Find Your True Calling
An interview with Chris Ballard, author of The Butterfly Hunter
By Sarah Thurmond
Can anyone find a true calling in life? Author Chris Ballard found ten everyday people who have in The Butterfly Hunter: Adventures of People Who Found Their True Calling Way Off the Beaten Path (Broadway Books, 2006). By exploring the lives and motivations of these outside-the-box thinkers, Ballard (who is also a staff writer at Sports Illustrated and the author of Hoops Nation) discovers insight that could help the rest of us find our dream jobs. We're thrilled that he's sharing some of that knowledge with us! But you should still read the book. It'll inspire even the most jaded cubicle dweller to get off his duff and develop that quirky passion into a true calling.
Q. Let's get right to the point... Why did you write this book?
A. I've always been interested in the strange nooks and crannies of the work world, dating back to when I held a variety of odd jobs through high school. As a reporter/writer, I especially like talking to people who are obsessive about what they do. They're so excited that they suck you into their little world. I'd written a couple profiles for the New York Times Magazine about these types of people (one on a guy who's essentially a professional game show contestant and another on a guy who was an aspiring competitive eater). I got the idea of compiling a book of these people, and seeing what, if anything, we could learn from them.
Q.You spent about two years researching the history of work and interviewing your 10 subjects. Based on all the knowledge you collected, why do you think some people are better at finding their dream job than others?
A. Wow, for that you gotta buy the book. Just kidding. I don't think I have any definitive answer for that. I try to tell the stories of these people, and let them tell their own stories. I think if there's a theme with these people, it's the willingness/necessary ignorance/luck to take risks to do something that makes them happy. Especially with these fields, it's not the easy choice.
Q.You can disagree with me on this but I have a theory that in order to find your calling you need to be in touch with your inner nerd. Take Bill Gates as an example. Why do nerds seem to be more successful at finding their callings than, say, members of the "in crowd?"
A. Great theory. And my guess would be because nerds aren't necessarily as concerned with what everyone else thinks. Because that's the best way to make sure you don't find a calling. You may end up with a job that impresses your friends, or your parents, or the cool kids down at wherever the cool kids hang out, but you forgot to find a job that you like. As an aside, I also think that in general, people who'd qualify as "nerds" have a wonderful ability to focus on subjects, going in the deep and narrow. This is probably part of what make some of them successful.
Q. I love that you turned complaining about work into a positive. "Even if the people I spent time with professed to love their work, they also love—like all of us—to bitch about it... Complaining can be a measure of engagement, and far preferable to boredom and indifference." Why do you think it became cooler to complain about work than to take pride in it?
A. Because no one wants to sit around and drink beers with the guy who's positive all the time. Bitching about work is a necessary release. I don't want to know that you love your job if I have complaints about mine. I want you to complain about yours so I feel better about mine. Maybe that's cynical, but that's my take.
Q. For Sports Illustrated you've covered the NBA finals, found the perfect sports bar, and explained how the web is changing sports coverage. Basically, your job requires that you hang out with Dwyane Wade, eat buffalo wings, and surf the 'net. So, Mr. Sportswriter, how does it feel to have a dream job?
A. I'm pretty pleased. Though to be honest, the whole hanging with famous athletes part is not what one would imagine. More often than not, it's more like: spend two weeks trying to set up an interview via pr people and agents, hang around a team/player for days until he has half an hour he can block away for you, then ask him questions while he checks his blackberry/sidekick. The part of my job I really enjoy is heading out on stories where you talk to real people—high school sports, out-of-the-way sports, etc. The sports bar story was a blast, however. I'm happy to write a follow-up anytime the magazine needs one.
Q. Did you find yourself envying the people you profiled? Any one in particular? Why?
A. The last guy in the book, Phil Devries (the butterfly hunter himself). He has such a certainty about what he's doing, and such a sense of purpose. He feels like he's making a difference, he has a wonderful perspective on life and also happens to be ridiculously intelligent.
Q. Let's forget about people who have found their calling and think about those who have to deal with people who have found their calling. The hours of waiting because someone lost track of the time. The mornings of waking up to an empty bed because someone couldn't wait to get started on his day. The countless number of times we've had to repeat a sentence because someone was too busy being "inspired"... You get the idea. Any advice for us?
A. Well, I don't think it's a coincidence that many of the people I profiled had very, very patient spouses. A couple have never had kids and others have gone through multiple marriages. The ones where their relationships flourish seem to be where—like the lumberjill and Devries—both husband and wife have the same obscure passion.
Q. In the chapter about John Nehrich, "The Rail-Aholic," you bring up the notion that in order for something to have value, it needs to be acknowledged: "...for something to be a calling you need the world to value what you value." Receiving acknowledgment for work is like finding love, wouldn't you agree? It only comes when you're not looking for it. Any tips on how to break that habit of seeking approval or positive feedback for a job well done?
A. Yeah, that's something Nehrich struggled with (and still does). Again, I'm not sure I'm the guy to give tips on this—I'm a sucker for positive feedback, as I imagine is the case with any journalist. All I can say is that, from spending time with these people, it seems they are either wired for it (the need for approval) or they're not. If they are, they found a field where they get it (like Spiderman, the wallclimber in chapter one). That's probably the best advice: self awareness.
Q. I looked for your book at Barnes and Noble and found it in the self-improvement section. Did you ever think you'd be the guy people turn to in their quest for a better life?
A. Man, that's depressing. Without going too far into it, there was a bit of a struggle with this book between the idea of marketing it as purely a nonfiction book about interesting people and ideas (my preference) and positioning it as a book that just might change your life! (the publisher's preference). You can tell which one won out.
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