You’ve heard the old maxim, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” In many scenarios, this can be true. But if you’re a business owner who is passionate about what you do and you’re putting your focus and energy into it, you won’t feel like you’re working. Yet many people, business owners included, use this popular saying as an excuse. Why put time and effort into something if you don’t love it? Right?
We’ve worked with thousands of business owners over the past 10 years and one thing is clear. Most entrepreneurs don’t enter their careers and immediately have a passion for their business. Recently, we were filming at a boutique and were taken back by the energy and enthusiasm the team had for their work. As we were filming a LIVE event on Facebook we couldn’t help but notice a neon light hanging in the background. It read, “Do what you love.” in bright neon pink. Never had a sign seemed more appropriate than at that moment. It raised a food question, though. Had the owner always loved the idea of operating a clothing boutique or was this something she fell in love with? The truth is, if you love what you do for a living, you probably started out by taking small steps to reach that goal. Most people don’t enter their careers and immediately have a passion for business. The owner of the boutique, for example, went to medical school and was previously working in healthcare. What is the “it” factor successful people like Amanda Hadenfeldt, A-List Boutique owner, have in common? Purpose. If you use your own sense of purpose to inform your professional decisions and progress, you will end up teaching yourself how to do what you love. Amanda found her purpose and fell in love with it.
To really be true to your purpose as it relates to your life’s work, which is key to building a career in which you truly love what you do, then you need to ask yourself, “What is my potential, and what are my innermost talents?” By exploring questions that push you to discover your identity you’ll find your truth just like Amanda did. We’ve interviewed hundreds of business owners across the country and it’s pretty clear that you must first understand what your gift is in order to find fulfillment in your career. By exploring, Amanda Hadenfeldt figured out what her gift was and uses clothing, high fashion, and a boutique to do it. Watching Amanda interact with her customers, fans, and VIPs is special. It’s purpose-driven.
“I’m changing lives one closet at a time.” ~ Amdanda Hadenfeldt. founder of A-List Boutique
It’s important for business owners reading this article to understand that change is automatic. But progress is not. You need a strategy and ongoing habits to get desired results. Want to love what you do and do what you love? Use our tips below for personal and professional success.
LEARNING HOW TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE
Most business owners we consult with are overwhelmed by the prospect of making changes. The first step in learning to love what you do is learning more about yourself. Here are some ways to get in touch with what inspires you.
1. FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS
Before you can learn how to do what you love, you must know what it is that you love to do! This is a process of self-discovery that puts you in touch with your core values, strengths, and assets. Creating a career, like Amanda and A-List Boutique, where you do what you love for a living is about spending the majority of your time practicing and acting on your strengths. This isn’t just a recipe for increasing your passion for business, either – when A-List Boutique customers see how passionate Amanda is, they’re more likely to catch on, which dramatically increases the probability of her business.
2. FIND YOUR PASSIONS
Spend more time thinking about what empowers you as a business owner. What do you wish you were doing every day. Your answers, however, must align with your core strengths.
3. MENTORSHIP AND COACHING
Most business owners miss out on relationships that can help catapult their success. Working with life coaches, career counselors, business buddies, and mastermind groups are excellent ways to dial in your career path. We strongly recommend a trained career coach or counselor to help guide you toward the realization or fulfillment of your talents and potentialities. They will help you customize a plan of action to do what you love.
4. BUILD YOUR NETWORK
Amanda Hadenfeldt is styling a fan via Facetime at A-List Boutique.
Build your network and transform your career. Reach out to the people you respect and you’ll tap into a resource of support and inspiration. Brett Boyer, CEO of Center Sphere, told us years ago that your network is your net worth and we’ve never forgotten that.
Individuals that seek publicity either for business, politics, or even fame leverage more on networking. People quickly notice others that have stronger capabilities to make them relevant. When business owners stand out in both their expertise and the services their business offers, it creates room for partnership which in turn builds a robust career. The businesses we work with have been able to understand how to nurture their networking strength and create more visibility for different clients in their career paths. Networking is vital for the success of any business to make valuable connections. Make them now so that when you’re ready to implement, your professional network will be ready for you!
Your network is your net worth. ~ Brett Boyer, CEO of Center Sphere
Ready For Change
Are you ready for a change? The good news is that making the change is the easy part. That’s automatic. Changing your identity and habits for sustained success is not as easy. Use the tips we’ve outlined in this article to jumpstart your career and start loving what you do for a living.
If you’re a business owner needing help, we’re here for you. Whether you are seeking resources, connections, mentors, strategists, etc., or help pulling it all together on the digital side, we’ve got you covered. Connect with us today so you can do what you love!
316 Strategy Group is an award-winning digital media company and has offices in Omaha, Des Moines, Kansas City, Grand Island, and Nashville. Contact Tracy Gardner in our Grand Island office to discuss taking your social media, branding or SEO game to the next level!
