Generally Curious

When we were little, we tried everything.

In school, we went from art to gym, to music, to math, reading, and tech, and then out to the playground to run around, scream, laugh, and play.

We were expected to explore various subjects and ideas, interact with different types of people, and remain open to it all.

The older you get, the more expected you are to specialize, to choose your major, start your lifelong career path, and find your circle.

Even on LinkedIn, there is pressure to find your “one thing,” your ideal customer, your signature framework, etc.

There is truth to the idea that you need to specialize to gain mastery, but that doesn’t mean you need to fully box yourself in to succeed.

People are interesting because of their varied experiences, curiosities, and skills. And often it’s the exploration of the crossovers of different interests that leads to innovation.

What drew me to personal branding originally was the idea that I could build a reputation based on who I am and how I think, not what I do, and that that reputation would be able to support me and bring me opportunities at every stage, whatever I happened to be into at that moment.

Writing has been the only real constant, the skill I’ve specialized in while exploring all sorts of different subjects.

Because I allowed myself to explore broadly, I ended up creating my own niche working with other generalists, multi-passionate, neurodivergent, or generally curious entrepreneurs looking to tell their stories and attract their communities.

If you consider yourself more of a generalist than a specialist, that’s okay! You’re not wrong for being interested in many things. Societies need generalists just as they need specialists. We all have a part to play.

The focus shouldn’t be to force yourself into a niche just because that’s the “right” thing to do. That’s like trying to catch running water in a box.

Instead, focus on:

1. - Telling the story of how your complexity and varied experiences inform the work you’re doing now. Find the constants (What are the common skills, values, interests, etc. that drive you?)
2. - Create brand containers that can grow with you, even if you drastically change your direction. I do this through what I’ll call “vague branding,” basically choosing symbols and words that can evolve with you. For me, this is the 🟡 next to my name on LinkedIn and my newsletter title, “Cringe Letter.”
3. - Thinking of service offerings as things you are willing to commit to for 6 months - year vs. forever.

As much as “experts” on LinkedIn like to talk about how you have to do this or that, the truth is, there are no rules.

The best strategy is the most sustainable one, the one you’ll be most excited about, and the one that honors how you actually operate (not how you’re told you should operate).

You don’t need to contain yourself to be marketable. You just need to help people understand how you move.