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.

Allison Wilkins McPhail | Owner and Lead Photographer

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” — Eleanor Roosevelt I love this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt because it not only speaks to my life as a portrait artist, it describes each day as a business owner. A little over three years ago my former business partner and I were approached by the legendary portrait photographer Evin Thayer to transition as the new owners of his studio. Evin started his portrait journey in Houston in 1976 and grew one of the most successful studios not only in Houston but in the US. We knew we had big shoes to fill! Read more>>

Sierra Jhardaí Robinson | The Princess, Entrepreneur, Nursing School Student, Lash Technician & a Fashion and Beauty Influencer/ Enthusiast

I think of risk as a win/win situation. When your passionate about something you have to be willing to risk it all for the greater good. My risk are solely accompanied by my faith. Knowing that I am guided & protected every step of the way. Everything happens for a reason, risk either being your greatness or a lesson that will instill greater knowledge within the journey to success. Risk are indeed scary, but when it’s your passion, your love… i’m sure you’d risk it all, especially knowing whatever the end result is, was apart of it all. Read more>>

Awa Ndiaye | Hair Braider

An integral component of the way I think and have taken risks are my parents . My mom and dad emigrated from Senegal at a very young age in hopes of following their dreams and because of the endless opportunities America presented. The courage, ambition, sacrifices, and enormous risks that parents have taken is the result of me even being able to answer this interview question at this time. And so when I think of risks I think of them as frightening, bold, but also life changing and necessary; Read more>>

Aneesha Varkey | Advocator & Student Leader

Although several others grow through certainty, my success came from taking risks, which has shone from serving school to national organizations like Business Professionals of America and through my part-time job at HEB. However, my most significant risk radiated throughout my years with the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Program (HOBY). When I was a sophomore in high school, I knew nothing about HOBY, but I was heavily involved in extracurriculars and leaped onto any leadership opportunity offered. I quickly applied after hearing about the program from a counselor, and the process was straightforward. Read more>>

Joyce Johnson | 8X Author | Speaker | Award Winning Sales Champion | Coach | Founder – Why Sales Network

Taking risks is necessary! Risks taking is an opportunity to let you know what you are made of. There’s an old not risk not reward! I have taken risks like relocating on two occasion to pursue a career change. Once to Northern California another time to Miami. I made the decision and moved within 30 days. My move from Texas to California was to redefine my career path. I didn’t have a job when I left but knew I would be ok. I landed in telecommunications and received a promotion to come back to Texas (home) where my career continue to thrive in the industry, Read more>>

Lindsay Duff | Educator, Coach and Day Trader

My name is Lindsay Duff and I am the owner of Responsible Day Trading, LLC and Owner of UProfit Trader, LLC. As a Day Trader, Educator, Business Owner and Mother, understanding the Risk vs Reward is the absolute core of everything I do, create and work for. The concept of Risk to Reward never really had much value in my life until becoming a Day Trader fell into my lap. Well, I like to say if fell into my lap, but this was when I took, what I consider to be, the first big risk of my life—never even realizing the reward would be what it is today. Read more>>

Suzy Pittman | Licensed Realtor and Mompreneur

Risk is scary but it is definitely a necessity. I have learned that without being able to take risks, I would have never been able to find my purpose. After years of climbing the corporate ladder in medical device sales, I was at a company where I wasn’t appreciated or treated with any respect. Even though I had just won President’s Club and was ranked as one of the top salespeople in the company, I remember being on our President’s Club trip in London and thinking how miserable I was with my life. Read more>>

Raquel Breaux | CEO & Founder

When it comes to risk taking I believe that it’s important to have the ability to take on new risks when you’re an entrepreneur and life in general. Some of the most amazing people in the world have been the biggest risk takers in history. For me, the biggest risk I’ve taken is to jump into something new with no hesitation when I felt it was the right time. I’ve worked my way throughout my entire career, slowly moving from one role to another, and then finally realizing that having my own business is where my passion lies and also where I thrive most as an individual and professional. Read more>>

Greg Hightower | Author & Entrepreneur

Taking risk is the only way you can be successful. It is completely changed my life for the better. I now have multiple careers, due to taking risk. Read more>>

Mariah Greer | Clothing Brand Designer & Graphic Designer

I feel as if everyone should take risk. You never know how far a risk you were scared to take can take you in life! I started working a 9-5 job when was 14 years old. I had one of the worst job experiences ever! They lost my check! The facility I was working at during that time period was very unorganized. It would be times when they would call me into work on my off days and I would be there for an hour and they would tell me to clock out. I was at that job for about a month and I starterd working at arby’s. Arby’s was one of my favorite jobs until a coworker of mine stole my credit card during my shift. Read more>>

Susana Morell | Executive Director

Risk is truly an obstacle when you decide you want to become an agent of change. I have interacted with it on several occasions not only personally but also professionally. I have experienced in my career that when you desire to introduce change and not conform you are a liability. I don’t agree. I have followed my passion and it led me to write a book, create a curriculum, provide grief and loss counseling to children ages 6-17 (utilizing my own curriculum), write a parent guide and facilitate parent workshops, and begin a nonprofit in the middle of a pandemic (August 2020). Read more>>

Kameron Sampson | Content Creator

Believing in myself and focusing on things that would help improve my business is what I can say is risk taking. Taking Risk are very scary because you would never know the true outcome until you go all in. When you take risk the things that you are believing in mostly is yourself. If you believe you as a person can do it then what can stop you? Focus on the positive and let that outweigh the negative situations in any thing. When you start to believe in yourself life will become better. Read more>>

Stephanie Ekunwe | Content Creator & Travel Blogger

‘To be or not to be’ is not only one of the most classic lines from Shakespeare but also a phrase that a lot of us can relate to in our day-to-day lives. Over the past two years, we’ve dealt with the uncertainty and stress of the pandemic, forcing many to adjust how they live and work. Read more>>

Ashley & Jeanetta Brantley | Serial Entrepreneurs, Filmmakers, Holistic Herbalist, & Social Media Influencers

Risk by definition is any situation that exposes you to danger, harm, or the potential to lose something, and it’s something that Netta and I know very well. Understand that we were never handed anything, sometimes we didn’t even receive the support that we desired. Thus all of our lives, we’ve always had to take bets on ourselves, and every bet on ourself was a risk. These risks were the most pivotal and vital decisions that we’d ever made for our careers, because without taking them, we would have never been able to experience the growth and success that we’ve seen. Read more>>