In the course of explaining what makes a good networker, the word “passion” surfaces.
Having a passion for what you do surpasses anything else. Knowledge and skill is enhanced by passion. My case in point: Mike Nesuda and Commercial Wood Specialties of Dallas.
One great loss of this cycle of our economy is the loss of artisans. Those people who add so much to the homes we live in, the buildings we work in, the spaces we inhabit. They have passion for what they create. But their audience is shrinking and the demand for their work has been curtailed. the work done by artisans is disappearing as I write this.
Mike is a second generation woodworker/designer/carpenter. He is an artisan because he makes a space beautiful. Mike and his brother, Randy, and their late father, Emil, did some great work in many of the high-end homes and offices in Dallas. Mike not only built the cabinetry in George and Laura Bush’s Preston Hollow home, he designed it, specified the materials and installed it all. Emil, reworked the wood framing around the stained glass windows in the Cathedral of Guadalupe at Pearl Street and Ross Avenue. The passion they have for their work enhances their skill.
Now the demand for their work is diminishing and they are becoming a vanishing breed. This in spite of the passion they have and feel for their work.
I bring up Mike not because of his plight, but because of his passion. We all should be so lucky to have his combination of passion and skill in our lives. The loss of these things in our modern world is wrong in so many ways. The lesson is, that no matter the situation or outcome, don’t lose your passion. We all have special skills that make us unique and special. Coupling these skills with a passion makes you ever more valuable.
So often we hear “it’s not about the money.” In these tough times, money, unfortunately, has become a force that even passion has a tough time battling. But don’t give up or give in, the battle is worth it and your skills and passion are far more valuable.
Good luck, Mike.
Relentless
