“I’m in the middle of a big career pivot from big tech to healthcare.
The mission is the same (using technology to solve big problems), the problems are different. I love writing and but I’m not sales-y and generally have fallen short when trying to get myself paid for my content.”
A few weeks ago, I hosted a workshop called “Monetize Your Personal Brand”
I heard from an aspiring thought leader who had this one fear:
“I want to build a platform… but I’m flat broke right now, so I need to wait until the timing and finances align.”
Now, this is faulty thinking for 3 reasons:
👉 Clarity doesn’t cost money—confusion does. You lose months, sometimes years, spinning in place without a clear 1 story, 1 message, 1 transformation. Take it from me. I was there.
👉 Visibility isn’t something you “buy later.” It compounds from the tiny steps you take starting today—writing daily, sharing one 1 strong transformation you are capable of creating.
👉 Your future opportunities don’t appear when you’re ready. They appear when you’re visible. People don’t invest in you because you have money. They invest because they see themselves in the story you are telling. They feel most understood by you.
Even after I explain this, people come back to me and say:
“Okay, I get it. But what if I’m transitioning industries? Shouldn’t I wait until I’ve ‘arrived’ before I start building my thought leadership?”
You can overcome this by taking one simple bet:
👉 Start building the platform as you become the person who earns the platform.
Document the transition. Connect the dots between the old industry and the new one and why you solve problems uniquely because of that lens.
But don’t take my word for it.
Years ago, I had a client who transitioned industries.
She used to manage hair salons. She switched to managing janitorial services for brick and mortar businesses.
She built up a decent local book of business. Now she wanted a client with a national footprint and a book of business that generated $3-5MM in revenue.
By the time we finished working together, she had THREE national clients.
Here is what we did together:
The cheapest way to work with me (hello $9/month) if you aren’t ready to work 1:1 is subscribing to my Substack.
