Stop Trying To Find Your Niche — It's Already Inside You

Introducing My 'Niche & Voice Masterclass'

Photo by Kari Shea on Unsplash

In 2018, somebody told me "Tom, you should make videos about the Philippines, you'll go viral."

That's all I needed to hear.

I made a video, got 80,000 views in 1 day, and suddenly I was "the Philippines vlogger guy." The views were too big NOT to chase. I moved to the Philippines within 2 months and made videos for 2 years about that country.

But here's what nobody tells you about chasing what works instead of what lights you up...

Eventually your heart can't keep lying to itself.

I burned out. Hard. Got millions of views and hated every minute of it by the end.

Now I see writers making this same mistake every day on Substack...

People Are So Confused About What To Write About

"I have so many things I want to share that it feels fragmented. I don't know where to start."

That's what one of my readers told me last month. And honestly? I hear some version of this every week..

"I’m having trouble finding a topic I want to commit to."

"I'm well-rounded and have many interests."

"I’m unsure who I'm writing for."

Sound familiar?

Here's what's really happening.. You're getting advice that tells you how to "find your niche" by researching markets and competition.

But that's backwards.

You're not some business consultant trying to find a profitable market gap. You're a human with stories, experiences, and insights that ALREADY matter to people.

Most Niche Advice Is Backwards

You’ve seen the personal branding experts on LinkedIn, right? They throw around so many buzzwords that it feels they’re more robot than human—and then you say to yourself.. “Wait, THESE are the people that are teaching me how to stand out online?”

There’s no talk of passion—no talk of what lights YOU up as a writer—just what’s going to monetize best.

To me, it’s completely backwards.

When I wrote my most viral articles, I wasn’t thinking of my “personal brand.” I was thinking of how angry, sad, or overjoyed I was about something.

I Like Starting From Your Stories First

The way I like “niche-ing down” is by starting with your stories. What’s happened to you that has shaped you into who you are today?

Personal stories are the source.

I’ve also talked extensively about how much I love starting from emotion when I write posts. To me, the strongest emotions ALWAYS come from our personal stories. I mean, obviously, right? I was never a deep sea fisherman, so I have zero emotionally-charged opinions about that.

But I’ve been an expat for 7 years now. I got a LOT of emotionally charged opinions about that.

While personal branding coaches might start with market research, I start by helping writers outline their stories. At the core, I believe that one well-written story our hearts were dying to tell can be 1,000x more powerful than a perfectly crafted message to a perfectly strategized audience.

Because with your story there’s emotion. It’s visceral. It’s genuine. Audiences can feel that. Your heart’s gotta sing to write something that will make other people’s hearts sing.

I don’t see how sticking to a bland personal brand makes anybody’s heart sing.

I Call It ‘Organic Personal Branding’

This is what I’m covering in July. I’m releasing four free articles about how I approach personal branding. I got a lot to say about it! July is personal branding month at the Writing Long Game. 😊

You’ll listen to me detail a slower, more organic way of finding your personal brand that’s deeply connected to the recurring themes of your life’s story.

If that sounds cool, then sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy!

To mark this occasion, TODAY I’m releasing a new AI tool called the IdentitySmith.

I Got A New ‘Branding’ Tool For You

The IdentitySmith walks you through the exact process I wish I had when I was stuck making videos about the Philippines.

Instead of researching markets or analyzing competitors, it digs into YOUR stories. Your struggles. Your victories. The moments that shaped who you are today.

Here's how it works:

You'll have a real conversation (not some boring survey) about the biggest moments in your life for 20-30 minutes. The tool analyzes your stories for themes, identifies what makes your perspective unique, and shows you exactly what you should write about.

But here's the cool part...

It doesn't just tell you your "niche." It shows you:

• Which of your life experiences could become your most powerful content

• What perspectives you have that others don't

• Your natural writing voice (so you stop trying to sound like everyone else)

This is the opposite of strategic personal branding.

This is story archaeology. This is finding what's already there.

Pam Vale

tried the IdentitySmith, and she said it taught her more about herself in 30 minutes than 6 months of deep work.👇

That was insane to read.

Why don’t you try it? You literally got nothing to lose.

I'm giving you 3 free tokens to try the IdentitySmith this month as I roll out the July personal branding series. 3 tokens just gets you started with this tool. If you want the whole IdentitySmith experience, become a paid subscriber right now to get 50 monthly tokens.

Consider it my way of saying “let's figure out what you should ACTUALLY write about, finally."

The four articles I'm releasing this month will dive deeper into each part of this process. Think of them as the "why" behind what the tool helps you discover.

The first edition comes out tomorrow!

Talk soon,

Tom

P.S. - If you try the IdentitySmith, hit reply and let me know what you discover. I'm genuinely curious what stories emerge when people dig into this stuff.