In a podcast interview earlier today, I was asked a great question:

“What mindset shifts does a consultant/fractional need to make to embrace niching as a strategy?”

I loved the question because resisting specialization really is a mindset game more than anything else.

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We know academically, and through examples in our daily lives, that specialization carries benefits in scale, efficiency, and value.

But when it comes to applying it to our own circumstance, where our own income and livelihood are on the line, the fear and risk aversion take over.

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I think the most obvious mental shift to combat this is actively moving from a scarcity to abundance mindset.

I know, it’s almost cliche at this point, but hear me out.

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When we cling on to a broad, generalist strategy, we’re implicitly saying, “I don’t think I’ll get enough work if I narrow down.”

That’s textbook scarcity mindset.

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You can flip that into an abundance mindset by first, recognizing that your expertise is deep and intersectional, uniquely compounded by all of the varied experiences you’ve had through your career.

If you can truly internalize the singularity of your perspective, you’ll recognize that you are the scarce resource, not the other way around.

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And if you can speak with clarity about your unique perspective (verbally or visually), to an intentional and specific slice of the market, you can attract an abundance of demand over time...

...to the point that you can actually be selective about what you take on.

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A far cry from grasping at any opportunity that comes along, right?

But it does require some candid reflection, decisive action, and yes, a bit of a leap of faith.

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💡

-Wes

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P.S. If you caught the 90's subject line reference, you're welcome for the earworm. [Spotify]