Inspiration comes from everywhere. Today’s lesson is inspired by the Meatloaf Bakery and it’s founder, Cynthia Kallile.
For those of you with short attention spans, here is the moral, if love something and want to make it your life’s work, don’t talk about it do it.
Want to open a restaurant but aren’t a trained chef? No problem. If you are passionate and determined you can make it happen. Don’t believe me, well that is what Cynthia Kallile did when she opened the uber popular and successful Meatloaf Bakery. She took something that was her passion and turned it into a successful business.
Cynthia and many others have turned a passion into what they do for a living. Sometimes, you can stumble into something successful. But more often than not, it takes some combination of the following four things:
FIND WHAT YOU LOVE
Think about what you do that makes is enjoyable and you find yourself getting lost while doing. There are those things that, while doing them, time seems to vanish. Those are the things that you want to focus on.
MAKE IT UNIQUE/NICHE
Take some time to think about, research, talk to friends, and interview experts to create something unique with your special talent. Look for a new way to deliver or present your product/offering that is not available (or easily available) in other places. There has to be a twist to make people want to say – Hey I want to try that!
That is just what Cynthia did. She took the ordinary meatloaf and turned it into gourmet food.
The Meatloaf Bakery is a huge success because the meatloaf is unique, delicious, and there is nothing out there quite like it. Want to see pictures? Click here
Look for that something special that will make your product or offering just a little different.
DO IT ALL THE WAY
Yes, there is a big chance you will fail. Many businesses and people that follow their passions wind up not making it. There is risk. So if you don’t want to take risk or are afraid of failure, you can stop reading right now.
The truth is passion takes risk. It takes stepping out on the skinny branches and doing things that may not be comfortable or, at times, successful. But when we get old, we don’t look back and say “Oh I wish I would’ve spent more time in meetings”. No. If we have regrets, they are of the “I wish I would’ve” ilk.
So, if you are going to follow your unique/niche offering of what you love, do it all the way.
• Learn about it.
• Save your money,
• Build a plan.
• Talk to experts
• Get a coach
Then go for it. But when you do, put your heat, soul and everything you have into it.
It’s not easy, it takes a lot of work, and, yes, you may fail. But, do it like your life depended on it. There are a lot of nay sayers on the “do what you love” front. But, if you don’t love what you are doing during your waking hours, life is pretty sorry. SO why not give it a try?
BE GRACIOUS AND HUMBLE
Probably the best advice that anyone ever gave me about being a leader, starting a business or just being a person was from my wife. She always said, Say thank you and don’t be pompous. Be humble, people like that.
Yes, they do. Being successful has less to do with you than you think. It takes your idea and hard work, true. But, it takes effort, belief and passion from those around you to really make it go.
• Always be thankful for opportunities
• Don’t take advantage of people’s good will
• Give credit to those that helped you
• Talk about how great the people in your life are
• Give back to others
• Never take anything for granted
In the brief time that we spoke with Cynthia, she exemplified grace and humility. It made us want to spread the word about her awesome and unique bakery. (Customers as advocates, what a concept)
Doing what you love for a living is never easy. It is filled with challenges. You have to be prepared. But, in the end, if you never try it you will regret it.
What unexpected leadership lessons have you learned? Please let me know!
Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.
Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.