I am wrestling with a question about my professional brand right now, so I thought I should write a post about it because you might be as well. I would feel creatively stifled if I only created content for job search and career transition.
For that matter, I wouldn’t only want to write about small business either, much as I love creating content for this blog.
Last April I started posting on Substack, which is a platform authors and other creators use for newsletters, blog posts, podcasts, and videos. It’s easy to use and many creators have been able to monetize their Substack and generate real revenue, which is hard to do as a creator these days.
I started my Substack because I wanted to write about topics that probably wouldn’t fit on my company blog or here on Carol Roth’s blog. For example, yesterday I published a post about the Knight archetype and why we need to bring it back. That is pretty esoteric. And I struggled with where I was going to post it on social media.
My personal Facebook page was fine. I post a lot of random things there. I posted it on my Facebook page for Depression Discussions because there were some points in it that worked for that page.
I opted not to post it to my company’s Facebook page, although I usually post my Substack posts there. I might change my mind about that.
Instagram and Threads were an easy yes.
But what about LinkedIn? Again, I usually post my Substack links there on Sunday, but I hesitated this week.
The first reason was that I addressed toxic masculinity in the article, and I could see that as potentially being perceived as political. I am not afraid to take a strong stance, but I have some prospects in the pipeline who might not understand, and I have a speaking event that I am excited to actively promote.
Basically, I had to ask myself, will this enhance or dilute my brand?
I am already trying to maintain my expert status for career transition coaching and business consulting for consultants. And I also promote my book and speaking gigs regarding creating great workplaces and evolving working so it works better for everyone.
It’s a lot!
But the Substack post was really good and I am a little sad that I didn’t give it the promotion it deserved. I guess I still can in the future.
I think it was entrepreneur and New York Times best-selling author Marie Forleo who coined the term “multi-passionate entrepreneur.” That seems to be me these days. But it’s hard enough to cut through the noise and establish thought leadership around one topic, much less all of the ones I have.
Most business coaches would tell me to pick a lane and niche down, but I just can’t do it. I am fifteen years into my business and I still need to expand and grow. I need to keep my creative juices flowing or I will be no good to myself or my clients.
Have you experienced this issue? How did you deal with it?
Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash
