Have you become too comfortable to take a risk?

One of my favorite personalities in modern American history is Teddy Roosevelt.  Roosevelt was president in the early 1900s, and while he certainly wasn’t perfect, he had several traits that I find inspiring and admirable.  As I have taken inspiration from him and attempted to model some of those traits (in my own way), I can honestly say my entrepreneurial efforts and online businesses have benefited.

Roosevelt believed in living the “strenuous life.”  He wasn’t interested in coasting through his days on this planet, continuously attempting to avoid hard things.  Roosevelt was also a man of many interests and activities.  In fact, in one of his best known quotes, he encouraged others to be active as well.  I love the way he said it…

“Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action.”  -Theodore Roosevelt

Does an admonition like that inspire you?  Can you honestly say you aren’t frittering away your time?  Are you creating helpful things and doing what you can to serve others right where you presently are?

Advice like Roosevelt’s is helpful at all seasons of life, but I find it particularly helpful during a season of life when it would be easy for me to coast.  There is enough momentum behind what I’m doing online that I could probably take it easier than I do, but that honestly doesn’t appeal to me.  

The drive and ambition that I had when I first started building my online platform is a drive that I want to continue to feed as I do my work.  But I don’t want to do this alone.  I want you to work with me and resist the temptation to get comfortable and start coasting, even if you realistically could.

Wherever you are on your journey to build your online business, I want you to take a moment to answer this question honestly.  ARE YOU TOO COMFORTABLE TO TAKE A RISK?  That can be a challenging question to attempt to answer, whether you’ve been at this for a while or you’re just starting out.  In fact, in both scenarios, I often witness some risk-averse behavior that holds many of us back from being able to see some amazing things take place.

There isn’t a single thing I’ve done in business that didn’t involve some level of risk at the start.  One of my favorite examples to tell relates to the risk I took in 2021 when I started Platform Launchers.  Based on the questions I regularly received, I believed it could become a successful online platform, but the only way for me to really know was to take some risks.

First of all, I needed to risk some money.

I wanted Platform Launchers to be the best it could be, right from the start.  It was my desire to offer a platform that operated smoothly, appeared professional, and was extremely user-friendly.  I also wanted to make sure it was enjoyable to manage from my end.  

To do this, I knew I would need to invest in software solutions that could manage my website, podcast, email list, online courses, membership community, and payment processing.

That’s a lot to ask, but I also knew that Kajabi was able to accomplish each of these things.  Kajabi is effective, but it certainly isn’t free.  But since I live debt-free and already had multiple streams of income that were established, I was willing to take a risk and buy higher-end software.  I have never regretted that decision.  It has been a win for me and for the people I’m serving.

Second, I needed to risk my track record and reputation.

When you start something new, you may think it’s going to be successful, but you don’t really know until you take the risk to start it and tell others about it.

When I started Platform Launchers, I was already succeeding with the content and online platform I had created to highlight my faith-based content.  I guess I could have coasted and not taken a new risk, but that’s not how I’m wired.  

Platform Launchers could have failed.  Some would argue that if it had failed, my track record (and possibly my reputation) would have looked less than stellar.  But I was willing to take the risk anyway.  I didn’t want to fail, but I was willing to in the attempt to bring my idea to life.

Third, I needed to risk my time.

I will admit that there are few things in this world that bother me as much as activities that feel like a waste of my time.  I have some patience for time-wasters, but not much.

When you’re starting something new, whether it’s an online business, platform, ministry, or something else, there’s a real risk that you’re going to invest a considerable amount of time into making it work.  Early in the morning, late in the evening, and while you could be relaxing on the weekends, you’re going to need to invest time in building and managing what you’ve built.

Is that a risk you’d be willing to take without knowing for certain that the investment of your time is going to pay off?  Most people wouldn’t dare take a risk like that.  (That’s why many people are missing some special and unique opportunities in life.)

Fourth, I needed to risk rejection.

Rejection can be one of the more painful things in this world to experience, but it is a painful reality of life.  We’ve all been rejected in one sphere or another, whether by someone we were interested in dating, an employer we wanted to work for, or a car salesman who rejected our offer.

How do you deal with rejection?  Can you stomach it?

Having served in pastoral ministry for several decades, I have experienced more than my share of rejection.  Sadly, in that capacity, people reject me all the time.  If I’m honest, it can make me feel “used” and “conditionally valued” if I let it, but I’m learning not to let that get the best of me.  In fact, I think learning not to take rejection too personally has been helping me in life, ministry, and business.

When you start a business or a platform, people are going to have opinions about everything you do.  Many will like what you offer.  Some won’t.  Some will use what you’re making available, then abruptly quit.  Others may ask for refunds.

But if you can put up with the occasional rejection you may receive, you’re going to enjoy the blessing of being able to work with some amazing people.  There are people out there who will genuinely appreciate what you’re doing and will join you in your efforts.  Many of them will make what you’re doing even better by offering insights that you wouldn’t have devised on your own.  They’ll also add to the culture of your community in some very special ways.

So, if you’re willing, let me encourage you to take some risks that might make you feel uncomfortable.  To get where you’re trying to go, you very well may need to…

Risk some money.

Risk your track record / reputation for success.

Risk your time.

Risk rejection.

As someone who lives on the other side of taking those risks, I can honestly testify it was all worth it.

© John Stange, 2025