Trees and solopreneurism
My dad had a sweet appreciation of nature. He was subtle about what he knew, never boasting or “teaching” about the names of plants like a horticulture professor. No, it was more about how he saw plants and animals, in particular, fish. Fish that he loved to catch from the captain’s bench of his thirteen-foot Whaler.
Cigar hanging out of the left side of his mouth, rod gently in his right hand, institutional beige fishing shirt and pants but I don’t remember his shoes. He was an expert caster. With a flick of his wrist he could put a pinched and hook-pierced shrimp in between the legs of a mangrove with precision. I could never master the way he did it, but I tried.
Dad motoring through Buttonwood Bay just south of Marco Island, Florida.
I have a similar appreciation of nature, a trait I happily embrace. On neighborhood walks, I drink in the royal, sabal, adonidia and bismarck palms along the path and wispy ornamental grasses that dance in the ocean breeze like underwater plants moving with the tide. It feels like a walking meditation when I drink it all in.
“I often have to remind myself to get up, go outside and be in nature.”
It’s easy for me to get lost in the ambiance and presence of nature, which is a much needed release when I’ve been spending too much time in front of the computer. I’m fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the world where nearly every day is perfect for a meditative, refreshing walk.
Being a solopreneur, I have that luxury. I can create my own schedule, make choices about where I work, what I do and who I do it for. We all do, quite honestly, but many claim slave to their jobs or responsibilities when really it is a choice.
There’s one challenging aspect to being a solopreneur that I’ve become sharply aware of over my fifteen years in business. It is also what inspired the title of this article: as a solopreneur, you can’t see the forest for the trees. It’s an aged expression that speaks to human being’s lack of objectivity regarding their own experience.
How it shows up for solopreneurs is very interesting. I see it in every single one of my clients as well as myself.
Technically, I’m a creative and a marketing communications expert. It’s how I’ve earned a living my entire professional career. Since 2006 when I launched my business, I have struggled (and still do) with self-promotion.
How ironic is that? A marketer that can’t market herself?
For the longest time, I thought it was just unique to me. That I just couldn’t figure out the one problem I solved because I solve many. But as I evolved what I did for my clients, I started seeing patterns that they didn’t know how to see the problem they solved either.
Whew.
I’m not alone in this. And the funny thing is that I can swiftly create a message for my clients that clearly states the problem they solve and who they solve it for, and build them a complete marketing and selling system that is a game changer for their business.
This is such a weird phenomenon that I can’t explain, this lack of objectivity around how we each show up and occur. It’s perceptual, it’s a blindspot, we’re unconsciously myopic.
We have to rely on those who know us and see us objectively to isolate our value so we can articulate it. That’s tough. Everyone has an opinion and an experience of who we are, so what’s the alternative?
Here is what I advise my clients and PappyClub Members to do to capture objectively the problem they solve and cultivate a message and positioning that speaks to their audience:
Research the problem and desired solution of your best clients—when they came to you, what were they struggling with and what was the desired and/or actual result once it was solved? What did they want and how were they trying to solve it before they met you?
Capture the experience you create for them in their words (you have to interview them or have someone qualified interview them for you)
Note patterns and themes from one client to the next
Distill the themes into one-word statements that capture the essence of each theme
Make each one-word statement as simple and specific as possible
Craft a person-problem-solution one liner that sums it all up and meets the prospective client where they are at the beginning of their search for a solution
Craft your entire brand and marketing message around that one liner
Now that may be a lot for you to take on. If that’s the case, get someone to help you go through this process, someone who is committed to your success and helping you see how awesome you are. In the end, you’ll be able to talk about what you do and who you do it for with more ease and confidence, and you’ll get more clients and referrals to help spread the word about who you are and what you do.
Is this your experience? Do you struggle with discerning and clarifying the problem you solve? What you do? Let me know in the comments below. ☺️
