Today's Motivation-A Passion for Profit

I started a business without even realizing I was starting a business.  I was a young, thin, (oh, I miss those days) with my whole life ahead of me.  All I knew was I loved houses and would do anything to get into them.  Hmm-mm, how could I do it, how could I do it?  Lightbulb moment, I would get my real estate license, and then I could get the keys to any house I wanted to see...without breaking and entering.  Now combine that with my wallpapering and painting business, life was great.  I didn't do it for money, I did it because I was addicted to decorating.  But my passion helped me to make money without even realizing what I was doing. I was selling real estate when interest rates were 16% and was a top producer in my office.  I didn't understand that was an unusually high rate, I just knew I loved, loved, loved houses. Each listing that I received was a part of my continued joy as I made suggestions and tweaks that improved the showability of a house.  Many of those original clients are still now, decorating clients 30+ years later. Now Staging wasn't even on the radar yet but I knew showing a house was like going on a blind date, appearance was critical and my talents helped to increase the opportunities to sell the house.  Suddenly, due to my passions, I was in business.  I was working hard, but not consistently.  I lost money more than made money because I wasn't a good business person. I didn't market myself, I didn't even know that was part of it.  I listed a house if someone called me, I sold a house if I had a client, I had a field of dreams approach to business.  After all, I had a business card, so they would come. But boy, I was passionate, every day.

As time went on, my life changed, I became a single Mom with 3 kids, and my passion had to be replaced with a need for consistent profits.  I was now driven with the need to pay the electic bill, but I knew that whatever I did, I had to work hard and put profits first to pay the bills. I did the expected and got a J-O-B.  And I hated every moment of it, it wasn't in my field of choice, but I got a paycheck each week.  As time went on, I realized that I needed profits but I also needed passion.  (in more ways than one)  Time to look at becoming an entrepreneur again, but I needed to be an informed entrepreneur.  My passion for the process would make me money, but I needed to be as good at marketing as I was at creating beautiful spaces.  I needed to ensure I knew how to get people to buy what I had to sell, and focus on the areas of my business that were more lucrative.  I also learned what make  me passionate might evolve over time as I grew older, and no matter how old you are, you deserve to feel passionate.

Today's Dare-Get Passionate

What are you doing right now to get a paycheck?  Do you love it or do you hate every moment of what you do?  You are allowed and deserve to be passionate about what you do.  Do you know what youwant to be when you grow up?  Maybe it isn't what you are doing right now, so start the ball rolling. 

Start to put some passion back in your life. Do what you need to do to make it happen. Start taking classes, either live or virtually.  In the last few years, we at One Day Decorating and The Decorating Academy have embraced the power of webinars, to learn and teach.  So there are many ways for you to learn without interrupting your current life. Life is short, make it sweet and do what you want to do. 

But do it right, start a business plan, map out a marketing strategy, surround yourself with other passionate people.  Now go get passionate. I know I am!