PassionPlayers

So this #PassionPlayers feature is neat in that it was actually this series that introduced me to Ms. Leggio. She thought it was a cool series and enjoyed some of the other profiles I posted, so I invited her to play, and here we are 🙂 Jennifer put a lot of thought into these answers – check ’em out!

I think I started hearing about Scott Monty about a year or two into my social media experience. Everyone kept talking about how he was a great social media role model, and what he was doing at and for Ford was really something everyone should take note of as they struggled with their own social media marketing campaigns. I thought it was interesting that for all of the compliments, Scott didn’t seem to be one of those folks who had to remind everyone how awesome he was via blog posts or tweets. He just did his job and did it well.

I have had the great privilege of getting to know Scott a bit better over the last few years and have found him to be thought-provoking, way too smart, and extremely kind. Add to that the fact that he is a bigger Sherlock nut than me by a large margin and you know why I wanted to feature him here.

1. How do you define “passion”?
To me, passion is something that gets your heart racing, something that can get you motivated even when you really don’t feel like doing anything. We all face the drudgery of some tasks from time to time, but when you’re so interested in something that you lose track of time or other responsibilities – that’s passion.

2. What is your passion?
I have a few, but the one that has taken priority for many years is my interest in Sherlock Holmes. To some, this may seem like another literary character, but for me, it has opened up a whole world of friendship, scholarship and technological tinkering (the last of which is also a passion of mine).

3. How do you know that this was a passion and not just a passing interest?
For me, it clicked when I discovered how many other people shared this interest. Not only were there massive amounts of books about the topic, but I discovered an underground network of individuals across the country (and later across the globe) who were also interested in Sherlock Holmes. Our shared passion means that we always have other people to connect with.

4. How do you make sure you follow your passion and nurture it?
Oddly enough, in one of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Dr. Watson poses as a collector of Chinese pottery in order to infiltrate the home of the antagonist, who is an expert on the topic. When quizzed about his deficiency of knowledge, Watson excuses it with his busy medical practice. The villain’s reply sums up my feelings about nurturing your passion: “That is no answer. If a man has a hobby he follows it up, whatever his other pursuits may be.”

So f​or me, part of it is connecting with other people to fuel that passion, and constantly finding ways to express my own interest. That has meant creating I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, a website and podcast dedicated to Sherlock Holmes.

5. What is your advice to other people who are trying to follow their passion?
Find other people who share your interest and a place (online or offline) where you can meet to discuss it together. A passion without someone to share it with is an addiction.

From there, you’ll get ideas about how to harness your energy and do something with it, like writing a book, exploring a new place, or building something. Having some sort of proof of accomplishment – whether it’s a stamped passport, a website, a magazine, or photos of an experience – is a great way to demonstrate the value of your passion.

6. Anything else you want to say?
Thank you for being so passionate about what you do! It’s great to be able to share a story with someone who’s interested in hearing about it.

I met Susan quite serendipitously on Twitter a few years ago. She was looking for help on Twitter and I happened to see her tweet, so I jumped in. From that point on, we have developed a friendship just as purty as Susan’s roses 🙂 As it happens, Susan is a highly skilled and respected rosarian, so I think I have learned more from her than she ever could learn from me. Susan is one of the sweetest and most passionate people I know, so I hope you enjoy her answers here as much as I did!

1. How do you define “passion”? 

A: Passion is a force greater than you, a calling. One morning I didn’t feel like going outside and yet I knew I ‘had to’ take a picture of ‘Legend’ because the moment would be lost if I did not. Nature is perpetually in motion and that motion and light changes everything every second. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity states that in the time it has taken to write this sentence the room around me has changed. How much more does a blossom change in a minute, an hour, a day?  My passion is a compulsion.

2. What is your passion?

A: Rose growing, gardening, photographing and writing about moments in the garden and sharing it with people, often times with a sense of humor. Showing folks in pictures the beauty that surrounds us in simple pleasures.  Also educating folks that if they want to grow roses they too can do it.  I realize that at any given moment I may be the only witness to an event that will never come again. I feel it’s an obligation to share that moment with as many people as I can.

3. How did you know that this was a passion and not just a passing interest?

A: My Mother’s favorite flowers were peonies. They bloom first in the spring in Northern Illinois so she wanted me to apply bone meal around the peonies first and get them ready for the spring bloom. I realized roses might be my passion when I just wanted to hurry up with the peonies to get to the roses. Now I love peonies and just about everything that grows.

4. How do you make sure you follow your passion and nurture it?

A: You will know when you are following your passion because your passion whisks you along with it. A passion is a driving force, and the fuel for passion is generosity and sharing. The more you give it away the more it comes back to you and grows in ways that one cannot measure.  
5. What is your advice to other people who are trying to find or follow their passion?

A: We all know children ask difficult questions and a child asked him a very difficult question. What was God doing before the creation? The Pope pondered the question and knowing that God is Love, Pope Francis said: paraphrased a bit, “God was loving. I can say to you to find your passion, love. Love persons, animals, plants, places or things and you will find your passion. Because the Pope also said “God is beauty”. Whatever name for a creator you believe in I know we can agree on that statement. Roses and the garden connect me to the creation in ways nothing else can and thereby connects me to you.
6. Anything else you want to say?

Thank-you Margie for asking me to share about my passion. The passion and generosity of spirit of Margie and in folks I have met through Margie has multiplied the love and caring I have seen in so many ways and any way that I can show people about the beauty of sharing my passion I am more than happy to do so.

Editor’s note – Susan’s very kind words were in fact unsolicited 🙂 

Tom is an incredible person and a great friend. He is one of those people I’ve felt I have always known. To be honest, I can’t remember exactly when or how we connected! It just seems like he has always been around, and that is ok with me. I have always admired Tom’s great passion for music, and not surprisingly, that is what he focused on here. Enjoy!

1. How do you define “passion”?

As an urge to create or explore in a specific area or direction. It’s not uncontrollable but it is urgent. You’re compelled by something not terribly logical or very easily explained, and you feel diminished or slightly less “you” if you don’t pursue it in some way.

2. What is your passion?

(Wait, I only get to pick one? Just kidding…) Music! I enjoy just about everything musical; listening, discovering new favorites, making playlists for friends or road trips, singing, playing bass and performing, whether it’s a jam session, open mic, or an actual paying gig.

3. How did you know that this was a passion and not just a passing interest?

I was hooked at an early age; I remember obsessively listening to “American Top 40” and rock & roll radio stations on my transistor radio as kid. I loved watching the Monkees after school on TV. I collected 45’s and LPs (yeah, I’m old), traded, discussed and argued with friends about what we liked and didn’t like, made mixtapes for friends (and girlfriends), and vacuumed up any information on my favorite artists from magazines. “Obsession” doesn’t quite capture it.

My parents started me with piano lessons just before adolescence kicked in; I wound up quitting after my teacher wouldn’t show me how to play “Beth” by KISS. (Teenage hormones & discipline do not mix very well.)

My first real rock concert was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (“River” tour, 1981). That was not my first rock show though; months before, I’d seen my first local bar band and was awestruck by their take on Queen’s “Dragon Attack.”

Later on, my buddy Bert showed me the electric bass. Turns out that I took to the bass more naturally than piano, and soon I’d played a few times with friends in informal jams, which led to playing at parties, being in bands, writing songs, learning how to really sing (and not clear the room), and eventually some paying gigs.

I had a lot of fun working in radio, starting at my college radio station (WUSC) and two local commercial stations (WSCQ & WNOK) before moving into a retail career.

Even when involved in other projects, like community theatre, I kept coming back to music. In fact, the first time I had a chance to direct a play, I chose a musical (“Nunsense”). By the way, you have to be a little nuts to tackle a musical as a first-time director, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.

Music capped my retail career when I worked in Walmart Radio, first as production manager then general manager, programming music and commercial content for Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs throughout the US and Canada.

4. How do you make sure you follow your passion and nurture it?

I find music in a lot of places, but I mostly use the internet and Spotify to discover new artists and sounds. Trying to keep my ears open to the new keeps me from getting old! ;^)

Also, I try to play at least ten minutes each day, even if it’s just improvisational noodling. Most of the time I’m actually pursuing a goal, such as learning a new song, writing something, or finding a new way to play something old and familiar. I find You Tube videos to help me learn new songs or decipher a complex pattern. Chord structures and tabs are available on different sites, but I’m mostly driven by my own desire.

5. What is your advice to other people who are trying to find or follow their passion?

Outside of my piano lessons, I had little encouragement (and quite a bit of discouragement) about pursuing music for a career; when I got older and could see how many different jobs and roles one could have involving music, I realized that my parents and past counselors had been short-sighted. Considering the amazing opportunities that we have via global communication with the internet, there are likely even more opportunities than before. If you keep your eyes and ears open to the possibilities, you’ll likely find opportunities to pursue your passion – and get paid for it – throughout your life. Acknowledge the doubters and try to stay grounded, while you just keep reaching for those stars!

6. Anything else you want to say?

I’d be remiss if I didn’t plug some of the amazing artists that I’ve been listening to (and I’d love to know who YOU are listening to as well!):

Sara Morgan https://youtu.be/6g488J1sjtY

Stardog https://youtu.be/XxC8ldrXecg

Gregory Porter https://youtu.be/9HvpIgHBSdo

Jason Isbell https://youtu.be/ZtgPeNKpnyw

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats https://youtu.be/1iAYhQsQhSY

Leon Bridges https://youtu.be/pgS_xob1x4A

Chris Stapleton https://youtu.be/4zAThXFOy2c

Aaron and his wife Susan are two of the coolest people I know. The amount of passion they have for several things is transparently not only in their work but also just in conversing with them. Also they are disgustingly smart. I highly encourage you to check out Grow Journey – I have been a member for about a year now, I think, and I am overwhelmed with how much I have learned, how much I need to learn, and how much work goes into the project. I am hoping Susan agrees to be featured in this series as well, but in the meantime, enjoy Aaron’s responses!

Thankfully, my wife and I have found a way to turn our passion into a business via www.GrowJourney.com. We’re close to being able to do that full-time now, and it will be really nice to have our passion be our work. You know the saying, “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” I think that’s fairly accurate, although building a business inevitably involves very hard work and doing things you don’t necessarily love (or know anything about when you’re getting started).

Today’s feature for #PassionPlayers is my cousin, Josh Gippin. Josh has always been someone I look up to (I also adore the fact that he is one of the few cousins I have who is older than me). Josh has been true to his passions for an awful long time now, and he is holding true to that while also being a great father and husband for his family. Here are his answers to my questions!