The Advantages of Risk Taking

HOW PUSHING YOURSELF OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE CAN LEAD TO SUCCESS AND SELF-EXPRESSION

Written by Abby Cattapan, Lifestyle Editorial Assistant Illustrated by Riley August, Makeup Director and Staff Graphics Artist

Risk is scary. It requires defying the status quo and rebelling against your instincts. It also takes courage. When you take a risk, you jump out of your comfort zone and into the unknown. While risk is frightening, the benefits of it often outweigh the terror. This is what 20-year-old, UW-Madison student

Lindsey Hollar discovered when launching her own fashion business,

Million Volts.

From a young age, Hollar had an interest in fashion. She explains how she’d grown up watching YouTube videos of clothing hauls which taught her how to properly style them. From here, she came to believe that fashion is a way of self-expression, saying “how you feel about yourself shows through what you wear.” This passion for fashion is what motivated Hollar to create her clothing company in the first place.

Hollar started her business during a period when we all had time to spare: the 2020 quarantine. As an undergraduate student who’d just lost half of her freshman year, Hollar decided now was the time to start the business she’d long been dreaming of.

“I just jumped in. It was sort of a ‘the time is now’ kinda thing,” she said. Starting your own business comes with a lot of uncertainties. It requires an investment of both time and money, without the promise of a return. There’s no guarantee that people will buy what you’re selling, and starting a business when you’re young with few resources and money poses a substantial risk.1

When Hollar started her business, all these things were on her mind. Understandably, she was also worried about what people would think. Would they take her business seriously? How would they perceive it?

“As much as people like to stress acceptance, they still judge what you do,” Hollar said.

Public acceptance and approval are definitely concerns, but for Hollar, these factors actually brought her more clarity. When Hollar first started her business, she was worried about what other people would think. Now that she has successfully accomplished what she set out to do, she has realized that what others think of her is no longer important to her.

“The people that support you are the ones who matter,” says Hollar. “And the others you shouldn’t stick around. If something makes you happy, you shouldn’t give space for caring about what others think.”

Hollar’s company has been a success in many ways. Not only is she shipping her clothes across the country, but it has also brought her more confidence. Seeing people appreciate her talent has made Hollar more comfortable in her skin.

“It gave me an outlet to express myself and show the world who I really am,” she says.

Hollar’s biggest piece of advice for taking risks is simple: just do it. The dream life you aspire for won’t just appear one day. You have to decide to chase it.

So, in the words of Lindsay Hollar, just do it. Jump in and take a risk. If you win, you’ll be happy—and if you lose, you’ll be wiser for it.

*Million Volts will be holding a trunk show in the trophy room of the James March 30 through April 1, 2-6 p.m. Check out Million Volts on Instagram @shopmillionvolts for more details! ■