Blog Post: Passion Meter

People want to know how we are finding passionate people to interview. They want to know how we judge passion in people. That is a million dollar question I’m hoping to answer with your help.

I think passion is something that is so ingrained inside us that there is no difference between where work life ends, and where real life begins. I’ve been told passion is like the Supreme Court…you know it when you see it. I know from experience that passion breeds productivity. Passion is infectious, and people recognize passion within others.

I have booked interviews based on the following criteria for the first few weeks on the 2007 Pursue the Passion tour.

1) They must be referred by someone that knows the local community very well (i.e. a reporter, president of an outside organization, family, friends, etc.).

2) When I talk to prospective interviewees on the phone, via email, or read their story submittal, they must be positive, because passion is typically synonymous with “positivity.”

3) Lastly, I look to see what a person has done that exemplifies their passion. The phrase “passion breeds productivity” is the truth, because passion overflows into other things like getting involved in organizations and creating programs around that passion. Extracurricular activities and achievements are an excellent judgment of passion.

Now that I’ve given you the keys to the kingdom to tell you how I “judge” the passion of a peer, it’s time to ask for your help.

What am I missing?

How do you judge passion? How would you go about finding passionate people?

Let me know.

Brett Farmiloe blogs about the Pursue the Passion Tour at http://www.pursuethepassion.com.  The Pursue the Passion tour is a 90 day roadtrip in a 30 foot RV in which four recent college grads interview professionals who are passionate about their job.