I grew up playing various sports, volleyball, and softball being my favorite.

When I entered high school, I made a name for myself at third base because I had a strong arm that could rocket the ball accurately to first, and I thrived on fast, quick, short hops and grounders that often seemed to appear in my glove magically.

It was so fun!

Every day I went to practice I heard, “Porter, get on third.”

You know what I NEVER HEARD?

I never heard, “Porter, go out to center field and take some pop flies.”

WHY?

Because my specific skills made me succeed as a third baseman.

I didn’t need to be great (or even good) at any other position to succeed as a softball player and receive a college scholarship.

I just need to be good at doing the things I was good at. The things third-base women needed to be good at.

The colleges didn’t ask if I could catch a pop fly (I’m terrified of them to be honest). I’d rather have a ball come flying towards me at warp speed than wait, and wait for a pop fly.

And they didn’t ask because it didn’t matter!

They needed someone who could accurately scoop up grounders, short hops, and bunts and get the person running to first out!

Because my stories always relate to business and motherhood, here’s the “catch!” (See what I did there!)

Decide what skills you’re great at, what skills you enjoy doing, what skills sound fun to learn, and DO MORE OF THOSE!

FOCUS ON GETTING REALLY GOOD AT THOSE SKILLS!

I’m not crafty, and I don’t really enjoy them, so my kids didn’t craft (with me). I did, HOWEVER, give them opportunities to hone their crafy skills through other friends, and family members, I put them in classes, etc., and now my 20-year-old has a VERY successful wedding cake business.

I never said, Porter, well, I was Payne by then, I never said “Payne get out your crafts and work on them till you like them more, till you’re better at them.

So the next time you think,
“I ought to be better at (fill in the blank).”
I should spend more time on this “weakness” or “thing that I don’t like doing”….
Everyone is so much better at X than I am”

Remember, in business and motherhood, you have strengths, talents, and things you enjoy.

Practice those things so that you can be the best darn version of YOU!

Let the other entrepreneurs (and moms) do their thing, you do yours, and together you will impact the world with greater success by focusing on your strengths!