Re: "Do what you love and the money will follow?"
 

G'day Dien and the rest of the gang.

I've enjoyed reading this thread and I've got to say, I must be lucky!

You see, I love to write, and that love, that passion, led me to start my mail order business around three years ago.

I didn't always get paid for my writings ... I used to write fiction, mainly short stories. None were published. It wasn't until I started looking for markets first, and then developing a book to suit that market, that I began to make money.

So, in my opinion, you can make money by following your passion. It may take a bit of compromising on your part, it may you have to view your passion a bit differently to suit an already established market ... but it can be done.

Take care all!

Pete

> There's a saying which some still repeat....
> It goes,

> "Do what you love, and the money will
> follow."

> We've discussed this here before on Sowpub,
> but it could be good to mention it again.

> I love to do a lot of things. I love body
> surfing. I love listening to music. I love
> deep philosophical discussions. Does that
> mean that the ideal thing for me to do is to
> keep doing these things?

> Business is about fulfilling a want in the
> community.... Unfortunately, my body surfing
> doesn't fulfil a very big want in the
> community (no matter how much I love to do
> it)!

> I think the ideal is to find a particular
> intersection.... Find out what are viable
> businesses. What will make money for you.

> Once you have many of these in front of you
> - many ideas - then choose one or more to
> do. Think through it - what will it actually
> entail? Make a plan of some kind - it
> doesn't have to be a formal business plan,
> it could be a simple flow chart of what you
> need to do.

> The ideal is to choose something which will
> bring in money, and which you love to do as
> well! (Or at least like to do!)

> The fact is, work takes up a big chunk of
> our lives.... It's best to spend it doing
> something you enjoy!

> If you enjoy meeting and talking to people,
> start a business which will let you do that.
> If you like solving technical problems, find
> a business which lets you do that. Some
> people just like setting up businesses - so
> that's their "business"! They set
> up businesses, then let them run, or sell
> them only to start another!

> It helps to have lots of viable businesses
> in front of you to do this.... I realize I'm
> "tooting my own horn", but The
> Great Ideas Letter is perfect for that
> reason!

> I put all the issues in front of me in a big
> folder.... It makes it easy to skim through
> them. Dozens of viable ideas.... Unusual
> ones. Interesting ones. Having all these
> ideas in front of you stimulates more
> ideas in your mind.... Perhaps different
> variations of what's there. Or combinations.

> Anyhow, "Do what you love and the money
> will follow" is a widespread myth....
> Of course, it's great to be able to do what
> you love. And if you're doing what you love,
> you'll probably do it better than most
> people will. But - not EVERYTHING you love
> to do will bring you an income.

> So, instead - out of the things you could do
> to bring an income - choose one of those
> options which you love to do the best. :)

> - Dien Rice

Two interpretations of the saying....
 

Hi Linda,

A great post! :)

I think we're interpreting "Do what you love and the money will follow" in different ways....

I guess my interpretation (in my post) is more of an ACTIVITY-based interpretation. I'm interpreting it as "Do the ACTIVITY you love, and the money will follow".... And I'm saying it's not necessarily true.

To follow on with your golf example.... If I enjoy playing golf, does that mean I'll enjoy running a golf course? Possibly not.

That's because playing golf and running a golf course are quite different activities. One involves getting out on the green and hitting some golf balls, the other involves organizing staff, a lot of administration, etc. etc.

The way I'm interpreting it, "Do the ACTIVITY you love" means playing golf! That is, try to become a golf pro.

However, becoming a golf pro may not be the best way for you to make money - no matter how much you may love playing golf.

Yes, you could succeed in running a golf course - but you may not love doing it.

Linda, I think you are using more of a KNOWLEDGE-based interpretation. Something like, "Do something related to what you love and KNOW about, and the money will follow."

I think you're right (in many cases). It's a great interpretation of the saying, and also gives insight as well....

What you're saying is that if you love to do something, you'll be more likely to have insights into how to make a business succeed, if that business caters to others like you who love that activity as well.

If you interpret it that way, it means something quite different.

(By the way, everyone on this thread is essentially interpreting it one way or another. It's helpful, I think, to see that we are using two quite different interpretations of the same thing - which is probably the real source of disagreement here.)

By the way, I love your cake analogy, with the cake being the pay check, the application of knowledge being the ingredients, and "loving" what you do being the icing on the cake! Thanks for sharing that.... :)

Best wishes,

- Dien

To add to the proverbial soup pot...
 

Hi Dien! (& all)


> A great post! :)


Thanks. : )


> I think we're interpreting "Do what you love and the money will follow" in different ways....


Are we? I'm not so sure we are. You see, if you were to widen your options in "doing" we might find that we're talking apples to apples.


> To follow on with your golf example.... If I enjoy playing golf, does that mean I'll enjoy running a golf course? Possibly not. That's because playing golf and running a golf course are quite different activities. One involves getting out on the green and hitting some golf balls, the other involves organizing staff, a lot of administration, etc. etc.

The way I'm interpreting it, "Do the ACTIVITY you love" means playing golf! That is, try to become a golf pro.


But, are you sure?? Does "DOING" the activity you love mean you have to become a golf pro?

What if what you "DO" involves making a video tape of winning tips? Or writing a book that reviews the golf courses in your state so people can hit a new course armed with knowledge of the good and bad holes on that course?


> However, becoming a golf pro may not be the best way for you to make money - no matter
how much you may love playing golf.



No, it might not. But there are certainly lots of other ways you could continue to PLAY golf and make some money because of the skill and knowledge you have.

After all, playing golf is what you love, right? You might not love being a golf pro and contending with the politics of competitive golf tournaments. But if PLAYING golf is the love, there might be other ways to become profitable because you love to play golf.

The key is inventive thinking to *find* that way.


Linda, I think you are using more of a KNOWLEDGE-based interpretation. Something like, "Do something related to what you love and KNOW about, and the money will follow."


I think my approach is to combine *doing* what you love with the knowledge you gain from doing, and finding a way to profit from that combination.

An avid sewer that sews so much that she can draw her own patterns can sell those patterns and continue to sew her heart out. Or, she can sew unique garments and sell them. Or, she can teach others to sew. There are many ways to profit while still "doing" what she loves.

The same applies to any passion and any field. You do not have to give up the *doing* to make money. Inventive thinking is the key. : )


> What you're saying is that if you love to do
> something, you'll be more likely to have
> insights into how to make a business
> succeed, if that business caters to others
> like you who love that activity as well.


In all honesty - while I agree - the point is more that if you do NOT love something, you are not likely to have enough knowledge of that thing to make money at it. Better to go with what you know - which is likely something you enjoy. : )


> By the way, I love your cake analogy...Thanks for sharing that.... :)


You're very welcome. *grinning*

To add a little more to the proverbial soup pot, saying "follow your passion and the money will follow" is a very incomplete recipe for success.

It is like saying "there is sugar in a recipe for sugar cookies." Does that mean that sugar is ALL you need to bake sugar cookies? Of course not.

Yes, a person must know and love something to be able to make money at it. However, there is more to the recipe than that. Much more. Teaching people *that* recipe is what I do. *g*

Thanks Dien - I always do enjoy our exchanges! I truly enjoy the opportunity to see through the eyes and experiences of others - it helps me grow, too.

: )
Linda


http://www.lindacaroll.com

Re: "Do what you love and the money will follow?"
 

Hi, Folks,

I haven't posted much here but this topic is very 'current' for me these days. I started out to write and publish my writings on the internet. Then I got into other things...and now I find myself doing website things to the exclusion of my writing (or nearly so).

The lesson being that one not only has to do what one loves, but be prepared to find, hire, train etc others to do what you will not have time to do if you're to follow your dream.

Sandi

Always remember, that if you fail...
 

...trying to make a business out of what you love, that the fall is a hell of a lot more painful!

Trust me, I've done it, I know!

Cheers

Philip

Mike, the only thing I don't agree with...
 

is...

The idea of handing off the marketing to someone else.

In my experience, that "someone else," doesn't exist. They're too busy marketing their own products, and making money from ventures where they do not have to pay YOU a royalty.

Unless it's a mass market product, and you get someone like Guthy Renker interested-- you're not going to find that person for a niche product.

Just my .02.
- Adam.


Adam's Autoresponder... Made for the Direct Response Marketer...

The Money Did Follow, But The Love Died Quickly...
 

I owned the most profitable dog training company in Los Angeles, for seven years.

By my third year in business, I was completely burnt out of it. Wasn't even fun, at all.

Good thing I didn't go into the **** business!


Get your dog to listen to you, anywhere you go!

Not the dreaded exceptions...
 

We could end up spliting straws here...

Many people selling your products for you - affiliate, drop shipping.

A small number of people selling for you - commissioned salesmen and women.

Placing product in stores "on consignment."

Doing a deal with someone who has a list. Hire someone like Gordon to write your marketing - hey, he might even put the whole shebang together for you. (There are people skilled at selling who would rather sell than deal with creating products.)

Agents. Granted, an agent is often just a glorified go-between who doesn't "appear" to do a lot for their money. But they can also give you "cred" in certain industries where breaking in without them is near on impossible - like screenwriting. They often have connections that would take you a lifetime to acquire on your own.

Can a person do a better job of selling their own thing than a professional salesman?

Some can. Some can't. And some can but can't be bothered and would rather hire someone to do it.

There is always a way to generate sales by using other people's resources.

Michael Ross


Learn more about using Other People's Resources here

You said a mouthful
 

Hi,

I'm not trying to be funny, what you said is totally true.

Best,

- Boyd

Re: To add to the proverbial soup pot...
 

> An avid sewer that sews so much that she can
> draw her own patterns can sell those
> patterns and continue to sew her heart out.

She would need a sewer system! :-)


http://www.CharliesMagic.com