Passions in America began with the simple notion that we are more than who the demographics say we are.

Dusty Baker, longtime baseball player and manager, gave us some insight into this. He told us that the countless stories written about him through the years always seemed to focus on him being African-American. They always seemed to focus on his age. They always seemed to focus on qualities that he himself did not think about much.

“I think I’m more than all that,” he said.

Dusty Baker is a Marine. He is an energetic teacher who dedicates much of his time to instilling self-confidence in young athletes. He is a gardener. He is a wine maker. He is a movie buff who is sure to watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” every year to “remind myself that it really is.”

We are all like that, all of us more than the age, race, sex, education, and salary level of the surveys we inevitably fill out.

Dan McGinn and Joe Posnanski have spent their lives studying passion, Dan in the secret boardrooms of Fortune 100 companies dealing with extreme challenges; Joe in ballparks and stadiums at the biggest sporting events around the world. They came together on the belief that our passions have never been more important than they are right now in today’s anxious, saturated, and divided time.

Our mission is to explore the passions that inspire us, unify us, embolden us and give our lives balance, definition, and joy.