Christen Rouson

Today’s post is inspired by one of my friends, ShaRonda Lassiter. ShaRonda is an experienced make-up artist that has created elegant, beautiful, and exciting looks for weddings, proms, and any other occasion that you could possibly think of. Honestly, I’m not sure what she does by day, but off the clock, she transforms women from their natural beauty to amazingly gorgeous with just a few strokes of a brush. This woman has a gift! While scrolling through my Facebook news feed, I ran across a post of her advertising her services. When inquiring about it, she informed me that she is in the process of securing a business license and making her passion her profession!

And such was the birth of this post…

Webster’s Dictionary defines passion as:

“a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept.”

I would simply define passion as what you would do even if you had to do it for free. A passion is that thing that you absolutely LOVE to do, and when you aren’t doing it, you dream about doing it. It is that one thing that you could eat, sleep, and breathe with ease. Most of the time, your passion is directly attached to your gifting. In ShaRonda’s case, she has been given the gift to create with her hands and transform the look of a woman. I can imagine that as she stands in front of a woman with compact and brush in hand, she envisions the final masterpiece. And just as Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel, she begins to paint the nuances that will bring her vision to life. But what moved me beyond her breathtaking work, and even her consistent professional appearance (because you wouldn’t want anyone doing your face if their make-up was jacked!), was her decision to make her business legitimate. She is doing what many haven’t and possibly won’t do…take the bold leap to thrust her gift from just being a “hobby” to being her livelihood!

THE MORAL OF THE STORY:

Think about what you are REALLY good at… [Go ahead…I’ll wait…] It is not just  coincidence that you can do the things that you can do. Let me remind you that GOD GAVE YOU THOSE GIFTS aaaaaaaaaaand HE WANTS YOU TO USE THEM! How many of us are in careers or working jobs that we like but we don’t necessarily LOVE? *Raises hand.* And of us who fit that description, is there something else that you love to do and would rather do if it could pay your bills? *Raises hand.* Well for those of us who answered “yes” to those two questions, you CAN make your passion your profession and be successful! I’m going to show you how… 😉

“Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant He confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.”                    Deuteronomy 8:18 [New Living Translation]

1. Get Rid of Your Fear: Fear is usually the first and most dominant hinderance to progress. (See my post from yesterday). By ridding yourself of apprehensions, you can embrace the possibility that people can love the byproduct of your gift as much as you do. Also, you’ll be able to envision yourself succeeding!
2. Improve/Perfect Your Craft: I don’t care how much of a “beast” you are at what you do, there is always something else to learn about it. I.e.: how to do it better, quicker, or more efficiently. It shows that you appreciate your gifting when you are willing to constantly learn how to improve it.
3. Legitimize Your Gift: If possible, get the proper certification that is associated with your gift. If you have an invention, get a patent to protect your invention. If you have written songs, literature, or created movies, have your work copy written. And most importantly, if you provide a service GET A BUSINESS LICENSE! In Virginia for about $35 (I think) you can obtain a license.
4. Advertise your Business: I heard on a local radio station that “having an event without advertising is like blinking in the dark. You know that you are doing it, but no one else does.” Create a website, a Facebook Page, and/or a Twitter Page. Start a YouTube channel and post commercials about your business to share with friends. Get some business cards made. For about $15 you can have something to put in people’s hands (www.vistaprint.com). And most importantly network, network, network.

All you have to do is take a risk and be committed, and you could possibly make what you love to do what you just do!!

Thanks Shay for the inspiration today! Because you allowed me to be inspired by you, others will be inspired by reading this! I’m SO proud of you, and I can’t wait for you to paint my face!!!

*Stay tuned as ShaRonda Lassiter will soon be featured on my “Favorite Things” page.