You hear it everywhere: in order to be successful, you need to have a clear industry niche. Your clients need to look at you and immediately understand the problem you can solve for them. And while this is true to an extent – you need to be clear about your products and find a captive audience – I think this strategy may be a bit more flexible than we’ve been taught to believe. At least when it comes to your career.
You see, my life is split in two – I am an adventure and culture writer who loves hitting the trail and seeing the world, but I’m also a working circus artist who pours hour after hour into her craft and fills her evenings with gigs, shows and classes. For a long time, I viewed these as diametrically opposed pursuits and split my digital (and professional) life up accordingly.
When I do that, though, people don’t get a whole picture of me. It may look like I’m not churning out articles, but that’s because I’ve been managing a dozen dancers for an original show I’m helping produce. I may not be hitting the circus tour circuit, but it’s because I’m spending weeks at a time on the road writing about our marvelous planet and the people on it. I’m busy growing in lots of different ways that you won’t see if you only follow one side of my life.
After some encouragement from other freelance colleagues, I realized that my “two lives” are complimentary. Maybe that adventure or fitness writing client will see my circus experience and commission me for a related piece. An art or crafting magazine might see that I make my own clothes and aerial costumes and realize that I have expertise to share. On the flip side, a circus client may see that I travel regularly and can bring that element of myself to the stage. Or that I’m adaptable and equipped to handle fast-paced environments and strenuous activity. I frequently project manage, run social media strategy, and determine logistical operations for both realms, too.
And so, this is the official launch of my little rebrand. I present to you a more whole vision of myself and what I offer in the professional sphere. So much about both my industries has changed in the past two years, and what we thought worked maybe just…doesn’t? At least for me. Instead of trying to fit myself into defined boxes, I’m going to build a box of my own. <3