Entrepreneurship: Do What You Love!

I consider myself an avid reader even though at times, I really do not get the time to complete a book in one read! Well, these days who does? One book I have been reading that has inspired me and hopefully all the people I have shared it with is The $100 Startup. In this book, Chris Guillebeau shows you how to lead a life of adventure, meaning and purpose while also earning a good living. I have heard so many friends struggle with unhappy lives and unhappy jobs and unhappy bosses that this book struck a cord.

Chris, who is still in his early thirties is on the verge of completing a tour of every country on earth – he’s already visited more than 175 nations – and yet he’s never held a “real job” or earned a regular paycheck. Rather, he has a special genius for turning ideas into income, and he uses what he earns both to support his life of adventure and to give back.

In preparing to write this book, Chris identified 1,500 individuals who have built businesses earning $50,000 or more from a modest investment (in many cases, $100 or less), and from that group he’s chosen to focus on the 50 most intriguing case studies. In nearly all cases, people with no special skills discovered aspects of their personal passions that could be monetized, and were able to restructure their lives in ways that gave them greater freedom and fulfillment.

And in this one easy-to-use guide, are the most valuable lessons from those who’ve learned how to turn what they do into a gateway to self-fulfillment and creating a life with intention. It’s all about finding the intersection between your “expertise” – even if you don’t consider it such — and what others will pay for. You don’t need an MBA, a business plan or even employees. All you need is a product or service that springs from what you love, your passion, people willing to pay, and a way to get paid.

“If you’re looking for inspiration and practical advice on how to get started in a microbusiness that fits your lifestyle, you will find plenty of it here.” Valerie Maltoni