Share with us your nominees for our April Passioneer™ of the Month award.  So far, we have the following nominees, and are welcoming new nominations until March 21st:

• Aimee Gallo, Founder of Vibrance Nutrition
• Harun Merdzanic, Fashionista and Teen Renegade CEO
• Ryan Ray, Founder of WakeUp! TV and Radio Programs

During each month, we accept nominations for the Passioneer of the Month award, for individuals who have met the following criteria:

(1) Have leaped fully into making the world a better place,

(2) Are living vibrantly and in balance,

(3) Are committed to supporting others in reaching their highest potential,

(4) Are not related to or working for anyone affiliated with The Passions and Possibilities Project.

Nominations for each month close by the 21st of the prior month.  Our judges then select our Passioneer of the Month, based upon a variety of passioneering qualities.   The Passioneer of the Month will be featured on the home page of our blog for the following month.  We will also make a special donation to the Soles4Souls Foundation on his/her behalf.

Please go to our nomination page to submit your candidate.    Thanks for sharing your story with us!

Happy Passioneering, Sue

We interviewed Rocky Reichman, founder of LiteraryMagic.com, on our Blog Talk Radio show, on January 6, 2010.  He’s a brilliant young man, Renegade CEO (thanks to Shonika Proctor)  who’s received many accolades in the literary community, including from William Safire!

His interview follows below:

SO: What’s Your Definition of “Passion”?

Passion is something that’s more than just an interest. It’s something that fuels you and makes you willing to dedicate hours of effort, a day or even your entire life to.

SO: What Passions Are You Expressing?

My biggest passion is writing.  I first started to express that by writing novels. When I was 12, I wrote my first novel, when I read the Magician’s Apprentice.  That took about three years.  …My second book took three days.  One January vacation, for Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday, I sat down from 8am to 11 at night and just wrote, wrote, and wrote, and got that book out.  I decided to publish my own online literary magazine, Literary Magic.  I also got into etymology, which is the study of the roots and history of words. 

SO: So Has This Been in Your Heart and Your Skill Set?

Through Literary Magic, I’ve really come into contact with amazing people.  Writers and editors around the world.  I’ve not only learned about these people, but also how to interact:  customer service, marketing.   I’ve written some short stories, some columns on literary sites.  Once I discovered Twitter and everything, I met Shonika Prcotr, who has been very helpful to me.  William Safire contacted me, and he called me a “word maven”.  A few months after that, McCraw Hill contacted me for an internship.  That gave me even more opportunities to learn about entrepreneurship and the world of business.

SO: What Are the Challenges that You Have Face and How Have You Move Through Them?

With Literary Magic, it’s been the business model, and building readership.  As a writer, writers love their works, and put all of this effort into their creation.  So if an editor wants to make a change, sometimes that writer is not always open to that change.  So definitely phrasing, giving, learning to give criticism in as positive a manner as possible, that’s always been a challenge.  In my personal life, when I had some family losses, that was definitely a challenge; however they’ve led me to build up resilence and create new projects from that.  When my father passed…he used to tell us these stories.   …So one day we decided to type them up, and we now have it in the published version.

SO: What Else Would You Say to Somebody Who Is Making the Leap?

No matter what, you have to get it out.  Don’t let anyone tell you that what you have to say isn’t worth anything.  It’s always worth anything.  First of all, to you it’s worth something.  And also to your friends and family.  And likely the information or advice or even just the message that you have to share can radiate and help people anywhere.

SO: What Would You Say to Someone Who Doesn’t Know What Their Passion Is?

I think you have to try different thing out.  Read a lot of fiction, even if you don’t want to be a writer, because fiction isn’t just entertaining.  It teaches us about life.  A lot of people think “I’m a non-fiction person, I only read to get information.”  Fiction can open us up to different worlds and possibilities.  Another idea is to go to a college website and look at all of the different subjects, and you really get a feel for what you can do.  Whether it’s writing or biology or if you want to be a doctor or a scientist or law enforcement.  There are so many possibilities.  I was lucky enough to once I read that book Magician’s Apprentice, I knew I wanted to write and kept doing it.  Never wall yourself in.  Of course you want to focus, but never say “I have my passion, and this is all I want to do.”  Always be open to new experiences.  Try something that you normally wouldn’t be exposed to. And then see what happens.

SO: How Have You Stayed Focused?

I like to write a lot of stuff down, write plans, and goals.  I always make sure that on one day, if there’s only time to do one thing, then I get that thing done.  And then I have a task list…if I end up having surplus space then I can do this or that, but I always have one thing that I know must get done that day.   Another thing, which isn’t totally going off focus, but if something comes in, like a quick email…something under 4 minutes, I will try to do it right then.  Otherwise those things just pile up.  Then it can ruin your schedule later in the week. 

I didn’t read Getting Things Done, but I did read an article by the same article that shared the same topic.  I learned a lot about productivity and time management from there.

SO:   When I Say “Do What You Love and the Rest Follows,” Would You Agree?

For everyone I have interviewed, this has been one of the underlying tips that they have all advised:  “That you have to find a way to do what you love and get paid for it.”  If you first don’t succeed, you can always try again.  You can even have a job and make sure that you do your passion on the side.  Like if you’re a lawyer or doctor, then you still have time to write novels on the side.  I know some people at McGraw Hill that works crazy hours and are writing fantasy novels on the side.

SO:  What About Prosperity, the Money Aspect of Doing What You Love?

I think doing what you love, you don’t need to make money at it.  You’re doing it because you like it.  You’re not doing it because you want to make money.  Of course, one of your end goals might be to make money from it.  If you can, then that will ultimately give you more time to focus on your passion, and not to worry about other ways to make money or retirement or college savings. 

Don’t think that in order to be an author to have a chance you have to quit your job and dedicate your entire to writing.  Even if you do get your work published, there are lots of writers out there.  For all the ones that are best-sellers that can take off the day, there are many more writers that have to have other jobs, who might not want to sit writing all day.  You can get a job, pay the bills and work on the side. Plan it out.  Write an hour a day.  Write five pages a day.  If you do the calculations, it won’t take too long to get your book out, maybe a few months.

Write or brainstorm some of it now.  Right after this interview ends.  If you want to write a book and haven’t had the time to do it.  Stop what you’re doing and take five minutes to brainstorm what it is. Maybe even write a sample paragraph or a log line – a line about what your book will cover. Just jump right into it.

Thanks Rocky and Happy Passioneering!

Ellen Whitehurst is the CEO and Founder of The Empowered Lifestyle.  A monthly marquee columnist for Redbook magazine, Ellen’s first book, Make Your Lucky Day,is now going into Fourth printing and she is currently working on her second book.  Ellen also writes a daily tip for iVillage.com as well as contributing to other myriad media agendas, including now John Edward’s new site, InfiniteQuest.com as well lifestyle blogging for The Huffington Post.    She is also one of DoctorOz.com’s alternative/complementary/holistic healthcare providers in their new Web 3.0 sharecare program. For more information on Ellen and what sort of fortune and luck this month has in store for you log onto www.ellenwhitehurst.com.  

Her definition of “passion”?    “That thing, that essence that animates me, that makes me smile, and makes my heart and my soul smile.”

Her biggest passions:  Her son.  Feng shui, mystical, metaphysics.  And cooking and serving with food (she’s writing her second book on this topic!). 

Summary quote:  “There is no one less likely to have made a success of a brand than me.  And I’ve done it.  And if I can do it, anyone can”!

Biggest challenges along the road:   Feeling scared and lonely after her 20-year marriage ended and deciding to pursue fully her passion for feng shui.  Says Ellen, “I so firmly believe that if you follow your passion, if you find what it is that you love, it makes it so much easier to be persistent about it.  And persistence is the key to everything on this planet, I swear to you.  You have to have a real well of persistence to get over the obstacles because the obstacles are…really opportunities to learn. And at the time you may think that something that is crushing and disappointing is the end of the road. And I will personally guarantee -I will put money behind it - that that end of the road is simply bringing you to another new road that’s going to bring you closer to what your dreams are.”

How do you know when it’s a boulder to go over or a sign to take another path?    She says, “ for me, if you have a passion towards achieving or accomplishing a particular or specific goal, you’ll never get a boulder that will push you off of the path.   You’re never going the wrong way, you are going where you need to be.  If, however, you’re not that passionate about it…you don’t feel it in the seat of your soul…that’s where the concept of trust comes in.  You have to trust that you will be shown.  …Ask your higher power, whatever that is for you, ‘Am I on the right road?’    And then be open to receive the answers.  That’s about as trite as it gets, it’s as banal as it gets, but it’s also as real as it gets. If you can quiet your being and can, from your heart, from emotion, ask your higher power if you’re on the right road, I can tell you that, within 48 hours, you’ll get…confirmation.”

Natural talents/gifts:  “I came in with an ability to write.”

What didn’t/doesn’t come naturally:    … “the ability to get in front of people and speak”;  not having a business background

How does someone balance commitments & responsibilities with pursuing their passions?    “It’s really important that when you have responsiblities, when you have commitments and you’re embarking on doing something, obviously if you feel the need to keep your 9 to 5, to keep your paycheck, temporarily, you still need to push energy forward on some level towards what you’re passionate about.   …The same sort of commitment that you have to paying the bills, to taking care of your parents, or to taking care of the kid’s tuition…that same sort of commitment has to translate into a commitment to what your passion is.  And pretty soon, before you even know it, the passion will overtake whatever the 9 – 5 is, and you will find opportunities flying at you to engage yourself in whatever it is that you’re truly interested in, and will leave the 9-5 behind.”

Definition of “prosperity” and how she is experiencing it.   “I’m going to be a capitalist and say that I define it as something with a dollar sign in front of it.  I could really throw out the line that prosperity is abundance, and I do believe that secondarily.   …I define prosperity as feeling comfortable; as not ever worrying where the next dime is going to come from, or where the next pair of shoes is going to come from, or where the next car payment is going to come from.”

Tip on handling fears:  “…You can spend time laying awake in bed at night…and thinking ‘How am I supposed to make the car payment?’   That time that you’re spending worrying about it is in fact, what we call ‘feeding the hungry monster’.”  She suggests that, instead of worrying about it, you can choose to spend the time imagining all of the ways that money COULD come in to cover the car payment.   “Are you going to lay in bed and worry, or are you going to construct a visualization that has you paying it…..either way it’s a fantasy,” she notes.  “Why not choose the one that’s positive?”

…”If you feed your fear with fatted worry you’re just creating more of the same.  So don’t feed the fear.”

Her next big milestone:  A second book, focusing  on food and cooking; a television show

Keith J. Davis Jr. is the founder of K. Jerrold Enterprises, a personal empowerment company that empowers, educates and motivates youth and teens to become future leaders through thought-provoking seminars, writings, networking functions, mentoring and more. Davis is the son of marketing innovator “Mr. D-MARS” (Keith Davis Sr.), owner of Houston marketing firm conglomerate D-MARS.com. Davis is a 2009 high school graduate of Cy-Springs High School in Cypress; he is currently enrolled at the University of Houston Main Campus. In his 18 years, he has launched a youth magazine, is a sought-after speaker, publisher, actor, model, and now the author of Young? So What! 10 Steps to Become a Successful Young Entrepreneur. Visit www.keithjdavisjr.com for more information.

As I’ve been interviewing nearly 100 passionate entrepreneurs (aka “passioneers”) over the past two months, I’ve heard many great ideas and suggestions for dream leaping. So I invite anyone who is feeling scared or discouraged about their own leap to consider the ten tips below from these passioneers, so you can move forward. If you have your own ideas or suggestions, please send them our way.

Tips for Leaping into Your Passions Fully

1. Don’t leave your day job, and have at least one year’s savings before you make the leap into your passions!
2. Take baby steps. A strong recommendation to make the leap by taking many little steps.
3. Face the fear…and do it anyway.  Every one of our guests has felt some fears around making their leap.  Their suggestion?  Don’t succumb and keep moving.
4. Surround yourself with positive people.  Ditch those who aren’t supportive or negative.  Fill your life with folks who respect and honor your path.
5. Vision your future.  Get very clear on what you want in your life and take the focus off of what you don’t want.
6. Prosperity is much more than material wealth.  It means friends, health, free time, and being your own boss!
7. Persevere regardless.  The road will get rocky, so when it does, take a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other.
8. Get used to the mystery.  You aren’t going to always know where you’re headed.  So best to release control and enjoy the ride!
9. Don’t go it alone.  Real success is achieved through other people, so learn to build community around you.
10. Go with the flow.  Following your passions can be tough, AND if you keep hitting a wall, perhaps it’s time to take another route. 

You can also reach us by contacting our website:  www.lifesparks-coaching.com or our radio show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/passionsandpossibilities.  Thanks so much!!