The Joy (and Power) of Being Multipassionate

I’ve never been someone who fits neatly into one box.

You might know me as an entrepreneur. Or a corporate communications leader. Or maybe a foodie, photographer, or background actor (lol). The truth is I’m all of those things. And I love it that way.

There’s a word for people like me: multipassionate.

It’s not just a personality trait. It’s a way of moving through the world with curiosity, ambition, and intention.

What Does It Mean to Be Multipassionate?

To be multipassionate is to have a genuine interest in many things—not in a scattered or flaky way, but in a deeply engaged, energized-by-learning-and-doing kind of way. It’s about feeling lit up by different paths and refusing to accept the narrative that you have to pick just one in order to be successful.

A multipassionate person might:

• Have a corporate career and run a creative side business (me)
• Be drawn to both spreadsheets and screenplays (me again)
• Get excited about food, travel, tech, art, policy, community, or all of the above (me, me, me!)

And contrary to what the “niche down” advice might say, this doesn’t make you unfocused. It makes you dynamic.

Why “Multipassionate” Fits Me So Well

This word captures how I’ve lived, worked, and made choices across many seasons of my life. I’ve taken leaps across industries, from entertainment to entrepreneurship to corporate strategy and back again. I’ve chased opportunities that sparked my curiosity, even when they didn’t look linear on paper.

Being multipassionate has allowed me to:

• Lead corporate communications at global companies
• Start a business centered on food and culture
• Serve as a trusted advisor to purpose-driven startups and nonprofits
• Say yes to creative projects and unexpected collaborations
• Learn, stretch, and grow across roles, industries, and geographies

One of my favorite examples of this is when I applied for a development and communications consultant role with Farmshare Austin. At the time, I was working independently, growing Yumday, and looking for a freelance gig that was meaningful and community oriented.

When I first saw the job posting, I almost didn’t reach out. I didn’t check every box on the qualifications list, and I didn’t have a traditional nonprofit background. But I kept coming back to it because I really wanted to be part of this organization. I wanted to do work that mattered, and I knew I was ready to learn.

So I took a step back and looked at everything I had done:

• I had years of corporate communications experience.
• I had served on the board of a literacy nonprofit, so I understood how nonprofits function.
• I had a deep personal passion for food, farming, and sustainability.
• And I had this quirky, wonderful experience as a “virtual farmhand” for a local farm where I helped promote its CSA program by photographing produce, writing recipes, and educating people about seasonal eating.

Every single one of those things came together, gave me the courage to throw my name in the ring, and ultimately led me to being part of the Farmshare team. And the work I did there became one of the most fulfilling parts of my time in Austin.

What I’ve found over and over again is that the things you’ve done, no matter how different they seem, do connect. And when they do, new doors open.

This is why being multipassionate matters. When you allow yourself to follow what lights you up, even if it seems off the beaten path, you eventually start to see the threads come together in surprising and powerful ways.

The Pros (and Yes, Some Cons) of Multipassionate Living

Let’s start with the challenges, because they’re real:

• It can be hard to explain what you do at a networking event.
• You might feel pressure to choose just one identity, especially in traditional career paths.
• Context switching can be exhausting without boundaries or systems.
• You may worry that you’re “behind” compared to peers who stayed in one lane.

But here’s the good news:

The benefits far outweigh the friction.

💡 Agility: Multipassionate people are often quick learners and problem solvers. We know how to adapt, pivot, and innovate because we’ve done it before.

🎨 Creativity: Exposure to different fields helps us make unexpected connections. Innovation often comes from cross-pollination.

🧰 Depth + Breadth: Our range of skills and experiences means we bring a rich toolkit to whatever we do.

💪 Resilience: We’ve practiced starting new things, facing the unknown, and following our instincts. All key traits in a fast-changing world.

Being multipassionate isn’t about being indecisive. It’s about honoring the full spectrum of what makes you feel alive.

Curiosity Is a Superpower

If there’s one trait that has consistently guided me through the biggest transitions in my life and career, it’s curiosity. It’s the quiet nudge that says, “Hmm, what if?”—even when everything feels comfortable, even when there’s no clear roadmap ahead.

Take, for example, the time I was happily working in Knoxville, TN for the parent company of some of the most popular lifestyle networks out there (HGTV, Food Network, and Travel Channel). I was feeling fantastic in my role, and I got to do the coolest things as part of my job—like party with the Property Brothers, hang out in the Iron Chef Kitchen Stadium and try out new dishes in the Food Network Test Kitchen, take a Chicago architecture cruise with the host of Travel Channel's Mysteries at the Museum, dine at Michelin-starred restaurants like Le Bernardin, fly around the country in private jets... that job often felt like a dream!

But when a recruiter reached out about a communications position at a major Hollywood studio, I didn’t delete the email. I was curious. And that simple decision to say yes to a conversation changed everything. It led to a cross-country move to Los Angeles and a VP role that stretched me in all the best ways. Curiosity didn’t just open a door; it gave me permission to walk through it, even when I wasn’t actively looking for a change.

The same mindset helped me make an even bigger leap: from corporate life to entrepreneurship in a space that I had never worked in before. I didn't have a background in the food and beverage industry, but I was passionate, curious, and willing to learn. (And I was, and still am, a big foodie and snack lover.) So I followed breadcrumbs. I immersed myself in the world of women- and BIPOC-led snack brands. That curiosity helped me build Yumday from the ground up, and in the process, it helped me build a new version of myself.

And then there are the smaller, less conventional sparks of curiosity, like saying yes to background acting. (More on that in this post.) It didn’t align with a big goal or career plan, but it fed my creative spirit and reminded me how energizing it is to explore new environments and meet new people. Not every curious decision has to be career-driven. Sometimes, it’s about joy, play, or simply trying something new for the fun of it.

Curiosity has never failed me. It’s helped me grow, take risks, connect dots across seemingly unrelated experiences, and build a life full of possibility. For me, curiosity isn’t just a trait. It’s a strategy. And it’s one I’ll keep choosing, over and over again.

How to Thrive as a Multipassionate

Living this way takes intention. Here are practices that help me stay grounded:

• Do the work that fuels you: Whether it’s your main job or a project on the side, make space for the work that gives you energy. Not just the work that pays the bills.
• Let the side hustle be joyful: It doesn’t have to be productive 24/7. Let it be creative, experimental, and fluid.
• Take real breaks: When you love what you do, it’s tempting to never stop. But rest is essential to sustainability. (Just ask my dog, Marty.)
• Schedule regular check-ins with yourself: Ask, Does this still fuel me? or Have my priorities shifted? Pivoting isn’t failure. It’s self-trust. (More on “embracing the pivot” here.)
• Be intentional about boundaries: Know when to say yes and when to say not right now.

Connecting Across Spaces (and Paying It Forward)

One of the most beautiful aspects of being multipassionate is the network we build across industries, disciplines, and communities. Our work and passions often bring us into contact with people from all walks of life and that creates opportunities for meaningful connection.

• We’re bridges between industries.
• We spot collaboration opportunities others might miss.
• We can connect dots and people.

And if you’re multipassionate, one of the most powerful things you can do is pay it forward:

• Recommend a designer to a friend launching a business. (Meet my friend Karla—one of the most talented, kindest, coolest people I know! She's the person who helped me bring the Yumday brand to life!)
• Introduce your nonprofit connection to someone in tech who’s building tools for good. (Like my husband, Brandon—an ex-Apple software engineer who's now doing cool and innovative things for himself and for interesting clients.)
• Share an opportunity that’s not right for you with someone who’d be perfect for it. (Don't be surprised if I point a recruiter your way!)

Our wide-ranging interests help us see the bigger picture and build community within it.

You’re Not Too Much—You’re Fully Equipped

Being multipassionate isn’t about doing everything at once. It’s about showing up with your whole, layered self in every space you enter. That creative eye from your photography practice? It might sharpen your presentations at work. Your leadership on a nonprofit board? It fuels your ability to guide teams elsewhere. The storytelling in your side hustle? It shapes how you write, pitch, and connect.

You don’t have to choose one lane. You’re not “too much”—you’re expansive. Everything you’ve done is part of your toolkit. Your curiosity is a compass. Your range is your strength. And your path? It’s meant to be uniquely yours.