So a lot of people ask me to explain my quote, “Do what you love and the business will follow.” To clarify, it has three different and distinct meanings.
First, if you do what you love, the business (the idea for a business model, i.e., how you can monetize what you love) will come to you. Because your passion for what you do is so powerful, you'll find a way to make a living at it.
I say this because not everything you love to do can be monetized in its original form. Sometimes, you need to manufacture your business model around it.
For example, you're in heaven when you're in your orchard. But being in an orchard doesn't make money. Selling apples isn't a profitable endeavour, too, if your orchard is small and you're by yourself. But you can make and sell apple pies, apple sauces, apple juices, etc.
Second, when you do what you love, the business — i.e., the people, the patrons, the market, the copy, the leads, etc — will follow. Obviously, this is the one most people think this quote means. You do what you love and people who want to buy from you will come out of the woodwork.
This is true more often than not, because the passion for what you do shows in and translates into everything you do. People will love doing business with you because you shine when you're helping them, and they will assume they will be well taken care of, and, by extension, the product will be of high quality, too.
Third and last, when you do what you love, the business (the practice of making a living, engaging in commerce, and charging people money for what you love) will follow. This is the one people often stumble with.
If you're passionate about something, you know how much the product you create (and by “product” I also mean the result you produce if it's a service) is truly worth.
At first, you might be cheap and even give it away. After all, it's what you love! It's easy to be inexpensive because in your mind you love doing it so it's nothing to you. But to your clients, especially with the point above, it's EVERYTHING.
That's why, over time, as the two first points I mentioned start kicking in, and you start getting busier and busier, your prices will inevitably increase. They have to.
So…
“Do what you love and the business will follow.” — Michel Fortin
Michel Fortin is a strategic marketing consultant and certified digital marketing expert who specializes in helping professionals, experts, and skill-based entrepreneurs build their practices or businesses. With his unique combination of copywriting, SEO, and CRO, he can help improve traffic, leads, and revenue for his clients. For the better part of 30 years, he's produced countless wins, generating in excess of $300 million in sales and results that have broken many industry records. He's the author of two top-selling books and often speaks at industry events. Visit his LinkedIn profile where he is most active.