"When risk falls, rewards do too." - Rumi Morales

With a network of more than 600 professionals from every industry, the mentor program is the crown jewel of 1871. Every day, mentors dedicate their time and expertise guiding our members from issues ranging from legal to tech and everywhere in between, forming valuable relationships and producing concrete outcomes. This week, we say hello to Rumi Morales, Advisory Board Member at the Chamber of Digital Commerce and Founder of Rumi Ventures.

• What do you know today that you wish you would have known when you first got started in business?

When risk appetite starts to fall, it falls incredibly fast -- that's why you have to do whateve it takes to keep it from falling. If it does start to fall, do everything you can to soften the descent. For when risk falls, rewards do too.

• What skills do you think are the most important for an entrepreneur to have?

The most important skill is to deeply love and respect yourself and your ideas.

• What did you have to learn the hard way in your professional life?

I leanred that you can't expect anything from those whome you admire.

• What is one piece of advice you would give to a rising entrepreneur?

To quote Ecclesiastes, "the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all."

Now for the fun stuff... 

• What is your personal mantra?  To quote Henry David Thoreau, "we must reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids but by an infinite expectation of the dawn."
• What is your daily ritual? I wake up thankful, and I go to sleep thankful.
• What is your favorite comfort food? Anything Japanese.
• What hashtag best describes you? #WheresMyCoffee

Follow Rumi on Twitter @rumimorales and connect with her on LinkedIn. 

Are you interested in becoming a mentor or teaching a workshop at 1871? Learn more here.