Siouxland Magazine - Volume 3 Issue 1

Siouxland Magazine | Passion / 11
were creating them and just stashing them in a closet, I think
I would quickly lose my drive to do it. It is an admittedly
selfish pursuit in that I do it for the happiness I get from
seeing how excited others get over the finished product.
EM: It is good. Sometimes I get stressed about it, I’m a
tough critic of my product. The potential of having an
awesome product and wowing people is big. It is a balance
between being nervous and knowing you can do it. The
opportunity to keep trying new things is what keeps me
most passionate. The variety and doing something new
along with the tried and true.
SM: I sometimes hear people say, I love to do X, but I don’t
want to make it my career because I’m afraid I’ll lose the
love of it. How do you respond to that?
EM: That’s something I still think about too. I knew there
was market potential for a craft beer, and I just decided I
didn’t want to look back with regret for not pursuing it
when I saw it there. The things that you are worried about
hurting your passion when you turn it into a business are
the things that you’re not good at. It takes a lot of different
skills to run a business. Find other people to do the things
you aren’t good at. Build a good team with a good balance
of checks and balances. For example – I’m not a chef, so I
hired one to do the kitchen. Find people to compliment you
and complete your team and you can keep your passion
focused on the area you are good at.
AJ: This is a tricky one - I think when people say that it is
often in reference to starting their own company in order
to do this thing that they love, and I think that is where the
fear stems from - and it’s a legitimate concern. If people
are passionate about what they do I don’t think they lose
their love for doing it; however, I think that love is often
overshadowed by the additional work that goes into starting
up and running a successful and profitable business. I don’t
think that should be a deterrent for anyone looking to turn
a hobby into a career. It’s just a reality that has to be taken
into consideration.
SM: What advice do you have for people who do not know
what their passion is?
AJ: Passion looks different for everyone and you get
to define what it is for you. Often it is more abstract than
people want it to be which is what I think makes it so hard to
define. So, my best advice is to just keep trying new things
and when you find it you’ll know it.
EM: Think about what you do, or try out new things at
home or with friends. If you enjoy it, keep putting time into
it. It does not have to turn into a business. It’s ok to keep
doing something as a hobby. Just look for what you like to
do, what do you want to learn more about, what gives you
energy.
Thank you to AJ and Erik for sharing their thoughts. As you
can see from the conversation, there is no one way to find
and pursue your passion.
I hope you are inspired to find your passion, pursue your
passion, and share your passion. You can enjoy AJ’s passion
through costumes at several high school madrigals and
Sioux City Community Theatre productions, as well as his
involvement in various non-profit activities. Erik’s passion
for brewing can be shared by visiting Marto Brewing at 930
4th Street in Sioux City.
Photo Credit Britton Hacke Photography (Erik).
Photos Contributed by AJ Delfs (AJ).