Do What You Love? Maybe Not.

We’ve all heard the phrase:“Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

But the truth is — that’s often a dangerous oversimplification.

Before you even talk about passion, you need to ask: How well do you know yourself? There’s what you love, and there’s what you’re actually good at. That space between the two? That’s the part no one warns you about.

For many people, passion isn’t even obvious. Some rely on intuition. Others — like me — learn through experience. You try. You fail. You reflect. And sometimes, you trigger something you didn’t even know was inside you.

But the worst case is this:You fail repeatedly, and you still think it’s someone else’s fault. You never see what’s missing in yourself.

In youth, we all carry a strong persona. We try to “fit” somewhere — to prove we’re creative, smart, capable. In my late twenties, I thought I was creative. I linked that belief to business. But I didn’t really know anything until COVID hit. That’s when I slowed down enough to reflect.

I picked up pieces of myself. Reassembled them.Started to see clearly.

Today, I don’t chase big disruption. I focus on the rhythm of small, sustainable business — the kind that benefits everyone involved: the customer, the team, the founder. It’s not about hype. It’s about clarity, responsibility, and building something repeatable.

Here’s the part most people forget:The team you have today — they came from the thoughts you had years ago. Every decision, every hire, every habit… it all leads back to how you saw yourself when you started. That’s why self-awareness matters more than passion.

When someone says to me, “I want to start a business based on what I love,” I ask them this:

“Then why aren’t the best home cooks running the top restaurants?Why aren’t the most analytical movie critics making films?”

Because passion is not enough. Not without structure. Not without humility. Not without a willingness to see what you’re really made of — and what you’re not.

Business isn’t just a dream to pursue. It’s a mirror. It shows you everything you haven’t faced — yet.

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