Risk

Risk.

When you're faced with a decision, sometimes your best bet is to run, fast, in one direction just to see if it’s the right one. That’s what risk feels like to me. A choice. A bet. A leap in the dark with nothing but instinct and hope in your back pocket.

Risk -  the thing between where you are and where you could be.
The chasm. The cliff.
And your only way across is to jump.

We’re taught to avoid it.

The risk to start a business.
The risk to stay on a hard path when an easier one calls.
The risk of selling something new.
The risk of showing up on a public platform, open to criticism or hate.
The risk of leaving behind a secure job to go all in on a dream.

Everything in life is a risk. A wager. A question: Will you bet on yourself?
How badly do you want it?
What are you willing to lose?
Are you okay with changing your whole life, surrendering comfort, quiet evenings, and everything you once knew… just for the chance that this might work?

Because here’s the thing: comfort is the norm. It’s what we’re taught to chase.
Get the job. Take the safe paycheck. Clock in, clock out. Buy a house.

Stay steady. Stay safe.
But sometimes comfort becomes a cage. You climb a corporate ladder only to have someone yank it out from under you—not because of anything you did wrong, but because you didn’t serve their bottom line.

So maybe comfort isn’t the goal.

Maybe the “normal” path was never meant for you.
Maybe the real path requires risk.
Maybe it’s about the bet. And more importantly, who you’re betting on.

Doug and I started Maetiques on a whim. Truly - a whim.
I say it all the time when people ask: it was just a passing thought, what if we sold home décor? Antiques weren’t even on our radar. I had an overflow of “stuff,” sold it off, and one idea led to another.

What if we go to Paris?
What if we find the markets I didn’t even know existed?
What if we just did it?
Who would stop me?

We were in our twenties. We had no idea what we were doing. But we figured, screw it. We’ll risk it. We’ll take the money out of savings and go. We booked the trip and never looked back, too busy chasing the next what-if.

What if we went again?
What if we brought extra suitcases?
What if we tried a weekend run?
What if we did a container?
What if we sold furniture?
What if we got a studio?
What if we launched a website?
What if we build a whole damn brand?

What. If.

We stopped being afraid of what was on the other side of that question—and started leaning into it. We stopped letting possibility paralyze us and, instead, we chased it.

Hard.  

That mindset changed my life. Because when you take big leaps, big outcomes follow. You start figuring it out. You start building something.

And now, the biggest “what if” of them all sits in front of me:
What if I go all in?
What happens next?

I don’t know.

But I do know that every other “what if” we’ve chased has brought challenge, reward, growth, and so much magic. I’m willing to bet on the other side of this one will, too.

Your answer to a “what if” should be:
Let’s figure it out.

Life is shaping before our eyes—and yes, we’re scared. But we have each other. We’ve figured out tariffs, port strikes, importing antiques, marriage, and all the chaos in between. There is no storm that could ever make us stop dreaming.

Maetiques has become a home—not just for me, but for so many of you.
It’s a place to land when life feels unsteady. A place where the idea of “what if” doesn’t feel terrifying, but possible.

Life is built on risk.
So if you’re standing at your own edge, wondering if it’s worth the leap—
This is your sign.

Risk it.
What if you win?