I have always been intrigued with the notion of finding your passion. At the time when I was growing up, the mind frame was to find a job, make money for a house and kids, and if you like what you do, well, you are the rare Powerball winner. As I have bumbled through this life, I have been haunted by Thoreau’s quote: “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”
In my career, I have been lucky enough (for the most part) to at least enjoy what I do, even though it didn’t reach passion level. But, having survived jobs
where I experienced that “quiet desperation”, I try to avoid that at all costs. Somewhere along the way, the view of how we want to live our lives has shifted. Finding and living “doing what you love” became an achievable goal.
The question remained, how do you find your passion? I define your passion as that “thing” that you would do for free. I know it’s possible, many people in my inner circle have expressed they do LOVE what they do. They have made it look effortless with an “I wanted to do that, so I did” outlook. If it was easy, why did it elude me?
One day, a client (Andrea Young) I hadn’t seen in a while came into the showroom. As she was placing an order, she mentioned that she was branching off from design and starting a chocolate company called “Sweet Vegan”. She offered samples which I of course greedily took because, after all, it was chocolate. Without taking a bite, I was immediately impressed. The undertaking of getting a company off the ground is no easy feat. I see small businesses as the heart of our society and economy, which is why I like to offer my support. But, then I sampled her chocolates and wholly smokes, they were delicious! My support wouldn’t just be altruistic, it was also for the sheer enjoyment of her chocolates.
I was immediately curious because a venture like this doesn’t begin out of whimsy but, of passion. The smile told me she loved making and sharing these chocolates. I wanted to talk to her and an opportunity presented itself about a year later.
Her story begins with a small tragedy of her mother falling during a visit. With adding the title of caretaker to her already busy schedule, she needed help. Enter a chef who showed her how to prepare vegan dishes. The personal instruction ended in a joyful dinner around an intimate table. That moment was the gateway to discovering her love of cooking. So much was this newly discovered love, that once her mom healed, she took classes and became a chef. She began taking projects as a chef on top of her work at the hectic design firm.
Having learned a chocolate recipe and being creative, she started to explore, tweak, and play with flavors. Of the different chef projects she had undertaken, making chocolates was what brought her the most joy. She gave them out as gifts throughout the year and during the holidays to many a happy recipient. Yet, the idea for a business didn’t occur to her until she hosted a party for the reveal of her newly renovated apartment. She cooked the dishes for the party which included a tower of her chocolate creations. The chocolates were such a hit (they may have upstaged the renovated apartment) that the idea began to stir in her mind. Can this be a business?
She then discovered a mentorship program through New York Small Business. Giving out chocolates during classes, her classmate’s response confirmed she was on the right path. They helped her with the foundational principles of starting her business. She was on her way. But life never follows a straight path. It will plant doubt to check your commitment and adversity to check your determination and will. This came in the form of voices telling her this was just a side hustle. Then she was downsized from the design firm. So came the tests and the fork in the road. Lucky for us, she persevered and Sweet Vegan is flourishing.
When I asked Chef Andrea what she considered her guide in finding her passion, she said, “I followed the little steps of joy.” How simple yet profound. I also found it quite interesting that as she followed these steps, life placed the proper people in her path. If you are wondering how to begin looking for your passion, one step of joy can lead you in the right direction.
Who out there has found or is trying to find their passion?
To indulge in a sweet treat that has been described as “close to perfect and far from normal” click Sweet Vegan Chocolate and enjoy.
Very inspirational story. I was lucky to find my passion early. I learned to follow my gut, or the feelings of excitement and the motivation to pursue forward, overcome the barrier of fear, and attain whatever was needed to get to that place of excitement and interest. Overcoming fear is a big obstacle, and can stand in the way of people reaching their passion. I listened and trusted my inner voice. Being able to trust this part of yourself comes with knowing yourself. You need to know who you are, to know what you will love to do. I love people. I love to understand who they are and what has held them back from being their truest self. I love to be able to help someone on their journey to become the best version of themselves and to hold whatever pain or shame that has stopped them from getting there.
For me, joy is slowly witnessing someone come into their strength and confidence. Joy is when folks feel comfortable enough to be vulnerable around me. Joy is checking off things on my to do list. Joy is walking in the sunshine ❤️
Love the post and you!!