My Passion for Profit

A few years ago, I was at work minding my own business when a colleague of mine once more asked me to proofread an important email that he was sending to management. His comment was something like, I know you will use your higher-grade English. And I did. I went to his desk, for the millionth time that week to assist not realising that another colleague, now friend and business partner, was watching. She called me to her desk and said that she was working on a book and wasn’t satisfied with the work that her editor had done. I was shocked as I had never thought of myself taking on a huge task as helping someone send out their message to the world. I, reluctantly, agreed to take a look at the book. The next day, I sent her the first chapter with a lot of highlights, comments and additional notes in the email. LOL. Instead of being irritated as I imagined she would be, she actually loved my work and recommended another author that I could work with the following month. The compliments on the work I was doing started pouring in and before I knew it, I was signed to 3 publishing houses as an editor and I was working for one of Africa’s biggest foundations. I didn’t plan to become an editor, but it was revealed to me through someone else and it has brought me some of the most exciting books I’ve ever read. It combined my love of reading with my ability to pay attention to details.

During Covid, this passion has seen me evolve and take on new roles that don’t need me to even step out of my house. Everything is done online, including editing and proofreading. In all of this, I have realised that there’s a gift in all of us. A capability that has been implanted within us to allow us to make an impact in the world. You may not see your passion as significant but once you start exploring what the possibilities are, you will find that it is bigger than you could have ever imagined. God never plays small. I used to struggle a lot with trying to figure out what my purpose in life was. I would stress myself out trying to figure it out because every sermon and every motivational speaker I came across at that time was talking about it. Find your purpose, do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life. So, I wanted that, and I almost drove myself crazy trying to figure what that was, but it was never for me to figure out but for God to reveal. This revelation gave me hope and purpose. I was finally doing something I felt was making a difference in people’s lives and would touch more people once the books were published.

Your purpose might be something you do so very easily and for free that you take it for granted. To avoid the frustration that I went through, try the following:

• Soul searching and identifying what you love to do. You can even start with what you do best and the rest you will realise as you go.
• Planning 101. Do as much research as can on your passion and how others, who are already established, are doing it.
• Don’t leave your 9AM – 5PM until your business is big enough to sustain your lifestyle or even improve it.
• Improve on your skill. Read and attend courses. If you can, find yourself a mentor.
• Be patient. It takes time to build an empire. Start small and build from there.

Somizi says that he’ll never go broke and I believe him because he has explored, boldly, all that he is able to do. Whether it’s motivating others, choreography, singing, cooking, acting, etc. Regardless of the critics, he has gone for every platform that he has been given and put in 100% of his effort. But, don’t just depend on talent alone, improve on it. Educate yourself by doing courses, reading books or even reading blogs on the type of thing you are good at. I’ve seen so much untapped potential because of fear and what will people say and what if. You are robbing the world of the part you’re supposed to play in it. So, unleash it and allow us to enjoy it!

Cheers.