“what makes you excited about work?”

I ask this question all the time. I truly believe it’s one of the best ways to gauge what really drives someone, how full of it they are, and what their poker face looks like. The more sugarcoated the answer, the more I’m skeptical. In fact, it’s right up there with watching how somebody interacts with a waiter, waitress, or bartender. I can learn a whole lot about somebody in that specific moment.

I asked someone that question recently and they spend their life around music. Their answer was, “seeing so many different people connect, and enjoying, whatever we put in front of them.”

Word.

By the way, my answer is…the kids. Seeing those kids see the bikes for the first time and the excitement on their faces makes everything worth it.

I’ve been finding a lot of inspiration recently in the work of others. As I look back over the last couple of years, I look at who has inspired me, who has helped clear the path for me when it comes to startups in Indy, and who has challenged me to be better.

It’s a long list.

And, what’s awesome about that list, is that I think the genuine answer to “what gets you excited?” wouldn’t have anything to do with how it personally benefits them, but about how they love seeing others benefit from their work. It might be making really good beer (Clay and Dave), bringing really good music to town (Dodge), seeing the impact of their marketing transform Indy (Libby), or getting people to understand classical music (Zach and Nathan).

It’s easy to get lost in the day to day of pretending to be an adult, but, at the end of the day….it’s all worth it to make a difference in the lives of others.

So, what makes YOU excited about work?

Cheers.