Is it Possible to Turn your Passion into Income?

I read the results of a recent survey which found that most Australians are unhappy in their job. According to a survey of 4,800 people (carried out on behalf of SEEK Learning) more than half were dissatisfied with their work. Another survey I came across, run by Careerone, found that more than 80% of employees were open to changing jobs in the next twelve months. Long hours, inadequate resources and slow-wage growth were listed as the key factors behind worker dissatisfaction. And then – alas – I read the most depressing survey of all. More than 60% of Australians believe that they will have to keep working in their retirement years.

The ‘Ready to Retire Study’ found that the high cost of living will force many people to keep working long after they reach retirement age. What does this mean? It means that for all those people unhappy at work there is no escape from the daily grind – unless, of course, they have the courage to turn their passion into a new career and re-invent themselves.

The arrival of the internet has made it easier than ever before to turn your passion into profit. The internet has made it simpler to run a business from home. Promote your talents online is pretty straightforward. For example, if you have a flair for home décor, why not offer your services as a home stylist online? Set up a blog site with lots of photos of rooms you have styled. The web is a wonderful tool for turning your passion into a profitable career. Sure, we have all heard about the remarkable stories of Mark Zuckerberg who founded Facebook. But there are many more stories about everyday Australians leading extraordinary lives because they choose to think outside the box and make their passion their career.

Kylie and Nick Fuad's Passion to Profit Journey

PHOTO: Nick and Kylie Fuad (far right) with Aussie Home Swapper employees Gabby Watson and Elyse Knowles, who is holding a business award the team won.

I want to tell you about a gorgeous young couple from New South Wales who love to travel – Kylie and Nick Fuad. They had the nous and courage to set up their own business – Aussie House Sitter and House Swap. Their online business, Aussie House Swap, is now Australia’s most trusted home exchange and house swapping website. The premise behind their business is that if you are going on holidays, instead of paying for accommodation you swap your house with someone wishing to holiday in your area. Nick and Kylie have now set up house sitting websites in New Zealand, the UK and the USA. Their other website, Aussie House Sitters, has 10,000 registered house and pet sitters, who can care for your property and animals, when you are on holidays and 29,000 homeowners who use their service. But the best thing about Nick and Kylie’s business is that it has enabled them to travel the world together. They also set their own hours of work and are their own boss. Just think, this brilliant young couple identified their passion and then had the courage to turn that passion into income. What is stopping you from doing the same?

Kieran Birchall's Passion to Profit Journey

I am not saying that you have to create a web-based business to turn your passion into a profit. But what you do need is the same nous and courage as exhibited by Nick and Kylie Fuad. You have to believe in yourself and your ideas! Kieran Birchall is another young entrepreneur who has followed his dream. Kieran used to work in the corporate world but just wasn’t happy being in an office. He knew he was a creative person and needed a creative job, then a random outing to the Flemington flower markets changed his life. He reinvented himself as a florist and life has never been better. “A friend of mine took me to the flower markets in Flemington as he had an event on and I was just going for kicks,” Kieran recently told the Mydomaine e-magazine. “I came back with a whole new appreciation and thought I’d try and go on Fridays as I had that day off work. I started asking friends if they wanted any and then that started to expand. My girlfriend started me an Instagram account to share images and that’s where the name Flowerman came from and it really just went from there.” Six months later Kieran had a long list of customers and left the dry corporate world behind forever.

PHOTO: Kieran Birchall AKA “My Flower Man”

So my question to you is: are you happy in your job? If not, how do you feel about doing your job well into your senior years? With the rising cost of living, at least 60% of Australians will need to keep working after the age of 65. If the idea of doing a job you dislike for years to come is daunting, then it’s time to think seriously about pursing what makes you happy and turning it into a career. Why not start off on a small scale like Kerian Birchall, who first approached friends asking if they needed floral bouquets. If you like antiques and vintage homewares, start scouring op shops and selling the odd item on Ebay. You don’t have to leave your steady job tomorrow, but it will do no harm to explore new avenues.

Do you love watching sport on television? Did you know that most of the sport reports you read in local newspapers are contributed by the sporting teams? If you are a member of a football or hockey team, offer to write a match report for the local newspaper. If the newspaper publishes your report on a regular basis, ring the editor, explain you have a passion for sport and ask if you can cover other sporting competitions on week nights or weekends. Initially you won’t be paid for the work, but perhaps after six months you could ask the editor if there is scope for payment. At the same time you could do an online journalism course. There are plenty of free news writing manuals online, start with those. After a year you might contact the editor of a professional sporting magazine, send in samples of your stories. Ask about the possibility of freelance work. The Australian photographer, Daniel Berehulak, who works for The New York Times, this week won his second Pulitzer Prize – the top American journalism award. Daniel has visited more than 60 countries and reported on historic events such the Iraq and Afghan wars. He began his career taking photos of sports matches for someone who ran a photography business from his garage in Australia.

What does it take to turn your passion into a profit? The first ingredient you need is courage, next you have to have some nous, and finally you have to be committed – you must persevere. But if you are following your passion, you will enjoy every second of the endeavour!