“They told you to pick a niche. You chose YOU” – @unfcked.energy
This single post stopped me in my tracks and changed everything about how I view my life coaching business. If you’ve ever felt pressured to shrink yourself into a marketable box, this is for you.
The Pressure to “Pick a Lane” Is Real
How many times have you heard this advice?
- “You need to narrow your focus”
- “Be specific about your target audience”
- “Pick one thing and stick with it”
When I started my life coaching business, I was told repeatedly: choose one niche. Master it. Build your entire business around that one piece. While it helped me develop my voice, I quickly realized it kept me at a whisper rather than the full confident bellow of a voice that I wanted.
But here’s what they don’t tell you: You are not meant to be a niche or singular. You’re not meant to be easy, non-confrontational, or uncomplicated. You’re meant to be a whole universe of experiences, skills, and wisdom. You’re meant to embrace the good and the bad to become you!
My Journey Through 14+ Roles (And Counting)
Looking back at my life, I’ve held several roles that shaped who I am today. Here are a few that came to mind:
Personal Roles:
- Daughter, sister, niece, cousin
- Friend, wife, mother
- Student, volunteer
Professional Roles:
- Administrative professional
- Clinic health professional
- Business operations specialist
- Manager and remote professional
Each role taught me something different. Each brought unique challenges, growth, and insights that now fuel my life coaching practice.
The “Bright and Shiny” Trap
I’ll be honest – some roles I jumped into because they seemed exciting, not because they were right for me. Sound familiar?
I’d tell myself: “I’ll redesign how this fits. My team will be the best they’ve ever seen.”
Those aspirations weren’t just unrealistic – they blurred the reality of the position I was offered and accepted. Because I could not see past the blur and excitement, the role ended up being unfulfilling and not what I thought it was. And that’s okay. Not every role, relationship, or opportunity is meant to fit forever. Sometimes the role is simply meant to bring you micro lessons to carry you towards your next opportunity.
Why Real Life Doesn’t Fit Into Marketing Categories
The traditional marketing advice assumes you’re one-dimensional, that you fit into neat categories. But real life is messier, more interconnected, and far more complex.
When I tried to force myself into just one lane, I was constantly turning away clients who needed exactly what I could offer – just not in the neat, marketable package everyone said I needed.
Consider these real scenarios from my practice:
The Recent Graduate: Starts with career uncertainty but quickly reveals they’re also grieving the loss of their structured college life and struggling with young adult identity formation.
The Mid-Career Professional: Comes for career transition support but discovers they need to process the grief of leaving behind a professional identity they’ve held for decades.
The Young Adult: Needs practical life skills coaching but also requires grief support for the loss of their athletic dreams and career guidance for an uncertain economic landscape and how AI will affect their new career of choice.
Rather than forcing clients to compartmentalize their struggles, I meet them where they are – as whole human beings with interconnected challenges.
The Power of Choosing Yourself as Your Niche
When @unfcked.energy shared their moment of rebellion against being “marketable,” it hit home. They were tired of being told to narrow themselves down, and frankly, so was I.
Here’s what I realized: My diverse experience isn’t a weakness – it’s my superpower.
As a life coach, I don’t just work in one area because life doesn’t happen in isolation. My clients need someone who understands:
✅ Career transitions – because work is deeply tied to identity and often involves significant loss
✅ Grief and loss support – because change of any kind requires letting go of what was
✅ Young adult/teen direction – because this generation faces unique pressures that span career, identity, and professional development
That’s not scattered – that’s comprehensive expertise. That’s not a niche that’s who I am and what I offer.
Finding Your Sweet Spot
I’m afraid of ocean creatures. Always have been. Does that mean I can’t enjoy the beach?
Absolutely not.
I’ve found my sweet spot – knee-deep in the waves, comfortable with my boundaries, but still experiencing the joy of the ocean on my terms.
Your business or profession can work the same way. You don’t have to force yourself into an uncomfortable or singular niche just because someone said it’s “marketable.” Your passion or the niche you have chosen for yourself doesn’t have to be what you do from 8-5pm. It can be what resets and centers you after your professional day ends. Both your personal and professional can harmoniously bring you joy.
The Real Secret to Authentic Success
Stop shrinking yourself to fit in. Instead:
- Embrace your multifaceted expertise
- Honor your natural boundaries
- Serve from your authentic experience
- Let your diverse background be your differentiator
Embracing Your Multifaceted Self
The journey to authentic success isn’t about finding the perfect niche or passion – it’s about honoring all the experiences, roles, and wisdom you’ve gathered along the way. When we stop trying to fit into someone else’s definition of “marketable” and start embracing our complexity, we discover our true power.
Your diverse background isn’t something to apologize for or minimize. It’s the very thing that allows you to connect with people on multiple levels and offer the kind of comprehensive support that single-focused approaches simply can’t provide.
Whether you’re standing at the crossroads of a major career change, working through loss and transition, or watching a young person in your life navigate their own challenges, remember this: there is a place out there for an empathetic, multifaceted, authentic you that leads from their heart.
Sometimes the most radical thing we can do is simply refuse to shrink ourselves down to fit in. If you can own your choice – the bravest choice is to say, “My niche is me – all of me.”
If you’re ready to explore how embracing your authentic self can transform your approach to life’s transitions, I’d love to connect with you. You can learn more about my coaching programs at jj1pc.com or reach out directly to schedule a conversation about your unique journey.
JJ1 Professional Coaching 
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