This is Not What I Signed Up For

Starting a business is thrilling, especially when it’s fuelled by passion.

You picture your days doing what you love. Painting canvases, designing apps, or baking perfect loaves of sourdough.

But reality often looks different.

Many years ago, I launched a technology magazine. I loved gadgets - mobile phones, MP3 players, cameras and computers. The dream was simple. Play with the latest gear, write about it, and get paid for doing what I loved.

I was 25 and naiive.

Eight issues in, reality hit. Writing wasn’t my day job. Selling was. Most of my time was spent on the phone or in sales meetings chasing ad revenue, negotiating rates, and hustling to raise enough for the next print run.

It’s not just my story.

The young doctor who dreams of healing patients, but drowns in paperwork.

The photographer who imagines capturing life’s beauty, but spends hours editing and managing bookings.

We romanticise the tip of the iceberg, the visible, glamorous part of the work, while ignoring the less apparent aspects that sit below the surface.

Before you launch a passion business, force yourself to understand what sits below the surface. Understand the entire structure that keeps it afloat.

Following your passion is worth it. But be prepared for everything it may bring.