Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should

There’s a piece of advice my business coach Emma gave me that I come back to often:
“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”

At the time, I was offering everything I was good at, across multiple industries, platforms, and formats. I was helpful, adaptable, versatile… and totally confusing.

To my clients.
To my audience.
Even to my own parents. (“She works in marketing,” was the go-to line in the family Christmas card.)


Why niching felt impossible

I’ve always been a generalist. At school, I loved art and biology. At uni, it was organic chemistry and creative writing.

My first real job was at a branding agency where I could be sampling ice-cream at 10am, proofreading port logistics reports by 2pm, and heading to the theatre that night to celebrate all the marketing assets we created for our state’s largest arts organisation.

That kind of variety lit me up. (Still does btw.)

So when the online business world started shouting “niche down!”, I felt trapped.
Pick an industry? I’d worked in FMCG, education, disability, creative, fashion, coaching, HR… how was I meant to choose?

Pick a service? I loved writing copy, but also building brand voice. I loved crafting strategy and implementing it. I could read data and see straight through to what a business really needed. Why should I pick just one?


What happened when I tried to do it all

The short version? I became my worst client… My own messaging became a mess.

I kept adding new services because I could. I built new pages for new offers without stopping to think about how that affected the people landing on my site. The ones trying to work out if I was right for them.

Even people close to me had no idea what I actually did.

It all came from a good place. I wanted to help. I had the skills. But in trying to say yes to everything, I diluted what I was best at.


What changed, and what I focus on now

When Emma said, “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” something clicked.

It gave me permission to stop trying to prove my range.
To stop saying yes just because I could deliver.
To focus on what I actually enjoy doing. And importantly, what people are willing to pay for.

Now, everything I do ties back to humans.
Whether it’s a brand strategy, an email sequence, a workshop or a website, I’m always thinking about two things:

  • The person holding the brand
  • The people it’s intended for

That’s my real niche.


My advice if you’re nodding along

If you’ve ever felt allergic to “niching”… I see you.

You don’t have to specialise in a single industry or service to be successful.
But you do need a clear thread that ties your work together, one that your audience can recognise and trust.

For me, that thread is people.
It’s what connects the logical side of my brain to the creative side. It’s what makes the work feel meaningful.
And it’s why I’ll never be “just” a strategist, or “just” a copywriter.
I’m not here to tick boxes.

I’m here to understand people, and help others do the same.

Like this article?

Share on Linkdin
Email
Facebook

you may also like...

Scroll to Top