38: Practical Strengths for Your Calling | Jo Self

Strengths, which align with your innate talents, allow you to see multiple paths for living your calling. You can follow different paths since your strengths relate to the motives that help you carry out an action, rather than the logic directing you on which action to take. Even in your free time, your strengths are influencing your behavior and choices. Today, we talk about Practical Strengths for your calling.

Jo Self is on a mission to ensure talent is not wasted, potential is realized, and happiness is contagious. She has a diverse background in business, which includes developing award-winning employee programs for international brands, starting her own event business, and after moving to Peru from the US, creating a tourism business that was recognized as a top startup in that country. In 2015, Jo had a revelation that changed everything and set her on a new path. 

In 2021, Jo published her first book in the Practical Strengths series, Practical Strengths: Parenting: A CliftonStrengths® Guide for Everyday Ways. She recently published her second book in the series, Practical Strengths: Career Success: A CliftonStrengths® Guide for Everyday Ways.

At this point, Jo understands that her diverse career has a common thread in its nonlinear path. Reflecting on life experiences, Jo emphasizes that your purpose is in your strengths. If you want to feel more aligned to your life, there is a need to understand your strengths and figure out how to apply them. Jo uses her personal talents to explain to everyone how strengths don’t work alone in isolation, but together throughout separate aspects of life.

Listen as Jo talks about her Practical Strengths series and her journey as one of the first Spanish-speaking Gallup® Certified Strengths Coaches. Knowing your strengths will help you understand the way you interact with others. It’s a way to give yourself and others grace, and avoid possible stress or conflict.  More than that, your strengths help you recognize the roles that let you thrive. Jo uses personal experiences in this episode, so you may find this conversation particularly helpful if you share similar strengths with Jo: Strategic, Activator, Maximizer, Communication, Ideation. 

Consider how the strengths affect all aspects of your life for you to fully live your purpose. Being aware of how you operate is personal leverage to propel you forward.

Time stamps:

• [01:57] - Jo Self understands that her diverse career has a common thread in its nonlinear path.
• [03:56] - The universe will give you feathers and bricks. 
• [06:55] - Jo talks about trusting the process of her life, and not having regrets.
• [08:25] - What does it mean when work is not just a job, but a calling?
• [10:18] - Jo shares her experience of working with Spanish-speaking communities around strengths and talents.
• [13:08] - What are Jo’s top talent themes?
• [15:23] - Knowing your strengths will help you understand the way you interact with others.
• [17:43] - People can share the same talent theme, but relate to the talent differently.
• [20:14] - Be conscious of your strengths, and learn how to present them for others to join you.
• [23:10] - Design flows from intention.
• [25:16] - Why did Jo write the Practical Strengths series?
• [28:06] - Jo believes the 34 strengths can unlock a new way for how people relate to one another.
• [30:49] - Strengths don’t tell you what to do, but do inform how you choose to complete the action.
• [33:47] - Jo explores the differences in how a talent can appear in separate aspects of our lives.
• [35:27] - Jo talks through how the Maximizer shows up in the workplace.
• [36:59] - You can make the most of your talents.
• [38:51] - Know what you need in your role and environment to help you keep showing up as your best every day.
• [40:49] - Strengths allow you to see multiple paths for living your calling.
• [42:41] - Jo gives an example of reframing your strengths to communicate the value you bring to a workplace.
• [45:13] - Jo says that self-awareness with self-appreciation is what becomes confidence.
• [47:21] - What does Jo want to be known for?
• [49:59] - What kind of mark do you want to leave on the world?

Links:

• Chris Heinz
• Chris Heinz Co.
• Jo Self
• Practical Strengths: Parenting: A CliftonStrengths© Guide for Everyday Ways
• Practical Strengths: Career Success: A CliftonStrengths® Guide for Everyday Ways
• Episode 14: Aligning Your Career with Your Calling | Jennifer Vancil