Torn between two choices

Once upon a time, there was a solo consultant who was torn between two competing loves.

His first love was for a reasonable amount of predictability and security. As long as he stuck with his core expertise—a specialized form of marketing—he could keep busy in his local geography. But he was bored with the repetitive nature of those projects.

His second love was helping kids with special needs. Using his marketing talents to raise funds for organizations that served them enchanted him. He was using his skill sets to serve a personal mission—and wanted to do more.

But as a marketplace, his hometown didn’t offer enough players to make a living. It was a conundrum.

Until he realized that if he re-packaged his expertise, there was no reason he couldn’t work anywhere in the country (perhaps even the planet).

So he did.

He developed his point of view on marketing and fundraising for the non-profits that served challenged children. He honed his message to a few sound bites and hitched his wagon to his big idea: that all kids deserve an equal chance.

He created consulting options for organizations with small budgets and even some paid content offerings.

And he started networking—mostly on social media—to connect with the movers and shakers in his new space.

Now (two years in) he’s working almost entirely in his new niche—and recapturing one of the benefits of his first love: a steadier stream of revenue.

Happily ever after? Not quite—but definitely on his way.

The moral of this story: look for ways to combine the things that enchant you.

There just might be a business in it.