Life's Too Short To Stray Off Your Passion

Because of Microsoft's pioneering and successful forays into corporate blogging, Lenn Pryor, Robert Scoble's boss, is bombarded with folks calling him for tips on replicating their success: "Do you know an agency that can do this for us?"

He is reluctant to recommend outsourcing. "I think it's important to get to know the people you are doing business with," Pryor says as a slide behind him silently blares, "Get bloggers who are passionate about the company to write for it." He continues, "Don't think of this as solely in the realm of PR or corporate communications department."

"Passion always sells," I hear Pryor say just this very moment in the closing podcasting session speaking of Adam Curry.

Passion, passion, shmassion.

Easier said than done.

Finding and staying true to your passion, that is. The first step to being a successful blogger these experts say. (And from my standpoint to a successful you-name-it.)

At Nike, it's my job to inspire. I try to touch everyone, from shoe designers and marketing staffers to sales teams and retail folks to regional offices and Nike's vendors; it's my job to push their creativity to the limit. I call myself the Katalyst (the 'K' for Kevin), because I help spark change. Others call me a sports evangelist because I travel around the world and speak to people about how sports can change lives, including my own. - Rules of the Red Rubber Ball: Find and Sustain Your Life's Work, by Kevin Carroll

Former Nike Katalyst Kevin Carroll kicks off his book with this quote:

The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion.

He hardly knows which is which.

He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing.

To him he's always doing both. - James Michener

Thank you James Michener. Now that might serve as the universal explanation for all bloggers that struggle to answer if their blog is either a business or a personal blog.

I'm still at the Blog Business Summit now and I'll be writing highlights in a few days (after New Comm Forum). (Although I can definitely say that the highlight was the face-to-face interaction with fellow bloggers like Todd, Jennifer, Jon, Stowe, Marc, Robert, Janet, TJ, Buzz and more.)

On his way out of the conference center, Todd hands me a copy of his favorite book and I can't help but flip through it during the rest of the closing sessions today.

Robert Scoble, the poster boy for business blogging, reiterates (yesterday in his keynote too) the keystone of The Corporate Weblog Manifesto: that passion and authority are the two things critical to a successful blog.

You should know more about your product than anyone else alive, if you're writing a weblog about it. - The Corporate Weblog Manifesto

I say you should love your passion more than anyone else alive. Well, at least according to you. Carroll shares his own personal story of how a simple red rubber ball led to his life passion - sports.

Finding your red rubber ball is only own half your battle. Once you find it, YOU MUST FOLLOW IT, and that takes courage, strength, and imagination. In my own journey, I've discovered guidelines, or rules, that will help ensure you never lose sight of your red rubber ball. - Rules of the Red Rubber Ball, by Kevin Carroll

This dimunitive 'creation' (a better descriptor than 'book') has chapters like: Discovery! Commit to It, Seek Out Encouragers, Work Out Your Creative Muscle, Prepare to Shine, Speak Up, Expect the Unexpected, and Maximize the Day.

In fact, Carroll's book endeavor itself is its own example. Interested publishers balked at his demands for his innovative colorful, artful (read: EXPENSIVE) graphics and printing. He stuck with his vision and self-published with a successful first run of 7,500. And now those same publishers are suddenly (not surprisingly) re-interested....and in doing it exactly the way he wants it. 

Finally, Robert Scoble mentions that you need to be embedded part of your community if you are going to be the passionate authority. (BTW, I highly recommend A New Brand World to capture the essence of Nike at its peak.) Nike was founded by athletes for athletes and lived, breathed and preached the allure of sports. They exuded their love of the sublime and the colossal aspects of the participative sports that united them with their core customers. And then - and only then - did Nike work back to product.

Wholeheartedly sharing your passion (and there are thousands upon thousands of ways to demonstrate) evolves to become every Katalyst's lifework - regardless their job.

Comments

[Wendy]

E,

I agree with your point. Here is the hard part for many people, what is my true passion? And, how do I find it? I believe it is based on a solid understanding of your identity... "I am a woman ... who ... " Unfortanetly many of us collapse that statement and limit our ability to find our passion, or true gifts... "I am a mother ... who ..." Marketing has an opportunity to change this dissonance and steward the Red Rubber Ball theory, make people fall in love with life again...everywhere, on and off the web.

[Mark]

I completely agree. Any time I start to feel down, I think of it as a wake up call to evaluate where I am and if I am doing interesting things. If not, time to change direction!

Evaluate, analyse, and then if called for, don't be afraid to make a drastic change.