Passion - The Secret to Pixar Success and Employment
Friday, February 6th, 2009Being unemployed, I was poking around on the Internet and found this video from the Dean of Pixar University, Randy Nelson. For those of you unfamiliar with Pixar University, it is an on going employee training program at Pixar. If your asking yourself why on earth does a company with such high hiring standards finds it necessary to train individuals that are clearly already at the top of their profession then the answer resides in how Pixar believes it needs to change the way they do business.
“We’ve made the leap from an idea-centered business to a people-centered business. Instead of developing ideas, we develop people. Instead of investing in ideas, we invest in people. We’re trying to create a culture of learning, filled with lifelong learners. It’s no trick for talented people to be interesting, but it’s a gift to be interested. We want an organization filled with interested people.” - Randy Nelson
When you think about it, this is why Pixar excels the way they do. In the same way that Google offers it’s employee’s free time during work to pursue side projects, Pixar is also investing in its work force. I feel like I could describe this all with one word, passion. It’s Pixar’s passion to promote the most creative and educated atmosphere possible that allows them to make such amazing films. It’s passion that drives creativity.
On the introspective side of things, I think passion is what drives me. If forced to describe myself in as few words as possible, passionate would almost undoubtedly be the first word I would use. Ask yourself right now, what are you passionate about? Next, how do your passions align with what you do for a living? Tell me below in the comments. There are few advantages to being unemployed but of the few it is the chance to reevaluate priorities. One of the people I feel really talks about this well is Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary is a pretty successful person and probably gets asked all the time how he did it. What most don’t understand is that Gary, like Pixar and myself, believes in pursuing your passions. My passion is to be a great designer, listen to great music, and to do big things. Things I haven’t even thought of yet. I can just only hope that one day, preferably soon, I will be fortunate enough to work in an environment that fosters such creativity and growth. So, hey Pixar! Are you listening? You should hire me.
Burke Shartsis
Subscribe Here