What is your most valuable asset?
Do you think it’s the equipment you use to create your product?
Perhaps you feel it’s your stellar ____________ skills, or your track record as a _____________.
One year ago I would have answered my finance skills and track record as an actuary, CFO and Investment Banker.
Boy was I wrong.
Join me in taking stock of the past year and discover your undervalued assets
Almost one year ago to the day I had the wonderful privilege of attending Jennifer Lee’s Right Brain Business Plan™ Video Summit. Jennifer was a successful corporate executive before leaving and starting her own business. Her book, and her whole philosophy, embraced rather than suppressed her creativity and quirkiness.
Watching her successful book launch, and seeing the amazing response her book and her approach received, I realized a corporate (read stodgy) image was not necessary to succeed as an entrepreneur. In Jennifer’s case, it was the fact she broke out of that shell that drove her success. This was truly a life changing realization for me.
The Right Brain Business Plan Video Summit is back again this year, and participating in the live streaming is free. Take the time to attend, I know it will pay off in your business through insights, inspiration or new easy to use tools. Click here for the details or on the image of her book (also recommended!).
Right Brain Unleashed – My First Unusual Asset
Instead of writing blog posts on the definition of economic recovery (oh yes I did, and it’s still out here!), I began to celebrate my quirky humor. Instead of bashfully injecting a few jokes, I plunged in whole hog.
Silly, irreverant, and (hopefully) chuckle worthy, I released my inner creative comic perspective on finance.
Do you have a unique skill or perspective that you aren’t using?
List out the attributes your friends and family love about you. How might you transfer those attributes to a business setting? Remember people do business with people, not companies. If it’s a trait valued by friends it could be a one used to build business relationships as well.
Sadly the video summit came to an end, yet I was craving more. I didn’t want to return to my gray, bland solopreneur existence.
Luckily I had found a community, a Quirkipreneur community led by Ringmaster Tori Deaux. In fact Tori was the one who introduced me to the Right Brain Business Plan™ Book & Video Summit.
Tori had created a business plan named Emmit, who took on a life, and Twitter handle, of his own. Emmit had such a pull, a weekly chat was started to cover issues facing creative entrepreneurs.
It’s still going strong, and new participants are always welcome. Information:
Every Monday at 1 p.m. CST
Twitter Hashtag #quirkybiz (recently changed from #emmit)
Fluffy the Finance Feline – My Second Unusual Asset
As I continued my involvement with the weekly chats I realized I had Emmit Envy. This illness causes one to want their own cool mascot, although not necessarily a clown. Emmit had personality. He was a perfect foil for Tori, and created a rallying point for her “right people”.
I needed a mascot who was approachable, relatable but not so over the top as to scare off my right people. Thus Fluffy the Finance Feline was born (yes that’s him right there).
He became so well liked the launch of my book How to be a Finance Rock Star included a #FluffySighting contest. And yes, I just gratuitously plugged my own book. Girls gotta make a living!
Mascots are universal. They build brand loyalty, and create a rallying point.
Does your business have a mascot? Why not?
As part of my rebranding process I created The Numbers Whisperer™. Intuitively I knew I needed something less intimidating, less stuffy, than my business name. Lucky for me the name attracted the attention of Tea Silvestre, The Word Chef.
Tea invited me to join the Word Carnival, from which some of the participants created a mastermind group. That group reinforced the need to embrace my new title, The Numbers Whisperer™ and they remarked upon my laugh.
My Laugh – Third Unusual Asset
I would be the first to say “Laugh” does not usually end up on someone’s list of core business assets. Yet for me it did!
Once I put on my listening ears (admit it, you watch Judge Judy reruns too late at night), I realized that my right people loved to hear me laugh. Descriptions ranged from infectious to soothing, yet they all had something in common. They all said they enjoyed hearing me laugh, it was part of the experience, a good part that helped reduce any anxiety created by their fear of finance or numbers.
What unusual or unique traits do you have? How are you using them in your business?
Previously I had tried to mute my laugh, thinking my larger than life guffaws were not in keeping with the topic of finance. Don’t miss out on something that could grow your business at no cost to you. Ask your top clients and trusted colleagues what traits they most value about you. Ask if you have any quirks they find endearing. You may be surprised at the answers you receive.
Want to hear me laugh? Check out my weekly radio show at Small Biz Finance on Blog Talk Radio.
Final Thoughts
What are your unusual assets? Has this post pointed out assets that were languishing in the background, just waiting for a chance to boost your business?