In the past week, I had an insightful conversation with a business owner who runs their own professional services firm.  After 20 years in practice, including starting her own firm in the past year, she had started to question whether she was genuinely passionate about and committed to her work.   She felt the need for clarity regarding the next steps in her business and life journey.

To address her concerns, I introduced her to the Sex and the Cash Theory, which can be summarised as follows:

“Everyone has two kinds of jobs.  The first is the fun, & sexy kind, while the second is the one that pays the bills.  Sometimes a task at hand will cover both jobs but not very often.  What this means is there is always ongoing tension between the need to make a living and the desire to pursue the fun & sexy part of life.”

In her case the professional services firm was clearly the job that paid the bills.  What was missing is the “fun & sexy” job she was truly passionate about.

As our conversation progressed, it became apparent she had a strong passion for interior design having completed small projects for family & friends.  Despite this, she dismissed the idea of pursuing interior design as a career because she believed it would not be lucrative enough to support the desired lifestyle for her & her family.

I suggested she develop a vision for an interior design business.  With an articulated vision, she can structure her firm in a way that supports her true passion.  By doing so, she can create a balance between financial stability provided by her firm and the personal fulfillment derived from her interior design endeavours.