The Niche of One Method

How to build something unmistakably yours (without paying gurus thousands.)

Everyone tells you to "find your niche." That's backwards.

Your niche of one isn't something you find. It's something you become.

I learned this the hard way. Got laid off from a Fortune 50 company in 2023. Six-figure salary, benefits, the whole corporate package gone overnight.

While I was sitting there wondering what the hell I was going to do next, I started writing about what I'd actually learned. Not what I thought would get clicks. Not what the business gurus said I should write about. Just the messy, real stuff I'd figured out about building things without burning out.

That honesty became my business. That specific way I approach problems became my competitive advantage. That intersection of my military background, corporate experience, and obsession with simple systems became something nobody else could replicate.

Because it was mine.

What a Niche of One Actually Is

A niche of one isn't a tiny market you dominate. It's not personal branding with different words slapped on it.

It's being the only person who approaches your topics in your specific way.

Think about it like this: There are thousands of productivity experts out there. But there's only one person who helps creators build simple systems using military-grade discipline without the corporate bullshit. That's me.

There are tons of writing coaches. But there's only one person who teaches writing through the lens of a specific combination of experiences, values, and perspectives that you bring.

Your niche of one is the intersection of:

Your actual experience (not what you studied, what you lived)
Your unique perspective (how you see problems differently)
The specific problems you solve (not everything, just your thing)

I'm not "the business guy." I'm the guy who helps creators build sustainable businesses using minimalist principles and military-inspired systems. That's specific enough to be useful, broad enough to grow into, and honest enough to sustain.

See the difference?

Why This Beats Traditional Niching Every Single Time

Traditional niche advice goes like this: Pick a market. Study your competitors. Find gaps. Position yourself against others.

That's exhausting and fake.

Niche of one advice: Start with what you actually know and care about. Build from there.

Here's why this approach wins:

No Real Competition You're not competing with everyone in your space. You're creating a category where you're the only player. When someone needs exactly what you offer, delivered exactly how you deliver it, there's no competition. There's only you.

Authentic Voice You're not performing or trying to sound like someone else. You're just being the version of yourself that's most helpful to your audience. That authenticity is magnetic in a world full of people trying to be someone they're not.

Actually Sustainable You can't fake experience forever. But you can build on real knowledge indefinitely. When your business is built on what you actually know and care about, you don't burn out. You get energized.

Memorable When someone describes what you do, they don't need to think about it. "Oh, you need help with simple systems for creators? Talk to Joe. He's the military guy who hates complicated business advice."

That clarity is worth more than any marketing campaign.

The Overlap Method: How to Find Your Intersection

Forget passion. Forget market research. Use this simple exercise I call the Overlap Method.

Get a piece of paper. Write down:

3 things you're genuinely interested in Not obsessed with. Not expert in. Just stuff you actually find interesting enough to read about, think about, talk about.

For me: Military systems and discipline, creative work and writing, simple business approaches.

3 things you're decent at Not world-class. Just things you do better than the average person. Skills you've developed through experience.

For me: Project management and systems thinking, explaining complex things simply, building things without overthinking them.

3 problems you've solved Big or small doesn't matter. What have you figured out that others are still struggling with? What do people ask you about?

For me: How to be productive without burning out, how to build a business without guru tactics, how to write consistently without perfectionism paralysis.

Now look for connections.

My intersection: Military experience and systems + creative work + simple explanations = helping creators build sustainable businesses using military-inspired discipline and minimalist principles.

That's not a niche you'll find in any market research report. It's uniquely mine.

The power of this approach is that you're not competing in existing categories. You're creating your own.

Instead of being another financial advisor, you become the person who combines therapy training with personal finance experience. Instead of being another fitness coach, you become the person who understands both software culture and sustainable fitness. Instead of being another organizer, you become the person who applies minimalist principles to family chaos.

That's the power of the overlap.

Common Mistakes That Kill Your Niche of One

I've seen creators mess this up in predictable ways. Avoid these traps:

Copying Someone Else's Intersection You see someone successful and think, "I'll do that too." Nope. Their intersection is theirs. Find yours. If you try to be a budget version of someone else, you'll always lose to the original.

Being Too Broad "I help people live better lives" helps no one because it could mean anything. "I help overworked parents find 30 minutes of peace in their day" helps someone specific.

Being Too Narrow "Email templates for left-handed accountants in Ohio" might be too specific. You want room to grow and evolve.

Changing Direction Every Month Your niche of one will evolve, but it shouldn't pivot every time you read a new business book. Give your ideas time to develop before you abandon them.

Trying to Sound Like Someone You're Not The fastest way to kill your niche of one is to adopt someone else's voice or approach. The whole point is to be unmistakably you.

Waiting for Perfect Clarity You don't need to have it all figured out before you start. Your niche becomes clearer as you create and interact with people. Start with your best guess and refine through experience.

The 90-Day Build Process

Here's exactly how to build your niche of one in three months. I've tested this with dozens of creators. It works.

Month 1: Discovery Phase

Week 1-2: Document What You Know Start a running list of everything you've figured out. Work problems you've solved. Processes you've developed. Insights you've gained. Don't filter for importance. Just document.

Write about one thing you know every day. Doesn't matter where. Medium, your blog, even social media. Just start putting your perspective out there.

Week 3-4: Track the Questions Pay attention to what people ask you. In person, online, wherever. What do friends and colleagues come to you for advice about? What problems do you help people solve naturally?

Keep a note on your phone. Add every question you get asked about your areas of knowledge.

Month 2: Testing Phase

Week 5-6: Share Your Perspective Start writing specifically about the intersection you identified. Don't worry about being perfectly positioned. Just be useful.

Share your specific approach to problems in your area. How do you do things differently? What works that others say won't? What doesn't work that others swear by?

Week 7-8: Pay Attention to What Resonates Which posts get engagement? Which ideas get questions? Which approaches make people say, "I never thought of it that way"?

Double down on what's working. Notice what feels natural to write about and what feels forced.

Month 3: Reinforcement Phase

Week 9-10: Define Your Approach By now you should see patterns. What's your specific way of solving problems? What's your framework or philosophy?

Write your "manifesto" post. What do you believe about your area? How do you approach it differently? Why does your way work?

Week 11-12: Create Your First Simple Product Turn your approach into something people can use. A template, checklist, short guide, or mini-course. Price it fairly and sell it.

This proves demand and gives you social proof. It also forces you to systematize your knowledge.

By the end of 90 days, you'll have:

Clear understanding of your unique approach
Content that demonstrates your expertise
Feedback about what resonates with your audience
A simple product that validates demand
The beginning of a reputation for your specific perspective

My Story: How This Actually Works

I started writing about business and productivity like everyone else. Generic advice, recycled tips, nothing special. Got nowhere.

Then I got laid off and stopped trying to sound like a business guru. I started writing about what I'd actually learned: how military systems thinking applies to creative work, why most business advice is over-complicated garbage, how to build things without burning out.

That honesty and specific perspective became my business. I'm not competing with every business coach. I'm the only person who combines military experience, corporate project management, and anti-guru philosophy to help creators build simple, sustainable businesses.

That intersection is mine. Nobody else can replicate it because they haven't lived it.

The pattern here is clear: real experience + personal problem solved + specific audience = your unique intersection.

The Anti-Guru Reality Check

Here's what the expensive courses won't tell you: You already have everything you need to build your niche of one.

You don't need:

A $3,000 course on personal branding
Perfect clarity about your future
Credentials in your area
To sound like everyone else
To solve every problem for every person
Years of preparation before you start

You do need:

Honesty about what you actually know
Willingness to share your real perspective
Patience to let your niche develop over time
Focus on being useful instead of impressive
Consistency in showing up as yourself

The gurus want you to think this is complicated because complicated sells courses. Simple doesn't. But simple works.

What Makes This Different from Personal Branding

Personal branding is about crafting an image. Niche of one is about being useful.

Personal branding asks: How do I want to be perceived? Niche of one asks: How can I be most helpful?

Personal branding is performance. Niche of one is practice.

When you build a personal brand, you're always worried about staying on-brand. When you build a niche of one, you're focused on serving your people better.

That difference matters. It's the difference between sustainable and exhausting. Between authentic and performative. Between building something real and building something that looks good on Instagram.

The Business Side: How This Makes Money

A strong niche of one isn't just good for your soul. It's good for your bank account.

Premium Pricing When you're the only person who solves problems your specific way, you can charge accordingly. You're not competing on price because you're not really competing at all.

Word-of-Mouth Marketing People know exactly who to refer to you. "You need help with simple business systems? Talk to Joe." Clear positioning makes referrals effortless.

Product Development You know exactly what to create because you know exactly who you serve and how you serve them. No guessing about what your audience wants.

Content Strategy Every piece of content reinforces your position. You're not scattered across seventeen different topics. Everything builds on everything else.

Partnership Opportunities Other creators and businesses know exactly what you bring to collaborations. Clear positioning opens doors.

Common Challenges (And How to Handle Them)

"But I'm interested in too many things!" Good. Use the overlap method to find connections between your interests. The most interesting niche of ones come from unexpected combinations.

"What if I want to change directions later?" Your niche of one will evolve naturally as you grow. That's not failure, it's refinement. The foundation stays the same even as the details shift.

"I'm not expert enough in anything." You don't need to be the world's leading expert. You need to be one step ahead of the people you're helping and willing to share what you've learned.

"This feels too narrow." It should feel a little narrow at first. You can always expand later. It's easier to grow from something specific than to focus something generic.

"What if no one cares about my intersection?" If you're solving real problems for real people, someone cares. Start small. Serve the people who get it. Let it grow from there.

Your Next Steps: The Niche of One Starter Kit

Stop reading. Start doing.

This Week:

Complete the overlap exercise. Write down your 3+3+3 lists.
Identify your most likely intersection.
Write one post about something you've figured out in that area.
Publish it somewhere. Anywhere.

This Month:

Write consistently about your intersection.
Pay attention to what resonates.
Engage with people who respond.
Refine based on real feedback.

This Quarter:

Define your specific approach.
Create your first simple product.
Build systems to maintain consistency.
Document what's working.

Don't overthink it. Your niche of one isn't built in a boardroom with market research and competitive analysis.

It's built one genuine interaction at a time. One useful piece of work at a time. One person at a time who thinks, "Yeah, this person gets it."

The Real Secret

The real secret isn't finding your niche of one. It's having the courage to be it.

Most people find their intersection and then water it down trying to appeal to more people. They take their specific perspective and make it generic. They take their unique voice and make it sound like everyone else's.

Don't do that.

The world doesn't need another generic business coach or productivity expert or writing teacher. It needs you, with your specific combination of experiences and perspectives, solving problems in your particular way.

That specificity isn't a limitation. It's your competitive advantage.

Your weird combination of interests and experience and approach is exactly what someone out there is looking for. They just don't know it yet.

Your job is to show up consistently as yourself until they find you.

That's how you build something unmistakably yours.

That's your niche of one.

Want help building your Niche of One? Join my newsletter where I share the systems and strategies that actually work for creators who want to build sustainable businesses without the guru BS. No hype, no false promises, just practical advice from someone who's been there.

The world is waiting for what only you can create. Stop waiting for permission and start building.