A friend of mine found herself at a crossroad in life. She wanted to be an editor, and hoped one day to establish an editing business of her own. However, when she started looking into the profession, she found that without any contacts or training, a lot of doors had already been closed on her. On a flight to London to visit family, she introduced herself to the man sitting next to her. As it turned out, he was one of the UK’s most successful editors. When she told him about her conundrum, he decided there and then that he would help her get a foot in the door. He agreed to tutor her via Skype every night for six months. Now, she enjoys a career editing major publications throughout the UK. All this would never have happened if she hadn’t taken a risk and initiated that conversation with her fellow passenger.

Everyone knows that being an entrepreneur is all about taking a risk. The misconception, however, is that this risk is purely financial. In reality, the rebel entrepreneur must take all sorts of risks every day in order to be successful. They take intellectual risks, emotional risks, personal risks and social risks. For a rebel entrepreneur, risk-taking is a way of life.

Social risks in particular play a huge role in determining the success of one’s business. In business, networking is fundamental. Whether you’re just starting off, or if you’ve been in the business for years, find the courage to introduce yourself to those around you. Whether it’s at a corporate event, or on public transport, say hello and strike up a conversation. By opening up, you emit a certain frequency that might attract the right type of person into your life at the right time. Sure, you risk rejection, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Small risks take you out of your comfort zone, and, as Albert Einstein once said, “comfort is the enemy of achievement”. After all, you never know just how far one conversation can take you.