Why Passion is Important for YourĀ Business

I used to think that anyone who went around telling people that, in order to be a successful entrepreneur, you have to turn your passion into a business was full of shit. I could always think of plenty of successful entrepreneurs whose businesses don’t fit that theory.

It seems slightly ridiculous to think that a gas station owner would be passionate about gas. Or that someone who owns a waste removal company would be passionate about waste. “Find something you love to do…” they said. I always thought those people were liars.

Then I started my own business, and I realized how wrong I was about that assumption. I was being too literal in how I processed that advice. 

A successful entrepreneur who owns a waste removal company may not be passionate about waste, but they’re certainly passionate about entrepreneurship, hard work, money or something related to that business.

After all the tough days and long nights that I’ve spent working on my...

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The Universe is CallingĀ You - Here's How You Know

I think that we all have a purpose in life. Everyone’s purpose isn’t necessarily to be the next Oprah Winfrey or Barack Obama, but we all have a roll in making this world a better place.

I think of the impact each of us have, as individuals, like a drop of water that creates a ripple. The ripple gets bigger and bigger and creates gigantic waves downstream. We each create drops that eventually become waves somewhere downstream in the lives of others.

One of the most difficult questions most of us spend our lives trying to answer is, “What is my purpose?” Sometimes, we look for grandiose answers, when it’s much more simple, and sometimes we allow our fears to block us from what we know we should really be doing in life.

It’s true of most people, who make a great impact on the world, that something exists deep down inside that calls them to do their life’s work. As if an external force is pulling them in the direction they should go.

And when...

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How to Do What You're Passionate About Every Day

Do you do whatever you’re passionate about every day—for work or in your free time? If your answer is “no”, you’re not alone. Actually, you would be in the majority of people.

As far as careers go, most people aren’t very passionate about their jobs. In fact, a 2017 study by Deloite found that only 13% of people in the US workforce are passionate about what they do for a living.

If you could be doing absolutely anything you want to do every day, without regard for money, what would it be? Wouldn’t doing that make life so much more exciting?

I’m a very firm believer in finding a way to do what you’re passionate about every day. Life is too short to spend the majority of our time doing things we don’t want to do day in and day out, never taking the time to find ways to do what we love to do.

I know that everyone won’t be able to find a way to make money through their passion, and some people are okay with that....

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Does Success RequireĀ Passion?

To grow my Instagram following without having to spend money on ads, I try to engage, as much as possible, with other pages. I ask questions on my page, I reply to comments and I regularly peruse through hashtags to comment and like posts from people I’m not following. 

Recently, as I was perusing hashtags, I came across a post from someone that said something like this…

I don’t like basketball, but I want to own a team in the NBA.
I hate watching Big Brother on CBS, but I would like to own the show.
I don’t like coffee but I want to buy a Starbucks.
The #1 rule to business is profitability. People make the mistake of thinking they have to love the business. Make the money first, then fund your hobby.

If that’s not the dumbest shit I’ve read all week! Does this fool not watch Sharktank?

First of all, if you have enough money to buy any of those businesses, then I would hope you would be smart enough to know not to buy a business you hate....

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Trying to Get Chose? Let Your Purpose ChooseĀ You

 

I recently did an episode of my podcast called, The Guy Who Built 3 Houses That No One Wanted. In it, I talked about how hard it can be to choose one idea to pursue in entrepreneurship, when you’re one of those people—like me—who constantly get viable business ideas. 

Because I’m one of those people, I get distracted easily and I have to really be diligent about focusing on my one business and giving it my undivided attention. A conversation I had last night with a close friend of mine made me realize that people who are multi-talented also struggle with this.

If you’re extremely gifted at more than one thing, you may find it hard to figure out which talent you should pursue as a business. The friend that I had this conversation with happens to be really talented at two different things, that are in no way related, and she’s actually making money doing each separately. 

She’s found herself in a conundrum trying to decide...

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Is Your Business Idea Treasure or Trash?

As entrepreneurs, we can sometimes get pretty creative when trying to identify new business opportunities. When we start thinking about ways to be innovative or to differentiate ourselves from the competition, sometimes our ideas can get a bit wacky—like an idea for a snow cone barber shop truck or a raincoat for your car. 

When you’re trying to think of the perfect business idea, it can be hard to tell whether an idea you have is a good one or a bad one.

Before you start spending large amounts of time and money on starting your business, you should validate your idea to verify that it is viable. Here are some practical questions you can ask yourself to verify whether your business idea is treasure or trash.

Has it ever been done before?

Innovation is great, and if you’re an inventor, creating something that doesn’t exist might be right up your ally. For the most part though, if your business idea is for something that doesn’t currently...

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5 Steps to the Perfect Online Business Idea

I talk to people, quit often, who want to start an online business but don’t have an idea for a business related to what they’re passionate about. If that’s you, it’s your lucky day.

I came up with a process for developing your perfect online business idea. Just follow the steps below and you’re on your way.

Step 1

Ask yourself these 3 qualifying questions:

  1. What do I love to do?
  2. What am I already good at?
  3. How can I fulfill a need or solve a problem?

Step 2

Consider what I call the 3 Purpose Plays or ways you can monetize your passion:

  • Sell It—Create a product related to your passion and sell it online.
  • Lease It—Become a consultant for people or businesses related to your passion.
  • Teach It—Teach other people how to do what you’re passionate about.

Step 3

Brainstorm ideas:

  • Take 10 to 15 minutes to write down every idea that comes to mind.
  • Keep your answers from Steps 1 and 2 in mind while you brainstorm.
  • Right down every idea....
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Maya Angelou and Destiny

I have a question for you.

Do you believe in destiny? Whether your answer is yes or no, I’d like to encourage you find the episode of Oprah’s Masterclass that features Maya Angelou and watch it.

I’ve watched this episode numerous times because it is so inspiring, and it reminds me not to worry. Dr. Angelou’s story is poetic, beautiful, and moving. It serves as a testament to the fact that as long as you are doing what you’re passionate about, greatness will follow.

At the age of 8, Maya Angelou was sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend. When her uncles found out, they beat the man to death. That experience made her believe that her words were so powerful that they had killed a man, so at 8, she stopped talking—completely. How ironic that her words turned out to be so powerful that they gave life to the millions of people she affected with her writings and poetry.

For 5 years Maya Angelou didn’t utter a word. One of her teachers, at...

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What's Your Entrepreneurial Purpose?

Yesterday I thought a lot about why people are willing to spend their lives working a job they hate that gives them no sense of fulfillment. So many of us live life on repeat, waking up every morning and going through the motions, counting down the days left until the weekend. Many people dream of starting a business, but unfortunately, never get a chance to share all of their great talents with the world.

But why?

Well, we’re taught to stick to the safe route—go to school, graduate, and get a job. Most people just aren’t willing to take a chance on themselves, and even worse, most people never figure out what their purpose is in life. If you can’t figure out you purpose, you can’t create a business based on it.

And I’ve been there—unsure of what my purpose was but very certain that I’d like to own a business and live a freedom lifestyle. My lifestyle requirements were that my business must be location independent, capable of providing...

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