On a recent trip to New York I was driving to LaGuardia at the ungodly hour of 4:45 AM, when a fancy car zoomed past me with a license plate giving me the distinct feeling that I was just passed by Dom Imus. Watching his luxury sedan speed off into the pre-dawn darkness, my recent thoughts on life and career suddenly crystallized. I had been thinking for a long time about what my passions are in life, and how I could parlay those passions into a potential new career. I am passionate about food, wine, travel, writing, dogs, and many other things. But what dawned on me as Imus sped past was the level of commitment and *obsession* one must have to turn a passion into a successful career. This is a man who must get up before 4 AM every morning to drive into Manhattan to broadcast his radio show. If I was being paid millions of dollars to get up that early and do a radio show, could I do it? Absolutely. Am I obsessed enough with the sound of my own voice and radio broadcasting to work at it for years, become successful, and get those millions of dollars? Not a chance. Another example is Oprah Winfrey. Talking is more than just a passion for Oprah, it\’s an obsession. Her obsession is what took her from humble beginnings as a local Chicago talk show host, talking about transsexual prostitutes, to the mogul she is today. You see it with celebrities, with successful business people (Bill Gates, Warren Buffet) but there are many other examples beyond the high profile ones who have turned what is undoubtedly more than a passion into a business. A local example is a business just down the street from me here in Minnesota, The Four Firkins. I am passionate about beer. I love beer. I love good beer. I love trying different beers. But to be successful in a business focusing on the niche market of craft beers, you need more than just passion; you need to be obsessed with beer. There are hundreds of varieties of beer in this man\’s small shop, but he can probably tell you a story about each one. That\’s more than passion. So that\’s my next goal. Try and figure out what I am passionate about and obsessed with enough to make it as
a business. Wish me luck!
Leave a Reply