"What are you passionate about?"

I heard on a podcast that passion in the early days meant "to suffer for."

What are you willing to suffer for and endure through the lows? 

If we can reimagine passion in that light, I more readily accept "following your passion."

Instead, I suggest choosing mastery over passion (see personal essay below)

Enjoy this week's letter:

A Micro Idea On Marketing 💡
S2E13: Design + Brand + Human Connection Ft. Jeremy Allen

Time to Listen: 65 minutes
———

What happens when you combine solid design with compelling content?

Great marketing.

Without one or the other, your marketing will fall flat. That's why I'm excited to geek out on design and marketing in this episode with Jeremy Allen.

Jeremy is a design veteran. He's run his own branding business for four years and has held creative and art director roles for the last twenty-plus years.

In our conversation, we explore:

1. Human Connection in Marketing

2. The Power of Storytelling

3. Significance of Design in Brand Identity

4. Adaptation to Evolving Marketing Trends

5. Personal Growth through Continuous Learning

Listen to the episode

Heard / Saw / Experienced

Time to Read: 1:25 minutes
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The internet's weird.

It allows you to follow and learn from people anywhere. And you slowly feel like you "know" them. It's strange.

I met and learned from some of my marketing idols this week at the Experience Inbound event in Green Bay, hosted by @Weidartgroup and @streamcreative.

I heard from Jay Acunzo, Douglas Burdett, Andy Crestodina, and Kyle Jepson—true 🐐's in (modern) marketing. And many other great thinkers.

Listening to them share insights and deliver value in person was nuts. One of the best conferences for marketing in GB I've ever been to. 

Here are a few ideas from their presentations:

• Compete on Impact vs. Competing on Volume

• Don't market more. Matter more.

• Why do most podcast fails? Lack of a target (ideal listener)

• Chase the customer (better understanding), not vanity metrics

• Search WILL BE DIFFERENT in the future with AI

• Focus on getting AI to mention/reference your brand's content

I also saw a couple of familiar faces. It's fun to go to events and get to know someone. For a while (5+ years), I barely knew anyone.

Recently, my CEO wrote an article on Localitas, which means to be committed to the place you call home (read it here). I love that idea, and I'm grateful to be doing it.

My wife and I bought a duplex here. I work for an organization that aims to be the partner of choice in advancing the community. I'm on the board of the Howe Community Resource Center. I'm about it.

I'm also grateful to live in a time where I can learn and experience other people's ideas online, share my own, and continue growing together. 

I've listened to/read Jay's work for 5+ years. 
I've studied Andy's work for the past 4+ years. 
I've been an avid listener of Douglas' podcast for 2+ years. 
I took multiple HubSpot certification courses with Kyle 4+ years ago.

They've all contributed to the marketer (human) I am today. I can't explain the feeling of seeing them and thanking them.

Pure joy. 

And hope for one day to help someone as significantly as they have helped me.

That's (one of) my north stars.

A Micro Idea On Life 💡
Are you passionate?

Time to Read: 2:15 minutes
———

Follow your passion.

That's the advice they give you. And it couldn't be more destructive.

Rather than follow your passion, I align with others who suggest thinking deeper than that.

Before going there, I want to touch on what spurred this essay:

I was running, listening to a sermon from Bridgetown Church, when the pastor mentioned "passion." Historically, this word was used for the thing you would be willing to give your life for—to suffer and die for.

I vividly remember another time, in 2019, when I was working out at Planet Fitness and listened to another podcast speak on how "passion" has evolved as a positive thing (word). It originates from the Latin "passio," meaning suffering or enduring.

An example is the 'Passion of Christ,' which refers to Jesus's suffering and death in Christian theology. Over time, the term has evolved to represent not just suffering but also a strong emotional drive or enthusiasm.

Still, I find it risky to follow this "emotional drive/enthusiasm."

To bet your career on it. I got this thinking from Scott Galloway:

"I'm not a big believer in 'follow your passion.' I think your passion is 'what are you good at that you can be paid for?'

And once you start getting paid for something, you can become passionate about it.

Passion is a consequence of being good at something, not a prerequisite for entering it. Passion follows effort, not the other way around. When someone says, 'Follow your passion,' it implies that passion is something you find, or have, and then use to guide your career.

I think passion is something that is developed over time, as you become good at something valuable, and get recognition for that." - Scott Galloway.

I agree that our "dream career" isn't found like our lost keys. It's carefully crafted over years of giving our life to something (suffering and enduring). As you improve, you enjoy it more.

"Passion is a side effect of mastery." - Naval Ravikant

Seth Godin said something similar to this years ago on a podcast. I remember where I was standing at my Western Avenue apartment in Green Bay. He was the first to plant this radical seed (idea):

The best at their craft become passionate because of their excellence. They weren't among the best because they had more passion; they became highly passionate over time.

That was a new idea that altered how I approached my career. Instead of cultivating "passion" and following it (whatever the hell that means), I decided to pursue core competencies that would help me on the path I'm on. I showed up daily, committed to doing the work, and have since watched my career "blossom."

Rather than follow my passion, I made a pact to become the best I can be by improving daily.

And leaning into the things for which I have natural affinities. So that I can dedicate myself to them and slowly become passionate over time. And I truly feel passionate about the things I write and speak on. I'd be willing to die to get this message out.

Or the message about Macro and Micro content. It's at a slightly lesser level than an essay on faith, but I'm willing to suffer and die for this.

The path to finding this was through mastery, not passion seeking.

Seek mastery and passion (+ success) will follow.

Thank you for reading this week’s email❣️

Sadly, I did not schedule this one on Wednesday.

It’s actually 7:27am (CST) on Friday. At least I finished it…

– Jo (every second counts)