I’m torn

the advice I give to everyone else (but don't manage to follow myself)

This past week I was lucky to be at Web Summit in Lisbon. I barely worked, mostly met up with cool people I know from LinkedIn & beyond, had incredible vegan food, and explored the city.

first day at the web summit conference!

By the end of the week, I am basically made of beer, pastéis de nata, and gelato. This part I truly can’t complain about. Lisbon is such an amazing city – I can’t wait to come back soon.

Gulbenkian Gardens in Lisbon

Someone asked me what my goals are while I was there, and my honest answer was: “fucking around and finding out”.

I wish I was kidding.

@rogerskaer

Roger Skaer on Instagram: "How Did You Fuck Around, And What Di…

Having lots of chats with smart people helped me reflect on what I’m doing and where I’m heading. And what I became aware of… isn’t fun at all.

I’ve been fucking around for too long.
And I’m 1000% overcommitted because I lack focus.

Here’s the thing that’s driving me absolutely crazy:

I always tell my mentees and clients about the importance of being clear about who you’re creating for and what you offer. It makes everything easier — creating content, getting clients, growing your business.

But honestly, reflecting on the past months, I’ve been completely ignoring my own advice. I’ve been ALL OVER the place.

It’s so much easier to notice patterns in others than in yourself, isn’t it?

me eating my uncomfortable emotions away in Lisbon

I am literally my worst roadblock right now.

Juggling 3 different audiences and trying to “do it all”, while being completely confused about my priorities.

After quitting my job in August, I started a cosy solopreneur community called launch/anyway. I love meeting and connecting driven, creative people and got to host 5 meetups already. It’s been fantastic.

a casual walk & talk meetup I hosted while in Lisbon ❤️

Problem is, I’ve been doing many things for “just for fun”. And now that I’m self employed, it’s becoming a challenge to say the least (in this economy lol) 🥲

At the same time, my main paid service is helping founders get opportunities from LinkedIn.

I’ve been mentoring and coaching them 1:1. What started as one-time strategy projects turned into me now offering monthly coaching retainers because I noticed strategy is not enough – people need ongoing support and accountability. Now I’m thinking should I focus on this more?

Then there’s my OG audience — marketers. This is the easiest audience for me to understand and create content for, as I myself am a marketer.

Building my personal brand gave me the courage to quit my job, and I want to help other 9-to-5 marketers build a personal brand and get opportunities from LinkedIn. That’s why I launched a waitlist for a cohort-based personal branding course, and over 50 people have already signed up.

But there’s MORE to this mess.

I also run “Notion for Marketers” — a community of 400+ people. I love being an ambassador, I love hosting Notion events, and I don’t want to just abandon this because it doesn’t make money and started as another “fun” project.

picture from the last Notion for Marketers event

So I keep creating Notion content and templates, hosting events. I feel like people genuinely appreciate my resources, and the content performs well, which makes me ever more confused.

And with 3-4+ different audiences and offers, I’m paralysed about what to prioritise.

• Find more monthly founder clients for LinkedIn coaching?

• Launch my course ASAP?

• Build more paid digital products?

• Focus on Notion templates and YouTube?

• Partner with more brands to create content for them?

I feel extremely torn. There literally aren’t enough hours in the week, if I also want to have a normal-ish life.

What annoys me most is that when I help others, it’s crystal clear what they should focus on.

But when it comes to myself, I have this urge to do everything. Even though I know that going in 20 directions at once is the opposite of productive.

I thought clarity would come with time. But four months in, I have more ideas, and more directions I could go into than ever before.

If I continue like this, I’ll sacrifice my relationships, sleep, or sanity. Probably all three.

decompressing after a week of networking - at the Lisbon aquarium

Asking for help

As someone who hates asking for help with a burning passion, I’m finally tackling my lack of focus.

I booked two consultations for today with solopreneurs who are much further along on their journeys (booked via GrowthMentor), to get their advice and support.

Sometimes you just need to swallow your pride and admit you can’t figure it all out alone.

Brb, trying to find my focus and get some help -

let this be your reminder that from the outside most people seem to have it together. But we’re all just figuring it out as we go, learning, pivoting…

we got this though!

P.S. The next Berlin solopreneur co-working session is on Thursday! Sign up here - look forward to it <3

Cheers,
Maria