How to Turn Your Strengths and Passions into a Thriving Business
You know you have the talent and the skills to run a business based on your passions and expertise, and it’s been on your mind for years.
But... when it comes down to starting that business?
You’re stuck in analysis paralysis, wondering what you need to do first (or next) to get your business up and running.
You're procrastinating, waiting for the "right" time, or for the "right" offer to come to you.
You're wondering if you really have what it takes to be your own boss.
Thinking about all the things you need to do (and learn) to start your business? It just seems nearly impossible.
You see other online coaches and consultants killing it in their business, and you feel a pang of jealousy because you know you want that, too.
You drag yourself to your day job trying to just get through each day, even though you know you're meant for something more.
Your heart drops when you see another of your friends starting their own business, and you think, "ugh, everyone else is doing what I want to do!"
You feel this way because you dream of making a difference in the world and helping as many people as possible.
I know the struggle all too well, and I've gotta say, there is light on the other side!
It is possible to turn your strengths and passions into a thriving business, and I’ll show you how in three simple steps.
Here’s how to turn your strengths and passions into a thriving business:
Step 1: Find Your SPARK
Your SPARK stands for your Strengths, Passions, Accomplishments, Resources, and Knowledge. These are the things that are unique to you – and together, they help set you apart from other business owners in your industry.
It’s very unlikely that someone else will have exactly the same combination of traits as you. Which is great news because it’s easy to think that there are already thousands of health coaches out there, or hundreds of instructional design consultants.
The truth is: no one can do what you do the way you do it. No one can teach what you teach the way you teach it. Your SPARK is what allows you to have a unique voice in your industry, and it’s what attracts your dream clients to you.
People will be attracted to you because they like what you stand for, they like your personality, they resonate with you. In many cases, you’ll attract clients who come to you because they see themselves in you.
This is why it’s so important to BE YOURSELF. It’s easy to go out and replicate what other coaches and consultants are doing, especially if what they’re doing seems to be working for them. But you don’t have access to all the behind the scenes details, so you really don’t know for sure if what they’re doing will work for you.
Or even if it’s truly working for them. Your SPARK allows you to focus on what will work for you – because you know your strengths, you know how you want to spend your time, and you know the kinds of clients you want to work with.
Now that you know what your SPARK is, let’s get into more detail about two areas: Your Strengths and your Passions:
Your Strengths
Your strengths are what strengthens you, what gives you energy, what you could do for hours without taking a break. In fact, when you’re engaged in your strengths, it hardly feels like work at all!
Many of us take our strengths for granted because we don’t see anything special about our strength. We think everyone can do what we can do just as well – which is not the case.
Your strengths start with your talent – a natural way of thinking, feeling and behaving. This is something inherent, something you’re born with. You can create a strength by investing time in practicing and developing your talents.
The Gallup organization has spent decades researching strengths, and they found that when you focus on your strengths, you’re 6x more likely to be engaged in your work. Think about it – when you get to use your strengths every day, you’re more likely to feel motivated to work, you enjoy it more, and you get great satisfaction from it. It feels meaningful to you.
That’s why we start here when thinking about what kind of business you want to start. The point is to start a business that’s based around your strengths. You want to do something every day that you enjoy, right? Why start a business around something that drains your energy or feels really difficult?
Instead, by understanding your strengths, you can focus on the tasks and activities in your business that bring you energy, and by doing so, you will be more productive, more motivated, and more fulfilled.
To learn more about your Strengths, I recommend taking a strengths assessment like the CliftonStrengths or StandOut Assessment. From there, spend time reading your report and considering how you use your strengths each day. Then, see if you can brainstorm business ideas that allow you to use your strengths.
Your Passions
Passion is a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something, or an excitement about doing something. In other words, something you love or something you love to do.
Before we dive into this topic though, I want to be clear: not everything you’re passionate about is meant to be part of your business. This can be a little tricky when you first start out in business.
Let’s say you’re passionate about helping others become financially literate. You’re also passionate about saving and budgeting, decorating cakes, watching reality TV shows, and sustainability.
You might be tempted to put all of those things into your business – or even start multiple businesses around your passions. Some passions are meant to stay hobbies, while others are there to lead you to your purpose.
So instead of trying to create a business that involves all of your different passions, focus on one main business, and infuse some of your passions into your marketing or website copy to add a little personality.
Keeping with our same example: maybe you decide to start a financial coaching business where you help new grads learn about saving, budgeting, paying off debt, and investing so they can make the most of their first few years in the professional world.
You could talk about your passion for cake decorating on your about page, or have a photo of you baking a cake featured on your social media accounts – because you’re a real person with real hobbies. You might also decide that you want to give a portion of your profits to organizations that focus on sustainability, because that’s a cause you’re passionate about.
There’s no right or wrong way to do this – and it might take a little experimentation. There are some questions in your workbook to help you think deeply about your passions and how you might incorporate them into your business.
Step 2: Clarify Your Purpose
A life purpose is like a compass, guiding you over life’s path. Keeping you centered, focused and clear on what really matters to you and what you want from life.
Thousands of people have taken my life purpose challenge, and have found my website by searching “how to find your purpose” or some combination of key words like that. So I know it’s a question many of us have from time to time in our lives.
The truth is – you already know what your life purpose is. The answers are all within you. You just have to know how to pull them out, and how to trust them. That’s why this topic is called Clarify Your Purpose – you know what it is. You just need help getting crystal clear on your path and what matters to you, so you can claim your purpose!
When you know your purpose, you can use that to create a business that aligns with who you are. A tool I use to help you find your purpose is called the Ikigai. Ikigai is a Japanese term which, loosely translated, means “a reason to live,” or our life’s purpose.
The diagram shows the intersection between four main areas of our lives.
Ikigai Framework
Ikigai is the common ground between what we love, what we’re good at, what the world needs, and what we can get paid for. It’s a great first step to discover your purpose.
The people of Okinawa, Japan, are the longest-living on the planet, and when researchers studied what made them live so long, many people stated it was their Ikigai - every morning, they had a reason to wake up. They had a purpose to fulfill. They had a difference to make.
Finding and realizing your ikigai will not happen overnight. By working toward your ikigai over time, you can continue to grow and develop in your business. And because your ikigai is your choice, you can feel a sense of autonomy over the journey it takes to get there.
Determining your ikigai helps you clarify your purpose, so you can start a business that aligns with your strengths and passions, allowing you to be paid well for your expertise, and allowing you to make a difference in the world.
And that’s what I teach my clients in Spark Society – how to start businesses that make an impact for you and your clients.
To clarify your purpose, start with each of the four main areas of the circle. Write down the activities and topics you love and the things you are good at. Next, think about what the world needs, specifically from you. Finally, what can you be paid for in relation to your talents and experience.
Next, start making connections between each of the circles. For example, what do you love that the world also needs? What are you good at that you can be paid for? Answering these questions will help you identify ways of achieving balance within the circles.
When you feel that you have an adequate sense of yourself, brainstorm a few things that could be your ikigai, or how all four areas could intersect and what that might look like in your life. Then consider business models that could allow you to live your Ikigai.
Step 3: Create Your Path
As an entrepreneur, you get to decide what type of business works for you. You get to choose the offers you create, how you price them, who you work with, what clients you want to serve… all of it is up to you.
It’s important to consider what the path ahead looks like for YOU. And it will look different for everyone, depending on what you determined based on your Strengths and Passions.
First, determine your ideal business model. This involves getting clear on the services your business provides and to whom. This could look like a business-to-business (B2B) model where your business provides services to other companies, or it could be business-to-consumer (B2C), where you provide services to individuals.
Whether you choose B2B or B2C should depend on which option will allow you to use your strengths each day, fulfill your passions, and work with the people you love to support.
Next, consider how you will deliver the services to your ideal clients. Will that be 1:1 services, group programs, custom proposals, or project-based efforts? As you consider the format of the services, consider whether you will complete services virtually or in person, or whether you will provide a done-for-you service or do-it-yourself option.
Finally, it’s important to consider who your ideal customer is. It can help to create an avatar or profile of an ideal client so you have an idea of who you want to attract. Then, determine what problems you solve for this ideal client. What is the ultimate transformation you can provide for them?
Clearly communicating who you are, what you deliver, and the result you get your clients is critical to attract the ideal clients you love to work with.
The Takeaway
Take action now: Start by taking a strengths assessment to understand your strengths. Then, use the Ikigai framework to determine your passions and purpose. Finally, work through the questions in the Create Your Path section to brainstorm business models that work for you.
And if you’re ready for deeper support in turning your strengths and passions into a thriving business, check out the free training below!
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Sign up for the free masterclass, Thrive Beyond the 9-5, where you’ll learn how to turn your strengths and passions into a thriving business. You’ll learn how to leverage your strengths, skills, and career experience to start a business that aligns with who you are, so you can get paid for what you already know – at double (or triple!) your current rates. Click here to sign up for instant access to the free training!
