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In this episode of The JoyPowered® Workspace Podcast, hosts JoDee Curtis and Susan White talk with Peggy Hogan, Vice President of Talent Services at Purple Ink, about the pressure to find passion, purpose, and a paycheck in your career. They explore why so many people feel like they should love their work, how passions can change throughout a career, and why finding fulfilling work is often a journey rather than something we figure out all at once.

Peggy shares practical ways to learn more about what energizes you, from talking with people in different careers to using tools like the Strong Interest Inventory. She also introduces Marcus Buckingham’s idea of “red threads,” the tasks and activities you love, and “brown threads,” the parts of work that drain you or simply need to get done. The goal is to gradually weave more red threads into your career as you learn more about yourself and what matters to you.

Key Takeaways

• Give yourself time to figure out what you enjoy. Careers are a journey, and your first job does not have to reveal your lifelong passion. Pay attention to the work that energizes you, the things people come to you for, and the opportunities that spark your curiosity.
• Let your passions evolve. What excites you today may change as your life, skills, interests, and priorities change. Staying open to new possibilities can help you discover fulfilling work throughout your career.
• Consider what you need from work right now. Salary, stability, flexibility, remote work, and other practical needs may be especially important during certain stages of your life. Your career does not have to meet every need or passion at the same time.
• Get curious about career possibilities. Talk with professors, career coaches, friends, neighbors, and people doing work that interests you. Resources like O*NET and assessments such as the Strong Interest Inventory can also help you explore careers you may not have considered.
• Look for your “red threads.” Notice the tasks you look forward to, get lost in, or feel energized by. Marcus Buckingham calls these your red threads, and identifying them can help you intentionally bring more fulfilling work into your career over time.
• Expect every job to have some “brown threads.” Even fulfilling jobs include responsibilities we do not love. Keeping track of what energizes and drains you can help you make career decisions and gradually create a better mix.
• Take the pressure off finding the perfect career. Feeling like everyone else has discovered their passion can create unnecessary anxiety. Your career can develop over time as you learn more about yourself, build skills, and discover new opportunities.

Quote of the Episode

“Many of my career coaching clients seem to feel lost sometimes if they don’t have a passion for their work, and they feel like there’s something wrong with themselves.” – Peggy Hogan

Mentioned in this episode:

• Purple Ink
• Susan Tinder White Consulting
• How To Find Purpose in Your Work (Benefits, Steps and Tips) – Indeed, updated June 2026
• Want To Find Your Purpose At Work? Change Your Perceptions – Forbes, August 2019
• How to find your passion: 4 tactics to find a fulfilling pursuit – Passion.io
• ’Follow Your Passion’ Is The Worst Career Advice—Here’s Why – Forbes, May 2021
• O*NET Online
• Strong Interest Inventory
• Love and Work: How to Find What You Love, Love What You Do, and Do It for the Rest of Your Life by Marcus Buckingham
• Email Peggy
• Episode 186, ”Making Remote Work Work: Productivity and Collaboration When You Work from Home”
• ”SHRM Commemorates 33rd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)”
• JoyPowered® on Facebook
• JoyPowered® on LinkedIn
• JoyPowered® on Instagram
• Email JoyPowered®