing what you know is Right despite all signs and all voices being against it. Coming from a background of management information systems and finance with more than ten years of work experience in various industries, deciding first to take a long moment of pause to recalibrate my state of health and secondly to figure out what it is that makes my heart sing, especially regarding my career, seemed like a huge risk. Leaving a prestigious and rewarding career in corporate banking with reliable income, perks and benefits and stepping into a world of uncertainty was not only risky but could be perceived scary. Yet it was a giant step to follow my Heart. Read more>>

Danna Casanova | Western Hats Designer

Risks have to be taken, they are part of life. We get so comfortable daily talking to the same people, doing the same things and hanging out in the same places that we don’t recognize this a damaging way of life. I make it a habit to put myself constantly out of my comfort zone, therefore normalizing risk taking. If you don’t take risks you will never grown and acquire success!. Read more>>

Katrina Kelly | Fine Jewelry Designer

I’m not scared to start a new business and go through all the imperative motions. It’s exciting for me to creative something new. I usually never care what anyone thinks. If I have a vision or an idea, I’ll risk a perceived notion of stability. My education is jewelry design, gemology, and art history. But, I also have a finance and sales work background. Something I always remember from training was “everything is a numbers game.” The training taught me that if I get 5-7% of sales then I was really lucky. I apply the this to pretty much everything. I figure I need to attempt at least 95% of my ideas–and if 5% work out, great. Read more>>

Obsidian + Blush | We Provide Beautifully Printed Legacy Portraits With Exceptional Personalisation, For People Who Stand out From The Crowd.

We love new and adventurous ideas for shoots, and we love the challenge they bring! There’s no idea too big, too out there, or too simple either. We really love every clients ideas, and the new fresh look we get to take at them and their world to create the perfect photographs that capture them and their world. We”ve built a 900sq. ft. Forest for a client, and done massive 40 person crew shoots, and we have loved those as much as the shoots we we do in studio on a background with a stool. They’re all incredibly unique, and really push us to make sure we capture exactly what the client wants and needs. Believe it or not, the simple shoots are just as challenging as the large ones, just on a different scale. Outside of shoots, we love exploring abandoned places, taking crazy long road trips, and learning new things, like power tools! We’ve become quite the construction guru’s, and have never been happier for it. Read more>>

Malcolm Farrell | Actor

At this point of Malcolm Farrell’s career, risk is something he has had to overcome every time he saw it. Risk is something that Malcolm has paid for in the past for not taking it in a bad way. He realized cannot let fear decide his future and his outcome with acting no matter what. 9/10 he’s taking that risk so he can at least say he has tried and left it all out on the field like how some people say. The role of risks that have played in his life and career has been a major one. It showed him that to make it in anything in life had to get over those fears and take any opportunity he saw to change his life. Once he started to do that, everything started to fall into place for him and his career. Read more>>

Sarah Perkins | Houston Brass Quintet Executive Director

Going into music as a career I knew would be a risky move in of itself. So many incredibly talented people come out of music conservatories every year. I am not incredibly talented. I had a good sound at a young age, but everything else did not come naturally. Rhythm. range, sense of pitch, confidence- not easy. What I did have was a great work ethic. If I was going to make this plunge into having music be my career, the deal I made with myself was that I would work as hard as I possibly could to make that dream happen. Read more>>

JDR MOB | Musical Artist Group

Risks are opportunities to gain knowledge and experience about something you’ve never done or knew before. We believe that taking risks is vital to success because it is a chance to get out of your comfort zone and explore a world of endless possibilities. Read more>>

Jalil Whitmore | Creative Solutions Specialist

Some people aren’t concerned with the possibility of dealing with risk, but how you deal with the outcome of those risks is what shapes your character. Throughout my life/career I have embraced the saying “without risk, there is no reward”. Very early in my career, I decided that now (while in my youth) was the time to start my own business. Most people know how risky owning a business can be and avoid facing the fear of uncertainty. But how will you know what YOU can do if you don’t try? I have been rewarded with so much knowledge and experience that I am now more confident in my skills, which has been invaluable for me. Read more>>

Zak The Tyrant | Independent Recording Artist

Taking risks are the BIGGEST part of what I do. To push the boundaries of music that’s being created right here in Houston, and being able to create original work that can one day be a staple for my city. Risks can propel you to levels that you would have never even thought twice about. Taking a leap into the unknown is where greatness is found. There is no “safety-net” in life. Those who choose to surrender themselves to one, will only be left within its confinement. Read more>>

K.A.Y.O Da Konspiracy | Hip-hop Artist, Clothing Line Co-Owner, Independent Record Label Co-Owner, and Entrepreneur

I feel risk are necessary in anything you do. My reason for saying this is because every aspect of your life is a risk. Rather you’re giving your heart to someone or going out on the limb to pursue your dreams. Either way, we must break out of a comfort zone. We must learn something new, rather it’s learning about your partner or a new trade to push your dreams into becoming a reality. I had to really become more communicative and open with my music. I had to learn how to sale, I never was great at sales, until I decided to stop being introverted. I learned how to approach people and be welcoming to the individuals I cross paths with. Risk are definitely a necessity in any and everything you do. Read more>>

Dyllyn, Jay Siliezar, Dangelo George | Artists, Engineers & Producers

We feel like everything we do is a risk. There wouldn’t be such thing as growth or change if there wasn’t risk being taken everyday. When it comes to music, there is a small or big chance of a risk driving the music to a different level or just keeping us in place. This keeps us motivated. We as a team understand what it’s like to fall, but that doesn’t mean we won’t get back up and keep pushing to make a risk something positive. The music keeps us in, and there will be more risk to come whenever we do beat selection, lyric choices or photoshoot ideas. Read more>>

Nicole Thompson | CEO of Bad & Boujee Entertainment/ Records

Risk taking has played a major role in my life as well as my career. I’m a workaholic so as far as life I take risk but working non stop and only sleeping when I blink, Placing myself last and putting my family first, I don’t spend a lot of time on myself because time is borrowed, we don’t know the expiration date, so I use time to the fullest. As far as my career I will risk going above and beyond the call of duty to reach out to those that are in higher positions them myself to network, I’m not afraid of the word no. “No “ motivates me to move on to the next person/ company with a stronger approach. Read more>>