Why Being Different is a Business Asset
Today, I'm sharing a BRAND-NEW video episode of Skip to Action TV!
Do you ever feel like you had someone else's strengths or success? Well, today I'm here with a story inspired by STAR TREK'S PATRICK STEWART to show you something to consider about your differences...
Watch now or read the transcript below.
I want you to remember something, being different will always be an asset to you. It's all about how you embrace that idea.
The thing that made me think of this was that I was listening to the Nerdist podcast, and there was an episode featuring Patrick Stewart. You may know him from X-Men or from Star Trek: Next Generation, which I super love, it's so good. So good. But anyway, Patrick Stewart, famously went bald in his youth. He was bald as a young man, starting out, and becoming an actor. And a lot of people would have felt like that was a disadvantage and he himself felt like it was a disadvantage. It was something he has talked about struggling with, going bald at such an early age and feeling like he wasn't attractive to women and to opportunities as an actor. But what he started doing, as he shared in the story in the podcast, is that he would wear a wig. And he would perform two monologues. So he would do one with the wig and then he would remove it and show that he had a bald head. And his position that he would always tell casting directors was that it was two for the price of one. He got two actors as opposed to just one.
And I love that story because it's about turning something that you may feel ashamed of, or that you may feel like limits you, into an asset. So I think that's something we can all learn from.
There's nothing new under the sun, except our differences. We bring our uniqueness to the work we do and how we do it.
You know, people are familiar with the products and services that we sell, no matter what we really do. There's really nothing new under the sun when it comes to a lot of that kind of stuff - unless you're on Shark Tank. So, that being said, what makes us different and what makes us stand apart are those differences, are those things that make us unique. You know, Patrick Stewart turns something that people could be ashamed of into a huge opportunity for him. And something that gave people a sense of his personality, what he was able to do for others.
Are you hiding what makes you special, in the hopes of trying to fit in or be like everyone else in your industry?
So what is that thing for you? What is that thing or those things that maybe you're hiding? That you should share proudly on an Instagram Story or on a Facebook Live or in a newsletter that you share? What are those things about yourself that maybe you don't feel like fit in the world or in an Instagram beautiful feed that you see other people put up?
These are the things that we all resonate with because, guess what, we've all got them. We've all got something that, like Patrick Stewart has, that we try to hide and that we don't try to embrace. But you know what? It's okay. For me, it's just feeling like I always wanted to be an expert in something. I always wanted to be the best at one particular thing. And for me, that's just not how I'm wired. I'm wired to be somebody who’s a Jill-of-all-trades. And I used to come up against that. And in more recent years, and through Greatest Story, I've learned to embrace that. I built an entire business on the idea that I'm stronger by using multiple skill sets than using just one. And that works for me. That's embracing a difference in who I am.
What's one thing that you could show us - a difference that sets you apart?
So what is the thing that you have that you could flip? That you could turn into something that works for you? Whether you have to create a business or create a job opportunity or share more about yourself on the internet or with others in relation to your business or career. You can do it.
Think about Patrick Stewart, he's been really successful, right? So, you've got this. Remember, being different is always going to be a big asset for you.
