Pro tips for turning your hobby into a career

The fact that so many people have hobbies they love and jobs they don’t begs the question: How can people turn their hobbies into careers?

Vincent Zurzolo, co-owner of Metropolis Collectibles and ComicConnect, has done just that. He started buying and collecting comic books as a teen, then decided to make his hobby a career after graduating from St. John’s University with a marketing degree.

“I set up on the streets of Manhattan shortly after graduating and sold comics to stockbrokers coming out of the Exchange,” Zurzolo says.

Zurzolo eventually joined forces with Stephen Fishler to create Metropolis Collectibles (now the world’s largest vintage comic book dealership), the online auction house ComicConnect, and the Metropolis Gallery featuring comic book art.

While making the transition from hobby to money-making career isn’t easy, there are ways to make that happen in myriad industries.

Once you’ve landed on an idea, follow these steps to get started on the road to making a living doing what you really like to do.