Find Your Passion and Make It Profitable in 5 Steps

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Have you found your passion? I did. Then, soon after, I found out that making your passion profitable and being passionate about what you do were very different things.

For more than 15 years, I worked as a nonprofit professional. I strived to be the absolute best that I could be and eventually earned an M.B.A. with a concentration in not-for-profit management.  I loved the work that I was doing to advance missions of hope and love, and I was excited to be considered a top expert in my field.

Years ago, I came across a quote that read, “Passion makes complacency uncomfortable.” I began to live by this, and I committed to seek beyond my complacency, find my true personal passion, and prosper doing it!

These are five steps I followed to find my passion and make it profitable, because you can too:

1. Find your passion by identifying what you love to do so much, that you would do it for free.

All my life, I knew that I wanted to help people be great, but I never knew exactly how. Then I became a mom and started to take notice and ask myself questions. I knew I wanted to continue to do the work I loved, but I also wanted to have the flexibility of being home with my son.  A little less than a year ago, I began my journey toward connecting my desire to help with what I do for a living.

2. Believe in yourself and in your dreams.

After several attempts at entrepreneurship, I took a leap of faith and started a multi-city tour that motivated moms to be great women and extraordinary parents. Don’t allow your experience, or lack thereof, to deter you. Some told me it would take years to build my brand and monetization, but it took less than a year.  Not only have I made my passion profitable, I am helping others to do the same. Believe it is possible.

3. Count the cost and consider the bottom line.  

While launching a brand and tour at the same time allowed me my fair share of “teachable moments.” As I grow and continue to empower brands, along with thousands of women that allow my experiences to propel them to greatness, I am encountering opportunities to overcome greater obstacles–and so will you.

4. Listen. Learn. Labor.

Have a smart team of believers; people that believe in your mission, that you listen to, that you can learn from, and that you labor with. You can’t do it on your own.

5. Have balance.

Stay true to your reason for becoming an entrepreneur, without sacrificing

those you love–including yourself. What I am learning as a nonprofit consultant, blogger, and speaker, is that I have to be comfortable being my true, authentic self. Balance starts with the notion that you can’t please everyone, and, ironically, trying to do so will result in not pleasing anyone.

I followed these steps to define my passion, pursue it, and monetize it.  If I did it, so can you!

LaToyia Dennis, The Motivated Mom and wife, parent enthusiast, Principal Fundraising Consultant and Founder of A Chance to Learn. LaToyia is a dynamic, savvy, MBA-educated successful leader in advancing the non-profit sector, relationship manager, and enthusiastic speaker. Learn more about LaToyia at www.motivatedmom.org and follow her on Twitter @LaToyiaDennis.