I am of the belief that we all possess many talents and gifts that we can offer to the world…well maybe not to the world, but certainly to a small group of let’s say 100 or 1000 people, especially if you know how to provide products and services. Have you ever heard someone say, “If I only knew how to do that one thing…I would be rich!” Here’s the thing…you don’t have to know how to do that one thing, but you do need to know how to find the person who can do that one thing! Being a one trick pony is basically a play on words and it means different things to different people. How many people do you know who are one trick ponies that are actually good at many things? Well there may be a reason. Being a one trick pony doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Speaking for myself… I know that I’m good at many things, however, I have to pick and choose what I’m going to be great at doing. Sometimes you have to decide on the one thing you are going to focus on and master. Some people refer to it as low hanging fruit…I would agree, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t yearn to do other things and explore the possibilities. I would rather spend three to six months researching something…or spending a few hundred dollars to get additional information before spending thousands of dollars on something that I’m not going to do on a long term basis. Another thing to consider is your location. Maybe it’s not you after all. That’s one of the reasons why I created the 90 Day Start Up business strategy sessions. These sessions give you a way to explore and do research on business ideas and niches that may or not work where you work or live. You may discover that you have been trying to sell your products and services in the wrong location and no matter how talented or skilled your are…you’re simply in the wrong location.
You will also hear people refer to someone as a …“Jack of all trades and a master of none.” Again, that depends on those trades and the time it takes to perfect them. Try not to react solely on what people are saying, because as I stated earlier, those phrases mean different things to different people. I would rather have a one trick pony perform a life saving procedure on me who has experience performing that surgery 1000 times versus the surgeon who has only done that same procedure only 10 times. They are both surgeons…right? Which one would you pick?
The same goes true for an experienced baby sitter or auto mechanic? If I was in the restaurant business, I wouldn’t mind hiring “the jack of all trades” who has restaurant management experience working at 5 different restaurants doing different jobs over a 10 year period, help me design and build a food truck, which I know nothing about! At the end of the day, talent can be improved on over time by focusing on one thing, but it can also be good thing to know additional tricks of the trade.