Let's have an honest conversation about something that's been bothering me lately.
Every time I open social media, I see another guru preaching that "entrepreneurship is the only path to freedom."
As someone who's been on both sides of the fence, I need to tell you: that's simply not true.
Don't get me wrong – building a business can be incredibly rewarding.
But it's time we challenge this narrative that every passion, every skill, and every creative idea needs to be monetized.
Sometimes, the truest form of freedom comes from keeping your ideas pure, intentionally away from the pressures of profit.
When you turn every hobby into a hustle, you risk losing the joy that made it special in the first place.
Think about it: that peaceful morning routine of writing poetry? Once it becomes your "content strategy," it transforms into a deadline-driven chore.
Your weekend pottery sessions? They might lose their therapeutic magic when you're constantly thinking about Etsy listings and profit margins.
Here are some refreshing ways to bring your ideas to life without launching a business:
Community Projects: That educational workshop you've been dreaming about? Partner with your local library or community center. Impact doesn't always need a price tag.
Open Source Contributions: Share your coding skills or design expertise with the world. Some of the most revolutionary tech tools started as passion projects, not businesses.
Mentorship: Your knowledge is valuable beyond dollar signs. Consider mentoring others in your field – the rewards often exceed any monetary compensation.
Creative Collectives: Join or start a group of like-minded individuals who create for creation's sake. Sometimes the best projects emerge when profit isn't a factor. And if you can't find a collective to join, that's a sign for you to make one yourself!
Freedom might mean having a stable 9 to 5 that funds your passion projects without pressure. If you want to chat about what that could look like for you, reply to this email. My 9 to 5's have always been my first investors in the multiple businesses I've owned.
Freedom might mean volunteering your skills for causes you care about. Or it could mean keeping your art personal and precious, sharing it only when and how you choose.
Here's a simple but powerful exercise: Take your passion project and run it like a business for one week.
Track everything – time spent, costs, potential revenue, marketing needs.
If the administrative tasks energize you rather than drain you, that's a positive sign.
But if you find yourself longing for the days when it was "just for fun," that's equally valuable information.
Whether you choose to start a business or keep your passions as hobbies, remember this:
What matters is that you're creating, contributing, and finding fulfillment – whether that comes with a price tag or not.
Here's to finding your own definition of freedom.
Your Idea Partner,
DeAnna McIntosh
If you're in a space where you want to refresh your vision for your life or work, brainstorm ideas on how to actualize that vision, and then have support to execute your vision for this much-needed change in your life (and our world) - you absolutely can, and here's how.
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