Photo by It’s Holly
Lisis from Quest for Balance recently opened a can of worms with her Net Worth vs Self Worth: The Passion Paradox post. The “can”, was busting open the myth of “following your passion and the money will follow” and the “worms” were countless comments, emails and response posts by readers and other bloggers. Note: I use the term “worms” in the nicest possible way of course. 
Judging from the amazingly thoughtful responses, different perspectives and varied opinions, it was most definitely a hot topic, with many people weighing in on the passion vs profit debate.
In her post, Lisis says, “There is a current trend in society (at least in the States) that I find misleading and dangerous. You have probably seen more than a few people preaching The “Freedom” Gospel, encouraging others to leave their “boring” jobs with the assurance that financial success is a natural result of following your passion…
…The broken logic here is that passion and money are somehow intrinsically related. Just because you are passionate about petunias to the point of obsession does NOT mean you will make more money for it. You make more money when you focus on making money (business acumen), not when you focus on your passion for petunias. If you find a way to make lots of money while working with petunias, you are a clever business person… or really lucky.”
Lisis’ post and subsequent (excellent) response posts I read by Lori at Jane Be Nimble and David from Raptitude, really got me thinking. In fact, I thought so hard about it and analysed my situation to such an extent, it nearly did my head in! But here’s what I came up with…
Do I think you can make money from your passion? Yes.
Do I think that money will automatically come to you if your follow your passion? No.
Have I followed my passion (ie with this blog)? Yes, I believe so.
Has money followed? Not so far.
Is there potential for the money to follow? I’m not sure. Possibly, with a lot of work.
Is there a missing link here? Hmm.
In order to answer this question, I came up with a formula;
Passion + education + hard work + tenacity + providing value that people will pay for = fulfilling, meaningful career/purpose/business + money
When I looked at the formula, I realised that I have the passion. I have the education. I am not afraid of hard work. And I have tenacity. The part of the equation that’s unknown to me is whether this blog can be a vehicle to provide value that people will actually pay for.
In David’s response post, What Passion Will Buy You, he suggests passion alone is not enough to make a living. A practical mindset and finding a balance between passion and profit is what is required. In other words, passion combined with selling something that is of value to others such that they are willing to pay for it is how you can make a fulfilling living.
And that’s where you come in dear readers.
You see, I started this blog with a view to building it into a business, but I now wonder whether I’ve bought into the “follow your passion and the money will follow” myth. I’m not sure if I’m missing the crucial piece of the formula; offering something of value to others that they are willing to pay for.
How else can I find out but to ask youguys? Sooo, as valued readers of this blog, I’d really like your opinion. I’ve developed an easy 3 question survey that should take no more than a minute or so to complete. All answers are completely anonymous so you can go to town. I would very much appreciate your brutally honest feedback (I can take it!).
Click on this link for the survey: Am I Kidding Myself Survey
Thanks everyone!
Related posts:
- 3 Steps to Using Passion for a Kick Ass Life Photo by denniskatinas Today we leave the Big Island of Hawaii,...
- Random Acts of Kick Arse – Passion RAOKA logo by Melissa at Operation NICE Dani from Positively Present...
- The Future of Life, Laughs & Lemmings Photo by Gesal Recently I’ve been alluding to the fact that...
- She’ll Be Right Mate Photo by Dano OK, honesty corner time. Lately I’ve been...
- Ten Favourites Photo by striatic Recently, Jeanne from Dream A Happy Life...
Sami,
You’ve hit on a really, really important thing here that I completely did NOT address in my post; so I’m really glad you posted about this. I was able to make my passions succeed, but they were not centered around the internet.
The core of it all, to me, is exactly what you said. Find something you’re passionate about, and THEN to make it WORK it must be something someone will pay for. That’s the really TOUGH part about the internet and the new free-conomy. Finding a niche/product that people will pay for amongst all the people putting out free content (etc.).
I’m in the same boat as you, Sami. I actually never monetized my blog because I’d never envisioned developing something so amazing and different than what is already out there, which would make my blog profitable.
I’m really looking forward to the comments you receive here. I’d love to hear what your readers have to say. Thanks for a well thought-out post and also for mentioning me, Sami.
No matter what happens with any of our blogs and passions, I still think you ROCK and love your style (but, you know that).
Lisis nailed it.
I have an passionate screed boiling up on this topic myself. It’s been latent for years and years. I promised Lisis I would link to her when I finished it, and I’m going to link here as well.
Couple of quick comments:
In the big picture, you don’t really need much more than something that people will pay for. Proctor & Gamble, GM, thousands of other companies prove this point daily. Not a lot of passion there. Getting started, I agree, gotta have the passion to survive the low points.
I’ll be boiling it down it into a fairly simple explanation, which I’ve posted elsewhere. You need an angle and market to get started. Without those, you’re pretty much screwed. Example: GV built wine.tv on the back of an existing business. A certain very successful outsourcing guru built on the effort of a sibling (somebody had to actually to do the work).
GV’s market: millions of wine drinkers.
VA’s market: tens to hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs.
My market? No clue. =) Yet.
Sami’s market?
Maybe the blogs aren’t the “vehicle.” Maybe just the wheels.
@Lori
Hey Lori. You’re so right. It’s very difficult to differentiate yourself online. Many of the successful bloggers have been around for quite a while and established themselves before every man and his dog were blogging. It’s a challenge for sure, not impossible but a challenge nonetheless. Thanks Chicka. You rock too my friend!
Well put and your formula looks more accurate than the original.
There’s an important relationship between passion, profit and value … and value is in the eye of the beholder.
@Dave
Hi Dave. I agree, a market and an angle is needed or you’re pushing the proverbial uphill from the start. You’d think as an ex-marketer myself I would have thought about that some more. I guess I was hoping to draw a crowd on the strength of my writing but the problem is, there are so many freakin great writers out there! The other problem with that is that drawing a crowd that will pay is a whole different story to just drawing a crowd. You’ve brought up some great points. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
@J.D.
You are so right, those bloggers wanting to make a living online really need to think long and hard about the relationship between passion, profit and value. Without those ingredients, making a living online is pretty difficult. Thanks for adding to the discussion.
Hey J.D. Yes, I did give the formula a bit of a tweak!
Sami, you are absolutely right: providing something ON THE NET that people will value enough to pay for is tough, since there is SOOOO much great free stuff out there. We’ve kind of gotten used to the internet being the place where we find everything free, or heavily discounted.
Now, Dave is also right in that if you have a product or service that people value enough to pay for, then your passion is almost besides the point… it’s an added bonus, but not necessary. It seems that what others value, then, is of far greater importance than what WE value… at least in terms of income generation (not personal fulfillment).
Today we’ve had a whole new revelation on this issue, with the huge announcement that James, from MEN with Pens, is not in any way a man. In fact, James is and always has been a woman, who discovered a few years ago that she could only make a living with her writing when she used a male pen name. I have yet to sort out what that means for me (for you, for us women bloggers), but you may need to amend your formula to account for added testosterone (or at least the illusion of it).
I don’t know, but if you figure out how to make this all work, please clue me in on it!
[...] Sami, from Life, Laughs & Lemmings, is testing her own formula for combining passion and [...]
Awesome blog (and post!). I think you can make a living following your passion but it takes hard work and planning. The best way is to model someone already doing it. That’s how I’ve gone about things all my “adult life” at least
. I find someone who’s already successful doing what I want to do and I get them to mentor me or even pay them.
Sami,
Finding that “thing” that provides value and that people will pay for is the real key to having the money-related success part of this whole equation.
Maybe I live in my own make-believe world, but I do believe that this is all possible – maybe not directly, and maybe indirectly. Sami, I really believe that you do what your heart sings. And it may not feel like you are seeing the money part, the part that can make this more than a pastime. If it’s meaningful to you, stick with it. and keep thinking about what that “provides” value” part can be. It may be something unrelated directly to this site, but it’s something that because of this site – it leads to something else. Or it could be a direct corellation.
Whatever it is…I believe that our dreams, our passions – they ARE possible. It may be that we have to look creatively at ways to make them profitable…I do believe, though, that it IS possible…
I read the same posts and responses and I agree with your conclusion. It’s brave of you to ask these questions and I hope that you get some helpful feedback from your survey. Good luck!
@Lisis
Hey Lisis, great to have you here adding to the conversation! Yes, I agree with Dave in that you need to have a product or service people value enough to pay for but for me, the passion component is just as important. I used to have a marketing role for Coca-Cola. Obviously selling this product was a piece of cake. It’s highly valued the world over (don’t ask me how). I, however, didn’t have one zot of passion towards selling a fizzy, highly sugared, highly caffeinated drink to the general public. In this instance, the product was valued but my passion was missing. With this blog, it’s possible I’ve gone too far the other way.
By the way, JAMES IS A WOMAN???? WTF? Just been over to Copyblogger to read all about it. Wow, what a story that is. I totally admire her for her tenacity but I’m floored that she had to result to pretending she was a man to get the work. I’m with you, what does that mean for us females (and my formula)?? Does it mean we automatically lack credibility before we even put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard? Aiyiyi, my head hurts!
If I figure it all out, you’ll be the first to know Lisis!! But don’t hold your breath.
@Henri
Thanks Henri! Modelling someone successful is a great idea. I have tried to model someone who’s successful online but the problem is, this person is extremely successful in teaching people how to make a living online so he’s in a different field to me entirely. Having said that, his information and teachings have been hugely helpful. Maybe it’s time to find a second mentor that more closely matches my area. Thanks for sharing your suggestion.
@Lance
Hey Lance. Yes, I’m starting to see that the “value” part of the equation is critical for making a living online. It’s obvious really but I think we (or rather, I) tend to skip over that part and head towards that which we’re passionate about. And you’re right, it’s possible the “provides value” part is something unrelated to the site but comes about because of the site. That’s one thing about life, you just never know what’s around the corner.
I totally admire your belief in what’s possible Lance. I also admire the realism that others in the comments have shown. I think the challenge is to find where the 2 intersect! Thanks for sharing!
@Daphne
Thanks Daphne. The comments and the feedback from the survey have been very interesting. There’s a good deal of food for thought here!
@Everyone
Thanks guys for your comments and also to those of you who’ve filled out the survey – very much appreciate your opinions and feedback!
I love the formula, certainly inspires me way more than follow your passion and the money will come. I might have even paid for a formula like that, still, too late now Sami. hehe..
Anyway, I have a short word doc I try to read every now and again to remind me what I am looking to achieve. I’ve copied and pasted your formula to the top, so thanks for that and for this great post.
cheers
Bob
Wow, Sami — this post and the ensuing conversation is a real kick in the pants, isn’t it! The daydreamer in me, the one who loves to live a fairy-tale life, the one who doesn’t want hard work anymore (being that I’m older than God), still wants the passion to be the only necessary ingredient for financial success, even a modest one.
The part of me that’s periodically in touch with “reality” acknowledges that more is required but I haven’t found the oomph to seek it out. Your post brings me back to earth for a looksee, but gee, I feel myself floating away again!
The truth is, I’ve seen too many of my dreams come true, for me to doubt the possibilities — I feel like my passion kind of drove me to do the things necessary, yet it didn’t feel like “work” — it was more like a snowball rolling downhill. So now I sit and wait to be “driven” again
@Bob
Hey there Bob! Great to see you here. Yes, I have to say, I’m quite proud of the formula. Bugger though! Should have kept it a secret and then sorted a landing page saying “Find out the secret forumula for going with your passion and having massive money follow…..only $100 (early bird price)!” Oh well, I do feel most honoured you’ve added the formula to your word doc!
@Jeanne
Hey Jeanne. I love that you’re a dreamer. Fellow dreamers unite I say! Such interesting perspectives and experiences have come up from this discussion. Thanks for sharing yours. It’s an example of when you’re following your passion, everything seems to work out. As you’ve indicated, there was still work to do but for you, it didn’t feel like work. Hmm, perhaps it comes back to the argument of finding the passion in whatever you’re doing.