I gave this advice yesterday.
This morning I realised I need it.
I had a call with a friend yesterday who’s just started a consulting business. She’d sent me her one-pager to share with my network, and when I read through it, I couldn’t figure out who to send it to.
The offer was too broad.
All valuable. All things she’s qualified to do. But nothing that made me think “oh, I know exactly who needs this.”
So we got on the phone so I could dig deeper.
"When you think about who you're trying to reach, who is your ideal client?" I asked her.
Without hesitation she told me the exact profile.
“Wait, why doesn’t your pitch say that?” I asked surprised, “That’s so clear. I can immediately think of five people to send it to when you say that.”
“Fear…?” she said.
That’s what I’d suspected when I’d read her doc. I’d just had a similar conversation with someone earlier in the week about their CV.
The worry that being specific meant closing doors. But I also knew specificity was exactly what opens the right ones.
“Of the two main areas you’re describing which one comes more naturally to you? Which one do you think you are or could be among the best in the game? ” I asked.
She knew immediately.
One she was decent enough at. She’d learned a lot about it, had firsthand experience, but if someone asked her a question, she’d have to go and research to double check.
The other was so effortless that she didn’t even have to think about it before answering questions, and had insight that not many other people would.
The Pattern
This is the third time this week I’ve seen this exact pattern in client sessions. Different industries, different career stages, same dynamic.
Trying to pursue something where they’d be as good as any other smart person, but not exceptional.
It’s so easy to do, that I’d put money on the fact that you’re probably doing it right now too.
It can feel safer. More familiar. Less exposing.
Sometimes our gifts can have a lot of emotional baggage attached. Maybe we’ve been shamed for them in the past, or discouraged by our families away from them, or don’t even really know what they are because they come so naturally to us.
I realised this morning that I’d fallen into the exact same trap too.
I was scrolling through LinkedIn reading posts from people working in a field I’ve been exploring pursuing, but as I swiped through I felt a bit…bored?
The conversation I’d had with my friend came to mind so I asked myself the same question.
“If I actually did pursue this, do I think I could be or become among the best in the game, or just do it well?”
Just like my friend, I knew immediately that it was the latter - and what I should be focusing on instead.
THE SIGNAL
The questions most people ask when trying to figure out what’s next are competence questions.
Can I do this thing? Do I have the credentials? Would I be good at it?
The answer is often yes. You’re smart. You’re highly capable. You can learn. There’s a lot you can do, and do well.
A lot of people like to say that if they put their mind to something, they can do anything.
That’s the problem.
There are a lot of things you can do well or learn to do well that you have no business doing.
On the other hand - “Are you or could you be world-class at this?” is a competitive filter.
It tells you where you have a unique advantage. Where your expertise could compound. Where you could build a reputation that no one else can replicate. Where you could become the best in the game in a way that only you can.
This is the harder question. Because it requires you to be honest about where you’re truly exceptional versus where you’re just competent or excellent.
And to be honest capability isn’t enough anymore in a world where AI is eating up execution by the minute.
My thesis is that the best way to future-proof your options, is by operating in the zone where you’re not just capable - you’re undeniable.
So my question for you this week is:
Where are you letting capability get in the way of your competitive advantage?
What comes so naturally to you that you do it well without any effort?
Build around that.
This is exactly what we do in Future Fridays Club.
We help you see what you’re genuinely world-class at (the thing you can’t see because it comes so naturally), then support you in building around that instead of chasing what you’re just capable of.
If you’re recognising this pattern and want to start building around your competitive advantage, let’s explore whether it’s the right fit.