The Illusion of Breadth as Safety
There's a moment we all know too well: A client we love - someone we've worked with for months, maybe years - asks: "Hey, could you also do XYZ for us?"
The relationship is solid. The work feels smooth, almost like a friendship. And honestly, why should they onboard a new service provider when you're right here?
So you say yes.
Because why wouldn't you? The money's right there. It feels safe. It feels smart. But here's what you don't see: the hidden cost.
The Hidden Cost of Saying Yes
When we say yes to work outside our core, we're not just taking on a project. We're diluting our Signature.
Here's what I mean: Let's say my Signature is strategy through radical clarity. That's how I create value - whether it's in brand, innovation, or organizational development.
A client asks: "Can you also run an innovation workshop?"
The question isn't whether I know enough about innovation. The question is: Can I create the same transformative value with my approach (radical clarity) in this new context as I do in my core work?
If yes → Go for it.
If no → I'm diluting my Signature.
Because when I say yes without that clarity, I'm no longer the strategist who brings radical clarity. I'm a service provider who does various things.
And here's what happens: If I can't deliver the same level of value in that new area, my perceived value - the thing that allows me to charge premium rates, to be sought after instead of compared - starts to erode.
Not because I'm bad at what I do. But because I've blurred the lines.
Our Signature Is Everything
Here's what I've learned: It's our job to create the sharpest image of our Signature in our clients' minds.
Every interaction counts. Every "yes" either sharpens that image - or blurs it.
When we say yes to everything, we're not building safety. We're building dependency.
Dependency on chasing every client. Dependency on saying yes to every opportunity. Dependency on volume - not value.
And that's a tactic. Not a strategy.
Short-Term Thinking vs. Long-Term Thinking
Short-term thinking: Chase every client. Take every opportunity. Keep the pipeline full.
Long-term thinking: Our Signature is everything. Protect it. Build around it. Trust it.
If we want to stay in the sea of service providers - chasing clients until the end of our careers - the opportunity tactic works.
But if we want to build something bigger? Something that works beyond our time? Something that's sought after, not sold?
Then breadth isn't safety.
Clarity is.
The Real Question
The real question isn't: "Should I take this opportunity?"
The real question is: "Does this sharpen my Signature - or dilute it?"
Because in 2026, expertise alone doesn't guarantee income. Coherence does. And coherence means saying no - even when the money's right there.
Even when it feels safe. Especially then.
Warmly,
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