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Multi-passionate entrepreneurs just do things differently and better — business included! Personally, I love my little chaotic charcuterie board of interests, passions, & talents.
It’s not for everyone, sure. But without my beloved smorgasbord of ‘things’ going on all at once, I really have no method to my multi-passionate madness.
So — in a world that SWEARS we must niche (do you say it like neesh or nitch?) down — I’m here to be your other shoulder’s personal ‘devil’ of sorts. So let’s explore why multi-passionate entrepreneurs do business better!
This post is all about why multi-passionate entrepreneurs do business better.
Table of Contents
Unraveling the Multi-Passionate Entrepreneur
Remember when Shrek told Donkey all about how ogres have ‘layers’? Welp, we multi-passionates have a few layers when it comes to our passions, skills, & curiosities.
The term ‘multi-passionate’ actually stems from the word ‘multipotentiality’. Although used in previous works (like a paper presented in 1974 by R.H. Frederickson), it really wasn’t officially coined or adopted into a larger community until Emilie Wapnick during a TEDx talk in 2015.
But enough of the history — let’s dive into the good stuff already:
What is a multi-passionate entrepreneur?
A multi-passionate entrepreneur is someone who has an abundance of diverse interests, skills, passions, and talents. The golden rule of sticking to one niche really doesn’t fit well with a multi-passionate entrepreneur. They either refuse to or simply feel creatively or professionally blocked when they try.
When it comes to running a business, a multi-passionate entrepreneur usually works in several of these skills or passions to pave their own road ahead. Being multi-passionate gives entrepreneurs unique opportunities that other entrepreneurs may not have: unique opportunities, a more stable business strengthened by multiple streams of income, superior problem-solving skills, and adaptability.
However you prefer to define this term, it isn’t something Marie Forleo made up (as much as Instagram might wish she had). This term has a rich history explored by many other voices! If you’re looking for more information about living life as a multi-passionate person, check out D’Ana Joi’s podcast called Multi-Passionate Mastery.
Perks of being a multi-passionate business owner
Let’s dive into the biggest strengths we should learn to harness:
- We Have a Broader Range of Skills: Having multiple passions means you have a diverse skill set. You can bring together different perspectives, ideas, and techniques from various fields to create innovative solutions for your business.
- Adaptability: Multi-passionate entrepreneurs are adaptable and quick learners. This flexibility allows them to navigate changing market trends and adapt their businesses accordingly.
- Creative Problem-solving: With a wider range of interests, multi-passionates have a unique ability to approach challenges from different angles. They can think outside the box and come up with creative solutions that others may not have considered.
- Increased Resilience: They are not usually so easily discouraged by setbacks. They have the ability to bounce back quickly and find new opportunities for growth.
- Passionate-Driven: They have a genuine passion for what they do — whatever they choose to do. They are not confined to one area of interest, which keeps them fueled with excitement and motivation to pursue their varied business endeavors.
Pro Tip: Content repurposing is a great marketing method to help you harness your strengths!
You’re a Multi-Passionate Business Mastermind
The reason multi-passionate entrepreneurs can do business so much better than those who invest all of their time and energy (a.k.a. eggs) into one basket is simple. Being multi-passionate allows us to create a more sustainable business usually supported by many streams of income.
BAM! Boom. Done.
Just kidding! There’s a bit more to unpack, so let’s explore things one piece at a time:
1. Challenges don’t scare us
If you (like me) identify with being a multi-passionate entrepreneur, you might know that familiar rush of equal parts purpose, anticipation, & adrenaline when it comes to starting something new. Be it:
- Learning a new skill
- Diving deeper into something we already pursue
- Teleporting to the other side of the field to start something completely unrelated
Pivoting from something we’ve been at for a while to take on an entirely new
2. Coping mechanism for anxiety
God help you if you’re a multi-passionate entrepreneur who struggles with chronic anxiety like me! I can’t speak for all of us, but the more I began to understand myself as a business owner, I really saw the correlation between stress and my urge to learn, research, or pivot.
While it might seem like the opposite of a superpower, this allows me to fight against my anxiety, which happens to be my arch nemesis number one when it comes to squashing my creative flow and will to do anything.
I’ve learned to channel my anxiety into my business and cultivate a business that’s resilient against it.
3. Our business always excites us
For the most part, we’re usually geeked about working in and on our business as multi-passionate entrepreneurs. Sure, everyone hits that brick wall of boredom or whatever. But we’re more likely to resent our business less — at least I’ve found this to be true for me.
Yes, we might work a bit slower than that business coach you follow on TikTok would like. However, our creative steam rarely ever goes away when we know how to ‘hack’ our multiple interests, passions, and skills into a business that combines several of them into one.
If we shine a light on my personal business’ content/social media strategy right now, I’m not sitting on my YouTube channel only talking about all things email marketing. I’ve made two Etsy videos that have connected me to other entrepreneurs and business owners.
I’ve received:
- More than 350+ YouTube subscribers
- Almost 20 email list subscribers
- One small video sponsorship
- Two affiliate partnership opportunities
- A growing and active community
- An email copy lead (that wasn’t the right fit for me in my day job)
…all from just publishing content that goes against the grain of what I’m supposed to be posting as an ethical email copywriter.
4. We know our people — not our niches
To this day, ‘niche down’ remains one of the most popular tips the gurus swear by. And nothing — nothing makes my eyes roll faster than either tired ‘advice’ (other than unethical marketing practices, of course!).
To a point, I do understand where they’re coming from. I get it. The idea is that you have to double down on a targeted market, field, or specialization. But markets aren’t people, and niches don’t buy your offers.
People buy from people.
Multi-passionates — especially those of us who commit to ethical marketing practices — typically have a lot of insights, quirks, & knowledge in their back pocket. Think of that as a side-effect of pursuing new things on the reg.
We use these pieces of what makes us who we are to get to know, earn (not assume) trust, and build a community with our people. We’re the builders of our own communities since we likely don’t fit in with most others.
5. A hungry pursuit of learning comes standard
Because we can’t narrow down our interests, multi-passionate entrepreneurs learn — and do we learn a LOT! While you don’t have to love the act of learning, you might feel a similar fulfillment once you get to put it into action.
I think the biggest benefit entrepreneurs get from their endless learning is that they become a Jack (or Jill) of all trades and are natural problem-solving savvies.
“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”
Geffray Mynshul (1618)
Did you know we’ve been saying the whole jack of all trades bit wrong for a few hundred years? Even if you’re a “…is a master of none” fullstop die-hard, I get it. The idea that you could really get much done as a jack of all trades does seem (at the surface) a bit hard to conceptualize.
But I challenge you to understand that people develop their own methods, processes, and workflows to cope with all the learning, knowledge, and compounding passions/interests. While YOU might not align with being multi-passionate, many of us do.
Being a jack of all trades as an entrepreneur
I’m not saying whether being a jack of all trades or a master of one is better than the other (although I can understand that it might read this way). BUT I do want to drive home that being a jack of all trades isn’t some multi-tasking nightmare.
When properly managed, entrepreneurs can enjoy like as close to a solopreneur as possible.
- Need a website redesign? They’re learning about WordPress.
- Want to rewrite that sales page? They’re buying that course.
- Want to grow your email list on Pinterest? They’re already Googling.
A huge benefit we multi-passionates get to enjoy is understanding either the gist, basics, or mid-level ways things in our businesses work. Should we ever choose to outsource something, we have the distinct advantage of being informed about the tasks or project concept ahead of time.
Hell, you might even be GOOD at what you outsource. I know that when I partner with a freelancer, it’s because I really either want to spend my time more efficiently or because I genuinely hate the tasks.
All the same, having some stake and experience in what we outsource as multi-passionate entrepreneurs allows us to hold space for our freelancers and gives us the opportunity to choose more entry-level freelancers rather than complete experts.
6. Curiosity makes us stronger
Multi-passionates usually are seekers of the unknown by nature. What we don’t know, we learn about, question, & pursue. Our curiosity allows us to listen and ask intuitive questions of others.
Beyond the learning, we feel purpose in having an open mind and exploring what’s possible. While there may not always be a path forward, multi-passionate entrepreneurs typically have a relentless will to try something new (and try again when it’s necessary).
I personally feel that all entrepreneurs should be moldable — flexible — to have a sustainable AND successful business. Our curiosity is the fuel for this flexibility. It empowers us to adapt when we have to without adding too much stress to our plate (at least it does for me).
7. Intuition is strong with them
Any entrepreneur should have decent intuition. But with multi-passionates, it usually just comes naturally. I will say that it’s ridiculously easy to confuse interest or curiosity with intuition as a multi-passionate entrepreneur. We don’t get it right all the time.
But I think that’s a good thing to have when you operate a business of ANY kind. You can’t learn from mistakes if you never make any. You can’t stand back up if you never stumble or fall down every once in a while.
Failure is a necessary ‘evil’ when it comes to business, I think. And without intuition to follow, I don’t think any of us would really be empowered to try anything new. None of us like to fall down, but failure does lend entrepreneurial growth, resilience, and lessons to be learned — the hard way or not.
Final Thoughts
Life as a multi-passionate entrepreneur isn’t all peachy and cream. It takes real grit to overcome the challenges our multi-faceted personalities bring. If you feel hesitant about doing something like starting a blog, business, or YouTube channel, my advice is to just start!
Progress over perfection is the mantra I want to leave you with. You can tweak your content, business, and workflows a little bit as you go. The key to running a successful business as a multipotentialite is to just OWN who you are.
This post was all about why multi-passionate entrepreneurs do business better.
