Which "pen" are you?
In Russian, the word for a door handle and the word for a pen, the one you write ✍️ with - are exactly the same. You only know the difference by the context.
Same thing in English.
Think of “live”
You can go live - launch, be online, show up.
Or you can live - as in, to be alive.
Different meaning. Same word.
Or “wind.”
The wind that blows in your face.
Or to wind something around your finger.
Same letters. Whole different world depending on how you use it.
I had a chat with another coach who works in the same company as one of my clients. I was curious, what does she actually do? Why are they bringing someone else into the team?
Turns out, she does the thing I don’t.
She coaches people on how to manage, lead, upskill - hands-on, on-the-job development. Practical, day-to-day execution. She does it her way. A great way. Just not my way.
I realized, that’s exactly why they hired me.
Not to overlap. But to bring a different perspective. A different type of support. A different kind of solution.
In a world where you’re constantly surrounded by “same-sounding” professionals, coaches, consultants, strategists, salespeople, entrepreneurs etc, what really sets you apart is not what you call yourself, but how you do what you do.
It’s worth asking,
Are you a pen to write with?
Or a pen to open doors?
The clearer you are about what you do differently, the easier it is for the right people to find you, trust you, and choose you.
You don’t need to be the loudest. Or the most experienced.
But you do need to be clear on what kind of pen you are.
Start here, with these five questions, to find and own your edge:
-
What result do you help others achieve, that they deeply care about?
Not just what you do, but what changes because of you. -
What do you do differently from others in your field?
Is it your process? Your pace? Your lens? What makes you… you? -
What do you always notice, that others tend to miss?
That overlooked detail? It’s probably your secret sauce. After all, you can eat the same pasta, the key is the sauce :) -
If someone shadowed you for a day, what would surprise them?
Something that feels normal to you but is rare to others? -
What do people come back to you for, again and again?
Patterns are proof. Look at what sticks.
Then speak from that place.
What kind of pen are you?
