Make A Living Doing What You Love

I love telling stories.

Growing up in Jos City, I consumed almost every format of storytelling I could find. I’ll read every fictional book, watch every film, read the history of nations and mythologies of the gods. I was drawn to stories. I enjoyed telling stories and I loved consuming them. And about three decades later, I’m blessed that I get to tell stories for a living.

Through my agency, Fireworks, I help brands and businesses grow through creative and strategic storytelling. I love my job. Of course, I didn’t always know my love for storytelling will lead me to make a living from it. I stumbled into it, kind of. Reflecting recently, I started to think about the relationship between profit, passion and purpose. Is it possible for these three to exist together? Because it seems that people often have to choose 1 or 2 out of the 3. So in this letter, I’m attempting to see if it’s possible for all 3 to coexist.

First let me ask you, what drives you? Profit? Passion or Purpose? I’ve discovered that the answers are as varied as the people answering them.

Some of you might think that finding work that makes sense financially is all that is left, but it’s not — there are ways to make money doing what you love. In this post, I’ll show how you can take your skills and interests and turn them into something profitable.

Reflect on what you love.

  • What do you love to do?

  • What makes you happy?

  • What are you passionate about?

  • How does this make you feel alive?

Reflect on what you’re good at.

Did you know that the best way to figure out what you’re good at is by trying things? Not only does this help you get a better sense of your interests and talents, but it also helps when it comes to making a living doing what you love.

If there’s something specific in which you’re interested, try different things until something sticks. My father taught me this, he’ll say “take your mind to places your body cannot go to”. So he encouraged us to

The more specific we can make this question — the better chance we’ll have at getting an answer that really resonates with us.”

Reflect on what the world needs.

You have the power to make a difference in the world. You can take action and make a change, no matter how small or monumental it may be.

In this section, we will explore ways you can use your skills, passions and resources to make an impact on your community and beyond. We’ll also look at ways you can help others by giving them what they need most: love!

Reflect on what you can get paid for.

  • Reflect on what you can get paid for.

  • Don’t be afraid to try something new.

  • Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.

Find your ikigai

What is Ikigai?

Ikigai is a word from the Japanese language that means “the reason for your existence.” It’s generally used to describe the things you do in life, or how you spend your time. If you were to ask me why I love telling stories and creating content, my answer would be: “To make money so I can make an impact in the lives of my loved ones and help as many people as possible achieve their dreams!” In other words, my goal is to find fulfilment through work.

What do you think? Is it possible to find your Ikigai? Is it possible to have profit, passion and purpose at the same time?

Four More Things

  • I released my first book last month, FIRED-UP: Launch Your Personal Brand, Share Your Story, Build Community & Make A Living Doing What You Love. You can download it here for FREE (use the promo code “FIRE100”. I’m updating it and Version 2 will be released at the end of October.

  • Join me this October for a 30-Day Personal Brand Accelerator Challenge, you’ll learn how to tell your story, find an audience, and monetise your personal brand in 30 Days!

  • The FIRED-UP Podcast is back! I rebranded it from The Fireworks Podcast because the former represents the values I’m communicating recently. Listen here Spotify or Apple.

  • I help build brands and businesses tell their stories so they can get the attention they deserve. Email me ([email protected]), and let’s work together.