As business owners, we always seem to be looking for the next big thing, the next hot brand, or the next essential skill that will suddenly make us brimming with renown, greatness and success. Those sales reps are great at convincing us how much money we will make with whatever the latest fad brings. All they need is that initial investment to start getting the latest fad onto the sales floor. Some will find some measure of success in perpetually chasing that ever changing “current fad”, but most will not.
Recent encounters with some very old friends I’d lost touch with for years revealed some secret to their success.
One friend who was interested in Celtic jewelry had been making things at home for his friends. It was his passion. It was what he loved to do and eventually, he started selling his bronze jewelry at renaissance fairs and craft shows.
I asked him how he was able to make his craft such a success! His answer didn’t surprise me but it might surprise you. “I often wondered if I would be more successful if I learned to work with other metals and set stones, but I stuck with making Bronze cast Celtic-style jewelry because that one thing was my love and passion. My reputation for them reached a point that one day I received a letter about a TV show needing Viking-style jewelry. I had a lot of items that fit the bill so I boxed them up and sent them off. Now my company is thriving making more of those same items that wound up worn by the characters on that popular TV show.”
Another friend used to be a machinist. He discovered his love for working on a lathe. He created all manor of wedding bands, multi-metal bands, wooden bands and well, any other sort of band he could imagine that could be created on his lathe. He decided to stick to his passion for working with his lathe and focused on doing that one thing better than anyone else. He is very successful in his niche.
Selling the latest fad that doesn’t last long probably won’t actually make you much money. Instead of constantly diversifying, try focusing. Focus hard on the one thing that you like to do and that sets you apart from everyone else. Once you find that one thing, try to be the best at it. Focusing on the one thing that is your passion is the key to your success.
