When Passion Comes With a Paycheck

Michael Waddell is a man known to many in the outdoor industry. A master with a turkey call, his big break came after a string of successful turkey calling competitions put him in the public eye. Laurie Lee, a prominent figure in the field, recognized the talent within Michael and took a chance. After introducing him to Bill Jordan of Realtree, Lee helped Michael secure a spot as a camera man with Realtree Outdoors television. That was Michael’s foot in the door, and after he showed his true talents and passions as an outdoorsman, he soon found himself in front of the camera instead of behind it. With the start of his own show “Bone Collector,” Michael easily became a celebrity of outdoor hunting television.

This dream-of-a-career-path that Michael found himself on is enough reason for many to be jealous. Come on, getting paid to sit in a tree, watch the sun creep up over the tree line and then arrow a Boone and Crockett Iowa buck? Try not to think about that job description next time you find yourself working overtime at the office. Even with your company lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings on Wednesdays, Michael Waddell has you beat.

He didn’t get to where he is today by chance, however. When it comes to the outdoor television industry, he got in while the gettin’ was good. In a time when cameras started coming in camouflage, Michael perhaps had peak opportunity for making a name for himself. I would argue that in today’s environment, the development of gun cameras and do-it-yourself filming technology is both an open door as well as a brick wall for a career in the outdoor industry. If you don’t believe me, just peruse around on Facebook next fall and see how many of your buddies share self-made videos of amateurs and their filled tags. Everyone and their mother dreams of the glories of sponsorships, truck decals and getting paid to hunt.

On the flip side, for those who put in the work, it is possible to rise above the rest. Dedication season after season as well as solid knowledge about filming is enough to put you in the lead of the pack. With a little bit of luck and charm, you may find yourself face to face with a Bill Jordan of your own, ready to propel you towards your dream job. This is the challenge I face.

I find Michael’s story to be inspiring yet saddening. The opportunity he created for himself was an accumulation of his passion and skills, something that I may have failed to pursue in my young adult life. At 19, he slowly crawled up the leader boards in outdoor contests. Myself at his age? I was applying for scholarships, school admissions, and looking through lists of “top ten majors to secure a job after college.” Maybe that’s where I went wrong. I said no to the possibility of becoming a Michel Waddell and looked instead for security. What I am finding in that pursuit of security is a bland, uninspiring life unfolding before my eyes. Can I still make it in the outdoor industry? Perhaps. Will I have the guts to face my fear of failure in order to do so? Only time will tell. When the grey monotony of my office cubicle finally gets to me, and I yearn for the pure adrenaline of the outdoors, I will have my answer.

What captivates me about Michael Waddell is that he never let his fear get in the way of his passion. He easily could have hung up the turkey call and did what the rest of us do; grow up. No, he hung onto that childhood dream and went forth boldly into an uncertain industry. And that is why Michael Waddell’s passion comes with a paycheck.