In the movie In Good Company a veteran ad executive played by Dennis Quaid deals with major changes in his career after his firm is acquired. In the movie his character goes from being the boss to reporting to a 20-something hotshot half his age so his life and career are put to the ultimate test. When he is conned into inviting his new boss to dinner, Quaid’s character finds himself explaining, "He’s the ‘boss man’; I’m the ‘wing man’," exposing the crisis at work and jeopardy in his job to his wife and children for the first time.

Many of us reach an impasse in our life and career. This may be the time when you decide to take control of your life by making a right turn in your career and stop being the "wing man". If you dream of financial independence with the related quality of life benefits, leaving your job and starting your own business may be your career-altering decision. Although business ownership is not for everyone, it does guarantee that you will be the "boss man" with all the intrinsic side benefits.

So, where do you start? The answer lies in choosing something that you really love doing. Do you have an artistic talent that you wish you could turn into a business? Are you an amazing salesperson, and if you just found the right thing to sell, you know you could make a business out of it? Do you have a hobby that you could turn into a business? To do something that you really love provides the stimulus to stay the course and the motivation to work toward your career goals. There are myriad opportunities for being your own boss. Here are just a couple stories about two entrepreneurial brothers in their forties, Mark and Michael L, from Denver, Colorado who followed their hearts and have been successfully self-employed for over 20 years.

When Mark was sixteen years old, he made the startling announcement that he never wanted to work for someone else. But when he was in his twenties with a business degree in hand, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to sell, much less own his own company. Like most college grads, Mark needed to go out into the workforce and garner some experience. Mark put his dream aside for the time being and became a business forms salesman for National Cash Register (NCR). After twelve months on the job, he was laid off due to downsizing. As luck would have it, his father was playing golf, and was paired with a man who turned out to be a business forms broker. At the ninth hole, his father called Mark and asked if he knew anything about business forms brokers. Mark did because NCR farmed out small jobs to brokers. Suddenly, what to sell came into focus. Mark already knew how to sell business forms; he could do it again, but this time, be his own boss. He got a business license the next day and started cold calling companies about their business forms needs. He was a born salesman so the sales came quickly. Twenty-five years later, Mark is a six-figure entrepreneur with a very successful home-based business.

Five years after Mark graduated from college his younger brother, Michael, graduated from college with a music degree in sound engineering with an emphasis in guitar. Like his brother Mark, Michael wanted to be his own boss and make his living doing what he loves: playing guitar. He just had to figure out how. After graduation, Michael cut CDs of his guitar music and played any place he could. With exposure, soon the better paying gigs came. He also realized that he could make money teaching guitar, so he posted flyers and started getting calls. When he took on another instrument that he loved—the bagpipes—and became proficient, he added bagpipe teaching and performance as another income source. Today, Michael teaches guitar at the University of Colorado at Denver as a lecturer, teaches at a Denver Music Studio and gives private lessons to 35 plus guitar and pipe students a week. In addition, Michael performs at weddings, parties, funerals and various high-profile events. Michael has more work than he can do, so he farms out gigs to other musicians for a percentage cut. Twenty years later, Michael is a six-figure entrepreneur with a very successful music business.

These two examples illustrate that the trick to starting a business is passion. Mark had a passion to be his own boss and use his sales skills. Michael had a passion for music and wanted to earn a living making it. Add drive and business savvy, then you’ll be off and running. Are you getting the feeling that you can do this too? Know your passion, throw in a giant leap of faith and the pleasure and plotting are all that remain for you to become master of your destiny by owning your own business.