There’s a point in the life of every business when you have to decide if you are going to take a risk or play it safe. There’s nothing wrong with playing it safe. Plenty of businesses have chugged along with fine profits for decades by sticking to the safest path. But if you want to grow, you have to take that risk.

As the chief operating officer at Barrett Distribution, a third-party logistics company, I’ve come to this crossroads many times. While I relish making big decisions, running an Evergreen family company comes with the added pressure of continuing the family legacy.