What big risks have paid off for you?

[smyles]

Originally Posted by Murf993

Gas station sushi.

I raise ya

[JP10]

Originally Posted by Rmtt

I guess that I'm a risk taker in general. Every job I ever had, my dad would tell me "you should be happy where you are at"......but I would usually change anyway.

Met a lot of connections this way, and have worked in so many fields. That is what is good about my degree, I can work in Chemicals (present), distribution, construction, etc. The degree translates across almost any field.

My biggest risk was probably switching careers to a field that I had no experience with, while I had a Terminally Ill child at home and a steady job already.

But it payed off.

This was my entire family's, and my fiance's family's concern with my new job. Last job was great, and most told me it was a little reckless giving up a job with that amount "security".

My fiance was really supportive although she had to quit her job that she loved. Packed up everything back in October and moved from NJ to Charleston. Great decision thus far because without it I don't know how we would have been able to afford the wedding that we are currently planning. Also getting my student loans paid for through the new job.

As for my fiance she had a job within two weeks of moving down here. A coworker at her last position had contacts with another fertility clinic down this way, crazy how it all worked out. Through this entire Covid-19 her clinic was the only one that hasn't closed down, so she's kept a steady income. Meanwhile the clinic she worked at in NJ had to shut their doors.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by smyles

I raise ya

Yeah, but how did either "pay off"???

[Joekerr]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Yeah, but how did either "pay off"???

Well, with gas station sushi, said individual probably had explosive diarrhea for days and ergo, lost a few pounds of weight without really trying. So that's a benefit.

And with the bat...well, I can't speak to whether it is delicious or not, but I can point to the resulting government payouts which were funded from taxpayer pockets. Some people (not me unfortunately) are getting paid to sit at home. Need I say more?

Both paid off. Just in different ways.

[Patrick303]

In 2012 after being laid off and spending 4 months on employment, I found a decent paying and secure job locally. A few months later I took a risk and left that job to work remotely for a 100 person bay area start-up. We had a successful IPO in 2017 so the risk definitely paid off and I love working for this company!!

[King Rudi]

Leaving the first (and second wife) with nothing more than a handful of items and my clothes. WELL worth it!

[MKSixer]

My buddy and I purchased/contracted 10 single family homes the Monday after Katrina, leased them to companies within 48 hours and kept them for 6 years and gradually sold them off. We did well.

[EricVR4]

I haven't been much of a risk taker in my 35 years on this Earth, but that's going to change in the near future so this thread has some great timing. It's interesting to hear peoples' stories too.

I've been in the corporate oil/gas world since I left college and it was never a career I wanted to be in but when I graduated, the economy was shit (2008) and it was the first opportunity so I took it. I've never hated it but it just wasn't what I wanted. I got comfortable with the lifestyle it can offer and never pushed myself to find something else I liked better because I was content enough.

This global shutdown has helped me to re-evaluate almost everything I value as "essential" and my career in oil/gas is not one of them. I have no idea what I want to do instead (yet anyway) but I have a few ideas I want to look further into. My goal is to be out of oil/gas in the next 2 years and working for myself.

That will easily be the biggest risk I've taken to date. Thankfully I'm still single with no kids though so it's an easier risk to take.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by Now_Rudi

Leaving the first (and second wife) with nothing more than a handful of items and my clothes. WELL worth it!

May I have your lawyer's number? Asking for a friend


I had a very amicable divorce, and even I paid more than that.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by Joekerr

And with the bat...well, I can't speak to whether it is delicious or not, but I can point to the resulting government payouts which were funded from taxpayer pockets. Some people (not me unfortunately) are getting paid to sit at home. Need I say more?

This is sheer GENIUS just sitting at home wasting!

[floridaorange]

Originally Posted by MKSixer

My buddy and I purchased/contracted 10 single family homes the Monday after Katrina, leased them to companies within 48 hours and kept them for 6 years and gradually sold them off. We did well.

Leased them to companies? Can you elaborate on leasing homes to companies perhaps?

[Rmtt]

Originally Posted by Patrick303

In 2012 after being laid off and spending 4 months on employment, I found a decent paying and secure job locally. A few months later I took a risk and left that job to work remotely for a 100 person bay area start-up. We had a successful IPO in 2017 so the risk definitely paid off and I love working for this company!!

Before all of this (Covid), I have had a friend pursuing me for a couple of years about a start-up. When he first approached me, it was in the investment stage.

A year later, they have bought a facility and currently retrofitting it. He has been in this business forever, but just selling supplies and wants to expand. Apparently he had something like this 20 years ago, but one of the partners died and the other had no interest in going forward.

Oddly enough, I found out a lot more about the field when my dad got sick and went on dialysis as the business is based on the equipment and supplies.

There would only be about 10 guys to start, and I would be over the Engineering side of the business. He already has a lot of potential customers that he's known forever waiting on him.

I'm still thinking about it. I have done some projects in the past with him building Bio-Diesel "skids" when it was just hitting the market.

So if it comes to fruition.....it would be a risk to leave where I am at for the last 15 years. But it would end up with a bit better pay that could grow quickly, and could potentially end up with me having a small stake in ownership of the company.

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

May I have your lawyer's number? Asking for a friend


I had a very amicable divorce, and even I paid more than that.

How may I be of service? Represented myself, both times.

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by Rmtt

Before all of this (Covid), I have had a friend pursuing me for a couple of years about a start-up. When he first approached me, it was in the investment stage.

A year later, they have bought a facility and currently retrofitting it. He has been in this business forever, but just selling supplies and wants to expand. Apparently he had something like this 20 years ago, but one of the partners died and the other had no interest in going forward.

Oddly enough, I found out a lot more about the field when my dad got sick and went on dialysis as the business is based on the equipment and supplies.

There would only be about 10 guys to start, and I would be over the Engineering side of the business. He already has a lot of potential customers that he's known forever waiting on him.

I'm still thinking about it. I have done some projects in the past with him building Bio-Diesel "skids" when it was just hitting the market.

So if it comes to fruition.....it would be a risk to leave where I am at for the last 15 years. But it would end up with a bit better pay that could grow quickly, and could potentially end up with me having a small stake in ownership of the company.

That small stake ownership is the key. I make good money and could afford the house I have easily on my salary - the Ferrari and Lamborghinis came from the sale of some shares. I am sure I have made more in the past 9 years than your average 401K would have grown to in the 35 years I've been working (foreigner so we don't have 401K - we take care of our own retirement with investment, but everyone gets a government pension too).

[Turkish Pickle]

probably the biggest risk i've taken so far was to move about 6000 miles away from home to a place where i only knew 2 people going in. can't say for sure if it paid off before getting my diploma but so far so good

[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by floridaorange

Leased them to companies? Can you elaborate on leasing homes to companies perhaps?

Indeed. Their key employees were in the danger zone from Katrina and they moved them to my city to keep them safe and in place.

[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by Turkish Pickle

probably the biggest risk i've taken so far was to move about 6000 miles away from home to a place where i only knew 2 people going in. can't say for sure if it paid off before getting my diploma but so far so good

Bold move, Pickle. Bold move.

[Palala808]

Took a shot on a CL ad for business to business sales in 2015. No prior experience in the industry other than cold calling/prospecting and it turned out to be the turning point financially for our family. Been at it since but there were some rough patches to get over before I was really able to make anything of it. Met my now business partner at my new job who had industry experience and he helped me get to where I am today. Probably wouldn't have been so bad if I was single but having a wife and kids.... it was probably the dumbest/smartest thing I've ever done.

[Darth One]

Me and 10 of my friends decided to rob this douchebag casino owner named Terry Benedict. It did not go as smooth as planned but we pulled it off!

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by Turkish Pickle

probably the biggest risk i've taken so far was to move about 6000 miles away from home to a place where i only knew 2 people going in.

This takes seriously large attachments to do, the likes of which many, many people lack. Kudos to you.

[premier3is]

Originally Posted by dinonz

Packed up my entire life into 2 suitcases and moved from NZ to Texas for a job. Left that job 3 months later and formed a startup with friends. 9 years later the startup is still going, I have a McMansion in the burbs, a Ferrari, 2 (soon to be 3) Lamborghinis and putting a pool in out back. I guess I'm happy with where things have gone.

How did you adapt to the change from NZ to Texas? That must've been quite a change I'd assume. I guess it also depends what part of Texas too.

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by premier3is

How did you adapt to the change from NZ to Texas? That must've been quite a change I'd assume. I guess it also depends what part of Texas too.

It wasn't too bad apart from learning a new language, and learning to drive on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the road. Otherwise it was pretty easy.