Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Michael Weston, Owner of Supernormal by Michael Andrew, located in Indianapolis, IN, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I'm an Identity Strategist. My work sits at the intersection of professional/business development, branding, and marketing. Simply put, I help clients get to the core of their identity and leverage it to position them to attract the opportunities and/or clients they want.

I work with professionals and business owners who are intentional about discovering their truest identities. Typically, my clients have some level of spiritual inclination and are — more often than not — intuitive. Their professional journeys widely vary. Some have been navigating their careers or operating their businesses for many years and are at a place of redefinition. Others are just beginning their professional or entrepreneurial journeys and are looking to establish a solid career or business from the inside out.

Tell us about yourself

I got started on my career path as a teenager when an at-the-time mentor sat me down in front of a computer and told me, "You can do graphic design." So, I did. I started getting questions from graphic design clients about how to effectively promote their products, services, or events and discovered that I had a natural talent for marketing. Demand for these marketing skills increased, and I was hired by a local charter school to develop a marketing strategy for student retention and enrollment.

While developing this program, I realized that there was a breakdown in what the school promised and what teachers, students, and parents were experiencing. I realized that the breakdown I discovered wasn't a basic marketing issue — it was an identity issue. I soon transitioned from marketing into the role of a "brand manager." It was my way of helping people find and express their identities. However, I kept running into the same problem — clients wanted to look good and sell stuff. I was more focused on doing the deep work on the internal first than the external. This left me constantly feeling like I wasn't "doing" enough.

So, I started piling more work on my plate and ultimately worked myself to burnout. At that time, I cleared my client roster and spent several months reorganizing my business, and landed on the work I do now, which is focused on helping clients identify breakdowns by discovering their true identity and equipping them with tools to create an aligned business or career using the supernormal power of identity.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I would have to say that my greatest accomplishment as a business owner is walking away from my work in branding, reorganizing my business, and reemerging with an entirely new business model.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The most challenging part of being a business owner is remembering to have a life outside of work. Because I am a one-man team, everything in my business depends on me. Sometimes, I have to remind myself to be a PERSON and to enjoy my life and the people in it.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Have an identity outside of your career. Otherwise, it will run your life.
  2. Celebrate your successes and glean lessons from them to inform your next success.
  3. Remember to be authentic. It is the quickest and easiest way to build client trust.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Identity strategy is unlike any work I've ever done. Most business strategists will teach people simply how to build a business, which often leaves them wondering where they "fit" in that picture. This often creates a dynamic where they're constantly trying to keep up with the demands of the business.

Identity strategy, though, helps people to build a relationship with themselves first so that they can build a business that matches their capacity.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://yoursupernormal.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YourSupernormal/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoursupernormal/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michweston/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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