💡 Work you want vs. work you can get

While describing my NicheFinder process to Will Bachmann (new podcast appearance I mentioned yesterday), I talked about my general process of looking:

Backward

Where and how have you created exceptional value in your career to-date?

Inward

What comes easiest to you, lights you up, and makes time disappear?

Outward

Who in the market can most benefit from you operating where you excel?

Will then challenged me, suggesting the best route might be to start with who in your network is hiring consultants right now, and going from there.

I completely understand that approach, and think it has some merit, particularly if you’re brand new to consulting.

But I cautioned against some pitfalls...
LISTEN at 09:05, or read on:

My issue with that approach, and I think that it tends to, it can go one of two ways, right?

So as you keep taking that approach, it could very neatly and nicely triangulate you into a specialty that might be interesting to you. I think more likely is if you keep relying on, let me go work for anyone that will hire me at the moment, then you actually start triangulating in the opposite direction.

And I think it starts to push you into places where maybe you don’t have much business taking on that kind of work.

I went on to share my own experience:

I know I can speak for myself. Before I started working with solo consultants, I was working with SaaS companies and helping turn their executive insights into content and IP and my first couple of engagements were word of mouth — warm inbounds and doing exactly that work that I was very, very good at doing.

But then the follow on work started, and then as a soloist, and in my first year, I’m thinking, Oh, this is great. I don’t even have to go sell or anything.

And but I noticed that the things that they were asking me to stick around for were definitely not in my genius zone, for example.

And this is no dig on the client that was asking me to do this work, but let’s say so I built a course for for this B2B Company. Then then they were going to offer it publicly, and then they asked if I could stick around and TA the course, which I did, because it was a nice paycheck, but it’s not really the type of work that I was looking to do.

And so it actually prompted a lot of conversation, a lot of thinking, and then conversation with a coach of mine who encouraged me to think about, what is it that you’re exceptionally good at, and where are applications of that, where you can go make a more decisive lane for yourself, as opposed to being reactive about what’s coming your way.

My takeaway here is yes, of course, leverage your warm network for those first few consulting gigs.

Even if it’s a bit out of what you really think you want to be doing, the learnings will be quick and super-valuable.

But keep honest with yourself about what you’re uniquely able to do, better than anyone else.

As soloists, we have the unique ability to only accept the work that suits us best, even if it take a few spins to get there.

💡

-Wes

P.S. The back half of July is booked up for summer Sprints. But...

July 14th is still available for either a NicheFinder or IP Builder start.

Drop me a line or book a free chat if these dog days of summer might be the right time.

💡 The Lightbulb

💡 Work you want vs. work you can get

💡 The Lightbulb