Conversations on Passion: Emily Worden of eThreads

Conversations on Passion is an interview series with those who have found and are living their passions in some form. If you'd like to be profiled or know someone who would be a great fit, send me a note at ryan@crazyenoughtotry.com.

I met Emily at a workshop she gave on business marketing at Miranda's Hearth, and was immediately impressed. I had previously flipped through her book Make. Sell. Repeat., an awesome guide for starting businesses, and had been looking forward to learning more. With both a book and a custom bag shop, eThreads, Emily has a ton of experience in creating and living her passions.

Read on below to get the full story behind her journey from a DIYer to a full time businesswoman.

Ryan BonaparteApril 2, 2015Conversations on Passion, Passion, Crafting, Business

Conversations on Passion: Dr. Karl Reid

I've known Dr. Karl Reid for many years, beginning when I started at MIT and he served as my first academic advisor. Since then, I've watched him grow and change others in ways that I can only hope to do one day. From continuing on to receive his Ed.D. in education while heading the Office of Minority Education at MIT, to affecting change on a national scale in the education system for minorities, Karl has been incredibly passionate about helping others and a true mentor to me. I'm very humbled that we were able to sit down a few months ago and discuss his thoughts on passion and his path that led him to where he is today.

PopularRyan BonaparteJanuary 20, 2015Conversations on Passion, Passion, Education

Conversations on Passion: Doug Menuez

Conversations on Passion is an interview series with those who have found and are living their passions in some form. If you'd like to be profiled or know someone who would be a great fit, send me a note at ryan@crazyenoughtotry.com.

I'm very excited to share this next interview. You may not have heard about Doug Menuez, but he is a fantastic photojournalist and storyteller. From the minute I read the first few words of one of his stories, I was captivated. Below is just a snippet of his amazing background:

"His early work as a photojournalist began in 1981 as an intern for The Washington Post, and from there began a career as freelance photojournalist for Time, Newsweek, Life, USA Today, Fortune and many other publications worldwide.
His subjects included the Ethiopian famine, the Olympics, and the AIDS crisis. He gained exclusive, unprecedented access to record the rise of Silicon Valley and daily lives of its most brilliant innovators, including Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Bill Joy and John Doerr during an era when more jobs and wealth were created than at any time in human history. His many portrait assignments range from Mother Tereza to Robert Redford and President Bill Clinton.
Menuez’ work has won numerous awards, been exhibited in solo and group shows and been featured in nine of the bestselling Day in the Life books. His advertising clients include global brands such as Chevrolet, Emirates Airlines, McDonald’s, Allstate, Coca Cola, Microsoft, Citibank, Nokia, GE and Samsung. Menuez’ books include the bestseller co-produced with David Elliott Cohen, 15 Seconds: The Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1989, which generated more than five hundred thousand dollars in relief money for earthquake victims."

Check out his work at his website www.menuez.com and take a look at the slideshow at the end of the post for some more of his great shots. Read on to learn about his passions, thoughts on passion, and how they influence and govern his work.

Ryan BonaparteJune 26, 2014Passion, Conversations on Passion, Photography, Interview

Conversations On Passion: Miranda Aisling of Miranda's Hearth

Conversations on Passion is an interview series with those who have found and are living their passions in some form. If you'd like to be profiled or know someone who would be a great fit, send me a note at ryan@crazyenoughtotry.com.

I had the pleasure of meeting Miranda at TEDxBoston 2013. We each stood awkwardly looking around at all of the people who seemed to be involved in epic projects like solving world hunger through refrigeration, visualizing information to influence national elections, or designing new living spaces for Boston residents. I felt woefully outclassed. In an effort to bridge the gap, we struck up a conversation and found that we both shared similar goals. She had recently published a book (which I quoted in this early post) and was looking to build a community. I've since been heavily involved in her efforts and have seen the fruits of her labor blossoming. With a slightly unorthodox path through her education and an uncanny ability to connect people, Miranda is well on her way to building her dream. Read on to learn more about Miranda, her passions, and the projects she's working on.

Ryan BonaparteMay 30, 2014Conversations on Passion, Passion, Art, Music, Interview

Conversations on Passion: Wade Roush of Xconomy

Conversations on Passion is an interview series with those who have found and are living their passions in some form. If you'd like to be profiled or know someone who would be a great fit, send me a note at ryan@crazyenoughtotry.com.

Wade Roush is the Chief Correspondent and San Francisco Editor at Xconomy. I've been following his work for years, and just had to reach out to him to get his opinions on passion. As a writer, who works primarily on technology and innovation, especially in Silicon Valley, he's had first hand experience with people who have worked with their passions to create companies. Sometimes it works out for them, and a lot of times it doesn't. Read on to learn his thoughts on what people call passion and why it's misguided, how he got into writing in the first part, and some tips on finding your passion unless you're one of his heroes, Leonardo da Vinci.

Ryan BonaparteMarch 20, 2014Conversations on Passion, Interview, Passion

Conversations on Passion: Ayah Bdeir of littleBits

Conversations on Passion is an interview series with those who have found and are living their passions in some form. If you'd like to be profiled or know someone who would be a great fit, send me a note at ryan@crazyenoughtotry.com.

I'm really excited to share with you this next Conversation on Passion. I was fortunate enough to connect with Ayah Bdeir, founder and CEO of littleBits. If you're not familiar with littleBits, they are working to change the perception of engineering by making it straightforward and engaging for young people. Think motors, motion sensors, and other electronic components that can be connected in a matter of seconds into complex circuits and then reassembled to make a new type of circuit. All connections are made via magnets, so there's no way to mess up. Great stuff! Ayah presented at TED2012 in Long Beach, and was awarded a TED2013 Senior Fellowship. She's very passionate about what she does and has some interesting insights on passions and some great advice on how to find and keep yours.

Ryan BonaparteMarch 13, 2014Conversations on Passion, Interview, Education, Entrepreneurship, TED, Creativity, Business

Conversations on Passion: Matt Stillman of stillmansays.com

Conversations on Passion is an interview series with those who have found and are living their passions in some form. If you'd like to be profiled, send me a note at ryan@crazyenoughtotry.com.

In April of 2009, I started an experiment in Union Square in New York City. I sit out there with two chairs, a table and a sign that says: “Creative Approaches To What You Have Been Thinking About”.

This is what I first read about Matt Stillman. I randomly came across his website, stillmansays.com, two years ago and then proceeded to read every one of his recounts of the conversations he had with the people who showed up at his table.

From coping with relationship issues to handling destructive pets to making important career choices, Matt's given creative approaches to the problems people bring to him. Drawing on the knowledge he's acquired of an absurd amount of facts and by looking at life through a slightly different lens than most of us, he's helped thousands of people think a little differently about the personal battles we face.

I recently had a chance to have a Skype call with Matt to discuss his own passions, how his life has led him to this point, and to get some creative approaches on how to find passions and incorporate them into our lives.

Ryan BonaparteMarch 6, 2014Conversations on Passion, Passion, Interview, Learn, People, Search, Sharing, Creativity

Conversations on Passion: Julia Winston of BRAVE Communication LLC

Conversations on Passion is an interview series with those who have found and are living their passion in some form. If you'd like to be profiled, send me a note at ryan@crazyenoughtotry.com.

For this part of the interview series, I've had the pleasure of connecting with Julia Winston of BRAVE Communication LLC. She has been teaching and coaching leaders at non-profits, corporations, and other businesses to improve their communication skills and get their ideas across more effectively. She also writes about communication and its impact on our relationships at her blog, The Living BRAVE Blog. Keep reading below to find out how she defines passion, why she does what she does, and some great tips on finding your own passions.

Ryan BonaparteFebruary 27, 2014Conversations on Passion, Communication, Passion, Search, Interview, Career

Conversations on Passion: Jennifer Chen of The Fashion Hub

Conversations on Passion is an interview series with those who have found and are living their passion in some form. If you'd like to be profiled, send me a note at crazyenoughtotry@gmail.com.

For the first in the interview series, I've spoken with Jennifer Chen. Quite the busy person, she's actively involved in her day job and her passion work, all the while trying to keep a personal life. Creator of the website The Fashion Hub, she is very passionate about fashion, but that's not all. I had a chance to interview her and I'm happy to share her thoughts on passion, life, and more.

Ryan BonaparteOctober 10, 2013Conversations on Passion, Fashion, Interview, Career