I was driving home after a frustrating day at work when I decided to start my own educational consulting company. I wasn’t actually trying to start my own company as much as I was trying to figure out what the hell I was really supposed to be doing with my life because, surely, this wasn’t it.

As I drove down the freeway, I asked myself 4 questions:

1. What am I inexplicably good at? When we stop, sit in stillness, and ask this question, we see traces of our gift. The thing that we’ve been good at for as long as we can remember. Maybe it’s listening. Maybe it’s making difficult things clear. Maybe it’s convening people from all walks of life. There is something that each of us is innately good at. It’s not something we were taught but something woven into the fabric of our existence. A talent given to us at birth, refined throughout our lives so we could use it as our gift to the world.

2. What do I love to do? I’ve learned that just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you love to do it. When you are doing the thing that you were meant to do, giving the gift you were meant to give, it feels good. There’s joy in it. There’s love in it. If you are doing something you are good at and there’s no love, joy, or excitement, you’re not giving at your highest point of contribution. When I found myself saying, “I’m just not fulfilled” or “my work isn’t fulfilling,” it was because I wasn’t using my gift or my gift in the wrong place or with/for the wrong people. (More on that in question #4)

3. What have my personal and professional experiences taught me? What unique perspective/vantage point do I have because of those experiences? What are the things I’ve struggled with and overcome? With question #1, I said our talents/gifts are “refined throughout our lives,” this is what I meant. Everything that happens in our lives sharpens our talent. Everything. Getting fired. There’s something for you in that. Have a child that gives you hell. There’s something in that. Parent dies. There’s something in that. And let me tell you, when my dad died, I didn’t want to hear jack sh*t about lessons, silver linings, or anything positive. But after moving through my anger and hurt and asking, “what can I make of this?” I see how this experience refined my gift. I am grateful. Sad and grateful. Your greatest strengths are revealed by your greatest struggles.

4. Who do I have a heart to serve? When I originally asked myself these questions, the fourth question was actually, “Who would benefit from knowing what I know? Who would be hungriest for it? Who needs the insight that I could provide?” Seven years later, I know better. Many people would benefit from what I know, but that doesn’t mean I have the heart to serve them all.

Answering those questions gave birth to my business, but more importantly, it taught me that my gifts lie in my strengths and in the lessons learned from my struggles. All that has happened in my life has been to prepare me, to teach me what I needed to know to serve others.

The first step to starting a purpose-filled business isn’t deciding *what* to sell. It’s discovering *who* you are. When you know who you are, you realize that no one can sell what you can because what you’re selling is you, your voice and your perspective. You don’t need to be an expert on this or an expert on that. You just need to be you.

The first step to starting a purpose-filled business isn’t deciding *what* to sell. It’s discovering *who* you are.

There’s someone out there who needs to learn from you, and your life has given you everything you need to teach them. 

So whether it's through consulting, creating an online course, a podcast, retreat, membership or whatever, you have enough–you are enough...right now.

Ready to create more time, space, ease, and abundance in your life?

Take the Unleashed Living Scorecard, and find out where to start.

Aisha Crumbine is a life and leadership coach who works with individuals and organizations–helping them maximize their impact by focusing on their personal development.

Certified Life Coach (iPEC) | Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator |International Keynote Speaker