When you do something for a living the reward can feel better than doing it for yourself. Afterall, where do you begin when thinking about applying your skills to something for you?
This post is about Marketing in particular however it can be applied to any role you do and could do freelance if you were to take the leap.
Here’s why it feels so much easier to be employed and not be the employer:
You have the skillset but lack confidence
Despite having over ten years of experience in the world of Marketing, I still have had doubts about how my skillset can be used to reach my own goals. As soon as I step out of work mode, my skills disappear and I just can’t do it the same way for myself as I can for the organisations I have worked for. This is in short a lack of confidence. When everything is riding on you to make a living – finding your own clients, bringing in a constant and consistent stream of income – it all becomes a bit too much. You think there’s no way you could do ‘X’ without the safety and infrastructure that a company brings.
You seek validation but no-one can give it to you
When you’re doing it for yourself, no-one is there to validate your work. Especially if you are creating something from the ground up like a new business. Yes, you’ll get feedback but initially you won’t have a team to tell you what’s right or wrong. It is all on you. Some people are thrilled by this prospect of being their own boss, whilst others want to run as far as they can. Decisions, decisions, decisions. What if you pick the wrong one? This leads nicely onto the next point.
You chase perfection instead of getting it wrong
I have stepped out of my comfort zone with this blog. I’m going against many marketing 101s because for the first time, I’m not trying to seek perfection to drive leads to drive revenue. I am not afraid to get it wrong. If you are like me then you can often be in the state of motion (you talk a lot about your idea, you may even create 100 drafts) but you haven’t proceeded to action (actually writing it in full and pressing publish) for fear that you won’t get it right. That’s what makes marketing for someone else easier as it’s not about you.
You hide behind someone else’s vision so you don’t have to imagine your own
When it isn’t your business, it is easier to live another person’s dream rather than your own. You don’t have to deal with the feedback or the fear of the business not working out. You don’t have a 110% emotional investment in it which allows you to do an incredible job. However, what if you were to put yourself out there and back your own vision? Where could that take you?
You know the power in personal brand but feel it doesn’t apply to you
You are an expert. You know a lot of things and personal branding is one of them but why spend time marketing yourself when you have a full-time job to do. You are like the digital agency that spends time designing and building other companies’ websites. You can’t find time to invest in building your own even when you know that it can help drive new opportunities. It is so much simpler to focus on what’s driving your immediate income rather than focusing on the long tail of investing in the biggest asset you have: you.
Promise to start marketing yourself today as you won’t believe where that can take you. I have recently started my journey, are you joining me?