Pursue Passions, Not Passion (Multi-Passionate)
The missing 's' is a trap — let multiple interests thrive and their rare combination becomes your edge
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 85%
Conventional advice says 'find your passion' — a singular word that sends you hunting for one hidden Easter egg and forcing focus. When Forleo tried being 'just a coach', she felt like she was 'cutting off a limb' because so many other parts of her were screaming to be expressed. She let dance, coaching and bartending all thrive, accepting slower growth and less money in exchange for fulfilment. The payoff: those varied experiences (Nike dance, fitness DVDs, being on camera) flowed into her brand and made it uniquely rich — because creativity is combining rare, unusual influences into something new (like Steve Jobs's typography class shaping Apple). Chasing the single 'passion' and forced focus can starve the very combinations that differentiate you.
Origin
Forleo failed miserably trying to focus on one thing, embraced being 'multi-passionate' (a phrase that made her feel less broken), and found the mix became her competitive edge.
Core principles
- 01'Passion' singular is a misleading trap; passions are plural.
- 02Forcing focus can amputate parts of you that need expression.
- 03Varied experiences become unique brand ingredients.
- 04Creativity is combining rare influences into something new.
How to run it
- 1
Reject the single-passion myth
Notice that 'find your passion' pushes you to force one focus and hunt for a hidden answer.
Pro tip The word 'multi-passionate' can make the pull toward many interests feel healthy, not broken.
- 2
Let your passions coexist
Pursue several interests at once, accepting slower growth as the trade for fulfilment.
Watch out Forcing focus onto one thing can make you miserable and cut off real parts of you.
- 3
Combine them into an edge
Let the mix of experiences flow into your work, where the rare combination differentiates you.
Pro tip Draw inspiration from unlikely places — that's what makes work the world hasn't seen.
In the wild
Forleo's fitness teaching, Nike dance work and on-camera DVDs all fed into her later YouTube show and coaching brand, making it distinct from academically-trained coaches.
→ The unique blend made her business richer, more unique and more joyful to run.
Common mistakes
Forcing a single focus
Amputating your other interests to obey 'focus' advice can make you miserable and strip out the combinations that would have set your work apart.
Is it for you?
Best for
Multi-interested creators and founders pressured to pick one lane.
Not ideal for
Situations that genuinely demand deep single-domain mastery and undivided focus.
From the transcript
“find your passion it's a singular word ... there should be one it's an Easter egg”
From the episode
World Leading Life Coach: 3 Steps To Figuring Out ANYTHING You Want: Marie Forleo
World Leading Life Coach