Combining Passion with Business

We need to be clear about what we have to offer before we get into the highly realistic work of actually taking money from other people. Many people would advise you to dive straight into this job without worrying about it too much. And I think that’s a positive thing: not hesitating when it comes to taking action. But there’s something to be said about pausing for a moment to consider the work you want to do before jumping in.

And the fact is that if you don’t get this right, it becomes more complicated. Many people believe a common misconception when they first start a business—when they want to build work that others can buy—and that myth is this: Just pursue your passion. Now, to a large extent, this is true. BUT, you must conduct your business/blog properly in order to fulfill that passion.

Make Things Collide

Simply because you like what you’re doing, the universe does not owe you its attention or perks. Nobody cares about your passion, to put it a little more bluntly. Not unless the passion aligns with what they are searching for.  What matters to them is their passion: their wishes, needs, and problems.

While it’s true that another person’s intense love for a specific project can encourage us, this typically only happens when that person’s enthusiasm intersects with ours.

More than passion is needed to produce a product that will not only last a long time but will also be personally rewarding for you and those willing to pay you for it. In reality, you must find the point where three important factors collide: enthusiasm, ability, and demand. Let’s take a look at each of these with an easy question to ask yourself.

Discovering Your Passion

What do you do when you don’t have to push yourself to do something? That’s one way to look at it. Are you playing golf? Do you ever cook a three-hour meal? Do you call up old friends and have a chat with them? What are some of your favorite ways to lose yourself?

What you enjoy creating is a good indication of the kind of work you should be doing. As I previously said, it is not sufficient in and of itself, but it is a good place to start. We will inevitably burn out or feel like a sellout if we do not have enthusiasm for our job.

Evaluating Your Skills

Not only do we need to love what we’re doing, but we also need to be good at it. It is important that we succeed at it. Skill is what brings in long-term fans and supporters; it’s what gives your customers and clients the courage to keep paying you.

You must be so amazing that they can’t ignore you.  Skill is what keeps the lights on in the company you’re trying to start or expand.

Enable yourself to play with a few different outlets before deciding on one. To see what sticks, toss a few things against the wall. Once you’ve found something you enjoy doing on a daily basis (because many hobbies sound good in theory but are much more of a hassle when it comes to doing the work), stick with it for at least thirty days before giving up to see how you feel. If you still have the appetite for it at the end of a month, you may be onto something.

Assessing Demand

Of course, if all you have is a talent you love, you’re just talking about a hobby. Demand is required to turn an endeavor into a profession: other people would want this product from you.

If you love and are good at something, there will be others who desperately want it. You simply need to find the audience; and find what they are searching for.

I always advise my blogging clients to begin with demand. Since it is, in certain ways, the driving force behind all else. There are some things I do that, when I see other people wanting them from me, fuel my urge to continue doing them. Getting an audience alters how you view yourself in public.

Take a look around when evaluating demand. What other goods or services are currently available in your industry? What is the nature of the competition? What is it that people are already paying for? Can you do something similar, but in your own distinct style?