Smart small business marketing strategies are best when you feed your mind with spiritual ideas. It doesn’t matter whether you’re religious or not, grounded in Eastern or Western culture or find your inspiration from nature, concrete, people or outer space, if you don’t feed your spiritual soul, your creativity and enthusiasm will wane. This doesn’t bode well if your intent is to create a happy life as a successful entrepreneur (of course, you define what constitutes success, not others, right?).

My reading focus used to be on non-fiction material that provided obvious industry instruction and insight. I spent majority time devoted to marketing books, business newspapers, small business advocacy issues, trade journals, relevant newsletters, equine works (a hobby turned co-career), sales treatises and the classics (OK fiction in some cases – but the historical perspective provided here speaks loudly as a learning tool). As I’ve aged (I’m not so sure I could be classified as more mature), I’ve come to recognize it’s equally important to feed your spiritual side for small business success.

Lately, I’ve been delving more deeply into the Eastern philosophies that called to me during my college years. Interestingly, Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha was my first introduction to a different perspective on how the world is connected. In the early years of starting my business, the Tao was a great resource for quotes and speech material, but it’s taken me more than twenty years to revisit this tome with keener awareness on the message.

Another shift has been to put stronger focus on nourishing my mind with positive messages – garnered mostly from online subscriptions.

I was introduced to Kelvin Ringold by a business colleague many years ago for a project the three of us designed (it never launched, but the connection lasted). Recently, Kelvin featured the idea of a super power in Vitamin K (this is a fee-based positive daily message subscription). He attended a networking event where the host asked each attendee to briefly introduce themselves with their name, what you do and what your super power is. This one really grabbed me and didn’t take much thought for a response. Most small business owners probably don’t have this ideal on the ready.

No, I can’t fly (although have fantasized from youth about having this ability), read minds (well, maybe sometimes), become invisible (check that – as an introvert it’s easy, but figuratively more than literally), disable a villain with my physical prowess (but didn’t have any worries about that one while Gatsby was at my side) or move objects with my mind, but there are some things I can do most can’t.

Ghost writing is a wonderfully creative, satisfying and rewarding activity for me. I get all puffed up when clients exclaim how long they’ve been searching for someone who could understand what they wanted to communicate. Whether this involves speeches, media articles with their byline, sales letters, advertorials, book content or even personal correspondences, they get giddy and so do I when an effective message sounds like they created it and results in desired responses. I’m not sure why, but usually after a twenty minute phone conversation or Skype session, I can incorporate their voice, words and style into what I write. Apparently this is an unusual talent – perhaps a super power.

I’ve always believed (thanks Dad!) that the time you spend working should suit your joy. My father (who continues to be my trusted advisor, rock, peer and role model) instilled in me at an early age how important it is to relish your work. When you consider how many hours you devote each week, month, year to job activities, it’s silly to waste this time doing anything you don’t fully enjoy. You’re likely to discover you have strengths that could be deemed heroic.

It seems I was drawn to horses before I could talk. I never dreamed I’d be seen as someone who can reach equines in ways others can’t. My paying hobby/health club has resulted in a considerable portion of my income over the past 25 years coming from riding, training and reaching challenging cases. This is too cool!

I figure I have two super powers. It’s amazing how much more I’m able to do and accomplish with the physical and cerebral balance this dual focus provides in my life. One gives me more energy and enthusiasm for tackling the challenges of the other.

How lucky am? Bet you could be too – if you took some time to realize what makes you special. This isn’t just about creating great small business marketing strategies – it goes so much deeper than that. Search your soul and you’ll discover a perspective that not only makes you feel great about your exceptional talents, but will also get your prospect and clients thrilled about calling you out as exceptional. Have you ever considered what your super powers are? Please share what you think in the comments below.