Spring 2010 - Arizona Daily Wildcat - University of Arizona

y Tricia Don, Coordinator,
Special Projects for Student Life
“What should I do with my life?” Is a
question asked by most college students,
often following a talk with their parents,
which hangs over them their entire academic
career. Th is very question is what
set Brett Farmiloe on a unique journey after
graduation from Th e University of Arizona
and eventually into a career.
In May 2006, while preparing for graduation
from UA’s Eller College of Management
with an accounting degree, the idea of what
to do with his life loomed over Brett’s head.
His original plan to get his CPA license
and be a good corporate citizen would
have been the simpler path, however after
reading the statistic that half the workforce
dislikes their job, the idea for a book
surfaced—“What’s the diff erence between
people who like their job and people who
don’t like their job?”
From this question, the idea for a road
trip across America was created. Interviews
were set up with people who loved
their job, an RV was purchased ( from Craig-
The University of Arizona Spring 2010 29
Pursue the Passion, One Grad’s Discovery
list) and after interviewing three Tucson
icons who love their jobs, the journey began.
Th ree hours into the trip, with steam
spewing from under the hood, the journey
all but ended. Several interviews were completed
that summer, but by summer’s end
Brett began a job as a corporate auditor.
Great ideas are hard to let die, so after
hearing nothing from publishers following
several book proposals, Brett made the
decision to quit his job, fi nd sponsors for a
new road trip and begin the journey again.
In June 2007, Jobing.com agreed to sponsor
the entire “Pursue the Passion” trip - new
RV and all. Over the next four months,
Brett Farmiloe, Noah Pollock, Jay Whiting
and Jay Hubbell, all UA Wildcats, began a
journey that covered 16,000 miles, 38 states
and 300 interviews of people who loved
their job.
At the end of the four month odyssey,
Brett was hired by Jobing.com and began
the process of writing a book about the
cross country trip. Two years later, following
a complete re-write, “Pursue the Passion”
was published and became available
on Amazon.com in February.
UA Grads Brett Farmiloe, Zach Hubble,
Noah Pollock and Jay Whiting traveled
across the U.S. to interview people who
love their jobs.
When asked what this book is about and
who his audience is, Brett responded, “Th is
book is about what people who enjoy their
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