Do you chase external success or internal fulfillment? Jeffrey Madoff and Dan Sullivan discuss ambition versus passion—how they differ, intersect, and fuel entrepreneurs. Learn why passion sustains long-term commitment while ambition alone falls short, and discover how to combine them for lasting impact.

Show Notes:

Passion is your internal drive, while ambition translates that drive into measurable success.

Ambition without passion burns out because external milestones like money and fame hollow out without the joy of the process.

Passion is what fuels long-term commitment because it’s what you can’t not do.

True passion creates freedom—doing what you want, when you want, with whom you want.

Childhood clues reveal your passion. What lit you up as a kid often points to your lifelong strengths.

Great entrepreneurs fuse principle (passion) with strategy (ambition).

Retirement is the enemy of passion.

Getting people to talk about their experiences is a great way to learn a lot about the world.

If you ask people questions that connect their experiences, they get very excited.

Resources:

Everything Is Created Backward by Dan Sullivan

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

Casting Not Hiring by Dan Sullivan and Jeffrey Madoff

Learn more about Jeffrey Madoff

Dan Sullivan and Strategic Coach®