Taking Risks vs Acting Reckless | 124

I quit my 9-5 after landing just one client. The crazy part? It was only a $500 deal. While this may seem reckless on the surface, it was actually a calculated risk. A risk that led to a life I never imagined was possible. Let’s dive in.

🎯 A Calculated Risk

I need to be honest. Yes, I did quit my job after just one client, but it wasn’t my first client ever. I worked with a handful of clients before that, but they all came from word of mouth or referrals, so I don’t really count those.

This was the first client that came from my system. A framework that would get me clients if that if I do a specific set of actions in a specific order.

I tried and failed, tried and failed, over and over again. After each failure, I tweaked my system until it started working.

Once it worked with one client, I knew it would work a hundred more times. And I was right.

Today I’m teaching that exact system to all my Creative Biz Launch students.

✅ Pros & Cons

Quitting my job was one of the scariest decisions of my entire life. Giving up security for freedom. Giving up a secure salary for no guaranteed income.

Weighing my options, going full-time as a photographer seemed like the best choice.

My decision wasn’t reckless because I had proof that the system worked. On top of that, I had 6 months of living expenses saved up.

I ran every scenario through my head. And every time, the worst-case scenario wasn’t bad at all.

The absolute worst-case scenario was that I’d burn through six months of savings, not land a single client, and have to go back to a 9-5.

Nothing would really change. I would have spent 6 months trying to build my own thing, but at the end of the day, I’d be back where I started. I’d still be healthy. I’d still have my relationships. There was very little to lose when I actually took a step back and looked at the facts.

On the other hand, I saw unlimited upside. If I put in the work to make this happen, I could have a successful business. I could have the freedom of being my own boss. I could live my passion every single day.

📈 Unlimited Upside

Usually, the smaller the risk, the smaller the reward. The higher the risk, the bigger the reward.

I was in a unique situation where the downside was relatively small, but the upside was huge.

Very, very few opportunities in life have this kind of leverage.

I took the risk, and nearly 4 years later, I’m still working for myself full-time. I even have a team under me. Not only have I changed my life, but I’ve been able to help my team support themselves.

If you’re someone who’s on the fence about making a decision and you’re unsure if it’s going to be reckless or a calculated risk, do this.

Take a piece of paper. Divide it into two columns. Label one ‘pros’ and the other ‘cons’ and start writing.

When you’re done, I want you to imagine the absolute worst-case scenario of the decision. From there you’ll know whether or not it’s going to be reckless or risky.