The Drive to Find Work You Love
During my recent Breaking Beliefs conversation with Randy Crabtree, we talked about something I believe many of us struggle with—figuring out what kind of work truly lights us up. Randy's story is especially interesting because it shows how following your natural interests can lead to unexpected outcomes and career possibilities.
Starting with Simple Interests
Randy always loved math. Even in grade school, he would get excited about filling in number boxes and solving equations. This basic love of numbers eventually led him toward computer science in college, but the path wasn't straight or simple.
After college, Randy tried computer programming at a large company. He sat at his desk, watching the clock, feeling wholly disconnected from his work. Next came a stint in sales, which just didn't click. Randy tried selling food products for his uncle's business, surrounded by family members, but even working with people he cared about couldn't make up for the lack of connection to the work itself.
Nothing felt quite right until one day, driving down North Avenue in Chicago, everything changed. He pulled over to a phone booth (yes, this was a while ago!) and called his wife with a sudden insight: "I'm going to quit my job, go back to school full-time, and become a CPA." And just like that, he had a new direction.
Learning Through Trial and Error
Randy's first accounting firm taught him a lot—mostly about what didn't work. He took on every client who could pay, from law firms to Burger Kings to hair salons. While the business was successful on paper, he felt spread too thin and disconnected from the work. The long hours during tax season started affecting his family life, and he noticed his kids behaving differently during these busy periods.
I often see this in my work with professionals—we can be "successful" by all external measures but still feel something's missing. Randy could have kept pushing through, telling himself this was just how running an accounting practice had to be. Instead, he paid attention to these signs and realized something needed to change.
It wasn't until he discovered specialty tax work that things clicked. Finally, he could dive deep into one area, become a true expert, and see the direct impact of his work on clients' businesses. The numbers weren't just numbers anymore; they were tools to help companies grow and thrive.
The Power of Finding Your Niche
One of the most valuable lessons from Randy's story is how focusing on a specialty transformed his entire experience of work. When he ran a general practice, he was constantly stretching himself thin, trying to keep up with everything. But when he focused on R&D tax credits, something interesting happened—work became energizing instead of draining.
For the first seven years of Tri-Merit, they only did R&D tax credits. This narrow focus allowed Randy and his team to become true experts and provide real value to their clients. Today, they've expanded to include other specialty tax services, but they still maintain that principle of deep expertise rather than trying to be everything to everyone.
Creating Energy at Work
Today, Randy leads a team of 75 people at Tri-Merit, but he approaches leadership differently than most. Instead of building a traditional company culture, he focused on creating what he calls a "team of friends." Even in a completely remote environment, his team maintains strong connections through regular video calls where they share personal stories and interests beyond work.
This approach came from Randy's early career experiences; he remembered working at a firm where the culture was all about relationships and having fun while doing good work. Later experiences showed him what it felt like when that connection was missing. These experiences shaped how he wanted to build his own company.
Why does this matter? Because Randy learned that work becomes energizing when you connect it to things that naturally interest you and surround yourself with people who share your enthusiasm. Despite being fully remote, his team has almost no turnover—proof that when people feel energized by their work and connected to their colleagues, they stick around.
Growing Your Own Way
Looking at Randy's journey, a few key ideas stand out:
Start with what naturally interests you, even if it seems small or silly
Pay attention to when work drains you versus energizes you
Don't be afraid to narrow your focus—becoming an expert in one area often brings more satisfaction than knowing a little about everything
Connect your work to something meaningful: for Randy, it was helping businesses save money and educating others
Build relationships that make work enjoyable: success feels better when shared with people you like
Most importantly, Randy's story shows that finding fulfilling work often means trying different paths and being honest with yourself about what works and what doesn't.
Moving Forward
If you're feeling stuck or disconnected from your work, try this: For one week, notice which tasks make you lose track of time. When do you find yourself getting excited about sharing ideas with others? These moments of genuine enthusiasm are pointing you toward your professional sweet spot.
Growth isn't always about making huge changes. Sometimes, it's about recognizing what already brings you joy at work and finding ways to do more of it. Randy didn't instantly leap from general accounting to his specialty practice—he paid attention to what energized him and gradually moved in that direction.