Finding Your Niche

Niche: Pronunciation: nee-shh

a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted;

a specialized market

The other day I said to Rick, “Rick, I need to find my niche.”

He said, “The one in college or the one who wants to be an actress?”

“No. My NICHE. The thing that I do best. My specialty.”

“Oh,” he said. “Well, you’re pretty good at writing on the internet.”

“I know! And the best part is – there’s NO ONE ELSE doing that right now!”

He narrowed his eyes. “Are you trying to make sarcasm your niche? Because you’re pretty good at that, too.”

Actually, this niche thing is not just me. We’re both trying to find our niche(s). Or our nichi, if you will. Not to be confused with Nietzsche, the German philosopher, who was known for being pessimistic and probably would have told us not to bother.

But Rick’s comment made me think. Is your niche something you love, or is your niche something that you’re really good at? Because that’s not always the same thing.

When I was a kid I spent a lot of time dancing around my bedroom to Broadway musicals. I blasted GYPSY and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF and WEST SIDE STORY. I choreographed elaborate routines, with a lot of leaping and jazz hands. I was a Shark. I was a Jet. I was the entire town of Anetevka. And when I sang, I was loud and clear and full of emotion. And totally out of key. As much as I love musicals, I will never appear at a theater near you. I am a horrible, horrible singer. (And I ended up marrying a recording engineer. Ah, the irony.) Musicals, alas, were not my niche.

At Post Haste we’re pursuing work in many different areas. Travel, cooking, music, movies, home decor, paintings of dogs on velvet. We have many interests. Sometimes it feels like we’re scattering ourselves in a lot of different directions, but I think that’s what you have to do when you’re niche hunting. Because maybe you don’t find your niche. Maybe your niche finds you. One day you realize you keep getting hired to write about paintings of dogs on velvet. There’s a reason for that. You’re good at it. Other people want you to do it. For money, even! And the more you do it, the better you get at it, and soon, you’re the expert and you’re known as the “go-to” person for paintings of dogs on velvet, and it dawns on you that that’s your niche.

Who knows what my niche will end up being. Whatever it is, I’m excited about the journey, because …

Could it be? Yes it could!
Something’s coming, something good.
If I can wait!
Something’s coming, I don’t know what it is,
But it is
Gonna be great!

---