This is not new news to me, but it’s always useful to be reminded of the fact that Dr. Dale Callahan has a clue.

If I may grossly over-simplify his entrepreneurial viewpoint:

Find something you are passionate about and then find a way to earn a living doing that thing.

I was reading an article in the November 30th issue of BusinessWeek Magazine about a guy who started selling homemade soap from the trunk of his car, then moved into premium-priced skin-care products.  In 2005, he had sales of $250,000.  In 2008, sales hit $5.8 million.

Luxury soap?

Why am I working in IT?

SOAP!?

Sheesh.  It’s brilliant.

I mentioned this to my wife and she’s like, “Yeah, you’ve heard about people making their own soap, right?”

No.  What else are they making?  You have my interest.

Then it hits me.  The lady who liked to bake sweet rolls, and now she sells them in grocery stores everywhere.  The guy who made the really good little cookies that everybody likes.

And have you checked out the BBQ sauce aisle?  Does EVERYBODY have their own BBQ sauce label now?

And you know what the key is?  Advertising.  Branding.  Marketing.  Generating demand.  Getting something out there.

I KNEW that.

Soap?  Wow.