How to lean into your generalist nature while keeping your clients focused.
Throughout my journey, I’ve always admired creators who possessed a certain kind of freedom. I looked up to the people who refused to “niche down” into a single, boring topic, the ones who spoke their minds rather than just selling a course. They had multiple, diverse income streams that seemed to flow effortlessly.
Before we dive deeper, I want to welcome everyone and say a huge thank you for reading this newsletter. Just a small disclaimer: I’m not some high-level academic expert in a suit. I’m simply sharing my own journey and the things I’ve found helpful as I navigate this crazy entrepreneurial world. So, without further ado, let’s jump in.
There was something captivating about people who could dive deep into anything that sparked their curiosity without limitation. I wanted that. But as I soon learned, there is a fine line between being “multi-talented” and being “confusing.”
The “One-Man Agency” Illusion
When I first started freelancing, I’ll admit I was chasing the money more than the value. I had just finished a digital marketing course that opened my eyes to the beauty of web development. I was sold on becoming a dev, but I thought: “It wouldn’t hurt to offer everything else I learned, right?”
I wanted to solidify myself as a person who meant business. I told myself, “If there are one-man agencies out there doing it all, why can’t I?”
I decided to offer email marketing, web design, graphic design, and more, all while posting content that that sparked my instrest instead of building my brand, id post my takes on philosophies i enjoyed , history books ive read and everything under the sun . I was adamant that having all of this on my plate was the fastest way to build my empire. Looking back, the thought makes me laugh. While I don’t regret the hustle, I was deeply mistaken about how clients actually perceive “the person who does everything.”
When the Referrals Become a Problem
For a while, it worked. I got clients, and the work was good. But as the projects piled up, I felt the weight of being scattered. I decided to “lock in” and focus solely on web development.
That’s when the “Generalist Trap” snapped shut.
Because I had marketed myself as a “everything-specialist,” I was still getting calls and referrals for the services I had tried to let go of. I was attracting clients I no longer wanted to service, while the high-end web dev clients I did want weren’t knocking. I had too many doors, and my clients didn’t know which one to walk through.
The “Front Door” Offer
Offering every service under the sun feels like you’re being helpful, but you’re actually creating “decision fatigue” for your client. If you have five different doors, the client gets lost.
The secret isn’t to stop being a generalist; it’s to build one very clear Front Door.
Your Front Door is your primary, high-value service. It’s what you are known for. Once the client walks through that door and trusts you, they realize your house has many rooms.
Instead of saying, “I do web dev, logos, and email,” I started saying: “I build high-performing websites.”
Once the client showed interest in that one service, I could then offer them more value by opening the other rooms: “I noticed your brand doesn’t have a cohesive logo; I can add that as an extension to this project for a small fee.” Now, my extra skills weren’t “noise”—they were value-adds.
New Skills Don’t Replace Old Ones
As the saying goes: “New skills don’t replace the old ones; skills stack and multiply.”
Recently, I’ve been diving into Data Analytics. In the past, I might have tried to open a whole new “Data Analytics” door and confused my audience even further. Now, I simply use it to reinforce my Front Door.
I can now offer a “God View” of a client’s business. I don’t just build them a website; I offer a live dashboard of their website and social media traffic. I’ve turned a technical skill into a strategic advantage.
Embrace the “Specialized Generalist”
Being a generalist is a superpower, but only if you know how to package it. If you try to sell everything at once, you’re a commodity. But if you sell a solution and use your diverse skills to make that solution better, you become indispensable.
Don’t close your other rooms. Just make sure you only have one Front Door. When you lead with focus, you give your clients the confidence to hire you—and the opportunity to discover everything else you’re capable of.