Megan Yelaney Shows You How to Balance Different Passions As a Business Owner

Turning something you love into a lucrative business demands commitment. You have to truly be invested in it, dedicated to seeing it through, interested in its ins and outs, and devoted to its success.

But let’s be real, you’re not just passionate about one thing. This particular passion, the one you managed to turn into a lucrative, self-sustaining venture, is just one of the things that you love. And while running it day in and day out brings much joy and fulfillment, you’re left wondering if you could successfully explore other things you’re passionate about too.

I was on the same boat not too long ago. As a business that strongly empowers and advocates the success of other women, I was and continue to be very passionate about what I do for a living. Getting this business off the ground is a point of pride for me. And now, I am at a point in my business where I have the opportunity to explore other interests that have taken a backseat as I focused all my efforts on growing my business.

I’m actually a business major. But instead of going straight into the corporate world, I took a few detours and found myself working as an actress—even worked as an extra for “Orange Is The New Black.” As much as I loved acting, it’s a tough industry to break into and at the time. As an actress, I was living paycheck to paycheck and felt acutely aware of the fact that I was destined for something more. I had a niggling feeling in my heart that while I was passionate about acting, I wasn’t meant to be pursuing it as a career at that point in time. And it turns out I was right. I had an opportunity to go back to my business roots and apply skills that I learned as I dipped my toe in various other fields—and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself.

8 years since I shifted careers, I am fortunate enough to have another shot at it. And fortunately, it’s not a choice of whether I should choose one passion over the other—it’s finding the right balance to pursue both. As a business owner and entrepreneur, I am expected to devote a lot of time and energy into my business. Any interest outside of it would require time, brainpower, energy, and resources. But I stand as proof that despite the demands, you can successfully pursue different interests, even when you’re at the helm of a thriving business. That said, if you’re interested in learning how I do it, allow me to share some first-hand insight.

1. Surround Yourself With a Good Team

There is no way I would be able to even think about exploring opportunities for acting, and doing a show if I wasn’t working with people who I know I could rely on. My team is crucial to my success, whether I’m building my business or trying to explore other passions. Finding the right people allows me to delegate and free up time for myself to pursue other interests. And it gives me peace of mind to know that I’m entrusting my business to people who care about its success as much as I do.

2. Be Patient With Yourself

Early in my career as a business coach, acting had to sit in the back burner while I focused my attention on my business. Today, I have a chance to come back to it and catch up on everything that I missed. Don’t beat yourself up if you have to press pause on other interests so you can focus on one and do it well. Pursuits of passion take time to hone and develop. Sometimes timing plays a factor as well.

3. Find Ways to Bridge Your Passions Together

Business and acting may seem like they’re worlds apart. In a sense that’s true. But I will always stand by the fact that working as an actress taught me so many life skills that I was able to apply in my business. Being an actress taught me resilience and the value of hard work. It instilled the importance of creativity in me and the ability to put myself in other people’s shoes. All of these skills became invaluable to me as a business coach, which is another passion of mine.

One final piece of advice:

The demands of running a business on our time is great, and the draw of our passions is undeniable. But always remember that life is short. And when we are presented with a chance to pursue that we love, take advantage of that. When you do though, go easy on yourself. It’ll be tough juggling multiple passions and interests, especially when one happens to be your business—but it can also be one of the most fulfilling things you can do for yourself.

This is a guest article written by Entrepreneur and Online Business Coach, Megan Yelaney. Be sure to follow Megan on Instagram for more tips!