When listening to Episode 38: “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley" of Andrew Hickey’s A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs podcast, his observation that:

“By this point, it was very clear that if Elvis was given control of the studio and singing material he connected with, he would produce great things. And if he was doing what someone else thought he should be doing, he would be much less successful.”

made me realize: I'm just like Elvis!

Like a lot of people, I juggle work that pays the bills and passion projects. My day job demands sometimes feels like drudgery, but it feels like I come alive when working on personal projects. When I'm working on things that speak to me (like DailyInventory) there's a big difference in my energy and performance .

Elvis’s career shows the same contrast. When he sang songs chosen for him, the results were forgettable. But when he was free to pick material that spoke to him, he became Elvis — and music was never the same.

How about you? Are you like Elvis?