Let’s talk about something that I like to call the triangle of life.
On this triangle of life, we have three points:
- Passion
- Profit
- Play
And I like to think of this as a triangle because I do think they all work together unanimously.
You could also look at it as a direct line with the three points on the line.
And if you look at it as a line, I want you to see passion coming first, far to the left, and the middle is going to be profit, and then at the end, on the far right, is going to be play.
It’s important to talk about this because this framework is how you build a profitable business (and life) where you can play in and with your passions.
Think about your passion 👉 how you’re going to turn it into profit + what type of profit you need 👉 to bring more play into your life.
Prefer podcasts? Listen to The PPP Framework episode here ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Why These Three Points
Passion
Let me start by saying: if you are passionate about something, and you want to make money with it, you can. Period.
Let’s say your passion is writing.
You love to write, you love to sit at your computer to type, and you love to do research for brands and businesses.
But even though writing is your passion, you just don’t know where or how profit comes into play.
Using the PPP Framework, we want to go from taking our passion and turning it into profit, right?
Going from that first point to that second point, or from the first point to the middle point.
Getting to that profit point is going to look so different for every single person.
Maybe your passion is helping people, and that looks like creating courses and coaching.
Your passion can be whatever, but when we bring it into the realm of profit, it gets a little messy, a little iffy…a little intimidating.
We start putting more pressure on ourselves because there’s that profit component, right?
And it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are scrounging for money and you are in a scarcity mindset.
It could simply be that you’re spending enough time on it to warrant asking yourself, “Oh, am I making enough profit to continue doing this?”
Answer honestly.
If your answer is, “You know what, no. I’m gonna go back to just doing this for myself and just doing it as a passion…”
That’s totally okay!
But if your answer is, “No, but I want it to be a yes, I am, but I’m overworked. I want this to be profitable, but I don’t know how…”
That’s when we get stuck in the ‘profit margin limbo’ because we want to figure out how to create offers where we’re using our passion for fun, but we’re making enough profit that we don’t hate our lives.
Because the last thing that we want to do is start an online business or start a freelancing business or start a side hustle that feels the same as the shitty nine to five that you’re trying to leave, or that you already left.
Or that feel worse than just sitting at home and doing nothing.
That’s the online american dream, right?
“Make $100k in 30 days doing what you love so that you never have to work a day in your life again….”
[The fine print: This is the 1% best scenario and I have no experience working with anyone other than very privileged humans. But, hey, it could work for you, somehow, some way. No refunds.]
I do want this for you, too, but realistically, it’s not that simple.
Turning your passion info a profitable business brings stress. It brings more fatigue. It may even bring resentment towards your passion.
So I am going to show you how I go about looking at profit, so that you can worry less about a six-figure business model and more about a business model that makes YOUR life feel like a buttery biscuit fluffy dream.
Profit
If you haven’t already combined your passion to a money-making offer, your profit planning homework is pretty simple:
- Make a list of 10 ways you take payments. Only one of these can be via an invoice or transfer (like Zelle, Venmo, Paypal, Stripe, or Quickbooks.)
That’s it and that’s all.
You may be like, “Ummmm…what?”
People are paying you (and taking theirs) in a million ways every day. Here are some examples to get your noggin thinking beyond $$$:
- “Likes”
- Eye-contact
- Time
- Trades
- Answers
Now, if you are already combining your passion with money-making offers:
First, deduct your expenses. (Think beyond money, too. I’m talking about energy vampires, time suckers, and health and wellness expenses.)
Now that you have your profit, I want you to ask,
“Where else am I gaining from this?”
And I’m talking about the things that aren’t just money.
(If we’re not only looking at $ expenses, we’ll never just look at $ profits.)
It’s not just the paid-in-full invoices. It’s not just your bank account growing.
Where else are you profiting?
Are you able to take more time off?
Are you able to go on a vacation with your husband last minute just because are you able to spend more time with your family and clock out of work?
Because you don’t have a micromanaging boss that you clock into every morning?
How are you profiting from this passion?
Profit is not just money, no matter how many business coaches show you differently.
I think that’s a big misconception that we get stuck in – that profit means money, but profit doesn’t always mean money.
Profit means more what’s being added?
This can be your attitude. This could be maybe you’re sleeping better.
Maybe you’re less stressed.
Maybe you’re working more as a freelancer but you’re happier about it.
Maybe you don’t hate working on vacations because you’re making a bad choice.
Maybe it’s simply that you love what you’re doing.
^These^ are all the things that go into profit…that are commonly overlooked.
Play
Now you know your passion (offer) and how you’ll track your profits, so how are we getting the play out of it?
How are we adding more play into our lives?
How are we bringing more fun, more happiness, more joy, more contentment, more than contentment?
Play can look like a variety of things, so it’s going to be so uniquely different for you than it is for me, than it is for him, than it is for her, than it is for them.
Because play is what lights you up, what brings that inner child out and just fulfills everything that you wanted to be when you grew up.
For me, it varies day to day.
Some days, my play is laying in the backyard on a blanket while my Tucker runs around the yard and I just read a book and smoke a joint. That’s my play for the day.
Sometimes it’s going to the beach, and spending a whole day at the beach, doing whatever I want. That’s my play for the day.
Sometimes it’s taking a vacation.
Maybe it’s just having a slow slow morning, and not rushing a single thing – that is my play.
What can you add to your life that makes it so beautiful, you simply love taking your next breath?
Oh, and it doesn’t need to be a big, grand gesture!
Maybe you do an ICE roller on your face. Maybe it’s not in your regular skincare routine. So when you do it, it’s playful. It’s fun, it’s sexy, it’s hot. It’s you babe, you’re that bitch.
Maybe sometimes going to a new pottery class. Maybe it’s going line dancing, trying to step into learning new things.
It can be whatever you want it to be.
But find it, find that play, and cling to it.
Because when you can intersect your passion, to profit to play, it’s a game changer.
Why The Order?
The reason I have it outlined as passion first, profit second, play last is because I want you to remember that no matter what people say, profit is not the ultimate end goal.
Let me say that again: profit is not the end goal of your business or your life.
Passion is the first step, you have to find something you really enjoy doing.
It doesn’t have to be your ride-or-die passion, you can keep that not monetized if you choose.
But find something you actually enjoy doing. That’s your passion.
Then, figure out how to turn it into profit.
Start small.
If you can start big and want to, start big.
If you have the time and the space and the privilege to just go all in and go big, do that.
But you don’t have to find that monetary profit right off the bat.
Find your sweet spot, where your PPP Traingle makes sense.
So that your beginning, middle, and end goal will always have play.
Because the end goal is to add more play into your life so you finally freaking enjoy the small and big moments.
The end goal for your business is having a sustainable business, a sustainable freelancing career, a sustainable course launch a sustainable coaching business…
Why?
So that we can step away and play; so that we can step away and do what we want.
So we can spend more time with our family.
So we can afford luxurious last-minute vacations just because we need to get away.
So that we can take our dog to the dog park, sit there all day, and just hang out without any stress, without any worry, about sending an email.
Because we built a business that actually works with us, that works for us.
All in all, we get to add more to our lives by turning our passions into an abundance of profit, which gifts the space for more play.
The PPP Framework In Conclusion
Remember, profit is never the end goal.
It helps.
And I say this from an immense place of privilege, I know.
It helps, more money helps.
And…
It’s not the end goal.
More money is not the end goal, space in your life to do what you want is the end goal.
Profit is from working. Working is not the end goal. Openness is, more free time is, more gym time is.
Being able to put your health first because your business is relaxed.
Because your clients already know that you got it handled.
They don’t need to check in all the time because your students know you have their back.
They trust you.
They’re bringing in your profit, and because of that you get to do your passion more, and because of that you get to play more.
And if you can, start adding more play into your life now.
Drink a coffee and don’t rush through it.
Walk your dog outside and just go slow. Don’t track the miles don’t do it for the steps just go slow.
Maybe you read a new chapter of your favorite book or the new book that you’ve just haven’t started.
Maybe you pick up a sketchpad or a printer paper and you draw for the first time in years.
When you add more play, gosh, you will see results even just in yourself.
I dare you to today.
And if you do, share it with me!
You can dm me on (most) platforms at @writingswithjess or email me at jess@jessicaanderswritingco.com
I would love to celebrate your play with you!
Thanks for tuning this episode. If you loved it, please let me know Don’t forget to leave a comment. Drop a review. I love you so freakin much. Have a beautiful day. Peace out, Girl Scout!
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