I quit my job. Voluntarily. To start my own business. In the middle of the biggest recession since the Great Depression. At a time when thousands of amazingly talented people who I know or admire have lost their jobs, are on the streets, scavenging for the same piece of shriveled up, not-at-all-what-it-used-to-be work.  At a time when corporations that are the lifeblood of what I do are cutting out their branding budgets, cutting down to skeletal crews and cutting back on their risk-taking.

So I find myself asking...

Who does that? Just ups and quits? What was I thinking? What have I done? Did I have to be so dramatic, make such a grand gesture at such a wobbly time?

Want to know what my mom would say? She'd tell you the person who does that is someone who is passionate, unafraid, always seeking happiness, an explorer, a facer of fears, a storyteller. My mom is cool that way. Always talking up her kid. (Thanks, Mom.)

How is it that passion, the kind of passion that pushes you to do crazy things on its behalf, can take hold so strongly? Can convince you to do such unorthodox things despite that funny feeling in your tummy? I don't know but I say when it does, grab on. Hold tight. Put a smile on your face and go along for the ride. See where it takes you. Revel in that. Because life is so very short and should at the very least be a daring adventure. Yes, even in your job.

Formula? Who needs a formula? Passion doesn't follow a formula.

I kind of like that.

(Please check in from time to time to see how the rollercoaster ride of starting a new business is going. At any given moment I might be laughing, screaming or, um, close to throwing up. Just being honest.)