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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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I agree with you. When I first started out, I was pretty snobby about only writing about stuff that I’m passionate about, but I’ve since come to prefer taking a broader approach, and, as you say, giving people what they want. I still avoid niches in which I have absolutely zero interest (that just feels too much like ‘work’ lol), but so long as something is at least mildly interesting to me (and hundreds of things are), I’ll consider it, if it seems like there’s money to be made.
As it happens, the things I’m most passionate about are potentially very profitable, and my long term plan is to have a handful of authority sites based around these subjects, but to also have a number of smaller niche sites on other topics, so I have lots of income streams – I don’t want all my eggs in the one basket, so to speak. Plus it’s nice to have some variety -having other projects to work on keeps my enthusiasm for my main sites fresh. I don’t want to dampen my passions by getting them too caught up with making money, as you experienced with your golf site.
Thank you so much for writing this! This has been on my mind a lot lately. I have made quite a bit of money online and I started feeling a little guilty about it. But people are going to buy regardless so if I was the middleman its ok..
I LOVED this post! I have never understood the mentality of promoting only stuff that you personally like or approve of.
I actually do own a storefront business. Do you really think I have tried every one of the products I sell? And even the ones that I have tried, I haven’t necessarily liked them all.
Does that mean I stop selling them? Of course not. In fact, one of my top sellers is a product that I did not really enjoy.
I agree with you, Jennifer – give the people what THEY want.
Cheers
Debbie
Yes – this is a very good point. In my opinion, the “need for passion” when making money is actually the highest priority can be replaced with goals – for example, someone might be passionate about – let’s say, being able to knock out the credit cards! =) How about being passionate about *not* having a mortgage payment anymore because the house is already paid off!
That has gotten me as far as I have gotten. =)
But – I do draw a line. I do not market in areas that I have absolutely *no* interest in or that I feel would not be ethical. There are always hot markets somewhere where I at least have some interest in learning about – but I would never delve into say “auto parts” or something. (But I bet that’s a decent market! =))
This is a topic,I’ve been fighting with a lot lately.
I’m new to internet marketing and Like everyone I have a passion or should I say passions.
But,I realize these passions are not going to help me succeed at learning about marketing or how to be successful as a internet marketer.
Let’s face it,ethic’s or passions aside, there are a lot of unethical scrupulous marketers out there that have ripped me off and so many others just to make money.
I think that’s why so many people starting out fight with this subject. i know that being honest and ethical when promoting anything is the best way to build a foundation of trust with your prospective customers.
That’s why when I decide to promote any product and this is whether I’ve bought it or not. I’m going to research the product thoroughly first. So I can form a honest opinion about it,before I promote it.
I don’t think this approach is unethical as long as your promoting products that your market wants and these products help to solve their problems etc.
My goal first,passions aside is to learn and earn from internet marketing, Then when I’m financially stable I’ll be able to see my passions come true.
Awesome post
Thanks Jenn
I agree with this post for the most part. I would say that when starting article writing or even making one’s first Squidoo lens, it goes much easier if the topic is on something you already know about. You can concentrate on how to write an article or how to set up a lens, rather than how to come up with enough content on something you know nothing about.
I agree completely that a marketer can go much broader than just what they have personal experience with
That’s a great question. In my opinion, why limit yourself to promoting things you are *only* passionate about, especially at first when you’re just trying to start making an income?
It depends on the person’s situation and goals though. If it does come down to paying your mortgage or feeding your kids like Lynn says, then profit is the obvious choice regardless what it is (within your morals of course).
I’ve been making a living online since 1999 and I still don’t work solely on my “passions” (although i guess I probably should be by now! lol).
However, I’m passionate about not working for someone else. I’ve often had to veer off into a different direction and do some things I didn’t “love” but it kept me in my home office and not unhappy in a cubicle….or in my case it’d likely be a gas station or McDonald’s (ex-rock musician turned Internet junkie lol)
Ultimately, it’s a personal preference though. The bottom line is, if you’re miserable doing something for profit, you should change what you’re doing asap, whether it’s online, offline, or on the moon.
Cheers
Jay
Great Post. I my opinion is i don’t have to use every product I promote to know if it is a good product or not.
However if a product does not add value to my customers, I will not promote it. If you promote products that are not any good, you will lose the trust needed to get more sales on the back end.
my 2 cents…
I think you should sell what people needs.
I try to know the product myself or at least I try to know the product owner before I promote it to my readers.
Best regards,
Jorge
Very interesting post. I have been dealing with this lately too. I began the opposite way ~ marketing things that would make me money, not things I was necessarily passionate about. For many beginners this leads them to marketing internet marketing or make money online products ~ this is a really tough market. It’s really hard to be successful in those markets when you’re new, and you don’t have a lot of experience or success to back up your promotion.
I recently started a new site, with a new goal ~ it is completely unrelated to internet marketing, and I have found it absolutely AMAZING how easily I can rank for keywords. I often times find my posts #1 on google in a day or two.
The thing about promoting things you are passionate about (with some exceptions) is that you may find not many other people that are passionate about that topic know ANYTHING about internet marketing, so you can easily take the top spot and get good traffic with MUCH less work than areas that are saturated with internet marketers.
You also have a much easier time using free sites because they haven’t been overrun with a ton of spam on your topic. 🙂
I also find it is sooo easy to write/come up with content when I’m working from something I’m passionate about.
Yeah ~ chainsaw sharpeners may bring in a supposed $10 a day with adsense, but really how much can you write about them? When you are writing from passion you can use your daily activities to spur content ~ you can count your related purchases as tax deductions (by doing reviews ~ etc) ~ there’s a lot of bonuses to going the passion route. 🙂
Hi Jen
It’s been a long time that I could post a comment 🙂
Anyway I’ve been following my passion in one of my campaigns and I made some sales on clickbank with it.
I love soccer and a lot of people love it around the globe so I started to look for a clickbank product and I found a soccer fitness product and now I’m promoting it on squidoo and I’m writing some articles because I know a lot about soccer.
Regards
Kevin Opdekamp
Yes, do what you love if you know what you love and have a passion for it. Sure beats working for someone else in a 9-5. A lot of people don’t know what their passion is however. They are good at working a job and then coming home to watch TV. Hobbies don’t always equate to money makers and even your passion can have government regulation or the economy trounce all over you.
My passion is real estate (as an investor) and I love every second of it. However as selling has slowed, it sure would be nice to have a 2nd income as an internet marketer.
Great Question
I am passionate about succeeding online and what ever that takes. I will give time to learning but the money must come to show that I am succeeding. In order to help others I must know what I am doing works first.
Hello Jen-potpie:)
croninweb
and one more thing ~ like my last comment wasn’t long enough lol.
You don’t have to start off building an authority site in your area of passion ~ you can use it to lead you to specific products/ideas that can make you money.
Almost every passion has some kind of tools/gadgets involved ~ market those!! You still get to enjoy talking about a topic you love and make money at the same time.
There are a couple of issues that I think need to be addressed.
If you have a passion that is commercially viable and is broad enough to have a lot of branches, you may not be limiting yourself.
Secondly, let’s say you find that restoring old antiques can make a lot of money but you hate old stuff and have absolutely no interest in that kind of thing (my apologies to those that find this interesting) it will be hard to muster the energy to write the gazillion articles and produce the multiple squidoo pages that you need to create to be successful.
Another issue is how do you manage 50 niches? How do you keep track of them all and do everything that you have to to keep them going?
I’m passionate about making money, so that’s an easy question for me. 🙂
Seriously though, I started with trying to write about things that I loved, but it didn’t really result in anything. I’m expanding now.
Great post – I’m fairly new to internet marketing but I’ve had a long career as a corporate salesperson. I can get passionate about products I sell because I know that the people I’m talking to/selling to can benefit from buying and using them Does it mean that I’ve bought and used those products personally? No, the markets I sell to are corporate markets so they’re products I would never purchase since I am an individual and not a coporation. But, I understand how they can benefit my customers and enrich their work lives and/or profits so what’s wrong with that? Same thing with affiliate marketing. If I’m promoting a product that I believe will help someone with ED but I’m a woman and have never had that problem myself personally, is there something wrong with that? No, I’m connecting a person in need with a product I believe will help them.
Cheers!
Laura :o)
I am totally new to internet marketing and want to take baby steps. Where shall I start first? I just started with WA
@ Michael,
Jen’s One Week Marketing is great.
She also wrote up a 10 step program which is very viable.
https://www.potpiegirl.com/the-mind-eraser-method.pdf
Since you joined WA, you are eligible for it.
Hi Jennifer,
First of all, I have to say I’m a HUGE fan of yours. Your One Week Marketing has been my guide to getting started, and I’m very grateful. You are very down-to-earth and trustworthy, often rare qualities in the IM world.
I perceive a thread in the posts from others and in your post, and that is that it’s really a both/and situation, not either/or. I have a thriving practice doing counseling, and some of my IM has begun with my passion for helping others with those kinds of issues. Other parts of my IM will move into areas less about counseling and all of that, but no less about helping.
I’m delighted that you said it’s OK to help oneself , too! Having a better life is my business, and we so often forget that when we help ourselves we frequently are better able to help others. I intend to get to the point that I can donate to charities and be a powerful force for the broader good, in addition to securing my own financial peace and freedom. You can do both!
All the best!
Art (AKA Counselor Art)
Hi Jennifer,
I began my online venture “following my passion” which is cooking and recipes with a SBI site built in December, 2004.
I’ve kept the site because it is my “baby” and it does bring in some revenue; in retrospect I should have chosen another first topic to actually make decent money.
However, I count this as a learning experience and I’m not sorry this was my first site. It still gets lots of visitors, they seem happy and I guess that counts for something.
Regards,
Teresa
i agree totally. sell the people what they want – unless what they think they want is total cr**. you will be doing neither yourself nor the customer any good if you head down that road. the other thing is you are going to have to generate content for anything that you promote, so it is going to be easier in the long run if you do your homework and select the product that will most please your customers given that they are going to buy something from that niche. this is how i put my review sites together. if you do the research you will have no guilt cashing the checks.
I have always believed in doing what you love for a living and the money will follow because I have experienced that in my own life 🙂
But I do get what you are saying about marketing to an audience who want what you have. I am not someone to just go and market something for the sake of marketing it, and there are products that I would not feel comfortable with marketing but the more I research and learn about marketing online in particular, it is important to market to people who want what you’ve got.
Great post and food for thought I imagine for many.
Hi Jenny
very good post like always.
Questions I always try to answer about a market are
1 – is there a commercial value ?
2 – what search volume has the market. The bigger the better, usually offering a lot subniches
3 – Are there quality products I can offer
and yes, I personally try to see if I know some about the topic as I think it’s easier to comunicate with my crowd if I have some background about the market.
But as you mentioned, that has nothing to do with PASSION, and all with market research IMO.
Passion helps, definitely, but I would never choose a niche based on this.
Cheers
G.
Jenn:
I have to admit that I am guilty of advising this, but more from a sense of internet marketing.
I think it’s a given that if you have a “passion” about something that others might too – and it’s a good idea to explore these options first as they are always the easiest for you to promote.
But pursuing passions to promote them when others aren’t interested, it is like you say, just a hobby.
I do whole-wheartedly agree about marketing to people who have a passion
Ultimately, my passion is writing, so affiliate marketing through the medium of article marketing is where I am easily happy.
That is a dream job, writing about things that other people are passionate about, so that I can make enough money to do “my writing.”
So I agree, and yet I disagree as well. I don’t think you have to be passionate about a topic to promote it, but it’s a helluva lot harder if you aren’t interested at all.
Maybe passion’s too strong a word – how about curiosity. I always enjoy discovering what other people are passionate about. I’m curious as to what makes people tick.
But then, I’m also a student of metaphysics, and the law of attraction. And I do thoroughly know that if you follow your passion, it will lead you where you want to be – eventually.
Yes, I want money, I am passionate about that. I want money so I can quit thinking about money.
Thinking about money, in my opinion, is a waste of time and energy, so the goal is to get enough so I can quit thinking about it.
Frankly, I’m sick and tired of thinking of it altogether.
I’m a highly creative person that’s been stuck in a cubicle for far too long putting numbers in boxes (day job: accountant).
Am I coming through?
BUT – I’m not sacrificing my passions or my values to get money either.
I REFUSE to promote a scummy product to anyone for the sake of making a dime. I am just as passionate about that as well.
So the key is to find what others are passionate about, yes, and to promote to them a real honest-to-goodness answer to their problem.
I’m passionate about helping people. And helping them honestly.
I’m all over that.
I enjoy you and your endeavors online.
It’s nice to find someone who is honest AND passionate! 🙂
Laurie
Hey Jen!
You are right on the money, as usual. I totally agree 100% with your post.
I don’t have the luxury of pursuing my other passions until my passion for making money is a success.
I don’t “promote” or “recommend” products, I “refer” products and have the readers make up their minds about it. (I think I got this from you! lol)
Nette
Hi Jenny,
Interesting stuff as always!! I like the comment from Debbie the “real” shop owner – they don’t try every product that they sell so why should we feel bad if we haven’t?? There are still things I would not sell online, but that’s just me – I think you have to do what you are happy with, the trouble is there is not always money to be made in the niche that you are passionate about yourself.
Kay
I think in theory this works, but on some level you do have to believe in your product a little. I mean, people want cigarettes and there are certainly people willing to market to them. But I’d never be broke enough to start selling them. Selling what people want is great, but you shouldn’t sell a shit product just because you know someone wants to buy it. Does that make sense?
We definitely all have our own moral and ethical compass on what we would or wouldn’t like to promote- no problem there.
However, I do believe strongly that your article just freed some poor schmuck from beating himself over the head for being too uptight about selling to a varieity of markets that may not be his so called passion.
I for one would like to thank all of the male owned consumer manufacturing companies who create feminine care products that make my life easier.
I’m sure they didn’t have dreams about or passion for feminine products but were just filling a real need in the marketplace.
Great post here Jennifer. In my opinion, three factors should be considered before trying one market:
– the demand
– the competition
– your passion
For start, it would be wise to try something that you really know about. That will ease you to write articles, create blog content, create email follow up messages and most important you’ll be able to understand your audience properly.
Once you have enough money, you can simply outsource all these works to someone else. So, at this stage, passion is not important.
I love the line, Start making money and the passion will follow. I totally agree with this post
Chuck
Yes follow your passion, the whole web will be fast car, fast women and golf websites.
Never work again only work on your passion? not if you want to live well.
“passion or profit?” is a debate that pops up every now and then just to confuse us. I think the comparison with a shop is useful and helpful and good to see Debbie confirm it.
I think this is a really important question to consider when starting any type of venture, and it’s something we all have trouble with at some point, even you, Jennifer!.
I’d say there are 3 basic strategies:
1. Just follow your passion?
Well, that may be OK if you just want to feed your mind, such as a hobby, but it may not feed your family. Some people do start out by merely following their passion and end up monetizing their venture to great effect, but I’d bet that for every one of them, there are 1,000+ others who followed their passion and ended up….just following their passion!
2. At the other end of the scale, there are those who say you should just follow the money – research market demand and give the market WHATEVER it wants, however disinterested or even stupid you personally may think that product or service is, providing its legal of course. You are much more likely to make money that way, but the problem with that strategy, IMHO, is you’ll probably have to spend more on outsourcing content, and you’ll find it hard to keep yourself motivated and develop a long term business.
If you’re the type that gets easily bored and want to make quick, short term money by jumping in and out of different markets this might be the one for you.
3. Finally, there is a kind of compromise strategy, which says you should follow market demand IF it coincides with something in which you have at least some interest. Personally this is the strategy I follow in my business and one which I’d recommend to others. If you develop a number of markets in this way, not only are you likely to make money, but in the long term, you may well hit upon a market that makes great money AND which you become really interested or even passionate about.
The main thing I always try to remember though, is that if my main motivation is to make money, whatever venture I embark on should be based on evidence that a particular market wants something.
And if I want to follow a passion, then that’s fine, but I’ll do it in my spare time, not office hours!
Hi everyone, enjoyed Jennifer’s post and most of the comments too. I have a passion, but I am working on getting some money in first. Money cures the problems that not having money creates – so right! Once that’s cured, it’s the luxury of being with the people you love, and doing the things you care about that matters.
My niches for now are ‘neutral’ – I’m not that excited about them BUT I find them ethical. Make it work and build and income, then I can pursue my passion with the benefit of what I have learnt so far.
Perhaps the thing I am most passionate about is the ‘broken road’. I’m going to set my own goals now, not follow those set by others. Yippee!
Best of luck everyone! Haven’t been on this site for a while and it’s an inspiration and a breath of fresh air. Anne
I am so glad that finally someone agrees with me about making money first and then following their passion. I totally agree with your post. It is very liberating and right on. I am working through the One Week Marketing Manual, and I cannot let it be on just what I ‘m passionate about, otherwise I will not make any money. Thanks for the post and telling it like it is.
Great, thoughtful post!
But I think it still boils down to your base passion:
Helping people
Thanks for this it has reframed something that was botherng me a lot!
Jennifer,
Bravo, bravo….well said, thank you. As a brand new newbie to the this whole internet marketing world I must say my head is already spinning a million MPH as I fill it full of STUFF….OUCH… The last thing I need is a GOLDEN RULE that says I have to be completely passionate about everything I am doing on line. Your post has helped me to keep my feet on the ground and not get to PHILOSOPHICALLY overwhelmed by “am I doing the right thing?” If it gets me home with my sweet wife and my beautiful new baby girl, than YES it is the right thing……now BACK TO WORK..with me..!
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Many “passions” have no market. No market, no cash flow.
Do the research and give people what THEY want and be rewarded!
Doesn’t matter if they like what you like.
Waiting for that is the road to poverty.
Thank you for this post PPG.
I lIke this blog, keep blogging… i think u r selling what people want………….
I agree following your passion isn’t always the way to start online. Sometimes we are too close to our passion and do not see other better opportunities.
Hi there!
This question brings me back to an interview I’ve listened to last year between Heather Vale and David Garfinkel and it went something like this:
David: But Heather, there’s one problem with ‘follow your passion and the money will follow’…
Heather: What’s that?
David: They don’t tell you how LONG…and sometimes it could be very long!
And David goes to critique one of the website, which was part of the program. And this guy was promoting ‘an ear infection cure without antibiotic’…
…which David relate to his own experience of having allergic reaction to suture that a surgeon use on his knee AND the point he’s stressing is…
“Just because it’s a problem (passion?) for me doesn’t mean it is also a problem for everyone else”
In fact, David goes to point out the fact that, for the ear infection website, there’s NO search done for that keyphrase (at the time of interview) which simply means…
…NO DEMAND. Someone can dominate this niche but it means NOTHING.
For me personally, profit it just a way I keep the score. “Kaching keeps me going. Aren’t you?”
The way to follow your passion online is to have a passion for interacting in different ways. Getting links from all different directions is great for your rankings.
Be the master of your passions
Rick
Thanks for this video and post. I have a job that pays the bills, but requires a lot of my time, even after I come home. My passion is to provide for the needs of my family. I really believe that IM will be the vehicle that helps me do that. Once that need is met, I will be more interested in my hobbies, such as beading, sewing, and creating patterns. At that point, I will start creating content for these areas. For now, I will sell what I can to get to that point.
Always, always, always follow your passion. The money will then follow you later.
Don’t try and make money just try and complete a small project first.
The introduction to this post seems to mirror my experience. For over a year I tried to build a hole by hole golf portal to promote golf courses using real pictures shot from various angles on each hole, but I haven’t made the money.
I think it’s okay that I should change direction and concentrate on products and services that people are desperately seeking.
If I succeed here, maybe I’ll have the money to make the golf site work.
As always, you’ve provided a thought provoking post.
Thanks
John
Profit. Their are lots of niches that people are passionate about but aren’t willing to spend money on. Best to find a niche that you can work in AND make money from.
Very nice example you’re giving Jenny. Well, you definitely have your points but I’m more convenient in promoting products that I have tried myself. It’s kind of weird to endorse something that I know nothing about.
Anyway, I agree with you if I am just pointing people to products that they are looking for to products that I know exist without giving any endorsement to it.
Waken
Hi Jennifer,
Love, love, love your site!
I was so frustrated with trying to learn how to make money online, and you have made that frustration dissipate and given me not only useful information but hope as well – which may be even more important.
I did have some questions, of course, but I think your knowledgebase might have been hacked. When I clicked on View all questions, a big, black box with a skull came up and words to the effect that you’ve been hacked. This was yesterday. I don’t dare check to see if it’s been fixed or not.
Thanks again, Jennifer!
Love your site alot. Continue to give quality info to the IM community.
hi..!!very nice post.the title is very meaningful.after seen the video i think this is very inspiring.thanks for sharing the idea’s.
I love this perspective. I’ve been struggling with exactly this. Thanks.
I agree with everything in the video except worrying about what friends and family think and say. It’s not their life and I don’t care what they think or say.
Other than that, yes. Getting out and earning some cash has been in the forefront and being able to help others or know my true passion has been blurred because of the stress of the treadmill.
Thanks for writing about this, PPG. It’s a good one and perhaps the fire I need under my butt.
When I first started I followed my passion, then eventually spread out from there. I must admit I personally think by starting off with something that I had an interest in, it made it easier for me!
What if your passion is changing your money situation? then aren’t you following both money and your passion? Very interesting post…makes me think.
I find that if I do something only for the money, I lose interest — even after I make a “bunch” of it.
Money in itself is hollow.
I think you have to at least be interested if not passionate about what you do… or you will lose interest.
Well, a nice “rant,” but, in throwing out a lot of emotional arguments, this piece totally overlooked the reason WHY we are told to “follow our passion.” Actually, there are many reasons. First of all, If you try to promote something you don’t really believe in, it is quite possible that your readers will see right through you. They will be able to tell that you don’t really know what you are talking about. Secondly, since a lot of website marketing is done through article writing, it is a lot easier and quicker to write about something you already know about than to try to research each article beforehand. Finally, it becomes very TEDIOUS to write article after article after article about something that you have very little interest in.
How come this piece didn’t even consider any of these non-emotional points?
I think that you’re probabyle be not very successful selling things you don’t believe in or doing something just for the money. Passion increase the value of your work.
passion and ambition are key but above all that you have to have a solid understanding inside and out about the product or service you are going to sell.
I always follow my passion. Thank you for the cool article..
wel. following my passion is one of my goal in life. doing something without love is damnly near of ruining your life.i think thats why some people cannot accept failures in ligfe because they wont able to follow their passion they only do the things that somebody dectated on them to do this,or do that..
life is just a matter of choice and chance so we have to follow our passion in every single strip of our desision..so that whatever happens you wont regret it! and youll be happy for it:) nice topic..
I’ve always struggled with the word “passion”. I’m one of those people who has mastered just about everything I’ve put my mind to. For me, it’s about getting absorbed to the point of losing track of time, getting satisfaction from what I’ve done. But “passion”? I don’t even know what people mean by that.
I just had to tweet this post – I loved how you used the analogy of a bookstore or a grocery store owner not having used every product in their store….excellent!
Hi
I really enjoyed the video which for me has finally answered the question and put put it to bed.
I got involved in marketing on line primarily to promote my off line business. I then started writing etc about my passion which was nice and easy but didnt put money in the bank.
I have only recently started to explore other markets for financial rewards but I am developing a passion for the process and I enjoy this business now.