I used to work with this really cool guy called Stu:
IT engineer, vegan, human rights and animal welfare activist. He also happened to be into BDSM scene. After he left the company we lost touch.
Then, maybe two years ago, a friend of mine who also knew him sent me a link to a website with a note “Look what Stu is up to!”. It was a link to a blog and an online shop that was selling… “Cruelty-free BDSM gear produced without exploiting people, animals or the environment”.
Wow, well freakin’ done Stu I thought – you’ve nailed it: you sure picked a busy market…
But by combining your skills and biggest passions, you’ve created a unique niche, your perfect offer to the world.
It reminded me of something I read once:
“Our perspective working lives are like Russian dolls. There are at least five utterly plausible career selves within each of us. We are multiple beings in vain search of singular identities.”
Nice, right? And so true.
We are complex creatures with tons of skills and life experience, and yet often when we think of a new career path…
We limit ourselves to just one identity – usually one that links to the job we currently do.
That’s why so many people struggle with finding the business idea that they feel comfortable with. And that’s why one of the first things we do in Trailblazer, is showing our students how to find, recognize and appreciate all their identities (even the ones that at the first glace don’t fit together, like BDSM and veganism for example!), and then use them to create the business that they can feel truly passionate about. One that fully uses all of their internal and external resources.
It’s not about finding the unique, nobody-has-ever-done-it business idea.
It’s about turning one that already exists into something so truly yours that it will be simply impossible for others to copy.
And you do that by gathering all the powers you have – life experience, skills, interests, values, and beliefs, and using them in your offer.
That’s how you crate your offer to the world. That’s how you get paid.
That’s how you go through life blazing your own trail.
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