Passion, passion, passion. Motivational speakers and writers will tell you if you are passionate about what you do, you will succeed. Sure, and I can flap my arms and fly to the moon.
Okay, I’m not being cynical. I agree passion is important, but passion alone doesn’t pay the bills. Take Chris Krupinski whose passion has been fine art since childhood. When her mother asked her to do the dishes, she picked up a canvas and her watercolors and painted them stacked in the sink. (Mom didn’t think that was funny.)
As an adult, Krupinski spent the early part of her career creating fine art. But the death of her husband forced her to transition her passion into a money making business, so she decided to parlay her talents and her passion into a graphic arts design firm.
“I had worked as a graphic designer years before,” Krupinski said. “But that was before computers when you had to use t-squares and do layouts by hand.” So she headed back to school to upgrade her skills.
Today, Krupinski’s firm, CK Art and Design Studio, specializes in print media. She designs, newsletters, brochures, postcards, booklets and signage for an impressive list of clients. Working from a comfortable home office with a gorgeous view, she is able to make her own hours and the diversity of her clients keeps the work from getting boring. “Everything presents an opportunity to do something new creatively. If I worked somewhere else and did the same thing all the time, I wouldn’t have that luxury.” says Krupinski.
At first, Krupsinki’s customers came from contacts she’d made through previous volunteer work, which gave her business a jump start. Today, however, most of her business is the result of word of mouth. She believes it’s not just her creativity that sets her apart from other firms in this competitive industry, but it is also her ability to connect with her clients.
And what about her passion for art? Well, she hasn’t given that up. At the end of a busy day she still loves to paint. Krupinski says it is a stress reliever when she picks up her paint brush and begins to bring an empty canvas to life.
Passion is the energy that keeps all of us going. If you aren’t passionate about what you do, then it’s difficult to be successful. But passion alone won’t create a successful company. As Chris Krupinski knows, you must find a way to utilize your passion in a way to build a profitable business enterprise.