How To Trade 9-To-5 Misery For Your Life’s Passion

It’s no surprise that those with boring-but-safe, 9-to-5 jobs tend to be unsatisfied and less successful than they could be in their careers.

That’s because the first ingredient to success is to do what you’re passionate about, says serial entrepreneur Parviz Firouzgar, author of “20/20 Hindsight” (www.parvizfirouzgar.com).“When you have the chance to do what you actually love, take it,” says Firouzgar, who did so and made a fortune.

“The surest way to work your life’s dream is to exercise entrepreneurship, which usually means creating your own niche business. Believe me – it’s possible when you have passion and your specialization fills a need. I’ve done it multiple times and it has been a great ride.”

Through trial and error – and after decades of experience – Firouzgar has uncovered reliable tips for creating a business so you can live your passion.

• Find a good mentor. Of course, your enterprise must be financially sustainable. Imagine having the ability to skip ahead to possessing that unique set of skills that comes with already having earned your first fortune.
“Had I known what it would take to earn my first million before I’d earned that knowledge, it would have come much quicker and easier,” says Firouzgar. “A good mentor helps you fast-forward through time-consuming mistakes, and will help you learn from their mistakes so you don’t have to experience them.”
• Formulate a quality business plan for the start-up phase. Getting excited over an idea is fun, but figuring out logistics is where the work begins. While investors seek confidence first and foremost in people – their passion, determination and past successes – a sound business plan is vital for raising capital. If multiple investors refuse your project, it may mean the plan didn’t demonstrate how and when the investment would generate an acceptable return.
• To-do lists are non-negotiable – use them. Among the abundant academic and self-help literature intended to help aspirational people achieve goals, there is one proven and reliable tool that sets the gold standard like nothing else: a to-do list. To-do lists act as cheat sheets for keeping your busy mind focused on what needs to be addressed.
“An added tip in executing a to-do list: do first what you like doing least,” Firouzgar says.
• In partnerships, you need more than good intentions. New businesses are often founded on shared dreams within a relationship. But before moving forward on a good intention with a family member, spouse or friend, give the concept and its logistics an honest and objective assessment.

“Few people understand why this dynamic so often fails,” he says. “But, more importantly, even fewer people have managed to avoid the pitfalls the first time they enter into a business partnership.”

About Parviz Firouzgar

Parviz Firouzgar, author of “20/20 Hindsight” (www.parvizfirouzgar.com), founded several multi-million dollar companies in multiple industries, and has innovated new ways to raise funds for charitable purposes. In addition to philanthropy, his resume includes owning a goldmine and being a radio talk show host.