What’s your super power as a small business owner?


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?).

waterfalls can help you find your small business marketing super power
MorgueFiles.com by Bobby

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.


10 responses to “What’s your super power as a small business owner?”

    • Oh – kryptonite isn’t my weakness, Roy. It wouldn’t be wise, though, for me to share what my vulnerabilities are, would it? Of course, those adept at reading between the lines (is this your super power?) can probably discern the chinks in my armor. Sometimes I’ll even give hints.

  1. Inspiring article. I enjoyed Siddhartha and read it at a time that I needed it. If fact I have a copy on my tablet now, with intentions to read it again. Of the books of Hermann Hesse, Demian is the one that I was pulled to. As for the Tao Te Ching, I have Dr. Wayne W. Dyer’s 8 CD set of “Change your thoughts,Change Your life” which is his understanding of the Tao. It stays in my car so that I can listen while on the road. Then there is Toltec wisdom, as well as much to learn of both the Eastern and Western Cultures. I enjoy the earlier works of Depeak Chopra. So much to learn yet so much to do. ok, back on subject, So what is my Super-power,(s) well I am a catalyst for others, I know that, I like to open other peoples minds to the possibilities. But I’m really not sure what Super-power I might have that would be of benefit to me. The spiritual part of me has always been there but that would take up pages. Like I said at the beginning….Inspiring article. thanks

    • Too funny Chef William, Demian was one I could never get into – or understand (it just seemed so grim to me). Thanks for the eyeballs on spelling (made the fixes) that I should be ashamed to have made (trying to do too many things at once). I’ll check out some of the other resources you cite. I’m kind of starting back on this road and welcome the insight.

      Being able to touch others in meaningful and memorable ways is a super power in itself. You’ll find a way to articulate what makes you a hero briefly and soon, I’m sure.

  2. I can just see you in a cape Nanette!
    Spiritually, well I’m just me – watching, listening, open minded…

    My super powers? A path finder and some clients playfully call me web woman. I should actually make a charicature and rebrand myself 🙂

  3. Actually, Jan, I’m starting to understand the appeal of shawls, Jan 🙂 (never did get this until recently). Not sure a cape is in my future.

    Yes, please do make a web woman caricature of yourself. This could be so much fun from a marketing, branding and buzz standpoint!

  4. Thanks for stopping in, reading and commenting, Carol. I would have left a comment on your blog (looks like a fun video), but am having some issues with my computer audio at the moment. So nice to hear the kind words.

  5. Hi Nanette, I’ve never really considered what my business super power is. Although I generally tend to ponder about what my strengths are, but I like your definition much better!

    I definitely concur with what you said about your reading focus early in in business startup which I think is inevitable for most. My reading digest has shifted slightly to more fiction in a bid to improve my writing style and is something I highly recommend to others.

    I would consider myself blessed more than lucky too!

  6. Credit must go to Kelvin for this one, Shola – or more accurately, the speaker he was referencing (he didn’t give a name) in his post. Too funny – I just left a comment on your blog about how odd I find it that most choose to scour what other people are saying as the basis of their blog content, but this is one of those few posts here where I bounced off another with my focus. There are no absolutes and it always depends, I suppose.

    I think it could be great fun for you to ponder your business super power. I think everyone has one but few reflect on what it might be. Let me know what you discover.

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