Plunging with passion

Yesterday I met with a good friend of mine. He was, like I was before, an international investment banker. He just finished his stint in Saudi Arabia and now back in the trade with an investment bank in Malaysia.

After the customary hi and small chat, he said that he is now back to square one, working until the wee hours of the morning, completing the corporate proposals. I reminded him that his square one is worth a lot. He agreed but that is not the point. We went and discussed some more and alluded to the fact that he would like to venture out on his own, taking his father as an example of a successful entrepreneur, but do not know where to start. He wants to take the plunge but do not know where to the plunge, in which area?

I offered my advice.

I told him do something that he is passionate about. Entrepreneurship is not an easy game. It is laboriously hard at times. The number of opportunities are almost equal to the number of risks. He has to put in the effort, the energy, the time and the mind - for a long period of time. It may take months, it may take years before he makes a decent living or create a decent cashflow. It is really a test of endurance. I was about to sugarcoat it. I was being frank.

And I went to tell him that the only way he could endure this harsh winters of entrepreneurship is bu venturing and doing something that he loves. Money? It must be in the equation but it should not be the reason.

You have to venture into something that you are passionate about. Imagine when you are in love, the endless travel on the bike, endless rounds in the shopping malls, all seemed effortless when you were doing it for your loved ones. You loved doing it. Well it is the same thing about business. Why? because business are also run by us, human beings. We do not transform ourself into an android when we become an entrepreneur (although we work like one), we are still human. And humans thrive on love and emotion.

And humans strive for a value that is higher than money. Find something you are passionate about and do that. Find opportunities that revolves around your passion.

He lamented, "Well, I don't know what I am passionate about. I love everything. "

I said impossible. There must be something that you love more than the rest. Something that makes you smile whenever you think about it. Something that makes you feel lighter after doing it.

We went through the process of finding his passion, with a series of guided questions. In the end, he left the coffee shop with a pretty good idea what his real passion was geared up to find the opportunities that share that value/passion of his. And wished that he will do well in his trade.

The moral of the story is, never do something that you do not like as a long term activity, especially in entrepreneurship. Never be everything for everyone. Yes you may pick up the odd money-grabber here and there but your core business,  your brand, your business' personality must remain the one and same. It must be based on your passion will you truly succeed and reach heights that was higher than your dreams before.

Work smart people

The Author is the principal of ElixirEducate - a training house for Smart Entrepreneur Program Series. He was an international investment banker, corporate financier and now serial entrepreneur and business coach. You can find more information on ElixirEducate on their facebook page, here.  And be a facebook friend  of Yazdi . Please share this information with your entrepreneur friend who may benefit from this post. They could be an existing entrepreneur or someone who plans to start a business.  You can also join the growing business network of Entrepreneurs in Malaysia by joining this group. Thank you.