The Business: aka Following your Passion

     I'm writing this post on a Sunday. On Sunday's that Top Notch Entertainment and DJ Services is not booked for an event, you can find me at my home usually working. Yes, that's right, on the day that society reprimands that we shouldn't we work, I on the other hand, and almost always grinding away. Sunday is an excellent day for “catching up” on missed opportunities or duties that were not fulfilled throughout the week. For some odd reason, it seems that many find my work on Sundays, or my work in general difficult to fathom. I often hear

“Don't call Joe today he's wrapped up in his DJ stuff”

“You're really up until 10pm-12am during the weekdays working on DJ work? For what?

And the kicker....

“What can he possibly be doing that take's up all of his time in that DJ business?

     We'll friends, comrades, and family the answer is this...THE BUSINESS!! Any successful entertainer, musician or even artists will agree, the industry is 80% business, 20% art, sometimes even less. My business is no different. Yes, Top Notch shows up to events with “some big speakers” and entertains guests or crowds for an allotted time period, that's the 20% the majority imagine I do, but there's also the duties of consulting, event and wedding planning, contracts, invoice, and paperwork, marketing, advertising, etc that composes the 80% behind the scenes work aka the BUSINESS. With that being said, I don't mind working on a Sunday, nor until the late hours of the weekday evenings simply because I enjoy what I do. Let's be honest, it's not exactly a normal, admired profession. There was a time when I was hesitant in mentioning these responsibilities to many peers simply to avoid their discrediting comments. Honestly, the “entertainment” in the name Top Notch Entertainment & DJ Services was included for a few reasons, 1 being to avoid ridicules regarding my choice of profession.

Top Notch has been in operation for nearly 9 years and friends still say “he's doing that DJ Stuff”. I'm accustomed to brushing it off, I don't mind it anymore. They don't understand and I realize that they don't determine the success of this business, only I do. And neither should you. No matter your profession, isn't there an opportunity for others to criticize or belittle your occupation? There are reputable landscaper contractors that could be summarized as simply “cutting grass”, plumbers that could be summarized as “just unclogging pipes and toilets”, photographers that “just take pictures”, etc. 

     I actually know a fellow entrepreneur in the food industry that carefully placed his business location, where he purchases his products and even time's he serves his products to the public. He has a blast, appears to be fulfilled and actually earns a wealthy 6 figures and his business is running a hot dog stand (NO JOKE!) Follow your passion, other's may not understand, and that's okay, but don't let them deny your business the success you desire for it to achieve. Some will be with you along the path, other's may come and go on and off the path, and other's may continue to be in your path of life, but must simply take a turn on your success path when it comes to your occupation and professional. It's important for us as entrepreneur's to understand this.

Follow your passion, march to the beat of your own drum, and the less you care what others who are not on your journey think, the more your drive and direction will steer towards the goals of your choosing.

Statements throughout history depict this concept some of my favorites have been posted below for you to review.

Confucious- “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

Preston Ely (Real Estate Guru)- “You need to follow your passion”, “The gifts that you have are supposed to be used, you're going to have a very awkward conversation when you leave this world if you don't use your gifts”

Earl Nightingale: “We are at our very best, and we are happiest when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy on the journey toward the goal we've established for ourselves. It gives meanting to our time off and comfort to our sleep. It makes everything else in life so wonderful, so worthwhile.

Jeffrey Gitomer: When you're on this journey, it may (at times) seem a little silly. This is a natural feeling. Stick with it. Hang in there. Let idiots and zealots go their own way. You're on a mission. Let nothing or no one get in your way.