BE EXTRAORDINARY WITH THE HELP OF TEAM SUPERCREW

Written by Jessica Murray

Are you familiar with Team Supercrew?

I wasn’t either until about six months ago when my toddler received a set of the Team Supercrew books as a gift. They’ve become a fan favorite.

If you’re a parent or spend meaningful time with young kids, you’ll relate to the fact that, once you’ve read children’s books enough times, you start to internalize the underlying messages. For whatever reason, each time we turn the pages of one of these four Team Supercrew books, I immediately think of entrepreneurship.

The core lessons

Let’s start by setting the stage. There are four core members of the squad:

• Benny the Brave: A hero focused on courage.

• Chloe the Calm: The member on the team known for her calmness.

• Gen the Grit: The character bringing strength and determination.

• Keisha the Kind: The embodiment of kindness.

In each of the four books, a child faces a challenge, and then calls on a Team Supercrew guide:

• A kid fears starting at a new school.

• Another refuses bedtime and suffers from FOMO.

• One wants to quit soccer when it gets hard.

• One resents being asked to watch a younger sibling.

After understanding the situation and acknowledging the emotions, the members of Team Supercrew encourage thinking about “What Ifs…”

For example:

• What if you’re not the only new kid in school, and the next friend you make is the one that lasts?

• What if bedtime gives you the energy to do everything you want tomorrow?

• What if you get better by learning from mistakes?

• What if you’re your sibling’s hero?

That shift pulls the children out of the negative spiral and provides space for constructive action.

What does this have to do with entrepreneurship?

Founders can apply the same move.

Building a business is hard and often relentless. In those troughs, it feels really tough, messy and you have moments of doubt.

Sometimes, flipping the script and asking that same “What If…” can give you the resilience boost you need to keep solving problems and moving forward.

For example:

• What if that negative customer review actually provides insight into a real underlying problem with the product?

• What if losing that prospect saves time to focus on someone who is a better long-term client fit?

• What if pushback on pricing forces you to craft a more compelling narrative about the value you deliver?

• What if a lack of product adoption forces you to do user research that makes the next launch a viral success?

• What if a supplier delay is the thing that allows you to build a more adaptable supply chain?

• What if a successful competitor launch provides validation that you’re on the right track?

It’s a simple pattern. Name the situation, name the feeling and then ask the better question that leads to better results.

Try it out. Start writing down those What If statements for the next couple of weeks when you hit those inevitable bumps in the road.

And as Team Supercrew would say…you now have the power inside of you whenever you need it. Be extraordinary!