Finding Your Niche

Unlike most kids – I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I “grew up”.

In fact, I didn’t find my current passion until I was in my early 20’s. I had never even considered health and fitness, jeez I couldn’t even run around the block, never mind not ever having been inside a proper gym before. Seriously.

And it is frustrating as hell, in any industry to try and find a way to set yourself apart from your colleagues.

But it was a passion I stumbled across, that just happened to grow into a vocation that I really enjoy.

Fast-forward 20 years and here I am, fully immersed and happy in my career but also in a particularly unique and fortunate situation.

I don’t have to advertise, market or actively look for clients.

Between myself and my business partner/husband, we have dug ourselves a little niche market that we enjoy, we are passionate about, and above all, we excel at.

How did we get here? We dug out our market. Our Niche.

What is YOUR niche? I want to help break it down for you.

Finding Your Niche - Emilie Brabon - Evaluate

…your skill set – Write yourself a list. What are you really and truly good at? More to the point – head down the next line….

Finding Your Niche - Emilie Brabon - Identify

…your passion and your interests. What would you do even if the pay was bad, or you didn’t get paid at all? Write them down – and then ask yourself if you think you will still be as happy and passionate about them in 5-10 years?

Finding Your Niche - Emilie Brabon - Research

Check out your competition. What kind of competition is there? If the market is already flooded you can go two ways.

It can be a great thing where you jump on board a trend and make it work – OR it could be such a watered down market that there is no difference between you and the next coach.

Finding Your Niche - Emilie Brabon - Profitability

Will it make you money. Boil it down – the rent is always due, so there is no point in diving into something that there isn’t a market for.

If you can’t make a living from it, keep it as a hobby (For now).

Finding Your Niche - Emilie Brabon - Keep It Neat

…and never stop learning – Don’t get lost amongst all of the things you are good at, because amongst all of those things, those talents, passions and interests, you are the best at 1 or 2 of those things. Now is the time to find those 1 or 2 things and really hone those skills. Learning never exhausts the mind.

(n.b. at this stage if you haven’t answered in the health & fitness realm, then you may be in the wrong industry).

I have been in many health clubs over the years, and have never quite grasped the idea of the PT board. While it is great to put a face to a name, and to list qualifications and proficiency to make sure you are noticed, it all gets a little convoluted when the selection on the board is between a 26 year old personal trainer has 3 years in the industry but has 20 years of football experience or the PT/coach that specialises in a long list of skills in which they consider themselves to be an expert.

A huge part of finding my niche market and making it work was combining my skill set with my husbands.

We have been business partners since we met, but the reason we make such a great team is that we excel at different things. And those different things just happen to really compliment each other. Teamwork in its element.

I still believe that combining skills is not for everybody, which means you need to make sure you not only find what YOU excel at, but you also recognise and identify what you aren’t an expert in.

Then comes the part where you put it into play.

You may already have recognised that the skills that you have narrowed down, you have implemented and practiced on many clients/patients without realising it was your particular talent. Where you excelled and where you flourished.

Integrate these outlined skills into your daily routine, practice regularly in your field, and no doubt you will become known as the “Go-to” person for that particular result.

Stay strong.

Article written by Emilie Brabon-Hames for the What’s New in Fitness Magazine – Autumn 2019 Edition.

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