Should You Make a Living from Your Passion?
Lessons from a Hot Sauce Maker, a Bookstore Owner, and a Skater Who Turned Passion Into a Career — Without Losing the Love
“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play.” — James A. Michener
Should you try to make a living from your passion?
This is a question I’ve been wrestling with since I set out to interview as many of the world’s most passionate people as possible — to understand what truly drives them.
Not everyone thinks turning passion into a career is a good idea. Some prefer to keep their passion pressure-free — they make their money from a steady 9-to-5, then go home and build Lego castles or sew cat bowties without worrying about sales or deadlines.
But for some of us, it’s nearly impossible to live separate lives. I could never imagine waking up every day for a job that had nothing to do with my passions, squeezing in writing or training before work and hoping it was enough. Trying to make a living as an artist, athlete, or entrepreneur isn’t easy — but for me, there’s no alternative.
And yet, through nearly 100 interviews, I’ve noticed patterns. Most successful passion careers don’t happen by accident — they tend to follow one of three paths:
The Creator Path – Mastering a craft and sharing it.
The Entrepreneur Path – Building a business around passion.
The Community Builder Path – Creating a movement around what you love.
Let’s take a look at each.
The Creator Path: Turning Passion into a Story
The Creator Path is about mastering a craft and sharing it — whether through content, teaching, coaching, writing, or another form of expression.
This used to be rare. Now? Everyone is trying to build a brand around what they love. YouTubers, newsletter writers, fitness coaches, even chess players — if you have a passion, the internet has made it easier than ever to share it.
The biggest advantage of the Creator Path? You don’t have to make a living directly from the passion itself. Instead, you can use storytelling, education, or entertainment to create income streams that support your passion without putting all the financial pressure on it.
Example: José Vadi, Skateboarder Turned Writer/Poet
Like many kids, José Vadi grew up obsessed with skateboarding. But instead of chasing brand sponsorships or trying to go pro, he took his deep knowledge of skate culture and turned it into something different — writing and storytelling.
Now, he’s built a career as a poet and journalist, writing about the skateboarding world he loves. Instead of making money from skateboarding, he makes money about skateboarding.
Read his story here.
How the Creator Path Works:
Build an audience first (social media, YouTube, newsletters, books, podcasts).
Then monetize (sponsorships, courses, digital products, memberships).
Key Question to Ask Yourself: What’s something you could share or teach that others would love to learn?
The Entrepreneur Path: Building a Business Around Passion
While the Creator Path focuses on sharing knowledge or storytelling, the Entrepreneur Path is about building something tangible.
This path is for those who don’t just want to participate in their passion — they want to turn it into a business. Instead of making money about their passion, they make money through it.
But there’s a catch: Building a business around passion isn’t just about doing what you love. It’s about learning to love the business side of things, too.
Take Stacy Moritz, for example.
Example: Stacy Moritz, Hot Sauce Entrepreneur
Stacy didn’t set out to run a hot sauce business. Her late husband started it, and when he passed away, she had a choice — let it go, or keep the passion alive.
She chose to keep it alive. But to do that, she had to turn a personal passion into a scalable business. That meant learning everything from manufacturing to marketing—things that had nothing to do with actually making hot sauce.
The biggest challenge? Growth vs. Authenticity. Scaling a passion business can be tricky—how do you expand without losing what made it special in the first place?
Stacy’s success came from finding a balance: staying true to the original passion while making smart business decisions.
Read her full story here.
How the Entrepreneur Path Works:
Create a product or service based on your passion.
Learn the business side (marketing, sales, operations—things you might not love at first).
Scale smartly — grow in a way that keeps the passion intact.
Key Question to Ask Yourself: Are you willing to fall in love with the business side of your passion?
The Community Builder Path: Creating a Movement Around Passion
Some people turn their passion into a career by sharing it. Others build a business around it. But there’s a third path—one that’s less about personal success and more about bringing others into the experience.
The Community Builder Path is about turning passion into a movement. These are the people who create spaces, gatherings, and ecosystems where others can connect over a shared love.
Instead of just pursuing passion, they create a world where others can join in.
Take Jennifer Casper, for example.
Example: Jennifer Casper, Bookstore Owner & Literary Connector
Jennifer always loved books. She could have followed the Creator Path (writing about books) or the Entrepreneur Path (selling them online). Instead, she built a physical space where book lovers could gather.
Her bookstore isn’t just a business — it’s a hub for book lovers, authors, and literary events. She hosts book clubs, readings, and meetups that turn reading into a shared experience.
But it’s not easy. Passion-driven community businesses often struggle financially — independent bookstores have to fight against Amazon and big retailers. Keeping a community alive takes work.
So why does she keep going? Because for Jennifer, the reward isn’t just selling books — it’s building a place where people connect over their love of books.
Read her story here.
How the Community Builder Path Works:
Create a shared space or movement around your passion. (This could be a physical space, an online group, or a recurring event.)
Foster connection. The value comes from the community experience, not just the product.
Find creative ways to sustain it. Community-driven businesses often rely on events, memberships, or donations to keep going.
Key Question to Ask Yourself: How can you turn your passion into something that brings people together?
Final Takeaway: Which Path is Yours?
If, like me, you can’t separate your passion from what you do, it is possible to make a living doing what you love. After nearly 100 interviews, I’ve seen firsthand that the Creator Path, the Entrepreneur Path, and the Community Builder Path are three ways to do it. (It won’t be easy, but a passionate life rarely is!)
But not every passion should be monetized, and not every path works for everyone. Like passion itself, you can’t force it.
Choose the right path for you, and you can build a career around what you love — without losing the love for it.
I use the Creator choice towards Positive Psychology, potential Coaching, and my writing as a Poet.