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Writer's pictureSarindee Patel

Don’t Quit Your Day Job to Pursue Your Passion—Find What Fulfills You: Tana Bosshard

Two years ago, I quit my full-time, salaried, benefits job with a fancy title to pursue my passion.


Leading up to that point I had done what I was “supposed to do.”

I studied public relations in college, secured a couple of well-respected internships, landed a job in Washington, DC and “worked my way up the ladder.” Yet, when the pandemic hit, I found myself in front of my computer 24/7 and the pieces of my job that made me happy, dissipated.

I loved my clients, and my colleagues were some of my closest confidants, yet the lack of balance outweighed what used to motivate me.

So, I took the “brave” leap to become a certified personal trainer. It was something I always wanted to do.


I had entertained the idea of getting my certification since I graduated college but I had always come up with an excuse as to why I didn’t have time. In many ways, exercise saved my life and in every way it improved my quality of life. It made me happy in all the ways my job no longer did.


Of course, not everyone understood.


They saw all of the “success” and dedication I put into getting to where I was in my career. Not only was I starting from scratch but I was also pursuing a job that some people do as their “side gig.”


The majority of people, however, applauded me.


They told me how brave I was, they said they wished they were courageous enough to follow their passion. Some asked me if they should quit their job to find something that makes them happy.

The truth was, I had no idea what I was doing and what to expect but I took the leap anyway.

I threw myself into “full-time fitness”—teaching more than 15 classes a week, waking up at 5 am and going to bed the moment I came home at 9:30 pm. And no, I didn’t “work out for a living,” so I had to find time for that too.


I absolutely loved the members I coached and how fitness made their days better like it did mine. However, I was right back to square one, lacking the balance I did in my full time job.


I followed my passion, I was supposed to be happy, right? If I made the “brave” leap I had to make this work, didn’t I?


Well, I found it is a bit more complex than that. About a year after leaving my full-time job, I was approached with the idea of freelance work. The set up would allow me to continue teaching group fitness while also consulting.


I did like the idea of staying sharp in public relations and continuing to “exercise” those muscles, plus I quite enjoyed the subject matter and work I would be doing. So, I said yes.

What I didn’t realize was along with the yes, came what I was looking for. Fulfillment.

This month marks the first birthday of TBoss Consulting, a strategic communications and consulting firm driven by big picture thinking.


With TBoss Consulting, I am able to find the balance I searched for in my full-time job by teaching fitness classes and working in public relations. I am able to fulfill client goals, work on issue areas that excite me and work with people who respect one another.


Plus, I have time for the “passion.”


Is writing an op-ed or a tweet my passion? Not necessarily, but it is what fulfills me.


If I were to talk to myself two years ago, I would say don’t change a thing but this is the advice I would give:

  1. Just because other people are doing something a certain way doesn’t mean you have to

  2. It’s not about the title

  3. The path is not linear

  4. Don’t pursue your passion—find something that fulfills you

- Tana Bosshard

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