In the last article, we swallowed a bitter pill: The Addiction to Addition. We discussed how the refusal to say “No” is the primary reason your personal brand feels exhausted and invisible.
But once you agree to stop “doing it all” and commit to Strategic Subtraction, you run headfirst into a new, terrifying wall. You begin to stare at your list of services, your varied target audiences, and your mixed bag of skills, and you freeze because you are afraid to subtract. This happens because of a lie that we have come to believe; and that is “More Options = More Safety.”
This is The Generalists Trap and it is the reason you are busy but not profitable.
Many times, we hear that strategy is about what you choose not to do. Nowhere is this more painful or more profitable than in choosing your niche.
Many professionals operate like a Swiss Army Knife. They want to be the Writer and the Strategist and the Life Coach. They cast a wide net, hoping to catch anyone with a pulse and a wallet.
But let’s be honest about the mechanics of a wide net: You don’t catch “Big Fish.” You catch driftwood, old boots, and low-paying clients who drain the energy you are trying to save.
This isn’t a metaphor; it is simple economics. The market rarely pays for “General Capability.” It pays a premium for Specialized Mastery.
Why? Because the Neurosurgeon applied the Subtraction Protocol to their medical knowledge, cutting away 99% of the field to master the 1% that saves lives.
If you haven’t read The Exhausted Expert, go back and look at the “Floodlight vs. Laser” analogy.
When you try to speak to everyone, the CEO, the student, and the retiree, your marketing becomes a weak floodlight. You use safe, vanilla language to avoid alienating anyone. The result is that you become Beige Wallpaper – Present but ignored.
Standout Brands are built on exclusion. They have the courage to say, “This is for [Specific Group], and it is not for [Everyone Else].”
When we audit brands at Standout4Growth, this is usually the moment my clients resist most. You are terrified that if you label yourself a “Crisis Management Expert,” you will lose the client who wants “General PR.”
Yes, you will lose them. That is the point.
You are losing the distracting pennies to make room for the focused millions. You cannot cure your brand exhaustion if you keep changing your shape for every person who walks through the door.
It is time to reclaim your energy.
Ask yourself: “What is the ONE problem I solve better than anyone else?”
If you can’t answer that instantly, your audience definitely can’t. And if they can’t figure out what you do in three seconds, they are already gone.
Defining your niche is the hardest part of the Subtraction Protocol because it feels like closing doors. But as a Brand Strategist, I can tell you: it is actually opening a vault.
If you are ready to stop being a “Jack of All Trades” and start being the “Master of One,” we need to talk.
Ready to find your edge? I help professionals strip away the ‘extras’ and build a Market Positioning strategy that commands authority.
Click Here to start your journey using our 15-Min Personal Brand Sprint AI Toolkit & Workbook and let’s stop building for everyone and build for the right one.
You can also check out our self paced on-demand course on Udemy and get learning
I recently participated in an online event where organizers united youths from different countries to engage in discussions around climate
With the world going online and falling in love with social media, online platforms are providing numerous opportunities for marketers
Abraham is credited as being the father of faith. He left his home and family behind at the age of