Peter Lars, Cornerstone Photography: The Interview

03/11/25 • 66 min

What do a photographer-turned-entrepreneur, a free CliftonStrengths coaching session, and a boomer with futuristic vision have in common? This episode of Strengths on Fire brings all that and more. You’ll hear how Peter Lars, founder of a wildly creative photography company, uses his top 10 strengths to lead with fun, spark innovation, and build a company culture people want to be part of. Whether you’re a business owner, team leader, or someone trying to figure out your strengths in action, this conversation is packed with real-life ways strengths show up in leadership, growth, and everyday decisions. You’ll laugh, learn, and walk away inspired to lean into your talents and maybe even start a strengths board of your own.

To contact Peter:
https://cornerstone.photo/

Takeaways

When you know your top strengths, you can stop trying to fix your weaknesses and start growing with intention.
Investing in what you do naturally well makes leading and building a business feel energizing, not exhausting.
You don’t need all the Influencing themes to be influential—relationships and passion speak volumes.
Knowing your team’s strengths gives you a roadmap for better communication, delegation, and success.
A strengths-based culture is built by weaving recognition into everyday work—not just once a year.
Entrepreneurs thrive when they double down on the zones where they find flow, fun, and impact.
Strengths like Woo and Positivity aren’t just “nice”—they’re business drivers that attract both clients and talent.
Leaders with Developer sometimes hold on too long—knowing when to let go is part of strengths maturity.
When Ideation runs wild, structure and intentional timing are key to getting buy-in and execution.
Being in the trenches with your team builds trust and loyalty that no policy can replicate.
Strengths awareness helps you see where you shine and where others need to step in, no one does it all alone.
Even the best strengths can be a dumpster fire if not filtered through self-awareness.
You can be successful and still have fun—joy, laughter, and strength-based strategy go hand in hand.
The right environment amplifies your talents, especially when you’ve created it with purpose.
Strengths give you the language and clarity to build a company where people want to stay and grow.

Sound Bites

My whole life I was focused on what I wasn’t good. Turns out, I should’ve just let that go.
We don’t just know our strengths—we talk about them, recognize them, and celebrate them.
That positivity strength? It’s how I turn crying toddlers into giggles and smiles.
Ideation can be a dumpster fire—I’ve got three-year-old ideas just waiting for the right moment.
Our team puts strengths colors on balloons, cream cheese, and grapes. We live this stuff.
Strengths changed the way we hire—now we put the right people in the right seats from the start.
The photos we reprint after a fire—that’s significance in action. That’s why I do this.

Peters Top 10 CliftonStrengths
1) Futuristic
2) Positivity
3) Communication
4) Adaptability
5) Ideation
6) Woo
7) Developer
8) Activator
9) Maximizer
10) Significance

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

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

To contact Peter:
https://cornerstone.photo/

Takeaways

When you know your top strengths, you can stop trying to fix your weaknesses and start growing with intention.
Investing in what you do naturally well makes leading and building a business feel energizing, not exhausting.
You don’t need all the Influencing themes to be influential—relationships and passion speak volumes.
Knowing your team’s strengths gives you a roadmap for better communication, delegation, and success.
A strengths-based culture is built by weaving recognition into everyday work—not just once a year.
Entrepreneurs thrive when they double down on the zones where they find flow, fun, and impact.
Strengths like Woo and Positivity aren’t just “nice”—they’re business drivers that attract both clients and talent.
Leaders with Developer sometimes hold on too long—knowing when to let go is part of strengths maturity.
When Ideation runs wild, structure and intentional timing are key to getting buy-in and execution.
Being in the trenches with your team builds trust and loyalty that no policy can replicate.
Strengths awareness helps you see where you shine and where others need to step in, no one does it all alone.
Even the best strengths can be a dumpster fire if not filtered through self-awareness.
You can be successful and still have fun—joy, laughter, and strength-based strategy go hand in hand.
The right environment amplifies your talents, especially when you’ve created it with purpose.
Strengths give you the language and clarity to build a company where people want to stay and grow.

Sound Bites

My whole life I was focused on what I wasn’t good. Turns out, I should’ve just let that go.
We don’t just know our strengths—we talk about them, recognize them, and celebrate them.
That positivity strength? It’s how I turn crying toddlers into giggles and smiles.
Ideation can be a dumpster fire—I’ve got three-year-old ideas just waiting for the right moment.
Our team puts strengths colors on balloons, cream cheese, and grapes. We live this stuff.
Strengths changed the way we hire—now we put the right people in the right seats from the start.
The photos we reprint after a fire—that’s significance in action. That’s why I do this.

Peters Top 10 CliftonStrengths
1) Futuristic
2) Positivity
3) Communication
4) Adaptability
5) Ideation
6) Woo
7) Developer
8) Activator
9) Maximizer
10) Significance

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

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

Previous Episode

Lisa Cummings, Lead through Strengths: The Coaches Table

Have you made the leap from corporate life to entrepreneurship and now you’re realizing there are some serious gaps when it comes to sales and marketing? This episode with strengths coach Lisa Cummings is for you. She joins Sarah and Bill to share her journey, lessons learned, and how she leveraged her strengths to grow a thriving business. From the push-pull of Significance to the magic of Individualization and Woo, you’ll get real talk, helpful tools, and a few laughs along the way. Whether you’re a coach or creative entrepreneur, this one’s full of gold. Jump on in, the bratwurst should be warm...

To contact Lisa:
https://leadthroughstrengths.com/

Takeaways

Using your strengths as a foundation can make entrepreneurship feel more aligned and authentic.
Sales and marketing don’t have to feel gross—when you lead with your strengths, it becomes service.
Woo paired with Individualization creates genuine connection that goes deeper than surface-level charm.
Maximizer can be a superpower, until it burns you out with constant improvement.
If you’ve mastered something using your strengths, sharing it can multiply your impact.
Significance isn’t about ego, it’s about leaving a meaningful legacy for others to build on.
Starting a strengths-based business requires both self-awareness and systems that play to your talents.
Knowing your top strengths can help you pivot when things feel misaligned or overwhelming.
Strengths like Positivity and Woo make you magnetic, but pairing them with Strategic and Focus helps create real momentum.
If you’re stuck in perfection, use your strengths to move into action, even if it’s messy at first.
Coaches often love the work, but struggle with the business side. Leaning into Learner, Focus, and Strategic can change that.
Authentic recognition fuels connection and Woo and Individualization are powerful tools to make people feel seen.
Your backstory and previous roles often shape your unique strengths combo, nothing is wasted.
Strengths like Strategic and Activator thrive in fast-paced, high-impact environments like workshops and summits.
When you own your strengths and build your business around them, you create something that’s both sustainable and joyful.

Sound Bites

It would be a waste to build all of this using my strengths and then not share it with coaches who need it.
I want my life to be for something—I don’t want to fritter away my potential.
Sales isn’t about pressure, it’s about finding fit and being of service using your natural talents.
Maximizer is my dumpster fire—it drives excellence, but it also keeps me tweaking endlessly.
I was having Sunday night heart palpitations—that’s when I knew I had to make a change.
I love connecting deeply. Woo gets me in the room, but Individualization helps me stay there.
After ten years of building everything from scratch, I realized the best thing I could do was give it away.

Lisa's Top 10 CliftonStrengths
1) Strategic
2) Maximizer
3) Positivity
4) Individualization
5) Woo
6) Futuristic
7) Focus
8) Learner
9) Communication
10) Significance

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

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

Next Episode

Alyssa Thelen, Gusto: The Coaches Table

In this energizing and heartfelt episode, Sarah and Bill sit down with internal Gallup-certified coach Alyssa Thelen, whose strengths-packed combo of Woo, Communication, and Positivity lights up every room—especially this podcast. Alyssa shares her journey from the cornfields of Nebraska to coaching leaders at fast-growing startups, how her talents fuel her both personally and professionally, and how she’s navigated an incredibly tough season with grace, humor, and vulnerability.

Whether you’re an internal coach, a strengths lover, or someone going through unexpected change, this conversation is a masterclass in leading with strengths, asking for help, and staying true to who you are, especially when the storms hit. Walk away with a fresh perspective on navigating change using your strengths, insight into the unique experience of being an internal coach, encouragement to lean into who you are and ask for what you need, and a reminder that positivity is powerful—even when it’s hard-earned

To contact Alyssaa:
https://gusto.com/

Takeaways

Your strengths are your most powerful tools—especially during seasons of change.
Positivity doesn’t mean pretending everything’s fine; it means finding light even in the hard.
If you’re an internal coach, seek out other “closet enthusiasts” to build momentum and connection.
When in doubt, lean into what’s in your toolbelt, not what looks shiny in someone else’s.
You don’t have to do it all—ask for help and let others shine through their strengths.
Woo + Communication + Positivity is a high-voltage combo for influence and morale.
Change tests your adaptability, but it also opens space to grow, lead, and stretch.
Even activators need to slow down and regroup when life throws curveballs.
When you step into hard moments, you give others permission to do the same.
There’s power in recognizing your limits and calling in others with strengths you lack.
Relational connection fuels high-performing teams—people follow people, not just titles.
High Woo doesn’t mean you can do all the things—boundaries are a growth edge, too.
Leading with belief and significance creates deep commitment to mission and people.
Internal coaches have a unique vantage point to drive culture and influence from within.
Strengths aren’t just about productivity—they’re about getting through life with purpose and resilience.

Sound Bites

Positivity needs positivity to blossom.
I’ve been grasping for every ounce of positivity I can get these last few weeks.
Don’t reach for tools in the shed you don’t know how to use—grab what’s in your toolbelt.
People want to help you. Asking for help isn’t weakness, it’s actually a gift to them.
Woo, Communication, Activator, I say yes, and then adaptability shows up and changes the plan.
Find your internal network—there are always other people who geek out on strengths, too.
Focus on your strengths, not the storm.

Alyssa’s Top 10 CliftonStrengths
1. Woo
2. Communication
3. Activator
4. Competition
5. Adaptability
6. Belief
7. Command
8. Significance
9. Harmony
10. Positivity

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