How to Innovate with your Superpower

[00:00:00] PJ Crocker: You’ve got this spark. You have this great idea. You believe in this idea. But then comes the structure, the deadlines, the day to day. I think a lot of people, especially creatives and innovators, can get stuck right there. What helps people bridge that gap between inspiration and follow-through?

[00:00:14] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Welcome back for episode two of Office Hours. If you ever felt your idea didn’t quite fit the mold, or your process doesn’t follow the usual playbook, you’re exactly in the right spot. Today we’re naming this episode “How to Innovate with your Superpower.” But not just innovation for its own sake. Innovation that’s deeply aligned with who you are.

[00:02:42] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Today I’m joined by an amazing student interviewer, PJ Crocker, who is sharing his journey discovering his superpower. PJ, why don’t you briefly introduce yourself?

[00:02:51] PJ Crocker: I’m PJ Crocker. I’m a third year at Cal Poly, an agribusiness student, one of Dr. C’s students. I came in with what I thought was just a personal challenge. I process things differently than the rest of the bunch. I work fast and I feel deeply, and I thought that used to be a liability. But you kept asking, “What if this is the way you’re built to solve?” That changed everything for me.

[00:04:23] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Innovation always starts from the inside out, not from the outside in. If you don’t know how to solve something, you always second-guess your method. Once you align with your superpower — the way you naturally think, feel, connect, and move — that’s when the magic happens. Some students lead with empathy. Some move with speed. Some are deep system thinkers. Innovation isn’t about having the very best idea. It’s about solving the right problem with the right method, in a way that’s true to you.

[00:06:57] PJ Crocker: In your class, I started designing a food concept focused on sensory friendliness — something I wish I had when I was younger. I realized all those things I used to think were extra or unnecessary — sensitivity, creativity, noticing details others might skip — were actually the engine behind the whole idea.

[00:07:30] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: That’s when the momentum happens. It’s one thing to say “I think fast” or “I’m a system thinker.” It’s completely different when you actually feel your superpower and funnel it into something. The best ideas come from asking: what would I have wanted to have five years ago? Then your ideal client is the version of you from five years ago.

[00:08:42] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: There are two systems: structure and sequence. Structure is the space where you let an idea live, even in small ways. Sequence is the order you do things in. In the movie Runaway Bride, Julia Roberts doesn’t know how she likes her eggs because she’s never had the structure to find out. The sequence is rotating through possibilities — scrambled, fried, over easy — until you discover what aligns with you. The most successful innovators aren’t the ones with the perfect system. They’re the ones with enough structure to keep going when things get messy. Not a rigid routine. A rhythm that works with you.

[00:11:47] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: I call it a weekly check-in. Put 20 minutes on your calendar — protect them. It’s your personal reset button. Three steps: First, return to what feels true. Look back at a moment when your idea came alive. My Petite Practice® program came to me in the shower, because that’s where my brain moves with water. Know where your ideas come alive. Second, name one petite practice — small, simple, doable, no overwhelm. Third, notice what’s pulling you away. Is it distraction? Perfectionism? Naming what distracts you already takes its power away.

[00:17:24] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: To go deeper on structure, I invited Kendra Corman to join us — strategic marketing consultant, AI specialist, and chair of Management and Marketing at Rochester Christian University. Kendra, what’s one simple system that helps you move ideas forward when life is full?

[00:18:19] Kendra Corman: Standard operating procedures, hands down. When I’m doing a repeatable task, I go into Loom, record my screen and voice, and their AI feature transcribes every step into an SOP. Then anyone can click into any step to find their own answer. It helps me delegate without sacrificing quality. The best systems aren’t external — they’re personalized. That’s what makes them last.

[00:21:35] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: If you ever question yourself thinking “is this good enough?” — take those words out. Replace them with “I don’t know this yet.” Don’t sit on the sidelines. Throw yourself out there. Play the game. Ideas grow when they’re used, not when they’re thought about. It’s like Legos. You don’t need instructions. You just start building. Small moves build momentum, and momentum builds belief. So the only question worth asking today is: can I move forward just a little today? That’s where innovation actually starts.