If there’s one thing I’ve learned on my entrepreneurial journey, it’s that success never comes without risk.
I’ve taken my fair share—some paid off beyond my expectations, others taught me lessons I’ll never forget.
Here are some of the wildest leaps I’ve taken, and what happened next:
1️⃣ Moving to the US without a safety net.
Leaving South Africa to expand our business in the US was one of the most exciting decisions I’ve ever made.
I left behind the comfort of familiarity and entered a market I knew very little about.
The US moves at lightning speed, and adapting wasn’t easy. There were challenges but those challenges drove me to be better.
But the opportunities here have been incredible. The risk of stepping into the unknown has allowed us to build something bigger than I ever imagined.
2️⃣ Launching a business and figuring it out along the way.
One of the craziest risks I took was expanding a successful South African financial and accounting talent and tech business into a completely new country.
I saw a gap in the market and trusted my ability to assemble a strong team to fill that gap.
We built the business while learning on the go, bringing in experts and leveraging their strengths.
Today, we’ve become a leader in financial services and technology.
The takeaway is that you don’t need to know everything—you just need to know how to bring in the right people.
3️⃣ Building a business partnership across two continents.
Expanding between the US and South Africa was a calculated risk.
Different markets, different cultures, different regulations—it could have been a logistical nightmare.
But instead, we turned that challenge into a strength. By blending the pace of American scale and urgency with South African tenacity, we built a global network that thrives on quality, resilience and collaboration.
The risk of not being able to gain credibility and trust in the US was real, but the reward has been greater than we ever imagined.
What I’ve learned:
If there’s one thing that ties all these risks together, it’s that there’s no such thing as a perfect time to take a leap.
Every major decision I’ve made came with uncertainty, but in the end, it’s about trusting your instincts, surrounding yourself with the right people, and being willing to adapt when things don’t go as planned. Keep pushing, believe in your vision, don’t take NO for an answer and stay positive!
Risk is part of the journey. The key is learning to take calculated risks—ones that push you forward, challenge you, and open doors to new possibilities.
#Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Growth
