For a long time, as much as I disliked the word “competition” and had tried to shift my mindset about it, I couldn’t shake the tightness in the pit of my stomach at the thought of it.

I had just launched my website in English, and I felt like a tiny particle of dust in a vast universe.

–Why would anyone choose to work with me? -I wondered. 

I knew it was very noisy out there.

Because, like it or not, there are many other coaches, healers, and holistic practitioners doing the very same thing that we do.

So we need to make our work stand out, by making it different and unique. But…

How do you find your uniqueness?

There are several things that make your business unique:

–The combination of tools you use to work with your clients.

–The transformational process you take your clients through (that is exclusively yours).

–The personal story you share on how you got into your line of work…

And then, surprise, surprise, there is also this special ingredient you bring to your work.

Guess what?

It’s YOU.

Who you are at your core: your personality, your values, your soul’s essence. 

All those things infuse your work with a particular style or “flavor”. And that makes your business completely different from everybody else’s work. 

But in order to highlight those distinctive qualities in your work, you first need to understand who you really are.

Introducing you to the most powerful self-discovery tool. 

Drum roll, please …

Archetypes: The guides to your purpose

This is by far my favorite self-discovery tool.

Based on Carl Jung’s psychology, and later developed by Carol S Pearson, Archetypes are patterns of behavior we embody at different moments in our lives. 

Archetypes get activated in our consciousness due to both our life circumstances and also to the evolutionary needs of our soul. They are inner guides to your true purpose. 

Your archetypes talk about what’s really important to you. They reflect your point of view about life. They have given you special gifts and talents.

And they are also very valuable in business.

For example:

They will inform you about the type of business that will be most fulfilling for you, the type of clients that will value your work the most, the gifts and talents you have developed…

They will also show you the blind spots that are keeping you stuck, and how you can find more balance in your life.

And finally, both your archetypes and those of your ideal clients are a key aspect of your authentic brand.

Not bad, isn’t it?

Meet the 12 Archetypes Allies

Here is a list of the 12 archetypes that Carol S Pearson identified as having more relevance in today’s world.

Read them all to see which ones resonate the most with you:

• Artist: If you are an Artist you need to express yourself and to be innovative. One of your biggest gifts is your ability to bring your inspirations to life. 
• Nurturer: If you are a Nurturer, you need to help and serve others. One of your biggest gifts is empathy. 
• Warrior: If you are a Warrior, you need to defend the weak and the downtrodden. One of your biggest gifts is your courage. 
• Jester: If you are a Jester, you need to have fun and enjoy life. One of your biggest gifts is your sense of humor.
• Ruler: If you are a Ruler, you need to have control and order in your life. One of your biggest gifts is your ability to take charge of situations.
• Passionate: If you are a Passionate, you need to develop heart-to-heart connections. One of your biggest gifts is your passion for life.
• Alchemist: If you are an Alchemist, you need to transform difficult situations into “gold”. One of your biggest gifts is your intuition. 
• Explorer: If you are an Explorer, you have a strong need for freedom and adventure. One of your biggest gifts is curiosity. 
• Everyperson: If you are an Everyperson, you have the need for equality and belonging. One of your biggest gifts is your realism. 
• Idealist: If you are an Idealist, you need to trust that things will turn out well in the end. One of your biggest gifts is hope.
• Sage: If you are a Sage, you need to acquire wisdom. One of your biggest gifts is objectivity.
• Maverick: If you are a Maverick, you need to rebel against rules you don’t believe in. One of your biggest gifts is your unconventional thinking. 

This is just a short description of the 12 archetypes, and I have a ton more to share.

But I have a question for you.

Which of these topics do you want me to talk more about?

1. How to discover my unique talents and gifts.
2. How to I stand out from others in my field.
3. How to create my personal brand with archetypes.
4. How to figure out who my ideal clients are.
5. Any other topic you are interested in?

Please, let me know in the comments below, and I promise to create more articles about that.

Thanks so much!

(Originally published on March 4, 2014, and updated on August 12, 2019)