#040: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Together

Freelancing is booming. And the competition has never been fiercer. But while tens of thousands of independent professionals fight over $5 gigs, many others are thriving. The reasons for their success vary. But most of these solos have one thing in common... They're positioning themselves differently. You see, what's really being commoditized in today's gig economy is the words, the design, the software code, the photography. In other words, the work itself. If all you do is talk about your writing — how great it is, how clear and compelling — you'll do what everyone else is doing: focusing on the features of your product. But what if you talked about your unique perspective? Your experience writing in a certain field. Or your background in the accounting industry. Or maybe it's your 12 years of bedside nursing. Your 15 years' experience as a high school teacher. The2 years you spent backpacking and working odd jobs in Spain and the South of France. That's hard to duplicate. Because you've just added your DNA to the discussion. You've added your unique story. My guest for this week's show is Pam Slim, author of the new book, and . And in this discussion, Pam expands on this important idea. She explains the importance of searching deep within your background to find the golden nuggets that will help you attract better clients. And she'll give you some ideas on how you can look beyond just the work stuff and find and communicate your gifts, passions and purpose more effectively. The notes that follow are a very basic, unedited summary of this podcast. There's a lot more detail in the audio version. You can listen to the show using the audio player below. Or you can subscribe to this podcast series in iTunes.