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How to Go Beyond Your “Why” and Capitalize on Your Pinnacle Gift™ in 2026
People often ask, “What’s your why?” It’s a fair question, and an important one.
But I ask something different:
What is your Pinnacle Gift™?
Your
why matters. Purpose matters. Values matter. I learned the hard way, though, that
purpose without clarity can still lead to burnout.
Unless your why is paired with your Pinnacle Gift (the unique, high-value work only
you are meant to do) you can stall, even when you’re deeply committed to meaningful work.
What Do I Mean by Pinnacle Gift™?
Your Pinnacle Gift goes beyond strengths, skills, or even “unique genius.” It’s why you are on the planet. It’s the work that:
- Comes most naturally to you and gives you energy.
- Creates the greatest impact for others.
- Generates the highest value.
- And feels most aligned with who you are.
It’s the intersection of contribution, clarity, and confidence. And discovering it changes everything.
I Had to Learn This the Hard Way
Before I ever helped others through the maze of entrepreneurship, I had to navigate it myself. When I launched my first coaching practice, I felt that familiar rush of possibility, and then, shortly after, the wave of overwhelm.
On the surface, things were going well. Clients were coming in. Momentum was building. Ironically, that’s when the pressure really hit.
I had entered that universal phase of business ownership:
You don’t know what you don’t know.
And in business, what you don’t know can cost you time, money, confidence, and sometimes the business itself.
I made mistakes not because I wasn’t capable, but because I didn’t yet have the clarity or structure I needed. I was working hard, just not always wisely. To make things worse, I carried a quiet belief that I
should be able to do it all.
Marketing. Operations. Sales. Finances. Strategy. Delivery. I thought that being a business owner meant being self-sufficient in every area. That belief was exhausting and heavy.
The Shift That Changed Everything
Everything began to change when I clarified my Pinnacle Gift™, the specific, high-value work that only I could do, and paired it with the Pinnacle Productivity™ process.
For the first time, I clearly understood:
- What I should personally focus on.
- What I needed to offload.
- What could be delegated.
- And where support would multiply my results instead of diminishing my value.
I also saw something uncomfortable, but important. In my overwhelm and effort to do it all, I was unintentionally
commoditizing my coaching practice.
My energy was depleted. My message sounded like everyone else’s. I had lost sight of what made my work truly different.
And here’s the truth I learned the hard way:
Asking for help isn’t a weakness. It’s essential to lasting success.
Once I embraced support as a strength and built my business around my Pinnacle Gift, everything shifted. The business grew, but more importantly, it became sustainable and aligned.
That experience became a core reason I coach today: To help others avoid the costly, heartbreaking lessons I had to learn by running into every wall myself.
The Pattern I See Over and Over (You May Recognize This)
Nearly every entrepreneur I work with has walked some version of this path:
- The Energy Phase: Excitement, creativity, and belief.
- The “Oh Wow, This Is a Lot” Phase: Realizing that being good at your craft isn’t enough.
- The “I’ll Just Work Harder” Phase: The trap. More effort without better structure.
- Decision Fatigue: Hundreds of choices, little context.
- Isolation: Feeling alone, even when support exists.
- Doubt: Wondering if you’re really cut out for this.
- The Fork-in-the-Road Moment: Do you build sustainably, or retreat to “safety”?
I’ve watched too many capable, values-driven people choose the latter, not because they lacked talent, but because they lacked clarity, tools, and support.
The Myth of “Safety” in a Full-Time Job
Let’s pause here.
Many entrepreneurs return to a job believing they’re choosing safety. Yet later, I hear:
“I miss building.” “I miss dreaming.” “I miss the freedom.”
A job may
seem to offer predictability, but for entrepreneurial thinkers, predictability without fulfillment becomes its own form of discomfort. Once you know you’re meant to build something meaningful, you can’t unknow it.
People trade possibility for predictability but lose fulfillment in the process. Watching that happen, watching potential go untapped, is a powerful reason I became a coach.
Entrepreneurship Shouldn’t Be a Guessing Game
People don’t fail because they lack passion. They struggle because they lack:
- Clear priorities.
- A working strategy.
- Repeatable structure.
- Perspective and support.
- Accountability.
- Confidence in their direction.
That’s why my work blends strategy, structure, values, emotional intelligence, and leadership.
Business owners don’t need more hustle. They need more clarity. More alignment. More support.
Success by Design, Not by Accident
My mission isn’t to motivate people with clichés or push them toward burnout.
My mission is simple:
To help small business owners build success by design, not by accident. To help them see the gifts they can’t see on their own. To help them stop trying to do everything alone and start leading with clarity and confidence.
When business owners define and articulate their
Pinnacle Gift™, everything changes.
· They move away from commodity.
· They move toward uniqueness.
· They build businesses that are aligned, sustainable, and deeply fulfilling.
That journey begins with clarity.
As we look ahead to 2026, I want to invite you to pause before setting another round of goals.
Before you work harder. Before you commit to another strategy. Before you try to “do more.”
Get clear.
On January 23, 2026, I’m hosting an in-person Pinnacle Gift™ course designed to help you identify, articulate, and fully step into the high-value work only you are meant to do.
This isn’t about motivation or surface-level strengths.
It’s about uncovering the work that:
· Gives you energy
· Creates the greatest impact
· Aligns with your values
· Moves you out of commodity and into uniqueness
· And gives you a clear lens for decisions, delegation, and growth
Every participant leaves with a clear, unique Pinnacle Gift Statement, and, more importantly, the confidence to build their business around it.
If you’re feeling the pull to build more intentionally in 2026, to work smarter, not harder, this may be the most valuable first step you take.
Give yourself the gift of clarity. It changes everything.
👉 Details and registration information are available here:
