Hey there rebel!
If you're reading this, you have many interests and the last thing you want to do is to specialize in one thing/field/skill. Right?
Well, that probably goes for the kind of business you start, too.
If you don't want to box yourself in a single discipline or an industry, if you want to keep your options open and keep exploring everything you find fascinating, WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU BOX YOURSELF INTO A NICHE?!
It's always the same story...
I love so many things, how am I supposed to choose one?
Why should you?
Well, because you're supposed to niche, right? Your business can't be everything, that's not professional or lucrative.
Or...
I'm running 100 projects right now and I'm exhausted.
Why?
Well, they're all different things. They appeal to different audiences.
How can we bring them together?
I can't just bring them together! It'd be confusing for people.
Or...
I have this amazing idea for a business! I can help stay at home moms who run their own businesses with web design!!!
Uhh, great. But will it last?
I don't know...
So what would happen when you decide to do something else?
I suppose I'll have to start a new business.
How much effort would that take? Would you lose the audience you've built or will it be the same audience? What about the branding? Will that take a lot of work? How many new businesses can you start (and run) before you burn out?
*blinks*
Anything ringing any bells?
I have gone through these things for myself and for my multipassionate clients dozens of times, so I can confidently conclude that:
“The worst thing to do at the start of your business is to box yourself into a tight niche.”
There, I said it.
I am flying in the face of marketing and expert advice. And there are experts out there who are actually pulling their hair out, reading this.
WHO CARES.
Would you rather be happy tor listen to the experts?!
Now, I am not saying that niches are evil or that you should never find your unique niche in the market (and in fact there's a rebel way to do that, which you'll see toward the end of the article), but I am saying that if you pick one at the start of your business, I guarantee you won't be able to stick with it for long.
You're multipassionate! The next great idea is around the corner, so to put all of your efforts in something that will not last is simply, stupid.
“Every person who comes to me thinks they have *the best idea* for a business, but ideas are not lasting.”
If you're multipassionate, you know that ideas don't last very long, and if you bet on them, you're doing the thing you abhor most - boxing yourself in.
You're stepping into a shrinking box. You're putting on a straight jacket. And once you've put it on, you have to LIVE with that straight jacket.
Every. Single. Day. *suffocates*
Source: Tenor.
Truth is, if you're multipassionate, you have what I call a "multipassionate clock," which means that every once in a while you get a craving to do something different - for some it's 6 months, for others 3 years, etc. - and when you do, it's so strong that you have to leave the previous thing and start over.
And starting over sucks!!!
Or maybe you don't completely abandon the old thing, but you struggle to keep it on while starting the new thing, and you ed up running several ideas at once or at different times, and it's all so tiring. And scattered.
That's because it is scattered. And that's not your multipotentiality's fault, it's because of the choices you have made. You have made the choice to start with an "idea" - something that does not last - rather than start with something that will last. You have chosen to separate all of your projects...
The burntout or freakout you're experiencing right now or that you will inevitably experience soon is not your multipotentiality's fault because there is a way to thrive as a multipassionate, just not this way.
Don't worry, there's good news.
You can turn this mistake around on its head and try the rebel way!
You just have to think long-term.
Instead of starting with an *idea* or a *niche*, start with something that will last much longer than those superficial and temporary things.
1) Start with the people you're crazy about.
I don't mean what they do for a living or what their interests are, but who they are as people, what they believe in, what they need more than anything.
Who are they at their core???
Creative rebels are creative nonconformists, which is all I need to know about a person before I can work with them. They value creativity above all, they don't want to do what everyone else does, and they believe that everyone has their own unique talents and that everyone should be authentic and true to themselves, no matter what. They want to do things their way.
And I don't see that changing... ever. You are who you are and your people are who they are, at their core, and you can rely on that.
2) Another thing that lasts, that you can start with, is your message.
One of the very first things I establish together with my clients is what their core message is, or what they want the entire world to know. Again, the message is not superficial, but very intentional and goes straight to one's core being.
While it may sound "vague" or "intangible" to a rigid traditionalist/specialist, it may be the strongest foundation you'll ever have for your business.
My core message used to be "do it your way," then it became a bit more specific "everything you do should be as unique as you," and now I'm leaning towards "there's no right or wrong way, there's just your way."
Do you see how they're all saying the same thing???
“What’s important is making sure that your core message is the single most important truth that you hold within you.”
That's when it's going to last through all of your amazing business ideas.
That's when it's going to be a strong foundation for your business.
That's when it's going to hold everything together.
And isn't that what a niche does? By not choosing to niche at the start, you're actually choosing a better way to niche. The rebel way.
Your brand not focused enough? Niche the rebel way.
Read this article to see examples of rebel brands and how they've niched around:
their purpose,
their core message,
their audience,
their cause,
their curiosity,
their personality,
their CORE.
3) Finally, your values are also lasting.
Can you imagine changing your values tomorrow? Of course not! What you believe remains constant, and that means your values can also hold everything together for your business. That's why a lot of creative rebels display their values on their websites, so that the people who visit know if they're a good fit or not. Check out Caroline Zook's, Jen Carrington's, and my values.
I have a lasting foundation. Now what?
Once you have the lasting CORE of your business, one that will not change, one that is flexible enough so you can evolve it in time...
The rest is just adding your passions to the mix. :)
The minute you stop putting a single passion at the center of your brand/business, but as an actual tool to help you spread your message, that's when you'll have a lasting, durable multipassionate brand.
Which is exactly the question I got from a multipassionate recently:
“How can I build a durable brand without having to choose one expertise to focus on, like the specialists do?”
And I actually talk about in on the latest episode of The Rebel Reset podcast, if you want to listen to me get real heated about this stuff.
Listen to the latest episode of The Rebel Reset, where I explain why you don't have to focus on one expertise to build a durable brand.
Thanks to my multipassionate friend, B., for asking the question. :)
Conclusion.
Because this is a giant enough blog post, I think I'm just going to wrap this up by imploring you to please build yourself a business that will last.
Don't get tempted by the shininess of new ideas.
And if you want to build things that matter, to you, to your people, and to the world even, always go deeper than the surface, go straight to the core - of what you want to say, what you want to do, who your people are, etc.
Now, tell me, have you made this mistake before?
Do you have too many passions?
Do you feel scattered and lost and unable to focus on any one thing? Don’t worry, The Multipassinate Puzzle course will show you how to effectively integrate your passions into ONE brand or business. You’ll love it.
Are you ready to integrate your many passions?
