Jack of All Trades vs. Specialist...as a Creator?

The Future Belongs to Creators

America was built on specialists. People that were so exceptionally good at one thing that other countries depended on that unique skill set. Entire industries were born overnight from a singular focus. But as creators, we often feel like jacks of all trades. And if we’re constantly juggling multiple hats, can we ever become great at our craft?

As new creators, learning to edit your own videos, market yourself on social media, and balance the checkbook all while maintaining a 9-5 is crucial for long-term success. When you can’t afford to outsource, staying skilled in every area is often the only way up. So what’s the happy medium?

In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss the pros and cons of both routes, balancing your niche with building a business, and the most important skill every emerging creator should cultivate.

“An expert in something is someone who repeats. They do the thing. They do it again, better the next time. They do it again, better the next time. And they learn each time as they go. I think that being a creator (how we can apply our maybe more scattered passions and energy when it comes to this sort of stuff) is to just do one thing at a time.” ~ @charliprangley

Main takeaways

• [01:01] Be a V-shaped person. Have one specialty but allow yourself the room to build on other skills that support your core skills. Stay open to learning!
• [06:07] As creators, it’s tough to balance being an expert with being a generalist. Creators often feel pressure to carve out their niche but to succeed as a new creator, you have to be a jack of all trades.
• [07:30] Creators are often afraid to niche down for fear of losing parts of their audience, but ultimately you have to figure out what it is you’re truly passionate about. Once you choose, your best, most engaged audience will stick with you.
• [18:19] Communication is the best skill you can develop as a creator. You need to express your thoughts in a way that grabs an audience.
• [32:37] There’s value to being an expert and value to being a generalist. But avoid going in only one direction because you’ll inevitably lose value along the way.

Connect with our hosts

• Charli Prangley
• Miguel Pou
• Haley Janicek
  
  

Links

• Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube
• The Creative Person Dilemma To Becoming An Expert vs Jack of All Trades.
• Peter McKinnon
• Isa Adney
• Malcolm Gladwell
• Lewis Hamilton
• Creator Sessions
• Henry Thong
• Ben Baker
• The Future Belongs To Creators 098: Introducing the new hosts of The Future Belongs to Creators podcast!
• David Epstein
• Apply to work at ConvertKit!

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