Should You Follow Your Passion?

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… Or Just Try To Make Money?

When first starting an online business or your first One Week Marketing campaign, you may find yourself stuck on one question – WHAT should I sell?  I’ve seen this question asked numerous times in forums and I’ve had it asked of me time and time again.  Is it the best idea to start your internet marketing career working on something you are passionate about?  Is the phrase, “Do what you love and the money will follow” accurate?  Is it good advice?

Once Upon a Time…

When I first started online, I had this big idea that I would make a huge authority website about something I really love – golf.  I was in the golf business for years, I love the game, I know the products, and it would be an easy topic for me to write about.  Seemed like a good idea to me.

But there was a problem…

I didn’t know anything about internet marketing.  I didn’t know how to make a website.  I didn’t know how to do keyword research or get traffic or any of that stuff.  I spent hours and hours each day working on a site that no one was visiting.  I kept on thinking that since I am passionate about the topic and I really enjoyed it, that they money would come soon enough.

In reality, “soon enough” was not nearly soon enough.  Fact was, I needed money yesterday.  I was so stressed about making money that this normally enjoyable topic for me became stressful and a big bucket of pressure.

It hit me like a ton of bricks that I didn’t have the luxury to follow my passion.  I needed to make money.

So, I changed my direction…started working on Squidoo and learning what to sell and how to sell it….. and the rest is history  =)

“I Only Want To Sell What I Believe In”

I’ve heard many people say, “I only sell what I believe in” as if there is something wrong with selling products you do NOT “believe” in.  Stick with me here, ok?  I’m not slamming people who only recommend things they’ve tried – I’m talking about marketing as a whole.

What if you referred people to things THEY believe in?  Is it wrong to make money that way?

If I find a passionate market who is all about purple widgets, but I don’t have any use for a purple widget, am I wrong for marketing to these folks?  I’m not passionate about purple widgets, but THEY are.

When you walk thru the grocery store, do you think the grocery store owner has personally tried each and every product?  Do you think a bookstore owner has read every book on their shelves?  Do you think they are passionate about each and every product in their store?

Of course not!  They are stocking their shelves with the products their CUSTOMERS want.

Is it ok to be passionate about giving your market what they are looking for?  For referring them to something and letting them decide if it is what they want?

What If You’re Passionate About NOT Being Broke?

A little over a week ago I had a very special day.  Internet Marketing bought my daughter her first car.  As someone who was once a broke, single mom, this was a very special and proud moment for me.

I am passionate about never being broke again.  That is a stress that is almost unbearable.  I am passionate about my marriage and my family. Doing things that make them happy and doing things to open up our options for now AND for the future is very important to me.   It is empowering to know that I have the ability to do these things now.

I don’t know where you have been in your life, but I’ve been down a broken road.  For the longest time I only thought I was capable of what others said I could do… that I was only worth what others said I was worth…. and I allowed that to limit me.

Did money change that?  Yes and no.

By being passionate about learning internet marketing and making money from it, I am now able to explore my real passions and do the things I really care about.

Once upon a time my “passion” was hoping I could scrounge up enough money to have enough gas to get the kids to school and give them lunch money…. now my passion is in creating a whole new business that could help my community and I’ve been working really hard on that lately.  Meanwhile, because I worked so hard on making money online, those income streams are still working for ME so I don’t have to worry about paying the bills while I follow a passion.

Sure, having money is cool and all, but that’s not “it”.  A friend of mine sent me a quote that says, “Money will take care of problems that NOT having money creates”.  So true – and I’ll be the first to admit that having money beats the heck out of NOT having money…lol!

But if you spend the time to create the income streams online that bring money in, the reward is far greater than just “making money”.  It gives you this freedom to do the things you really care about.  It gives you the luxury to follow your passion AND be able to pay your bills.

Above all, it is incredibly rewarding, empowering, and self-satisfying to know that YOU are capable of doing these things for yourself.  No one tells you what you are (or aren’t) worth – no one tells you what you are (or aren’t) capable of.  You decide.  You know.

No one is going to fire you… No one is going to lay you off.  This is yours – you created it.

But it all starts with making that first dollar and then continually creating things that make more dollars for you long after the work is done.

It starts with making money.

It Really Is OK

Needless to say, all this has really been on my mind.  As I read folks advising people to “follow their passion” when starting internet marketing, I just cringe.  What if there isn’t a market for their passion?  What if they don’t know how to promote their passion?  These folks are turning to internet marketing to make a difference in their financial situation….not start a hobby!

So I want to tell you – it is plenty OK to just want to make money online at first.  I’m not saying be deceptive, I’m saying it’s ok to be a marketer… to give people what they are looking for (regardless of whether YOU would buy it or not).  It’s ok to just make money first, and THEN figure out what your passion is and how you can use internet marketing, or the money from internet marketing,  to make a difference in the world.

Make that first dollar online.  Then, scale and leverage your resources and make more money.  Get it all set to where it all works for YOU.

Passionate people don’t have to be broke  =)

Pursue Passion… or Profit?

As I said, this has all been on my mind lately.  It’s tough when you want to scream, “Sell people what THEY want!” because some people take that as a greedy or self-serving attitude and they don’t want to be “that kind” of marketer.

But think back to jobs you have had in the past – or even a job you have now.  Are you passionate about it?  Or are you just making money?  How many times did you stay at a job because you needed the paycheck?  Is that wrong?

What if you viewed your internet marketing as your job?  Why not use your time and your resources to make money so you then have more time and resources to do the things you are passionate about?

As I was trolling around the internet tonight, I stopped by a blog I love, but haven’t visited in a while.  A very sharp and very cool woman named Lynn Terry runs this blog and her stuff is always so good.  One of her posts had a video of her talking about this very topic and I’d like to share it with you.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this… Passion? Or Profit?

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