Why “Follow Your Passion” Fails — and What Actually Leads to Fulfillment with Paul Comfort

Everyone says to follow you passion, but what if you’re passionate about cupcakes and walking? It’s only half of the equation to a fulfilling career and life so we need to discuss the other half. This episode of Embrace the Squiggle explore the passion equation with Paul Comfort who is a longtime transportation leader and media creator. We discuss his upcoming book ‘Find Your X Factor’ which helps high performers escape impressive BUT draining careers. Comfort shares a 30+ year path that began after “meeting a guy,” spanning public and private sector transit leadership, county CEO roles in Maryland, and retiring as CEO of Baltimore’s MTA before focusing on communication through his Transit Unplugged podcast (nearing 400 episodes in!). Connect with Paul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulcomfort/https://www.instagram.com/paulwcomfort/http://www.youtube.com/@transitunpluggedFreebie assessment: https://findyourxfactor.ai/📚 Join the ETS Book Club — we're reading Atomic Habits! Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/3EK-BGfBRHehD2jW2bApHQ#/🎯 Need accountability on your goals? Join the Squiggle Huddle with Colleen. Learn more and register here: https://www.maxady.com/workshops/p/the-squiggle-huddle-monthly-accountability-for-2026-goalsStay in Touch with Your Hosts:Colleen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/comara/Ashleigh on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleigh-beadle/Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for more conversations that transform career complexity into your competitive advantage!