Coach Kym = Team Master of ONE.

The saying goes:

"Jack of all trades, master of none."

I don't know who said it. Tons of people have attributed it to Benjamin Franklin, but then someone on Reddit said this was doing the rounds a hundred years before Benny popped up. Others have said it was the main man, Willy Shakespeare. However, who said it is less important than my focus today, which is on an addendum to the quote that someone else has tacked on at some point in the past few years, expanding the saying to:

"Jack of all trades, master of none. But oftentimes better than master of one."

I'm here today calling complete bullsh%t on this one. Read on for my why...

In case you hadn't guessed, I, Coach Kym, am team "Master of One" through and through.

Although I was raised professionally through creative channels where being a jack of all trades is often encouraged and celebrated, when building a solo consulting business, I don't believe being a generalist or "multi-hyphenated" is the right way to do so.

(Feel free to "@" meh, and I'll happily repeat.)?

We all know that trying to be everything to everyone sets you up for mediocrity. The key to dominating your industry and becoming a market leader isn't doing more—it's doing one thing remarkably well.

And I get it. You're talented, you're versatile, you've got that Swiss Army knife of skills. But in my experience, generalists don't take long to fade into the sea of "same".

When your clients face critical problems and are ready to pay real time, money and energy to solve them, they don't want an all-rounder—they want the main character who does one job exceptionally.

If you needed brain surgery, would you be happy for a general practitioner to give it a shot, or prefer the neurosurgeon who eats, sleeps, and breathes all things brain?

I know it's an extreme metaphor, but it's a crude illustration of why specialisation wins if you want that recognition, respect and reward in your field. And I'll keep shouting about this until the alpacas come home.?

Of course, If you're happy fighting for oxygen with mediocre clients nickel and diming you as they compare your offer to every other consultant on the planet, then be the generalist your heart (read: Bizfluencer muppets on TikTok) tells you to be.?

However, if you want to:

?? ???????????? ?????? ????-???? ???????????? - as in, own a niche so your name becomes synonymous with it, and you’re not just another option—you’re THE option.

?? ?????????????? ?????????????? ???????? - because your specialism means you aren’t in a race to the bottom on pricing trying to outbid your competitors. You know your clients pay top dollar for expertise that solves their particular problems.

?? ?????????????? ?????? ???????? ?????????????? - because having that clear focus draws in the clients you want and repels the ones you don't. No more projects you don't care about that make you want to tear your hair out.

?? ???????????????? ???????? ?????????????????? - because when you know exactly who you can help and how you can help them, your communications become laser-focused and stooopidly effective. No more spaghetti up the wall.?

?? ???????? ???????????? ???? ???????????????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ?????????????? - because mastery creates confidence. Point blank periodt. When you know your domain inside and out and know that no one can tell you otherwise, you move differently—and your potential clients, peers and partners notice.

"Buuuut, Coach Kym, I LIKE Variety!"

Sure. And specialisation doesn't mean yawn-fest.?

Your specialism informs your core offering, which is the main event; your other skills enhance the experience. You're not locking off your talents—you’re spotlighting the ones that matter most to reach your clients and get them epic results in the most efficient way possible.

So, ask yourself:

???? What am I exceptionally good at? (it's horn-tootin' time. What should your people be paying you for?)

???? What could I do all day, even if I wasn’t getting paid to do it? (Buuuuut also, let's ensure you get paid, eh?)

???? What unique problems am I in a position to solve that others can’t? (usually reflected in your journey to this point - what ups and downs have you survived, and how can others benefit from you surviving them?)

Your answers point to your Power Play —the intersection of skills, what lights you up, and addressing market needs based on your experiences.?Also known informally as my Coach Kikigai:

Now, once you've figured out that Power Play (single - NOT plural), give that bad bwoy a name ('cause it's yours, and it deserves one) and SELL. THE. HELL. OUTTA. THAT. THING.?

The world is beyond crowded with generalist "airy-fairy-multi-passionate-step-into-your-greatness-creative-conjurer types."?

And sure, if they sound like your tribe, then by all means, go 'head and embrace that.

However, if you came to play, and you're here to dominate, standing tippy-toes-tall as a solo market category based on your individual power, then decide what that one thing is and give it everything you've got.?

I'll be here on the sidelines, rootin' for you as always.

Mwahhhh! x