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.

Deon (dj Auld) Claiborne | DJ and music selector

Taking risks has defined many of my choices in life including in the areas of work and my creative processes. For example, when I was much younger, I worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant in Santa Cruz, CA called India Joze. The cuisine was East Indian, Middle Eastern, and Indonesian. After a few months as a dishwasher, I decided I wanted to cook there. I had no cooking experience. Read more>>

Brooke Simmons | Wedding & Event Planner

Risk in this industry I think is huge! In order to stand out from the crowd, you have to be willing to take risk. High risk can often…. and hopefully, lead to high reward! I’ve done this recently with a styled shoot I was offered to lead. Coming up with a mood board & overall design of the shoot was intimidating. How do I stand out as a designer? How do I make this shoot different from the rest? Without stepping outside of the box and pitching those sometimes crazy or different ideas, you never will stand out to your potential clients! It’s okay to take the leap! Read more>>

From Birth To Death | Heavy metal duo

We think that pursuing this is a risk in and of itself. Chasing this is chasing a big question mark. There is no way of knowing for sure whether or not this is going to work the way you want it to. This isn’t something where you get a degree, get some knowledge in the field, find a position, and then you’re on your way with guaranteed salary and so on. This is something that no matter how good you are, you still never know how it’s going to turn out. Big goals require big risks. Read more>>

Nicholas Prescott | Music Artist, Songwriter, Producer, Sound Engineer & Visual Producer

Life is all about taking risks and knowing that you rather try and fail than to not try at all. You will never know what you’re truly made of without going for what you love. I would never be making music and creating musical art if it wasn’t for taking risks. I never let what anyone else thought stop me from reaching for the stars. I continue to take risks to push my music career even though success doesn’t happen overnight there will be that overnight where your success will come. Read more>>