The Industry Loves Passion Until It Costs Money

Everyone says they want passionate people.
They say it like it’s a compliment. Like it’s currency.
Passion is great when it looks like staying late.
When it looks like covering a shift.
When it looks like answering messages on your day off.
When it looks like “no worries.”
Passion is celebrated when it fills gaps.
But the moment passion asks for something back—
a raise, a boundary, a schedule that doesn’t bleed—
it becomes inconvenient.
Suddenly it’s not passion anymore.
It’s entitlement.
It’s attitude.
It’s “not how things work.”
The industry loves passion when it’s quiet.
When it doesn’t invoice.
When it doesn’t need time, rest, or recognition.
We praise the people who give the most
and then act surprised when they disappear first.
There’s a point where dedication turns into leverage.
And that’s usually where the conversation ends.
Because passion is only valuable
as long as it’s free.