Last year, I wrote an article series “What’s Your Superpower and how to use it for the Common Good.” Many of you replied and asked what this looks like in real life and how it applies to your business or leadership.
Let’s take a look at an example of a business owner who is using her superpowers to serve her community for the Common Good. I hope that you will be inspired to take the extra step to watch her short video interview and learn more.
Alison Ibarra is the owner of Pinheads Fun Center, a bowling alley serving food and craft beer in the New River Gorge National Park area of West Virginia. She intentionally moved back to her mountain community to give back and make a difference.
She purchased an old bowling alley she had enjoyed as a teenager and envisioned restoring it into a space where locals and tourists alike could enjoy recreational time together.
Lesson 1: A superhero has a vision that includes helping others for the common good.
Once the new bowling alley was opened, she partnered with local schools to provide bowling vouchers for teachers to incentivize student academic performance. This helped youths and teachers, but she wanted to have an even more direct impact as an employer.
Alison enrolled in a business training program that included our Social Enterprise Labs course, and said: “having a good heart and wanting to contribute back to the community is not going to make this program magically work. One must develop a solid business plan and the tools to add workers of all backgrounds to function as a true team.”
Lesson 2: Superheroes know they must have a resilient plan and be prepared.
In a recent interview, Alison explained how she was equipped to be brave in the face of a difficult situation with an employee who experienced a relapse.
Rather than just firing him, she used the resources she had prepared in advance. In a meeting where she addressed the issue, Alison’s employee asked for help and they were able to immediately get him what he needed. He said that he had never had an employer who had faith in him to helped him get the support he needed.
From my perspective, Alison has become a superhero for the Common Good in her community. She has demonstrated some of the key characteristics that include a vision for change, resilience, and preparedness - and utilized these with an employee in a challenging situation.
Do you have a story to tell? I’d love to hear other examples of how you or people you know are being a superhero for the Common Good like Alison.
P.S. Click here to watch the video of Alison telling her story and learn more about the next Social Enterprise Labs Cohort that is starting soon.
P.P.S. Want to learn more? Book a complimentary Discovery Call with me to discover the next steps to growing your superpowers.