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Jessica Toh (Cont.)
How has becoming a mom changed you as an entrepreneur?

JT: Becoming a mom has made me more comfortable with the unknown, chaos, and needing to sometimes be the bad cop. As a parent, I have a lot more practice saying "No!" and redirecting.

What makes you daring?

JT: I was having lunch with my former manager. He asked me what I wanted to do in life. I responded that I want to start a company, but I think I'm too risk-averse for it. 

He looked at me, puzzled, and shook his head, "No, you're definitely not risk-averse." At this time I had quit my Director-level job, had a baby, and was about to move from sunny California to cloudy England for graduate school.

I was always trying new things. I had trained for a marathon and cycled from Seattle to Portland for the challenge of it. Outwardly they were daring, but inwardly they were just things that felt right, and were also accompanied with a lot of planning.  

What I did not realize then was that the stereotype of the risk-taking entrepreneur is misguided. Entrepreneurs don't leave a lot to chance, but take calculated risks. It may seem daring to others, but to the entrepreneur, it's the right thing to do in that moment.