Passion in Your Career

Breaking stereotypes wasn’t easy. A banker once told me, ‘It’s better to be a shark in a pond than a fish in an ocean.’ That mindset shaped me. Some stories inspire us to aim higher and keep going. Anuja Bhekane’s journey is one that truly moves me - a story where she didn’t have a head start in life, yet today, she leads a team of 100. Here is Anuja’s story in her own words to inspire you to lead with courage and confidence. “I didn’t have a prestigious degree or a built-in career roadmap. Coming from a family of agriculture and farming, I had no exposure to the corporate world, no roadmap to success. Yet, I refused to let that define me. At 20, I began my career in the capital markets industry, a field traditionally dominated by men. My clients were CXOs of major banks, and through my interactions with them, I realized something profound: financial success wasn’t limited to business owners. Even salaried professionals could achieve wealth and independence. Over the past decade, I’ve been the only female Zonal Head in my field, earning credibility through performance - not gender. And while I’ve never played the “I’m a woman” card, let’s be real - challenges exist. Balancing work and family, ensuring my personal responsibilities never became an organization’s problem, and still delivering at the highest level - that was the biggest challenge I overcame. There were days I felt stretched between two worlds - one at work, one at home - but I never let either become an excuse. Three months after maternity leave, I was back at work - not to prove anything, but because my passion for what I do never took a break. Some days, success comes easy; other days, failure humbles you. The key is to turn setbacks into learning experiences. Staying grounded, being modest - that’s what sustains success in the long run. Even today, my aspiration remains the same. When I first met a CEO as a 20-year-old, I told myself that one day, I would be on that side of the table. That goal still drives me.”

Over the weekend, my teenager finally asked me the dreaded question (which I sometimes hear from the students I give career-coaching to) "Mum, my friends keep saying they want to follow their passion. But I don't know what my passion in life is, how do I even start planning a career driven by my passion?" It stopped me cold. As someone who grappled with the same question when I was younger, I realized how flawed it can be for teens. Her dad & I went on to explain what our decades of living as an adult gave us insights into: 1️⃣ 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 (𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭!). What lights you up at 15 might feel totally different at 20. Locking into one path too soon? Limiting. 2️⃣ 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 ≠ 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤. Loving something doesn’t mean it’ll pay rent—or that turning it into a job won’t drain the joy out of it. 3️⃣ “𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧” 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Not having a “calling” by 18? That’s NORMAL. Yet teens hear it like they’re failing before they start. We decided to give her this advice instead: 🌟 “𝑭𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑪𝑼𝑹𝑰𝑶𝑺𝑰𝑻𝒀.” Try things. Suck at them. Discover what you like or don't like. 🌟 𝑩𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝑺𝑲𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑺. Writing, problem-solving, tech—these open doors anywhere. 🌟 𝑺𝒆𝒆𝒌 𝑷𝑼𝑹𝑷𝑶𝑺𝑬, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏. Ask: “What problem feels like it's worth solving?” (Turns out, my girl cares more about sustainability than she lets on.) 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 "𝐀𝐡𝐚" 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭? Passion often follows mastery—not the other way around. When you get good at something meaningful? That’s when fire ignites. (and like my husband said: "At 50, I am still searching for my career passion. It's ok.") Sometimes, I think we’ve over- complicated this for kids. It’s not about finding a single burning purpose. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 + 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 + 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬—𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮. (or not)

It’s graduation season, and I’ve been reflecting on the lessons I wish I’d learned sooner, so I can share them with new grads. Here’s the first one: Passion is necessary, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Too often, we hear “follow your passion,” as if passion alone guarantees success or fulfillment over the course of your career. In reality, you have to consider passion alongside four other critical factors: Your unique assets (What skills, experiences, or perspectives do you bring to the table AND where do you have a genuine advantage over others? Market realities (What problems are people willing to pay to solve? Which industries are growing, and which are shrinking?) Supply & demand (Is there real demand for what you want to offer?) Timeliness fit (Ask yourself: will this path sustain your interests, values, and well-being? Is it going to position you to have a next step in the area you want to explore next?) Hopefully, this is helpful to those of you thinking about what’s next in life, from someone who has been there…just a short time ago.

After ten years of studying early-stage founders, the single rarest success trait we saw wasn’t genius or vision: it was pathological determination. Not the “I work hard” kind, but rather the “I will never stop, even if it makes no rational sense” kind. At Episode 1, we’ve started thinking about how we can turn determination into a datapoint by analysing a dozen resilience signals. Across hundreds of founders, we’ve begun tagging for “persistence proxies”: a desperate desire to prove someone/something wrong, multiple previous failed ventures, early-life adversity, irrational optimism when everything around you is crumbling. Our early findings show that founders with a high determination index were significantly more likely to build bigger companies. Determination wasn’t correlated with confidence. In fact, the most determined founders often expressed more self-doubt than the average cohort. It wasn’t bravado that carried them through, it was an obsessive refusal to lose. Most people overestimate what brilliance can do and underestimate what obsession can survive.  When meeting companies, stop asking “How smart are they?” and start asking “How hard are they to kill?”

Success isn’t surface. It’s rooted. Not in titles. Not in salaries. Not in shiny bios. Real success is built on purpose. Imagine your career as a long journey. The job title is just the signpost. The mission is the road. If you chase only signs, you get lost. If you follow the road, you arrive. This is where purpose comes in. Purpose fuels your career. Your true advantage. Remember: Success isn’t about looking impressive once. It’s about having the courage to: - Stop trading peace for a paycheck. - Stay true when comfort tempts you. - Keep building when no one’s clapping. 3 Reasons why you need Purpose: 1. Stability over status. - Titles change. Missions endure. - Purpose anchors you when roles shift. 2. Growth over comfort - Comfort stalls progress. - Purpose pushes you to stretch. 3. Impact over image - Image fades fast. - Purpose leaves a legacy. Because: 1. Your purpose shapes your choices. - Chasing logos = replaceable. - Living values = unforgettable. 2. Your choices shape your identity. - Status = shallow. - Mission = meaningful. 3. Your identity shapes your success. - Image = fragile. - Purpose = unshakable. Your vision sets the path. Your purpose gives it power. A weak career is built on permission. A strong career is built on conviction. Chase titles and you fade. Live purpose and you rise. Always.

"Just follow your passion" is career advice that needs a reality check. While passion matters, success requires more: skills, demand, and practical strategy. The truth? Most successful people didn't start with a burning passion—they developed it through mastery. Instead of chasing pre-existing passions, try this actionable approach: Step 1. Skills Audit: List your natural abilities and acquired skills. What problems can you solve? Step 2. Market Research: Identify where your skills meet real demand. What will people pay for? Step 3. Interest Exploration: Find areas you're curious about, not just passionate about. Curiosity sustains learning. Step 4. Strategic Testing: Take small projects in your target area. Let competence build confidence. Step 5. Value Creation: Focus on becoming irreplaceable in your field. Rare skills command premium rewards. The formula is NOT "passion = money" but "skills + market need + consistent growth = passion & prosperity." Absolute career satisfaction comes from being excellent at something the world needs. Build your passion through deliberate skill development, not wishful thinking. What do you think? Have you experienced this passion paradox? Share your story below. Coaching can help; let's chat. | Joshua Miller #CareerAdvice #ProfessionalGrowth #Executivecoaching

I’ve coached thousands of job seekers who felt lost and overwhelmed. Here are the 10 steps we start with to find the right path: 1. Your #1 Priority Clarity should be the first thing you invest in. It makes career success SO much easier (at every stage). When you have clarity, you can invest 100% of your energy into that goal. So before you start applying to jobs or grad school? Find your path. 2. The Myth Of “Passion” People think passion is a lightning bolt that suddenly hits you. One day you wake up knowing what you're supposed to do. That's BS. Passion stems from action. It's the result of trying new things. If you want to find your path? You need to act. 3. Map Out Your Ideal Lifestyle Career happiness doesn't come from a job title. It stems from the ability to meet your lifestyle needs: – Target salary – Ideal living situation – Surrounded by people you love – Work that fills your cup Start by defining all of these things. 4. Label Your Energy Next, grab a piece of paper. Make two columns: 1. Energy Creators 2. Energy Drainers Now list out every single activity, task, and project you've worked on. Label each as a creator or drainer. Your career path should be filled with energy creators. 5. Clarify Your Strengths Success is easier when your path plays to natural strengths. I recommend the High 5 Test. It's a 15 minute quiz that will define your top strengths. It'll tell you what each means and how to harness it. Talent: A natural way of thinking, feeling, behaving × Investment: Time spent practicing, developing your skills, or building a knowledge base = Strength: The ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance 6. Find People Doing "Cool" Stuff Now you've created clarity around your strengths, energy, and ideal lifestyle. Next, I want you to find people already living that life. Who has a job you admire? What jobs have seemed “cool” to you in the past? Make a list of 30+ contacts. 7. Reach Out & Learn Make a daily habit of reaching out to one person. Be honest about your situation and desire for clarity. Then make sure to build up their achievements and mention why you admire them. Here's the email template I used when I was on this journey: The Winning Template: Subject: Quick Question  Hi [Name], My name is [Your Name] and I came across your information on LinkedIn while I was looking for people who transitioned into [Industry/Field] from a non-traditional background. Your background is really impressive! I saw you do different fields and [Industry/Field] really piqued my interest. If you have a few minutes, I’d love to hear more about your journey and how you landed in your role today. I know that’s a big ask so no worries if it’s too much. I totally understand. Either way, hope you have a great rest of the week!  

My “WOMEN in TECH” project wants to make EVERY DAY of 2024 an IWD, not just today. On January 1st I set myself the challenge of learning about one brilliant female tech leader every day. I had 3 motivations: 1. Most examples of inspirational tech leaders (inc. quotes & keynotes) feature men. I was as guilty as anyone in always referring to the usual suspects. 🎤 2. There is still a HUGE imbalance in the workforce (74% of the AI-industry is male) and it is estimated that it will take 131 YEARS 🤯 to close this gap at the current rate of change. ⚖️ 3. Many of the best storytellers are women but we don’t do a good enough job of shining a spotlight on them. 🔦 ⬇️ So, in a tiny way, I thought I would dedicate 2024 to making a small impact. There are now 72 amazing women on this list already and we’ll end the year on 366. The list has already been viewed by over 567,623 PEOPLE who have clicked on 1.91M links to view their keynotes, conversations and showreels!!!!! 🙌🏻 So if you’re interested in being inspired by some brilliant female scientists, storytellers and CEO’s, then head over to BetterStories .org / WOMEN FEATURED LEADERS WORTH FOLLOWING: Talia Gershon • Cleo Abram • Dr. Joy Buolamwini • Daniela Braga, PhD • Kieran Snyder • Margaret Mitchell • Clara Shih • Jennifer Eberhardt • Liv Boeree • Timnit Gebru • Galit Ariel • Fei-Fei Li • Whitney Wolfe Herd • Hannah Fry • Dr. Sasha Luccioni • Kate Soule • Melanie Perkins • Limor Fried • Alice Zhang • Julia Hartz • Prof. Amanda Kirby • Ida Tin • Eleonore Fournier-Tombs • Tania Boler • Sukhi J. • Nancy Giordano • Dr Catriona Wallace • Julie Sweet • Francessca Vasquez • Miranda Ratajski • Asu Ozdaglar • Francesca Cornelli • Senta Cermakova • Lauren Ingram • Frances Frei • Jodie Cook • Sophie Devonshire⚡️ • Rav Bumbra • Dr Magda Chelly • Helene Li

Programming was first introduced to me in my undergrad at an all-women's college. I loved solving logical problems, but I quickly realized I wasn't going to be the best coder in the room. That distinction belonged to my friend Shaama. She lived in the computer lab, coding with such passion that even the stern "Mother Superior" called her parents to praise her exceptional skills - a rare occurrence usually reserved for troublemakers!. Yet at home, Shama faced resistance. "Why computer science?" her family questioned her decision. All she could say was, "Why not?" What she lacked were visible role models—women who had blazed the trail before her. Throughout history, brilliant women worked in the shadows, tackling work men often avoided. 𝗔𝗱𝗮 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗺 in the 1840s, envisioning computing capabilities most couldn't grasp. During WWII, 𝗝𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗝𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀—work dismissed as less important than hardware, their contributions unrecognized for decades. 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 "𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲," 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 by creating the first compiler that made programming languages universally accessible. 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿 "𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁"—though she humbly rejects it, noting the internet wasn't invented by any single person. Her pioneering network algorithms nonetheless became crucial building blocks for how we connect online today. 𝗛𝗲𝗱𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆. Known as a glamorous film star, she secretly invented frequency-hopping technology to prevent Nazi jamming of torpedo signals—foundational to WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS we use daily. The military initially dismissed her work before classifying it as too valuable to implement. 𝗘𝗺𝗺𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 upended mathematics despite being barred from faculty positions because of her gender. Einstein called her "the most significant creative mathematical genius" of her time, yet she lectured under male colleagues' names. These women didn't merely participate in technological revolution—they drove it forward against systems designed to exclude them. Today, women like 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗴 and "Godmother of AI" 𝗙𝗲𝗶-𝗙𝗲𝗶 𝗟𝗶 continue shaping technology—fighting algorithmic bias and championing human-centric technology. This Women's History Month, let us reclaim this narrative. When we understand that women have always been at computing's cutting edge, we see clearly that technology advances fastest and humanity moves forward when diverse minds contribute. Tag women in tech that inspire you! #womenshistorymonth #womenintech #techpioneers #hiddenfigures

There’s a different kind of peace in waking up excited for work — when what you do 9 to 5 doesn’t feel like an obligation, but a choice. That’s what happens when you manage to monetize your hobby — when the lines between “work” and “passion” start to blur. For me, it started back in college. I loved creating videos — no strategy, no pressure, just curiosity and joy. Over time, that hobby started paying me. By the time I graduated, I never had to ask my parents for money again — my content took care of it. That’s when I realized how powerful it is to build something around what you love. If you’re wondering where to start, here’s what helped me 👇 🎯 1. Start small but stay consistent – Don’t wait for the perfect setup or idea. Just begin. 💡 2. Share what you genuinely enjoy – Your authenticity will connect faster than any algorithm. 🧩 3. Build skills around your passion – Editing, storytelling, marketing — they’ll multiply your opportunities. 🌱 4. Monetize ethically – Collaborate, consult, teach, or sell something that aligns with your values. And one day, you’ll realize, you’re no longer forcing yourself to work late; you’re excited to keep going. Because when your hobby becomes your work, you don’t chase weekends — you build dreams every day. #PassionToProfession #MonetizeYourHobby