What does it really take to start something new? In this lively and thoughtful episode, Sarah, Bill, and guest Natalie Becerra explore how different CliftonStrengths can help you move from idea to action—and why there’s no “best” strength, only the best one for you. Natalie opens up about her love of Ideation and Strategic, and how they create both brilliance and tension when starting something new. Whether you launch fast with Activator, build the vision with Strategic, research endlessly with Input, or analyze every angle with Deliberative, this episode will help you embrace your own starting style, ditch the guilt of “not doing enough,” and learn how to aim your strengths with more intention.

Main Takeaways

1. There’s no single best strength for starting something new—only the one that helps you begin with clarity.
2. Strengths like Ideation and Strategic bring depth to the start by connecting patterns and purpose.
3. Activator may launch fast, but Strategic, Input, and Analytical provide crucial substance and direction.
4. Starting isn’t always a confident leap—it can be a layered, messy process driven by intention and reflection.
5. Balancing quick-start energy with long-game thinking helps avoid burnout or overwhelm.
6. Overthinking can stall progress, but fear often hides behind “research” or “analysis.”
7. Knowing your strengths helps you start better by honoring your natural rhythm instead of copying someone else’s.

Sound Bites

1. “I see the patterns that nobody else sees—and then I can’t not do something about it.”
2. “Starting strong doesn’t always mean starting fast.”
3. “Ideation is a waterfall—you think it’s one drop, and suddenly it’s pouring ideas you didn’t know were connected.”
4. “I always want to jump—but my Strategic whispers, ‘let’s think this through first.’”
5. “Woo gets the room excited, but Strategic maps the way forward.”
6. “Sometimes I’m chasing shiny new ideas, and future-me is like, ‘Really? You signed me up for that?’”
7. “Deliberative and Input don’t stop you from starting—they help you start wisely.”
8. “There’s so much power in pausing before you leap.”
9. “Your starting line doesn’t have to look like mine.”
10. “If you’re starting out of obligation, it’s not going to stick.”
11. “It’s easy to mistake movement for momentum—Strategic helps me check that.”
12. “I always come back to: is this worth my energy?”
13. “Sometimes the best way to start is to write. That’s how I make sense of my brain.”
14. “Even with Woo, I don’t want to just entertain—I want to lead somewhere.”
15. “When you understand your own strengths, you stop trying to start the way everyone else does.”

Bill's Top 10 CliftonStrengths 

1) Individualization

2) Developer

3) Activator

4) Woo

5) Restorative

6) Empathy

7) Harmony

8) Connectedness

9) Relator

10) Learner

Sarah's Top 10 CliftonStrengths 

1) Positivity

2) Woo

3) Communication

4) Harmony

5) Activator

6) Developer

7) Input

8) Individualization

9) Responsibility

10) Arranger 

Official Strengths On Fire Website:  https://strengthsonfire.transistor.fm

GET MORE FROM BILL AND SARAH:
Bill's info:
https://billdippel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamdippel/
https://www.instagram.com/billdippelcoach/

Sarah's info:
https://www.wearecollinsco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcoachcollins/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahcoachcollins/