I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Jason Croft of StartUpDallas and the amazing team at Magic Production Group to talk about what makes a gentleman different, and the beautiful fact that gentlemen are on the way back into style. Jason, and StartUpDallas, is working to help spread information and insight about attitude and initiative for success in the StartUp community. The message is for startups and individuals looking to get their confidence and clarity boosted so they can keep pursuing their big ideas.

We had a great conversation about where The Sharp Gentleman came from, but more importantly, we spoke about what gentlemen can do to boost their manliness and confidence in the business arena. The biggest piece of that equation is knowing what you want and have the relentless tenacity to go out and get it. See, everyone talks about passion like it’s this one-size-fits-all commodity that will cure all diseases, feed the hungry, and turn your life around magically.

That’s simply not true.

Nobody talks about what goes into actually DOING what you love. Most of us love something that doesn’t make us any money (going to games, vacations, eating delicious food, etc.), and if we actually want to do that one thing we love as a profession, we need more than passion to juggle the 9 other things necessary to monetize the opportunity.

The example I give in the video below references classic cars. If your passion is classic cars, and you want to be involved with them the rest of your life, what does that mean? In what capacity do you dream to be involved with classic cars? If you want to be invited to all the events, auctions, shows, and be seen as an expert, are you willing to research their origins? Will you blog about it consistently? Religiously? Will you travel out of your way, possibly ruining dinner plans or family time, to capture the information or exposure you need? Are you willing to wake up early and go to bed late, relentlessly pursuing the opportunity to be involved in that one thing you love?

If you aren’t willing to do the other “work” to make your passion a reality, you’re wasting your time. Keep that passion a hobby, and find something you’re willing to push through “work” to experience. This is what drives startup success – they’re willing to do the work for the big idea.

And if your passion is making money, you MUST watch the video. I address what that means, and how to excel without burnout.

Ready to explore?

• Why passion is a four-letter word
• The ways in which HOW is killing your productivity
• Don’t wear Ed Hardy t-shirts after your 21st birthday

Watch below and leave a comment! Also, learn more about StartUpDallas and how great it is!