Let Me Start with the Ideas

I have a lot of ideas—sometimes too many at once. One idea can turn into five more before I finish explaining the first one. What has helped me tremendously is using ChatGPT as my personal assistant. I can talk through my thoughts using transcription, even when they're messy and out of order, and then ask ChatGPT to organize them into an outline I can actually work from. Without that organization, I would be all over the place.

And here's something I'm learning: don't judge the idea too quickly. Write it down first.

Your idea could come from something you already know, a problem you've solved, a question people constantly ask you, something you wish existed, a hobby you've mastered, a process you've made easier, or even something that frustrates you. At this stage, I'm not asking, “Is this my business?” I'm asking: “Is this idea worth exploring? That's where I started. 💜

Follow the Passion — Then Look for the Connection

My passions aren't just one thing. I love writing, journaling, graphics, creating products, business, marketing, and learning how ideas become brands. The challenge is that when you're passionate about several things, it's easy to go in ten directions at once. I know because I will. That's another reason I use I can transcribe everything I'm thinking—messy thoughts and all—and have it help me organize those thoughts into an outline so I can actually see the connections.

When you're looking for your passion, don't only ask, “What do I love doing?” Think about what you can talk about for hours, what you constantly research, what you naturally teach other people, what you spend money learning, what you've kept coming back to over the years, and even what you miss doing when life gets in the way.

For me, the connection became clearer:

Writing + Journaling + Graphics + Business + My Experience = HERVybe Publishing.

Your passions may look unrelated at first.

Don't throw them away. Look for the connection.

Sometimes your niche is sitting right there between the things you already love.

Know Who You're Talking To

One thing I'm learning while building HERVybe Publishing is that “everybody” cannot be my audience. I can create something I love, but I still need to know who needs it and why. And finding your audience isn't only about age or gender. I want to know what they're trying to accomplish, what frustrates them, what they're searching for, and what would make their lives easier. The clearer I get about who I'm talking to, the easier it becomes to decide what content to create, what products make sense, and even what words I use to market them.

I don't need everybody's attention. I need the attention of the people I'm actually trying to help.

10 Questions to Help Identify Your Audience

1. Who would benefit most from what I know or create?

2. What problem are they actively trying to solve?

3. What do they keep asking questions about?

4. What frustrates them about the solutions already available?

5. Where do they go online looking for answers?

6. What words do they use when describing their problem?

7. What have they already tried that isn't working for them?

8. What would make a solution feel easier or more useful to them?

9. Are they willing to spend money solving this problem—or are they mainly looking for free information?

10. Can I clearly explain why my content, experience, product, or service is specifically useful to them?

HERVybe Tip: Don't answer these questions once and assume you're finished. Your audience can teach you more as you post, sell, listen to feedback, read comments, and see what people actually respond to.

Your audience isn't something you simply choose. It's something you learn to understand. 💜

Profit and Purpose: They’re Not the Same Thing

When I was trying to find my niche, I realized I had to separate passion, purpose, and profit.

Passion is what I enjoy. It’s what interests me, excites me, or keeps pulling me back.

But purpose goes a little deeper, now that goes a little deeper. For me, purpose starts with asking: Why am I doing this? Who could this help? Is there a need for it? And sometimes I don’t know the answer until I do the research. I may start with something I’m passionate about, research the audience and the need, and then discover the purpose behind the idea. After that comes profit: Is there a market? Will people buy it? Can this eventually support the business I’m trying to build?

But here’s where I’m a little different. Sometimes I will create something even when the research tells me the audience may be small. Why? Because one person is still somebody. You would be surprised who that one person might be and how much that one resource could matter to them. Yeah, granted, it may take longer to become profitable—but that’s just me. Whatever! Think about it this way: if ten people need Band-Aids and three people need Neosporin, are we going to say the three don’t matter because fewer people need it? No. They still have a need. That’s how I look at purpose.

Passion may start the idea. Research helps me understand the need. Purpose tells me why it matters. Profit helps me determine how the idea can grow. And for me, finding my niche means learning how all four can work together.

From Passion to Purpose

Finding my niche has taken me a while because I have a lot of interests. I am very DIY, very self-taught, and if something looks like something I can learn—and I’m interested in it—I’m probably going to try it.

That can be a good thing, but it can also make finding a niche harder.

I’ve had to learn that just because I can do something does not automatically mean it belongs in the direction I’m trying to build.

That’s where passion and purpose started becoming different for me.

Passion is the thing that pulls me in. It’s what I enjoy, what I can talk about for a long time, and what makes me curious enough to keep learning.

But purpose makes me ask a different question:

Why does this matter?

Who could this help?
What problem could it solve?
What experience, knowledge, or perspective do I already have that could make this useful to somebody else?

That is where research comes in for me.

I may start with something I’m passionate about, but then I want to know if other people are asking questions about it, searching for it, struggling with it, or looking for a better way to do it.

Sometimes the research shows me there is a large audience.

Sometimes it shows me there may only be a smaller group of people who need it.

And honestly, that does not always stop me.

I am very determined to create things that make a difference, even if the need is not huge.

Because to me, one person is still somebody.

That may not always be the fastest route to profit. I know that. Whatever.

But purpose, for me, is not always about how many people need something. Sometimes it is about recognizing that the need exists at all.

So now, when I look at an idea, I try to ask myself:

Is this just something I enjoy doing—or is there a purpose behind it too?

That question has helped me understand my niche a lot better.