If passion paid, every artist would be rich

If success was just about doing what you enjoy, every passionate entrepreneur would be thriving. But here’s the inconvenient truth: enjoyment alone doesn’t drive business growth.

Yes, a strategy you enjoy is one you’ll stick to—it reduces friction, fuels motivation, and keeps you consistent, as Matt Essam nicely exemplifies in Discover the ONE Strategy That Will Transform Your Creative Business on his podcast Creative Courage. Please, invest 15 minutes to listen to the episode here if you want to learn more about it.

But if that strategy isn’t high-leverage, you’re just staying busy instead of making an impact. Loving the process doesn’t guarantee results.

On the flip side, chasing only what’s effective but feels like a grind leads to burnout and inconsistency. In my experience, the sweet spot is finding a strategy that is both enjoyable and directly tied to your business growth drivers. Something you can repeat effortlessly—and that actually moves the needle.

If passion alone created success, we’d all be rich. But from what I’ve seen, the real winners are those who align what they enjoy with what actually works—and do it long enough to dominate.

Now, take a step back and ask yourself: Are you focusing on what truly moves the needle, or just staying busy with things that feel good but don’t get you closer to your goals?