You Can't Boil the Ocean

One of the biggest mistakes I see service providers make is trying to help everyone.

It makes sense, especially in the beginning.

You need revenue, and you don’t want to turn anyone away.

You have a wide range of skills, so why not offer all of them? Because, after all, you are in business to help people (and… earn a living).

But eventually, trying to serve everyone becomes exhausting.

Your marketing feels scattered. Your website says a little bit about a lot of things. Your services become highly customized. Every proposal feels like you’re reinventing the wheel. Every project can feel like starting over.

And when you’re a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, people struggle to understand exactly what you do.

I have a phrase I come back to often.

You can’t boil the ocean.

You have to decide where you’re going to raise the temperature.

Where are you uniquely equipped to make a difference?

That’s where clarity begins.

Years ago, a colleague said something that completely changed the direction of my business.

Knowing my background in business, interest in business topics, and my love of personal growth, she asked,

“Why don’t you specialize in working with business coaches and consultants?”

It was one of those moments where a light switched on.

Of course! Why hadn’t I thought of that?

Instead of trying to serve every type of service provider, I began focusing on professionals whose work centered on helping people and organizations grow.

Business coaches. Leadership coaches. StrengthsFinder coaches. Emotional intelligence coaches. Financial planners. Retirement planners. Business strategists. Consultants. Facilitators. Trainers.

Suddenly, my marketing became much simpler.

I updated my website. My Google Business Profile. My professional listings. My social media.

Everywhere I showed up, I communicated the same clear message:

I help business coaches and consultants clarify their brand message, design, and website so they attract the right clients.

Then something interesting happened…

Those exact people started finding me.

The more clients I worked with, the more I enjoyed my work.

Whenever I landed a client certified in a new methodology, I’d buy the book just because I wanted to understand their world better.

And if one of my clients had written a book, that just made the project extra fun!

I found myself genuinely fascinated by the people I was serving.

That’s when I realized something important.

Finding your niche isn’t about limiting yourself.

It’s about discovering where your curiosity naturally comes alive.

If you’re struggling to define your business, don’t start with your services.

Start with your energy.

Ask yourself:

• Who do I genuinely enjoy working with?

• Who needs me the most?

• Who experiences the greatest transformation after working with me?

• What conversations could I have all day without getting tired?

• What kinds of projects make time disappear?

• What work leaves me energized instead of depleted?

Your answers are clues.

Pay attention to them.

Just the other night, I was at a party when I ran into an old friend.

She started telling me about a new project she was launching.

She’s exactly the kind of person I love working with—a thoughtful midlife entrepreneur building something meaningful.

Without even thinking about it, I started asking questions.

• Who is it for?

• What’s the transformation?

• How are you positioning it?

• What makes it different?

• How will people know it’s for them?

We weren’t in a coaching session.

We were standing in our friend’s kitchen at a Sunday evening party.

I wasn’t trying to sell anything.

I was doing what I naturally do - helping someone bring clarity to an idea.

That’s when I smiled to myself.

This isn’t difficult for me. It’s joy.

And I think that’s one of the greatest indicators you’ve found the right work.

The things that feel natural to you often create extraordinary value for someone else.

You only have to become known for solving one meaningful problem exceptionally well. And serving one type of client.

Clarity doesn’t shrink your business. It focuses your energy.

It simplifies your marketing. And it strengthens your message.

And perhaps most importantly...

It reconnects you with the work that makes you come alive.

You can’t help everyone, but you can profoundly help the right people.

The moment you stop trying to boil the ocean is the moment your business begins to grow. Clarity doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from deciding who you’re uniquely called to serve.

Take fifteen quiet minutes with a journal and answer these three questions:

• Who do I most enjoy serving?

• What problem do people consistently come to me to solve?

• If I became known for just one thing, what would I want it to be?

You may discover you’ve been trying to boil the ocean...

...when all along you were meant to change the temperature in one place.

If this reflection resonated with you, I hope you’ll subscribe.

Each week, I write about building meaningful lives and businesses with heart, clarity, and action. Together, we’re discovering that the strongest businesses—and the most fulfilling lives—are built by intentionally becoming more of who we were created to be.