BE GREAT & #COSIGN YOURSELF
7 TIPS TO HELP YOU PURSUE YOUR PASSION
By: K.G. Graham | @cosignkg
Last month I had the pleasure of contributing to Brandon E. Miller and Rwenshaun Miller’s annual guide, Guide To Great. Brandon asked me to share a few tips that I’ve learned on my entrepreneurial journey and I wanted it to resonate with the everyday person. So I began brainstorming, and this is what I came up with. I hope it helps at least one person.
Although the term “Make Your Passion Your Paycheck” is extremely overused, there is a lot of truth in those five words. Here are seven tips everyone should utilize to help them truly pursue their passion.
FIND OUT WHO YOU REALLY ARE AND BE THAT PERSON EVERYDAY!
Ask yourself one simple question. What do you love to do? What would you do every day for the rest of your life, for free, if money wasn’t an option? That’s two questions, but you get the gist. Whatever your answer was, do that every day consistently and you will be able to turn your passion into your paycheck.
A lot of times we get sidetracked and blinded by what successful people are doing. You have to know yourself, what are your likes and dislikes. Don’t do something for a check because it works for others. When you truly live your passion, you’ll never work a day in your life. At one point of my life I wanted to be a producer just because I liked music and all my friends were making a living from music. Although I enjoyed it, it wasn’t my passion. I didn’t wake up and think about producing records, I didn’t want to sit in front of a computer, keyboard, and MPC, making beats all day. What I did know is that I loved telling stories and talking to others about their life and journey. Every person I would meet, I would ask them their goals, what they wanted to be in life, how they planned on getting there, etc., hence that’s why I became a journalist and started my own publication. I’m passionate about sharing stories and inspiring others, this is my passion and I’ve turned it into my paycheck.
JUST START!
If you have a passion that you want to turn into a paycheck, you need to start ASAP! That easy. Start taking photos, start blogging, start vlogging, start writing, start cooking, start learning, start researching, just start. Then once you start, make sure you take advantage of social media platforms and begin talking about it, sharing it as much as you can, to as many people as possible. Others won’t know that you have a passion, skill, and talent until they see, hear or find out about it.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP & SURROUND YOURSELF WITH LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS!
Surround yourself with people who will support you wholeheartedly, not those who will discourage you when you share your big dreams with them. When you surround yourself with like-minded people, they can relate to your dreams and ambitions and it helps build a community of people that will help each other.
Remember by not asking a question, the answer is already “No,” so what do you have to lose? Everyone at some point in their life needed help, so don’t be afraid to ask others who have the knowledge and experience for help.
NEVER FORGET YOUR WHY!
Entrepreneurship is a difficult journey, it’s a marathon. Throughout your journey you will face adversity and endure hardships. You must never forget why you started, because your “why” will fuel your drive to keep going.
WORK HARDER FOR YOURSELF, THAN YOU DO FOR CORPORATE AMERICA!
People tend to have the mentality to treat their passion as a “side hustle” or “side job” and give everything they have to their 9 to 5, when in reality, you should be working equally hard for yourself, if not harder. If you’re goal is to eventually pursue your passion full time then you have to go 100% at it. If you get off work at 5, go home and clock in for your 6 – 2. That sacrifice and hard work will pay off.
PROVIDE VALUE!
In today’s age, the people who are truly winning in life are those who provide value. If you know me, you know I’m a huge fan of Gary Vee. His book, “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook,” discusses the importance of providing value to people. For example, give value, give value, give value … and then ask for the business. That equals the jab, jab, jab, and right hook. Be of service, work for free, help people, offer free samples, share your advice or expertise, give a talk, train someone, and give away tips. Utilize your social media platforms, website, and YouTube to provide value for free. This will help you to get your name out there and the referrals you’ll need for a successful business. Once people know about you and how good you are, they will be more than happy to pay you and #COSIGN you to someone else. Word of mouth (#COSIGNing someone) is one of the most efficient ways of advertising.
KNOW YOUR WORTH!
Set your price and live your life. Never be afraid to charge what you’re worth. Everyone has their price, find yours and stand firm with it. People will pay for what they want no matter the price, as long as it’s valuable to them. Once people start asking: “How much do you charge?” it is important that you know your worth and don’t settle for less. You want to be realistic about what you offer, how much value you can give, and what unique core competence you have. Base your price on the basis of that. Have in mind that the prices you start charging in the beginning, will “haunt” you in the future. Find your price and once you receive their business, over deliver so there’s no room for doubt as to why they paid you your asking price.
Download the “Guide To Great” guide it its entirety by clicking here.
