Struggling to find your niche?
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Your niche isn't found outside of you… It sits within you. Yet, many early-stage creative entrepreneurs get stuck here. Confused. Overwhelmed. Trying to figure out what their perfect niche is so they can update their bio. In this newsletter, I'll share a model you might use to approach identifying your niche, your soul clients and aligned offerings in a way that feels more aligned. When I first started building online, mid 2023. The idea of finding your niche by answering a sh*t load of demographic based questions about your ideal client profile guided by a free downloaded PDF never sat well with me. Yet, please believe… I downloaded the damn PDFs. I filled them out. Over, and over, and over again. Hoping I’d gain more clarity about my perfect niche. Yet, the outcome remained the same every time I took pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). I was left with an imaginary avatar that I felt zero connection to as an actual person. I was focusing on someone. Somewhere. Outside of me. And yes, if you’re building a one-person business. You’re serving others, not yourself. So it’s essential to think about the other person (your client/customer). If you have no clients. You have no business. But, zooming in on your ideal client profile before leaning into who you are at your core isn’t the best way to get clarity on the people you actually serve. I felt lost as I navigated the digital realms, attempting to nail my niche. Confused. And slightly overwhelmed by it all. The resistance to niching down was always felt. But, I believed what all of the content creators seemingly raking in the cash were preaching. So I continued to tweak my bio regularly, because: “The riches are in the niches.” Right? I’d see others on the timeline with profiles that packed a perfect punch. Bio on fleek. Words neatly tucked into the confined character limit. And there I was. Changing my bio every time I saw someone else’s bio because I was inspired… Each time I did, it felt more and more like a diluted version of who I wanted to work with. Close. But, not quite hitting the sweet spot. Once I got my coaching qualification, I thought: I can work with everyone as a coach… And, the truth is, I could have helped everyone and anyone. As a skilled coach, you aren't too limited in who you can help. But… If you're building a purpose-led business. One that magnetises an ideal type of client. You can't sustainably build your business by positioning yourself to help everyone and anyone. Your messaging will be all over the place. Potential clients will be confused. And so will you. The irony was: the more I sought clarity on my niche, the more I got confused about it. But, over time, I started to hold the desire to get a crystal clear niche that perfectly fit in my bio and email footer a little more lightly. And honestly, I wish I’d done this earlier when I started building online back in 2023. But now, I know better. Now, I know that there is another way to approach getting more clarity on your niche (and your offerings). And, it starts with one simple question… Start With Why Earlier this week, I was on a call. I connected with a fellow heart-centred creative entrepreneur for a vibe chat. On the call, I was reminded of the big challenge I had when I first started building online… Figuring out my niche. The guy I was speaking with was in the same position I was when I first started. He was unsure about who he could help because he felt skilled enough to help everyone. He asked for my advice. So I shared with him: Start with you. Start with your why. From there, the ideal person you want to serve will emerge. As creative entrepreneurs building a one-person business, we can get so caught up in the how, the who, and the what that we forget the core… Your why. This is what matters most. This is what will keep you going when the clouds of doubt hover over your head for days. This is what we return to when we feel lost in the liminal space — still figuring it out whilst the fire burns in our chest, fuelling us to keep moving forward. This is what we can weave into our content and offers. Your words can be replicated. Your why can't. “Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. When I say WHY, I don't mean to make money — that’s a result. By WHY, I mean what is your purpose, cause or belief?” Start With Why — Simon Sinek Build Your Business From The Inside Out The following morning, after the call, I reflected on what I shared with the fellow creator. Sipping my tea in bed. Scribbling in my journal. A book title popped into my head: Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action by Simon Sinek. Now, I’ll be honest. I haven’t read the whole book. I’ve listened to one chapter. However, it’s on my book list along with many other books scattered between my Kindle, Amazon wishlist, and Spotify downloads. Once the book popped into my head, I did a bit of research (supported by Chatgpt). There’s one concept from this book that stood out — The Golden Circle. The Golden Circle is a simple concept that illustrates how a person or company identifies the core of what they do — then builds their brand or business from that place. The inside out. Rather than what you see most creators do, build from the outside in. Looking at who you want to help first, rather than looking at what led you to start the work you are doing (or wanting to do). This concept resonates deeply with how I’m already building my one-person business. And, when I speak to other creative entrepreneurs (especially aspiring coaches), this way of building resonates with them too. They also felt the resistance. The frustration. The confusion. The constriction of trying to pour the contents of their medicine into a small 100ml bottle. Sidenote: the medicine you hold can NEVER fit into a 100ml bottle. Inspired by Sinek and my conversation earlier this week, I’ve started to develop my own model. The Conscious Creators CircleCore Calling: Why? I was called to coach and guide others. I didn’t just wake up one day and decide: “Hey. I wanna become a coach.” A series of painful events led me towards this path. (I’ll share more of this in a future letter.) I’ve spoken to many early-stage creative entrepreneurs who have shared the same. Events. Experiences. Wounds. All have led them to a place of wanting to help others in some way, shape, or form. But, the struggle that many find is identifying how. The how ripples outward from the why. Your story. Your journey. The pain you experienced that led you closer to your purpose. That can’t be replicated. When you openly share (what you’re ready and comfortable with sharing) — you send a signal to others who resonate with your lived experiences and your expertise. By you being open to share, allowing yourself to be seen, you permit them to be seen too. So, what’s your story? What led you to this work? Container: What? The container is the structure that holds your medicine. It’s the vehicle that supports whoever you're working with to get from point A to point B. Currently, for me, that looks like 1:1 coaching. I’m also working on a few digital products that I'll release soon. When thinking about your container. Think about what you feel you’ll enjoy. Are you personable, down to earth, and want to work in intimate spaces? Then 1:1 services might be just right for you. Alternatively, you might prefer to work independently, then share what you’ve created with a client. If you have hard skills like coding. Web design. Then, maybe a done for you service might be more aligned. You send a consultation sheet. Jump on one call. And get to work. Here are some questions to consider:
Credibility: How? This isn’t just about expertise. This is about experience. Your credibility isn’t limited to a certificate. Anyone can become qualified in [insert the blank] — but your lived experiences? They can never be replicated. Here are some questions to reflect on to get clearer on your why (the real reason why you started building your one-person business):
As you start to bring awareness to these questions, you'll start to remember your why. And, as you weave that into what you offer, people will feel (and connect) with that part within themselves that resonates with your why. You'll start to attract your ideal client rather than forcing yourself to create them. It’ll feel organic. More aligned. Focusing outside of you only leads you further away from your truth. Your potency. Your medicine. So, start with why. Because your true niche is never found outside of you. It's always found within you. At your core. Your heart. Your being. Start there. As always. Thank you for reading. Big love & gratitude. Coach Mike P.S. I’d love to know… What’s your why? Feel free to reply to this email with your response. Whenever you're ready to lock arms, hone in on who you serve, and get personalised support in building your one-person business. Levelling up without burning yourself out — here's how I can help:
Hey, I'm Mike. A somatic coach, guiding heart-led creative entrepreneurs and coaches to build their one-person business from the inside out — quieting self-doubt and amplifying self-trust. If you feel this newsletter ignited something in you. Feel free to forward it onto a friend who might appreciate the inspiration and insights I've shared. |