Every decision we make brings with it a certain amount of risk. Sometimes the risk is so small it’s negligible. Other times the risk is so daunting it scares you into submission.

Going all-in on a new and novel business idea, saying no to the steady paycheck and yes to financial instability, investing your life savings with a co-founder you know well but maybe not well enough… these are common high-risk, high-reward scenarios that entrepreneurs often find themselves in.

To the outsider looking in, these situations are far too risky to be taken seriously – to engage in them is not only irresponsible, but foolish.

Tiffanie Stanard has a different opinion… She believes that risks – big risks – are absolutely necessary for success.

“You have to put yourself out there. … If you’re not happy with what you’re doing – if people don’t know about what you’re doing – then what’s the point of doing it?”

Tiffanie is the founder and CEO of Stimulus, a relationship intelligence software suite that helps companies build better relationships.

But before she was leading Stimulus, Tiffanie had to make the leap from having a stable income to being her own boss – a decision that taught her if you aren’t ready to go big… then get ready to go home.

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The Journey is sponsored by our friends at Salesforce Essentials. We use Salesforce Essentials every day and it’s part of our own business journey. Essentials combines sales and service tools in a single app to help small businesses win customers and keep them happy.

See how Salesforce Essentials can help you be your best business at salesforce.com/thejourney.