The intersection of what you can do, what you love doing, and what folks need done. That’s the sweet spot. You can’t give 100% to two or three things, so can you merge those skills into the one killer Solution? Or do you need to call some skills hobbies, so you’ll know where to focus your business energies?

No, you can’t serve two masters. If you try, somebody else gets to define you.

Glad to help keep the Big Bright Bulb lit!

Until later,

Kelly

Yup, I should be committed. I’m not trying to latch onto the next big/cool/fab/hip thing, I just have more than one marketable skill that I’d love to get paid to use. However, they don’t necessarily work well together like Ellen’s photography/writing.

Even now, blogging is great and I’ll keep it going, but the number-crunching side of my brain is wondering what it’s going to do when my database class is over next week.

I’ve built databases for money before, coded entire apps even. Could I get back into it? Sure. Should I? …

After reading this—and seeing clearly how totally right you are—I dunno. Can I serve two masters?

I can tell this was a really good post because it raises really good questions. Thanks

Thanks much. I like to think I could “put a bug in their ear,” as my mother would say, but are they listening? When you’re ready for the message is when you can hear it. Sadly, these guys have apparently already sent good money after bad with concept number one and don’t get it. Two, three, and four to follow shortly.

And with your few special eggs I know you! You are the lady who writes about photography, and who writes about her photographs. That’s not too spread out. I don’t confuse you with Friar or Brett or Tei or a hundred others, because what you do has a special place in my head. ONLY YOU live there, and that’s what focus is about.

(Now, if you disagree with how others see you, then you aren’t projecting the Vision you want to, and we have a Perception problem. I think you’re good with that, though.)

James,

Truthfully? My two-second assessment would be, and what do I buy from you that I can get nowhere else?

You might start with talking to your mom or another disinterested party. You want to be That Guy Who…, and we’ve got to be able to fill in the three dots pretty easily to think of you first in your specialty.

Don’t take it the wrong way, because I don’t have sufficient information about you, but you should be able to increase interest in your business by increasing your focus. Thanks very much for thinking out loud here today!

Mike,

The mild dyslexia rears its ugly head again. So sorry.

Yes, you’re in a special place in my head, also. You sell, and I believe you are very committed. (Your comment “I see” worked, too, lol.)

There’s no way around it: Commitment-phobia interferes with communication (and growing a business!). You have to trust and take that plunge. I can’t imagine loving anything but helping small businesses grow with Experience Design. That’s the kind of commitment we’ve got to find, because it draws customers who believe in you.

We all want to help more folks to enjoy our Ideal Solution. First, you have to know what it is.

Regards,

Kelly

I sell. Yes, very.

Damn dyslexic keyboard

I see. Yes, very.

Thanks for askin’.

I struggled a long time with the hats that I wear. These hats include data communications; information security; writing; consulting; photography; naturalism; entertainment; etc.

I think a reason I resist specialization is something I once read along the lines of, “The more adaptable you are, the less adapted you become. Conversely, the more adapted you are, the less adaptable you become.”

Then again, I could be wrong. Maybe I need more specializations?

You need to go have a talk with these guys. If anyone can turn them around you can.

This is a great post. But now that I think about it it seems like the guys don’t want to put all their eggs in one basket because they are hoping something “takes.” But if they can’t focus, then probably nothing will take.

When I started freelancing I wasn’t sure what type of writing I would like to do. Sure, I had learned how to write grants and press releases from a job I had, but did I want to do that? And how would I mix my photography in with all of that? It just seemed too messy.

I even did a few blog jobs, but blogging for other people feels weird to me.

So I decided to focus on writing articles online and for the print marketplace, with and without photos. And get in with a stock photo agency. This is the best fit for me, and I don’t have eggs all over the place. Too many eggs and they break. A few special eggs and they hatch.