How to find (and use) your superpowers

Define your best version, use your ace cards, follow your success system. Show up and be more you.

Here's the session recording, originally delivered at DCBKK, October 2024.

The sound is not amazing so I recommend turning subtitles on :)

Ask friends what they think your ace cards are

Send this to three friends. Choose people you trust, who want you to be your best.

Hey. What do you think my ace cards are?

I was on a webinar and tasked to ask a close friend to share 1-3 things I’m exceptionally good at (but perhaps not maximising at the moment).

Does anything come to mind?

Find your success system: Squiggly Careers podcast

Find your personal success system with ChatGPT

You can't just wing it. You need a repeatable formula that works for you. Finding your system is the key to unlocking your full potential.

Copy, paste, and edit the square brackets in ChatGPT. Keep the chat window open so the context carries through. The final prompt is where it’s all tied together.

📋 Map your success system using this template

Use the superpower framework

Here's the transcript:

"This is how to find and use your superpowers. The second most important thing I need to tell you is that you all have superpowers – that's just a given. The third most important thing I have to tell you is that there are two types of people. There are people who have superpowers and they use them, and then there are people who have superpowers and they don’t use them. When you use your superpowers, you’ll feel like you’re going through life and work with a sense of ease. It’s like you’re gliding through; you’re achieving stuff, you’re on a mission, you’re in your flow, in your jam – you’ve got this.

When you have superpowers that you don’t use, you kind of feel like you’re struggling through. Maybe you feel like, 'Oh, why aren’t things grooving? Why can’t I just figure this out?' Or maybe there’s this sense of, 'I should be figuring this out,' like 'I’m smarter than this,' 'I should be getting this by now,' and things just aren’t quite clicking. Maybe you feel like you can’t see the future, unsure where you’re going, or that all the hard work and effort you’re putting in isn’t leading somewhere you want to be. Anyone relate to either of those two? Okay, good.

So this is all about making sure you’re in the first camp and not the latter. But first, let’s agree on a definition of superpowers that we’re all going to build together. Superpowers are how you achieve things, how you level up, reach new heights, and push beyond your own limits – all toward your version of success. This is crucial because everyone has their own version of success. One person’s heaven is another person’s hell, but here, we only care about our version of success.

Now, this isn’t about doing it once like a fluke; it’s about creating a repeatable system that looks effortless to others. When people see someone using their superpowers, they often think they’re just lucky, have good genes, or are simply talented. To others, it looks effortless. But to you, it feels natural. Yes, you may work hard, but it won’t feel like hard labor. It will feel like, 'I’m grooving, I’ve got this, this is my jam.'

So, superpowers are how you can achieve things that match your version of success, repeatedly, in a way that looks effortless to others and feels natural to you. How’s that sitting as a definition? Agreed? Great.

Now, I’m going to read three statements, and I want you to tell me which one most aligns with how you feel about your superpowers. Number one is: 'I don’t know if I have superpowers.' Number two is: 'I probably do have superpowers, or I know I have superpowers, but I don’t know what they are.' And number three is: 'I’m not fully using my superpowers.' Who feels most aligned with number one? Number two? Number three?

So, this is the superpower framework I’d like to present today. It has three components, making a Venn diagram, as all good frameworks do. The three components are: best version, ace cards, and a success system.

First, best version. Every one of us has a best version and a worst version. The best version is when we’re our most confident, happy, and things are going well. The flip side is our worst version – when we’re tired, angry, or just frustrated by something. Using our superpowers requires that we can summon that best version whenever we need it.

The second component is ace cards. These are unique talents or characteristics that are ours alone. They’re not about comparison or competition, but they are our own unique advantages.

The final component is a success system. Every person has a personal success system. Using your superpowers requires discovering that system and using it to get repeatable results.

So, that’s the superpower framework. Now, quick intro: hi! I’m Jodie. I didn’t have any of this figured out before 2021. But in 2021, I had a major business exit – I sold my social media agency after 10 years in a seven-figure exit. This marked a big deal for me. My accountant asked, 'Do you think this is the biggest transaction you’ll ever do?' I thought, 'Well, I hope not; I’m only 32!' But the way he said it made me realize he thought it might be.

Maybe this mission was partly about proving him wrong or proving to myself that I hadn’t peaked at 32, but I went on a journey to unpack what had led to that big success and apply it to all areas of my life going forward. My goal was to be in the top 1% in life, work, sport, business, writing, and travel.

Since then, things have kind of exploded. As a Forbes contributor, my articles have had 12 million hits, with 10 million in the last 18 months. I’ve competed in powerlifting since 2017, but only recently started winning international medals. I’ve been publishing books for years, but only recently got a big publisher. And in the last ten years, I’ve lived in 35 cities, but now I’m doing it as a full nomad.

To join the dots, after selling my agency, I began coaching agency owners on how to build, scale, and sell their agencies. Then I created an AI coach version of myself, and now I make AI coach versions for other coaches, consultants, and thought leaders through Coachvox, which is my current company.

It might sound like everything exploded because of this random Venn diagram, but it’s not as crazy as it sounds. In my role for Forbes, I study successful people, and I’ve found that elements of this framework show up everywhere. For example, Taylor Swift has a success system where she writes about things that resonate with her friends, leading to hit after hit.

Everyone from Beyonce to Sara Blakely to Jeff Bezos uses elements of this framework. But it’s essential to have all three components together. If you only have two, you’ll feel it. For example, if you’re showing up as your best version and using your ace cards but lack a success system, you may feel vague about your achievements and might experience imposter syndrome.

Similarly, if you know your ace cards and have a success system but aren’t showing up as your best version, you may end up on an emotional rollercoaster. You may achieve success but still feel unhappy or inconsistent.

Lastly, if you know your best version and have a success system but aren’t playing your ace cards, you’re just choosing to struggle. This was me before 2021 – I had potential but wasn’t fully tapping into it.

So, we’re going to start with ace cards. These are unique strengths and characteristics. We all have them. Recognizing them can help you avoid unnecessary struggle. And finding these can start by noticing insults or asking friends for honest feedback.

I’ll give you an example: years ago, someone I worked with constantly pointed out that I had “big arms.” At first, I tried to hide it, but eventually, I embraced it, started bench pressing, and now I compete in powerlifting.

Likewise, a friend of mine who was teased for “doing the most” learned to embrace it and now uses it as a strength in her career.

Now, I’d like you to pair up and try identifying some of your ace cards. Find a partner, and let’s dig into this exercise together.

Ultimately, being more of yourself and embracing your unique strengths is the point of this. It’s not about hiding who you are; it’s about amplifying it. And each of you has a playing card on your chair. Write down your suspected ace cards on it and keep it with you.

With ace cards uncovered, the next step is finding a success system. Everyone has one, and identifying it can make your future goals more achievable. My success system is based on six steps I followed to sell my agency, which I now apply to all my major goals.

Each of us has a personal success system that can be applied to every area we want to succeed in. Now it’s your turn to find yours. Consider what you’re most proud of achieving and think back to the steps you took to get there. Notice patterns across your successes and outline those steps.

This is about uncovering your natural strengths and finding clarity within yourself. When we’re reminded of our superpowers, we can achieve our own version of success consistently. Remember, the people who make you feel successful are those who believe in your success. So this week, remind everyone else of their superpowers, and they’ll do the same for you.

That’s it! [Applause]"

I'm cheering for you.

Jodie 😍