The Unexpected Journey to Finding My Freelance Niche

When I first started freelancing, I was basically saying yes to anything that remotely sounded like work. Social media management? Sure! Blog writing for a pet grooming business? Why not! Data entry for someone’s uncle’s cousin’s side hustle? I’m in! I thought being open to everything was the smart thing to do — cast a wide net, right? But honestly… it left me scattered, stretched thin, and constantly wondering what my “thing” actually was.

Like so many good stories, mine starts with a connection. I had this incredible working relationship with someone I deeply respected. They knew my work, understood how I operated, and we just clicked. One day, they referred me to a project in an industry I hadn’t worked in before. I’ll be honest — I had no idea what to expect. But because I trusted them, I said yes. I took on that project, then another, and another… and before I knew it, I was surrounded by a network of people in that same world, who valued clarity, structure, and — spoiler alert — me.

It wasn’t an overnight epiphany, but more of a steady, quiet realization: this is my niche. And for a while, I hesitated to claim it. What if I limited myself too much? What if opportunities dried up because I started calling myself a specialist? What if niching down meant saying no to things that might’ve been “good enough?”

But here’s the thing I learned: niching down doesn’t close doors — it opens the right ones. I didn’t have to scream into the void anymore, hoping random gigs would land in my inbox. I had a network. I had a specialty. I had a space where I could show up confidently and say, this is what I do, and I’m really good at it.

The best part? I never planned it this way. I didn’t wake up one day and decide to niche down. It happened because of genuine connections, doing great work, and staying open to where those relationships could lead. And my advice (not that you asked for it 😉) is this: you don’t have to have it all figured out today. You don’t need a perfect, polished niche on your first day of freelancing. Your path will reveal itself through the people you meet, the work you love, and the opportunities you embrace.

Niching down isn’t about limiting yourself. It’s about giving yourself permission to focus on the work that lights you up — and letting the rest go. It’s about trusting that your freelance business is yours to shape, evolve, and grow, one connection and one opportunity at a time.

And if you’re still figuring out your “thing”? You’re in good company, friend. I’ve been there. And honestly? It’s a pretty exciting place to be. ◼️