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.

Glass House Design Group Principal’s- Diane Landers & Kristen Apicerno | Interior Designers

Diane- “Personally, I tend to shy away from taking risks. When I was younger, I thought taking risks was exciting. I grew up in Rhode Island, moved to New York to study acting, then moved to Texas with my then boyfriend, to explore somewhere different. As I got older, the idea of doing something uncertain made me very uncomfortable. Read more>>

Anna Mvze | Ms Lady Rap Singer

Pursuing music is tough! It requires a lot of risk. To be super invested in something that takes away time from people you love, and sometimes even experiences. But music was something that I just could not stop doing. It was in me. It still is. To be brave enough to share my story and be vulnerable is scary. What people might say, or think. But my love for this is much stronger. And to be able to turn my pain into power and help others, is so rewarding. Read more>>

Daniel Cardozo | Realtor®, Founder & Lead of Cardozo-Khan Group, YouTuber, Founder of BCF Meets

How can anyone achieve anything if they don’t risk anything? I’ve always tried living by a quote by Thomas Jefferson, stating that ‘if you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done’ – and doing something new or for the first time always has a hint of risk associated with it; but I love it. I know that with risk there is reward, and that’s why I’ve done what I’ve done thus far in my life. As BCF meets is with the Bright Choice Foundation, we knew that by hosting a car meet underneath that name would hold a lot of value – it could go great, and the name would be of good connotation, or it could go horribly wrong – ruining the Bright Choice name and all of us hosting BCF Meets. Every meet is a risk, though. We have to negate certain risks more than others, because, like I said, with no risk, it’d be quite boring, and by staying in our comfort zone, we wouldn’t grow! We have to take some risks to expand and to help more. Read more>>

Vanessa Camargo | Content Creator & Digital entrepreneur

Thinking about taking risks has been a big part of my life, shaping both my personal story and career path. I believe that taking chances is crucial for moving forward and feeling fulfilled. Looking back, one big moment stands out. Two years ago, my partner and I made a bold choice to leave Florida and start fresh in Houston. It was a scary decision, but it showed how important taking risks can be. Even though we didn’t know what would happen, we believed better opportunities awaited us. This leap into the unknown highlighted risk-taking’s role in shaping our lives. Despite the challenges of starting over in a new place, we learned so much about ourselves and how to overcome obstacles. Looking back now, it’s clear that every risk we took helped us grow and move forward. We left behind everything we had built over the past 10-plus years – jobs, family, friends – but in doing so, we discovered new possibilities and opportunities for growth. Taking risks isn’t always easy, but it’s often worth it in the end. Even if things don’t go as planned, there’s always something to learn from the experience, and we can always try again. Read more>>

Allison Virgadamo | Lead Florist & Owner

I think my relationship with risk has definitely changed a lot over the years. I have never really been a huge risk taker. Taking a chance on something new and unknown is really hard and scary, and you really have to be ready to commit once you take the jump in. Read more>>

 Mark Rosado | Owner

I think starting your own business is all about risk. Even if you are already well off financially, and don’t necessarily need that business to pay your bills, no one wants to fail. In my case I had been trying to open a bar & grill my whole life. So I put in my life savings, and sold my house and used the money I made off of it. I went all in . But personally that’s when I thrive. I’ve always been a risk taker , I want my back against the wall , I want to sink or swim. Nothing in my life has come easy so I’m not even sure what that would feel like. I have 3 young boys, selling my house was very scary, that house was supposed to help pay for their college one day, but I knew if I took this risk I wouldn’t let them down. Read more>>

Lauren Williams | Houston Food and Activities Blogger

I believe the biggest hurdle any of us face it just starting. Just do it. Pick up the phone, record, and post. There are so many different individuals who find ways to captivate an audience in different ways. I think people believe they can’t do it because they don’t have the right phone, or the right lighting, or maybe they aren’t as preppy as other influencers. While this is surely something to look into when you start your journey, you won’t know exactly what you need until you begin. It’s surely a risk, and may feel a little embarrassing at times, but keep going. Your audience will find you. Read more>>

Richard Logan | Bio tech engineer

The biggest risk I took was delaying college to instead pursue a boxing career. I ended up leaving boxing when my trainer retired, which set me down a collegiate path I probably never would have due to the professors at the university then. But I can say I was a former pro athlete, and the sport taught me about what it is to succeed by dedicating yourself to a craft. That carried over to my professional career. Read more>>