Finding Your Passion Call it passion, enthusiasm or fire in the belly--it's what energizes successful entrepreneurs. Here's how to unlock yours.

Marianne Szymanski discovered her passion as a young girl."I've always loved children and believed in helpingothers," says Szymanski, the president of Toy Tips Inc., aconsumer-focused international consulting firm in Milwaukee thattests toys based on appropriate age and skill development. "Asa pre-teen, I enjoyed holding MDA [Muscular Dystrophy Association]carnivals in my backyard. I would donate my old toys as prizes andhave games and go-cart rides set up to raise money for MDA.Sometimes I would raise [only] $32, but I was so proud to turn itin because that was the outcome of my little carnival."

Szymanski has since parlayed her passion into a thrivingventure. The idea for Toy Tips came when she worked as a sales repfor LEGO, her first employer after graduating from college in 1989.Her job was to sell the LEGO line to toy store managers, but oftenwhen she would visit a store on a sales call, the customers wouldthink she worked there and ask for advice in search of the bestbirthday or holiday gifts for their kids. "I'd usually tryto sell them LEGOs or direct them to a store employee, but allthose questions [from parents about what to look for in toys]piqued my interest," Szymanski recalls. "I was 23 and hada lot of determination and a Visa card, so I was willing to takethe risk."

In 1991, she took the plunge, leaving LEGO to start Toy TipsInc. and offer parents objective advice about toys. Started as atoy advice hotline, Szymanski's company today conductsextensive toy research and publishes the findings in Toy TipsMagazine (distributed at Toys "R" Us and Targetstores). The magazine summarizes research findings for parents andhas such sponsors as Jiffy Lube, Curad, Hilton Hotels, NorthwestAirlines and Gerber. Szymanski is recognized across the country asa leading expert on toys, regularly appearing on such shows asGood Morning America, Oprah and Later Today aswell as on the Lifetime cable TV network.

The Passion Principle
One of the marks of successful entrepreneurs is their enthusiasmabout their businesses. "When you're passionate about whatyou do, [prospective clients] would rather give their business toyou than to your competitor," explains Richard Nelson Bolles,author of the bestselling book What Color is Your Parachute? In otherwords, when you have fire in your belly, you naturally attractbusiness, as Szymanski has found.

How do you discover what kind of business lights your fire andwill keep it burning for the long haul? Here are five steps:

1. Identify whatgets you excited. Barbara Sher, author of It's Only Too Late If You Don't Start Now:How to Create Your Second Life at Any Age suggests youallow yourself to dream. "Ask yourself: 'What's fun?What do I like to do? What would I get a kick out of doing?'" says Sher. "Most people think they don't know whatthey want to do, but that's because they move too fast. Theysay, 'Well, I like such-and-such, but it doesn't make anymoney.' But you don't know that! You've got to wake upto what it is you like before you slam down thecriticisms."

Bolles puts it this way: "If you're at a party, andthere are people talking in different corners of the room aboutdifferent subjects, and you overhear somebody talking about asubject that fascinates you so much you want to hang around andlisten, what would that subject be?"

2. Go back to yourchildhood. "One way to tell if something is yourpassion is if you had an affinity for it during childhood,"says Denis E. Waitley, a world-renowned motivational speaker andauthor of Empires of the Mind: Lessons to Lead and Succeed ina Knowledge-Based World. "When I think back to all thepeople I've interviewed, for many of them, what they were goodat as children eventually became their passion."

3. Take stock ofyour talents. "What you love is what you're giftedat," says Sher. "That's a genetic thing. That'swhy horses get a kick out of running and many people do not. Youdon't love what you're not built to love. And if youdon't do what you're built to do, you may never knowwhat's wrong, but something is always wrong."

How do you determine what your talents are? On a sheet of paper,brainstorm the things you do well, the things that come naturallyto you. If you're having trouble listing your gifts on yourown, consult people you trust and ask what they think your bestskills are.

4. "Shop"on the job. If you're working for someone else rightnow, look at your job as an opportunity to test out differentskills to discover what you might like to do on your own. ForSzymanski, part of what spurred her idea was her experience workingat LEGO.

"A corporation is a great place to discover activities youenjoy," says Sher. "Wherever you work, take as much timeas you can to 'shop' around the various departments. Learnthe ropes, and find out what you get a kick out of."

5. Look at the bigpicture. Steven Covey, co-chair of Franklin Covey Co. andauthor of the bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoringthe Character Ethic, suggests asking yourself threequestions: Do I like doing it? Am I good at it? Does the world needit?

"If you have a passion that you're good at but theworld doesn't need it, you've got a useless passion,"says Covey. "If you're focusing on what the world needsand sell out your passion, you sell out what is uniquely you. Butif you can make a living doing something that you're reallygood at and like-what a combination!"

Put It to the Test
How do you know if something is truly your passion and not just awhim? "Two weeks later, [the feeling] doesn't goaway," says Hyrum W. Smith, vice chair of Franklin Covey Co.and author of What Matters Most: The Power of Living YourValues. "You get that fire in your belly; you'rewilling to sacrifice for it; you're willing to take risks forit. And even when people tell you you've lost your mind, youdon't back down."

For Bolles, the test is this: "When someone says, 'Ijust feel I have to do this,' I know I'm talking tosomebody who's found [their] passion."

What is it you just have to do? What's holding youback? "If you believe in yourself and know your passion, thendo it!" says Szymanski. "Don't look for excuses notto. If you're offering society the best person you can be,you'll be rewarded with success-and the money will come. Therewill be ups and downs, but it will happen."

Resource Guide
Once you've discovered your passion, where can you go for helpin converting it into a feasible business concept? Here are a fewtips:

• At your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC), thereare business consultants who can give you objective feedbackconcerning the feasibility of your business idea and help youdesign a step-by-step plan to get your venture off the ground.SBDCs are sponsored by the SBA, so most of their services are free.To find the SBDC nearest you, go to www.sba.gov/sbdc.

• Attend meetings sponsored by the local chapter of the tradeassociations related to your interests. You'll gain a greaterunderstanding of an industry and, by meeting and talking withindustry veterans, get a feel for whether your business concept haspotential. Trade association meetings are also excellent places tofind prospective mentors who can give you the emotional support andhands-on information you need to turn your passion into aprofitable business.

Sean M. Lydenis the principal and senior writer of The Professional Writing FirmInc., a Kennesaw, Georgia, company that specializes in ghostwritingarticles. Lyden writes frequently on motivation, management andmarketing issues.