4 Tips To Boost Your Small Business Using Only Your Strengths

When I entered the ENT specialist office in Metairie, Louisiana a few years ago, one of the most critical questions on my mind was if I would be able to continue to speak effectively with my motivational business after my surgery.

The doctor explained the surgery process and walked me through how the pre-cancer cells on my tongue would be removed.  When I asked the doctor how my motivational speaking business could be affected, he hesitated and then told me, “Marvin, you will just have to learn to use what you have.”

Often in life, we are dealt with a challenge that could seemingly take us entirely out of the game. What if we lost one of our greatest strengths?  How many of us would give up, and how many of us would find a way to pick ourselves up and move on?

Here's what I did after my surgery: I chose the path to move on and keep my speaking business going. In life, it is critical to persist and overcome obstacles – no matter how great they may seem.  All of us have strengths as well as weaknesses.  And we should all commit to working on them regularly.  

Follow these tips to help you capitalize on strengths for small business success:

1. Take a pencil and paper and then list your strengths.  Everyone will have more than one strength, just as everyone has more than one weakness. For this exercise, it is vital to focus purely on your strengths.  Your strengths could include possessing a positive attitude in times of hardship, optimal health, a dedicated family, good relationships, or solid partnerships with your coworkers.  Make sure you list more than one strength and feel free to add to this list at any time.

2. Pick one strength from your list each morning, and stay conscious of that strength throughout the day. Find ways to use your strength in some form.  It could be mentoring someone else, making a winning sales pitch or simply finishing that task that has been sitting on your to-do pile.

3. Each night before going to sleep, make it a habit to review how you used your strengths during that day.  Think positively and try to avoid the negative thoughts like “I should have…” that can often creep in and corrupt our ability to succeed.  Do not dwell on what you did not accomplish.  Instead, look closely at what you did accomplish and how your strengths played a part in that success.

4. Paste a note on your bathroom mirror as a reminder to focus on the strengths that I have TODAY. By cultivating your strengths and building them to be even more significant, you can achieve success in many areas of your life.

Strategic coach Dan Sullivan once said: “If all you do is focus on strengthening your weaknesses, at the end of your life all you will have is a list of strong weaknesses.”  This is an important message when so many of us are bombarded with negative attitudes and weak thoughts.  It is not always easy for us to realize our full potential because we make a habit of becoming our own worst enemies and attacking our subconscious with insecurities. 

Treat those challenges as opportunities to shine and prosper. Focus on your strengths – use what you have – for your life and small business success.

Peace, Love & Gumbo,

Marvin 

Feel free to send me your opinions, comments, and feedback. We encourage you to inquire how our systems will help inspire you, your team, group or association to increased performance. Reach out today!

About Marvin

Marvin LeBlanc LUTCF, CNP, is a performance strategist and author of the number one Amazon Kindle best-selling book, Come Hell or High Water: Life Lessons from Hurricane Katrina. Marvin not only brings wisdom and insight gained from his three decades in the insurance and finance industries, but he also empowers others through his unique sharing of lessons and techniques from years of corporate and leadership training and motivational programs. A vibrant entrepreneur who makes the stage his own–and yours, Marvin’s humor-filled stories bring inspiration, heart-warming truths and tangible, strategic takeaways you can bring back to your organization.

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