An interesting question came to mind after yesterday’s blog… Should you do what you are good at doing, or do what you love? It may have sounded like I went for the money. When you compare a 20k gap at a start up salary, I am not sure that I “went for the money”…but just to be clear.
I’ve done both things – the things I love and the things I am good at doing.
In my early career – I was good at project management and budgeting, being able to interpret a project scope of work into a set of construction drawings and taking the idea and turning it into reality. Having been with a great company for a while, I learned and kept learning new things. I was given a lot of opportunity to keep going forward. I enjoyed it all. I learned about branding, image and applied my experience on how to manage a design team and communicate through levels of an organization and cross functional teams. We worked together to develop what we would become next, what our stores would look like and how customers would FEEL when they walked in the door, shopped our store and bought our products.
Now, I help small businesses grow. I help them learn more about how to engage customers and retain them. I write for them. I help them understand how new industries can work for them…so they can do what they love.
I still love what I do and I am good at it…too. I definitely encourage people to do what you love – not just for the money, for the fame, or the recognition – but because when you enjoy doing something that you’re also probably good at doing. The best of both worlds.
~ Dawn aka Hat Girl