Do What You Love, but Money Won't Necessarily Follow

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The problem with guys that write this stuff is that they have never started anything in their lives. They write. They interview people, and interprete what people say. Having started countless successful businesses, and having created heaps of value for people and communities through those businesses, I can attest that the "follow what you love" to be a key ingredient to success. There is no way you can be doggedly persistant unless you first love what you are doing. I never thought about the money, I was only having fun.

Paul Oberschneider 9:26PM April 06, 2013

As I get further along the path of actually making money at doing what I love (telling stories) I find I can't undervalue the idea of simultaneous, multiple income streams. I have to have several properties in circulation at once all producing royalties. Curt's advice is well taken. The passion of telling stories allows me to not to care so much about the onerous efforts of marketing them. And marketing actually becomes fun when you see 10 sales the day after you tweet your work. For actors, writers, poets, artists, etc., there are all kinds of tangential careers available which parallel their primary passion. You can working in gaming, entertainment, for example or in education. Only the foolish believe that those who can't, teach. You have to have to have faith in your work, in yourself, and love what you do without fear. As the dudes above mentioned. Fear kills.

Michael of CA 3:56PM March 24, 2013

One should pursue a field that falls at the intersection of three circles: (1) something you are skilled/talented at, (2) something you have experience with, and (3) something that is highly profitable.

Jon of NY 2:35PM June 16, 2011

I am yet to find out if my passion, heart and will power will make me prosper financially. The problem with most people is that they are based on doubt and fear. That's why the world acknowledges someone who got balls to go all the way and not give f* about anybody elses opinion. This article is an example of people instilling fear on others and offering a so called solution by offering crappy advice. You shouldn't ask a man of a failed marriage for marriage advice. Simple as that. This article isn't for the master minds. It's for people that want lame excuses not to follow theire heart. Period

Johnny bravo of MN 8:41AM April 13, 2011

and the money won't follow, if what you love doesn't make money. Very simple.
It might work if you love Law, prospecting for oil, pro sports...not if you're a poet,
not if you're a painter, and there's only room for a very few musicians at the top.
Money is a way of devaluing what is priceless. I'd rather give away a painting, or destroy it, than to undervalue it. The world is not interested in supporting in any genuine way the fine arts, the finest passions. It doesn't know how, nor does it deserve it.

EAB 8:32PM January 16, 2011

While there are plenty of cases where doing what you love leads to money, from what I have seen, and I'm nearly 50, this advice does more harm than good. This world is pretty unforgiving to those who spend time and money chasing flights of fantasy. Better advice is to figure out what you're good at that pays the bills.

Bill of NY 8:02PM December 07, 2010

Dreaming alone never got anyone anywhere. The problem is people spend their lives trying to strengthen thier weeknesses when your greatest room for growth is in your strengths. No matter how hard I try I will never make it to the NBA, because the skills necessary are in the areas in which I'm week. However ones strenths is where a persons passion will serve them as we are naturally passionate about what we are good at. We all have passions for things that are not strengths...those are called hobbies. We also have things we are good at that we hate we feel if I ever have to do XXXX again it will be to soon regardless how good we are at it. Our strenghts are those things that feel effortless and when we do them they actually strengthen us...If we spend our working lives doing those things we will have no shortage of passion to keep us motivated and regardless how little or much money we make we will be fulfilled and our employers will benefit. The key is find what are strengths are and passion will follow!

Tom of CA 2:57PM October 20, 2010

Curt is so very RIGHT - it's refreshing to know I'm not the only one who feels that way, i.e. I thought there was something wrong with me when I applied LOTS of hard work, perseverance, etc. and nothing would work - and then I discovered what I REALLY needed was MEANING in my work...I don't care if I was simply volunteering my time - a "lucrative profession" is meaningless to me.

ronnie of GA 2:51PM June 20, 2010

I don't think so! And how much money is a subjective matter.

David of AZ 3:26AM June 13, 2010

Do what you love and money will follow is about hard work and being clear on what you want to create in life. I'm surprised as a Life Coach, you are grousing about how this concept doesn't work. Man I would hate to be your client, as you clearly have an agenda of your own when it comes to your client. So, where does standing for the client not the goal come into mind. I'm not saying people need to leave their jobs and starve, but there is something to be said about creating awareness, setting an intention and working towards that.
Oh, I guess if people aren't in jobs they drag to making money for more useless material goods, then they won't have money to pay, what I suspect are over priced fees for your services. Coaching is about partnering with people to help them build the life they dream of, not the life YOU think they need to have. Are you a certified coach?

Doris of OK 7:17PM August 18, 2009