At what point does a hobby become a job, and a job become a career? This is the million dollar question that a lot of people are looking for the answer to while combining their passion with a money making career. When it comes to making money online, you should take your passion and match it with a strong business model and make it profitable.
When I was a teenager, my hobby was music. I loved to listen to music, and the greater part of every dollar I made went to the local record store. For those of you under 25, we had to go into a store to purchase our music on these 12 inch vinyl discs called Records. Records gave way to the compact disc, and those gave way to Mp3’s that you can snap up from home on iTunes.
This post isn’t about music, but to some extent it is still relevant. I turned my hobby of music into a job when I became a disc jockey. For five years I made a living working in nightclubs and doing weddings and house parties. I loved what I did, and I enjoyed a great lifestyle while in my early twenties. Suddenly, I noticed a shift in the marketplace. Night clubs started to close down due to the increase in violence, alcohol related issues, insurance rates skyrocketed, and business owners just didn’t want to take the risk of losing their hard earned gains to a potential lawsuit. I had to make a career change quickly, and back then there wasn’t any way for me to make money online. I didn’t even own a computer.
For the club DJ, this meant that there was a shrinking market with fewer jobs available. Times were changing, and I made a decision to get out of this industry and look for something with a brighter future. I could have easily stayed with it until the company eliminated my position, but what good would that have done me? I look back now, and I realize I made a good move at the right time. The three companies that I worked for have not only eliminated DJ’s from their payroll, but they are no longer in existence. I stayed in the hospitality industry which is something I knew quite well. I shifted into management and succeeded because I took my passion and found a new way to channel it. I still got to make people happy, but instead of packing a dance floor I was packing a dining room.
On the other side of the issue, having a steady source of income before you follow your hobby in the hopes that it will become your dream job or career makes a lot of sense. Pursue your dreams with a passion, and in the mean time do your research. Like the expression says; “Don’t quit your day job” until you know that you can make a living doing what you love to do. For anyone out there that is looking for the quick easy way to riches and a carefree lifestyle, I offer this one bit of sage advice: It isn’t out there.
If you are looking for a way to make money online, I would suggest you find something that you love, and work hard to make it profitable. Solve a problem, fill a need, or share your wealth of knowledge on a particular subject that people will pay you for. Sell a product that serves a purpose or meets a need or desire. This will gain you wealth, and lead to a better lifestyle. Live within your means until you are disgustingly wealthy, and then make sure you have a long term plan to protect your newly found wealth. It goes quickly, especially if you never had an abundance of wealth to begin with.
One of my favorite sayings is this: “The man who loves what he does never works a day in his life.” I try to live my life by this motto, and I also feel that when most people say that they have to go to work, I say that I get to go to work. See the difference?
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Extreme John on Tue, 22nd Sep 2009 4:51 pm
Mark I would have to agree you can’t really expect to make money when you don’t have some kind of passion for it. I believe that passion is the fire behind any personal or professional success.
Extreme John´s last blog ..Human Pigs
Mark Smith on Wed, 23rd Sep 2009 4:22 pm
John,
How true that is. What may seem like common sense to us is not always the case. Some just chase the dollar, and have no business being in the business. Quick and easy is usually never the way to go.
Thanks for the comments.
Jared P Little on Tue, 22nd Sep 2009 7:56 pm
Great advice, you don’t want work to feel like work. If you have passion about what you do then your more likley to invest the time and effort even when the money isn’t there.
DJ Mark, very nice I did the DJ deal for about 6 months bought a lot of stuff and did enough gigs to pay for my gear then moved on.
Jared P Little´s last blog ..Easy Podcasts How to Guide Part 1
Mark Smith on Wed, 23rd Sep 2009 4:25 pm
Jared,
I have been in and out of that profession for most of my life. I still have the passion for the music, but working late nights and weekends cuts into my family time. I guess so does blogging, but we all have to make sacrifices sometimes.
Do you still have your gear or did you dump it after you decided not to pursue the fine art of beat mixing?
Sire on Wed, 23rd Sep 2009 4:03 pm
It’s funny how things work out. When I first started blogging it had nothing to do with making money, it was all to do with trying to lift the PR of the site the blog was attached to.
After looking at my first posts I can honestly sit back and say they were a pile of crap, but then I never had any intention of writing for an audience. Now it’s all changed as I’ve learned to love what blogging is all about.
I make a little money from it, but that isn’t what it’s all about anymore. Now it’s just a passion to write, to entertain and sometimes to instruct. Whether or not they will turn into a money making machines, well I reckon I will just have to wait and see.
Sire´s last blog ..Sire’s Tale Of Johann Herbig The Man Who Lived In A Tree
Mark Smith on Wed, 23rd Sep 2009 4:32 pm
Sire,
I feel the same. When I started DJing parties, I couldn’t believe people paid me to do what I loved to do. I only got better with time, practice, and education. Next thing I knew I was doing it full time and making a living at it.
Now on to blogging, I am right back to the starting phase. I like to write, to entertain, and to instruct as you do. We make a little money in the process, and that is great. For us, the reward is in the process. Taking this from nothing and building it into something is amazing. I really enjoy it, and I hope our readers do as well.
Thanks for commenting on our blog, as I know by one of your previous posts that you hate to comment on others blogs. I feel honored.
Sire on Wed, 23rd Sep 2009 4:46 pm
Actually Mark, that post was about Blogger blogs, not WP blogs. I actually love commenting on most blogs, especially this one
Sire´s last blog ..Blog Me This You Blogging Fools
earningstep on Wed, 23rd Sep 2009 6:42 pm
passion .. yeah… this is what i do and this is also make me enjoy to make money online… just like you do doug
earningstep´s last blog ..Complete video about how to make money with clickbank – clickbank for beginner
Samjien on Wed, 23rd Sep 2009 7:45 pm
Passion Passion Passion, it will always be the medium to come up with something good. And, if you’re doing something that you’re passionate about. Not only that you will come up with something good but it will also give you contentment and happiness.
Although, even if you’re not passionate on a particular aspect. you can still push yourself to go by with it. but basically it won’t make you happy and it will just lead you to a dead end. That is why choosing the right niche for your self is important before stepping ahead.
Samjien´s last blog ..8 Must Have Features To Make Your Blog Fully Functional
Teen Blogger on Fri, 2nd Oct 2009 3:34 pm
Great post mark
I think having passion for whatever your doing will help you on your way to success as well. Doing something that you enjoy and love wil always benefit you in the long term, because you will be able to last longer and do it with joy without getting fed up.
If you do something you hate, you wil most likely quit earlier or never find success.
The good thing is that you can be doing whatever you enjoy and earn some money from it. Its ideal for everyone.
It’s like blogging, I enjoy blogging, writing content, helping poeple and grow stronger every day knowing people wil read my blog and comment. It’s a passion that I enjoy.
And when you start earning money from it you’ll love it even more haha.
Passion and hard work wil thrive you on to success. Keep that in mind
Teen Blogger´s last blog ..My 1 Month Old Blog’s Journey So Far
Janice | Jobs in Abu Dhabi on Fri, 4th Dec 2009 4:49 am
I agree that to make money we should find something we love and we should work hard to make it profitable. In this case, our focus will be good. I also believe that we should not quit our day job unless we make enough income from the work we love to do.