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How to Find Out my Passions and Skills:

ten practical exercises to help you find out your interests and purposes and create your
dream job or business.

Karine Drumond

Version by Taciana Cuciolli

Proof-reading by Vnia Rodrigues

1st. Edition

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The work E-book I Want to Turn My Passion into Business from Negcio de Mulher is licensed under
Creative Commons - Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivatives 3.0 Unported.
Based on the work available at http://www.negociodemulher.com.br.

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Content
Collectivity, Empathy and Passion
2. The Wheel of Life
3. Your Life Line
4. Creative Entrepreneur Mandala
5. You on the Cover Story
6. Your Predominant Personality
7. Analyzing Your Strengths and Opportunities - SWOT
8. Finding Out Your Personal Values
9. Your Purpose Statement
10. Putting Your Passion into Action
Bonus: How to Bring More Happiness to Your Life
Small Business Stories

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Collectivity, Empathy and Passion

These are attributes of the feminine way of looking, that make us work
collaboratively, that make us put ourselves in someone else's shoes and jump with both
feet in life projects, with courage and optimism.
Can you relate to this vision?
I invite you to dare, to have your own view of life. Develop your journey. Find your
DNA too.
For whom is this book intended?
This book is for creative women looking for a more meaningful life. Money, yes, but
purpose comes first.
This is an introduction to all those who pursue a way to work with what they love,
joining skills and market opportunities.
It is for entrepreneurs, self-employed, dreamers and creative women. It answers the
most common doubts that trouble us when we decide to start. It does not answer all the
questions at all, but we believe it to be a first step.
It is for those women who decide to start something new, to step out of the comfort
zone and to chase after a dream, to work through a new way, looking for accomplishment.
I'll tell you what: it won't be easy, but it will be transforming - and this is just what makes it
worth. But one thing we can all be sure of: there isn't a right way, there is just a way. This is
the way you should let yourself in. Open your heart and your mind and learn with the
process, and the essential thing: have fun!
Karine Drumond
Co-founder of Negcio de Mulher

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Introduction

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

When I was finishing high school, in 2000, I decided to take design classes, driven by
a will to explore my most cultural and creative side, because the idea of the so-called
traditional career never encouraged me. I had a degree, I was an intern, I worked at some
design offices, but I always felt that something was "missing". Curious, I tried several design
areas, from print to digital, with which I fell in love and dedicated myself for some years
until I decided what I really liked was researching and interactivity. As a designer, I've
always had a long distance relationship with Psychology, and this love was always evident
through my tendency to stand out in activities in which human behavior was central. This is
how I went deep into usability and field research. From post-graduation student to teacher,
partner in a consulting business in 2008, just when I found myself involved again with the
creation of a new business, Negcio de Mulher. Oriented and inspired by a simpler,
independent and entrepreneurial life style, I ended up inspiring other women who wished
to do the same. I started studying business and entrepreneurship and themes related to
self-knowledge to help my business, as well as those women's. This inspired me and
brought me a huge personal reward.
By looking back, it is easier to understand my path, marked by a pursuit of this
alignment between my personality (my manner), my passions (what I like to do), skills
(what I can do well) and purpose (vision).
I guess I've never stopped asking myself "What do you want to be when you grow
up?" I went on exploring, even though I had reached a comfort zone. I looked for
something else. I have also learned that this pursuit is endless, it goes on forever. As well as
you are not static, you change, your life changes, your values change, so does your purpose.
Neither have I reached what I'd like to yet, nor have I reached all my goals, but I've never
felt so happy and comfortable with the decisions I've been making. Entrepreneurship is
hard, but starting is even harder. Once started, once you are in control of your life, the hard
thing is to stay the same, you will never be the same. Would happiness be the result of this
alignment between life values and purposes? There is no shadow of a doubt.

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Never forget to ask yourself: what do you want to be when you grow up?
What I propose in this book, with the following exercises,
is the opportunity to rehearse the answers to this question and evaluate your current
choices.

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1. Passion,
Where Are You?
It seems easy. You have a
passion or hobby and wish to turn
it into a business, make a living of
it, and be your own boss.
What if we are not sure of
or don't recognize our passions
and

motivations?

It

is

not

uncommon that pretty offen we don't recognize them. We are usually born and raised to
do what we "studied for", what our parents think we should do or even what we presume
we should do.
Everyday, we need to minimize the activities that please us to the detriment of
others which, theoretically, bring more results. How many times do we hear that "job X
does not make money" or "there's not much stability in this path"? By the way, I take the
chance to ask: what exactly is stability? There is a unique sense within this answer for each
one of us.
In general, our choices are molded by standards created by others and by
comfort or lack of confidence. We easily replicate them, ending up in a road that doesn't
express our values and we feel unsatisfied, unfulfilled. That is when the red sign is lit up,
through stress and unhappiness.
There is this quote from Dick Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?,
saying: Dream jobs are more often created rather than found, so they are rarely attainable
through conventional means. Its creation requires huge self-knowledge." (Dick Bolles)
This quote synthesizes what I want to say. There isn't a way of creating the dream
job or business, if you don't know WHO YOU ARE, what you're interested in and what your
predominant personality trait is.