The term entrepreneur can be described by a number of inherent characteristics. Risk tolerance is perhaps one common trait while independence and courage are others. But at the heart of the entrepreneurial spirit is the desire to create something new. Entrepreneurs are naturally individuals who strive to be unique and innovative. And underlying these pursuits lies a passion in business that drives them forward no matter what obstacles exist. And it’s their inherent nature to have fun at work pursuits that fosters their ultimate success.
(How important is entrepreneurial spirit? Read this Bold story and find out.)
As it turns out, it is precisely this capacity to have fun at work that routinely leads to industry change. These entrepreneurs who invest in their passion in business are the same ones who are often business disruptors. Of course, not everyone one has an entrepreneurial spirit. Among those who do, tapping into this passion and pleasure is one of the most powerful things around. Understanding this, it’s worth taking a look at a few of these innovators and business disruptors. By hearing their stories, the entrepreneur within you might just in inspired to pursue your own dreams. As you will see, the road for many might not have been necessarily easy. But it was their passion and ability to have fun along the way that allowed them to reach business success.
“If anything, it’s possible that COVID forcing nerds indoors caused more of us to pump out passion projects.” – Dan Vecchitto, Develop of Trombone Champ
The Video Game No One Saw Coming
In the world of gaming, major corporations lead the way making it hard for the little guy to gain an advantage. But in the last few years, there has been a few exceptions to this rule. The first entrepreneur to gain a huge following was Josh Wardle, who introduced the world to his game, Wordle. Now comes another husband-and-wife team who have pursued a simile passion in business as a hobby. Titled Trombone Champ, Dan Vecchitto and his wife have taken the gaming world by storm. The game lets users play a virtual trombone by tapping buttons and moving a mouse in time with prompts. But unlike other musical games, there is no leeway for imprecision. The end result? A lot of mistakes and goofy sounding tones that actually makes messing up more fun that getting it right. Social media is littered with videos of groups playing the game, supporting its viral success. What began as a hobby during COVID became a way to realize tremendous fun at work. As a result, Dan is quitting his job in web design to commit 100% to their newfound passion.
“Flowers are living things and with life comes death. Think of it as freezing a moment in time that will follow you throughout your life.” – Francesca Mackey, Cofounder of Francesca’s Element
Combining Passion and Preservation
The pandemic allowed many to reconsider their situation and pursue their passion in business. Another great example of this was Francesca Mackey, founder of Francesca’s Element. Throughout her life, she had a love for flowers. They represented so many things to so many people, like love, remembrance, empathy, and more. At the same time, she always dreams of having fun at work by embracing her artistic side. During COVID, she decided to marry the two together in a new entrepreneurial endeavor. Using resin art, she found a way to uniquely preserve any floral arrangement or bouquet. Instead of flowers withering away, she was able to freeze them in time for her customers. Without a doubt, her passion in business shown through. And when the wedding boom hit after the pandemic, people flocked to her company for her services. Indeed, Francesca has tremendous fun at work. But she is also able to fulfill a deeper inner desire through her art and love of flowers.
Passion, Determination and Giving in Every Slice
If you have never heard of Hakki Akdeniz, his story is your time and attention. His life began in Turkey where he always enjoyed cooking, and one of his favorite dishes was lahmacun, a Middle Eastern flatbread with toppings of meat, vegetables and spices. But Hakki’s destiny was not to stay in Turkey but instead travel to New York City. Unfortunately, his path was a tough one, spending years as a homeless immigrant in the city. But with a passion in business for flatbreads and pizzas, Hakki turned having fun at work into something tremendous. Homeless in 2001, Hakki scraped up enough money as a pizza maker to get an apartment in 2003. He continued to save and invest his energies into this trade, eventually allowing him to open his own pizzeria in 2009. Today, Hakki is the sole owner of Champion pizza, he has multiple locations throughout New York City and donates millions to charity. In fact, he believes in a gospel of charity and in giving back. In addition, his passion for business has earned him 26 million Instagram followers and a speaker’s spot on TEDx Talks. It might just be pizza. But Hakki’s ability to leverage fun at work enabled him to make a huge different in the lives of others.
Tapping Into Your Passion Pleasure
Within every entrepreneur, there is something that drives them forward. Their need to create plays a significant part of this drive. But at the same time, the ideas behind their creations also infuse them with passion and joy. Having fun at work frees us of any drudgery that may exist and lets us discover our passion in business. The key, however, is finding that passion and doing those things that we love to do. Certainly, this can be challenging at times, but with close attention, you can find those activities that pique your interests. And once you’ve found them, incorporating them into your life could make all the different in the world. For the entrepreneurs described here, they turned fun at work into something special. In fact, it was precisely these types of business pursuits that ultimately awarded them their entrepreneurial success.
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