If you’ve listened to Coach Radio or followed my writing for any length of time you know I’m fond of saying “if you’re passionate enough about something you can always make money doing it.” I love giving real-world examples so lets talk about bare feet.
That’s right, say you’re passionate about being barefoot like Ted McDonald is. How in the world do you make money doing this you ask? Simple, but a lot of work.
As many as six out of 10 runners are injured each year and it could be due to the shoes they wear. So Ted has taught running classes on campuses such as Google and Microsoft. He also has products for sale on his website. He coaches, leads group runs, introduces people to the correct method of running barefoot and does consulting over the phone. If you have questions about running barefoot, “Barefoot Ted” can help.
The question isn’t can you make money with your passion, but rather, how. Before you get there of course, you must be very clear on your what. Most of us get hung up on the how before we’ve given much thought to what the idea really looks like. Add an economic model to that and you’re in business.
Of course, building a community of over 1,200 friends on twitter and facebook as Ted has done, could be a key part of growing a sustainable business. The mistake is in thinking you can be passionate and then have an instant market for your product or service. I’m sure Barefoot Ted will be the first to tell you a lot of hard work has gotten him where he is now.
