[su_dropcap style=”simple” size=”2″]G[/su_dropcap]etting started on building a business that aligns with us is one of the easiest/hardest things to do. Let me explain, we first need to do a lot of internal work that will help us identify our passions and figure out what aligns with our being. Once that happens, it is easy to get into it.

I get a lot of messages from a variety of people from Canada, the US, and across the Caribbean, usually asking me, how do you do it? As the conversation goes on, we start getting into our businesses, jobs, belief system and a variety of other things. They are usually looking for the magic formula, my secret sauce, as to how I have gotten started building my brand and business.

The answer to that is usually too simple, that I am never believed. I am 31 years old, and it really only hit me around 28. I’ll be plain about it, the secret to my energy and base for building my business is working within my passions. It’s really the only way I can get up every morning with new ideas and thoughts about how to move my brand forward.

I know it is something we have heard a million times from all of the most successful people, and while the saying is true, I think the part B to that answer is just as important. Your passion needs to solve a big enough problem that people will care about enough to pay you.

[su_quote cite=”Jay Jones“]Your genius is the intersection of your passion and your talent. [/su_quote]

Moving from Canada to Trinidad has been a humbling experience. Back in Canada, most of my friends are battling the rising costs of living, that when you have to work 2-3 jobs to make ends meet, it gets hard to even think about what your passions are. Most don’t know what they like, or what they would want to do if money was not an object.

In Trinidad, the barrier for entry to start a business is so low, and the cost of living is nothing compared to other countries, that it is much easier to start your business here. The problem I see every day here is that people are getting into business to make money, and not actually solve a problem nor build a reputable brand.

The businesses being started are therefore doomed from the get-go. Just because you think the business you are starting is a good idea or good way to make money if it is not starting a big problem and you are not passionate about it, the chances for failure and frustration rise astronomically. They also usually realize the business is not a good idea when they are a few years in and have high debts, making it harder for them to cut ties and accept their loss.

So…What can we do to even have a good start in the right direction? I got this piece of advice when I was 22, but it took me moving, clearing my head, self-educating myself and some serious lows for me to take in this advice and put it to use. So here it is…

Exercise:

• Get a piece of paper, notebook, whatever you prefer
• Write down everything you like and what you are good at (Write down EVERYTHING that comes to mind)
• After a few days of making a huge list, take the time to start crossing things out that you cannot see yourself doing for the rest of your life.
• When you get down to the last 3-5 options, start researching everything about your interest and how you could monetize and build a brand around those passions.
• After your research, select one of those passions that best ignite your fire but is also a great idea for a business and figure out a way how it can solve a problem whether it be in your local market or online.

I promise you, if you do this exercise, you will have started a business that allows you to work within your genius, solves a problem, allows you to make money and you will always have the energy and willpower to build your brand.

People think I am a machine when it comes to making content, the truth is, I love tech and working with people. I solve a huge problem for people who don’t understand tech or are looking to get more out of it in their respective fields. So I have figured out how to build a brand, become a thought leader, build partnerships and monetize one of my passions, believe me when I see it is easy for me to wake up every day and do what I do.

I do not experience fatigue or burnout, mainly because I am working within a space that doesn’t feel like work and ignites my fires. My 2 other businesses that are coming along are also working within my passions, even though they are very different than what I am currently doing now.

So let me know in the comments below, are you working within your genius? If not, try this exercise and let me know if it gets you thinking about the things you want to be doing, and not what you have to be doing just to survive. Start building that business that aligns with your purpose.