Josiah Mackenzie

I don’t like most businesspeople.

Too many corporate types that I’ve met are exchanging their whole personality, life, and relationships to be “professional” and advance their careers. I do, however, love meeting people who turned their hobby into a business and love their “job.”

I call these people accidental entrepreneurs: people who view business simply as a way to fully live out their passion.

This past week I had the opportunity to meet and talk with two people that vividly reinforced this concept for me.

The first was an elderly barber. Last Tuesday I was looking for a new hair stylist, unhappy with my current one’s service. Several sources pointed me to one man as “the best” in my town. When I called to make an appointment, he said he couldn’t make one now because he was attending a customer’s funeral. Okay. When I first arrived at his shop, I was somewhat taken aback by its humble appearance and his quiet manner. But as soon as he began cutting my hair, I knew I had hit gold. After some prodding, I learned he founded two beauty colleges and owned hair salons throughout California. He went on to share his success secret: build a small, extremely loyal customer base and provide unbelievable service. The kind of service that earns a spontaneous big tip, instant customer loyalty, and future referrals.

The second was a well-known travel personality whose multi-million dollar empire began out his love for European travel as a college student. While I’ve been a fan of his practical budget travel advice for a long time, I’ve only recently begun to appreciate his work as an entrepreneur. Watching him on TV, you may not realize the amount of work he puts in to be the best. But talking to his staff reveals his passion for team building and obsession with excellence. Though he puts in an extraordinary amount of work, hearing him talk makes it obvious he loves every minute of it.

These two examples only reinforced my belief that success comes to people who love their work. Starting a business only for the money or to enter a hot industry puts you at a disadvantage.

That’s why my business nirvana is not a 4 hour work week or passive internet income. Instead, my dream is to turn my passions into a business that I would gladly work in 15 hours a day, 7 days a week — and love every minute of it.