Ep. 17 My Hot Take on Niching in Your Online Business: Why It’s Overhyped And What to Do Instead
If you've ever felt stuck in your business because you still haven't nailed your niche, you're not alone. In the online business world, niching is often treated like the golden ticket—as if once you figure it out, clients will magically start knocking down your door. But here’s my hot take: it’s not that simple. In fact, I think the hype around niching is a little overrated.
In this post, we're unpacking what niching really means, how it can help you, and—maybe more importantly—why it’s not the only way to build a successful business. Especially if you’re early in your journey or going through a pivot, this episode is here to give you some clarity (and a little permission to stop spiraling).
Listen to this episode now 👇
Or listen on your favorite platform: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | YouTube
What Even Is a Niche?
A niche is just the group of people you serve and the problem you help them solve. That’s it. It’s not a box to squeeze yourself into or a super specific ideal client profile that includes what kind of milk they prefer in their latte. Your niche can be defined in a bunch of ways:
By industry (e.g., coaches, designers, photographers)
By values or personality traits (e.g., neurodivergent biz owners, anti-hustle creatives)
By format or business model (e.g., VIP days, intensives, memberships)
By stage of business (e.g., beginners vs. 6–7 figure founders)
By transformation or result (e.g., getting more leads, improving client retention)
Too many people treat niching like an identity crisis when it’s really just about clarity in who you help and what you help them do.
Why Everyone Talks About Niching
There’s a reason you hear about niching so often: when done well, it does help. Your messaging becomes clearer. Your marketing gets easier. Your audience sees themselves in your content. It builds trust, speeds up the sales cycle, and makes your brand more recognizable.
But here’s where things go sideways: people niche too early.
They do it before they’ve validated their offers, before they know what lights them up, before they’ve built any momentum. And when that hyper-specific niche doesn’t deliver the magical results they expected, they spiral.
Or worse, they pick a niche based on something totally random (like, “I like Star Wars, so I’ll only work with Star Wars fans”) without considering whether that niche is actually viable. Suddenly, they’re stuck in a box they don’t want to be in, trying to force offers that don’t fit.
What Actually Matters More Than Your Niche
Here’s the truth: you don’t need a hyper-specific niche to be successful. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs I know (myself included) don’t have one. What they do have is clarity in other areas of their brand and business.
For example, my niche isn’t super narrow. But I do:
Work exclusively with online business owners
Focus on more established service providers (not beginners)
Specialize in Squarespace and Kajabi websites
Offer strategy-first brand and web design
That’s a niche. Even if it doesn’t fit the traditional, avatar-based mold. You can stand out with your unique process, your personality, your design style, or your client experience. You can build trust by getting great results and showing up consistently. Not just by saying, “I work with this one specific group of people.”
So, How Do You Actually Find Your Niche?
You find it by doing the work. You try different offers. You work with different kinds of clients. You notice who energizes you and who drains you. You get curious about which projects light you up and which ones make you want to hide under the covers.
When I was starting out, I worked with everyone from an insurance broker to a hot sauce company to a kids’ clothing catalog to a wedding photographer. And while some of those projects were a little rough, they taught me what I loved doing and what I definitely didn’t want to do again.
Your niche is something that will emerge over time. It’s not something you’ll figure out in one journaling session or by filling out a dreamy ideal client worksheet. It’s a byproduct of actually showing up and getting your reps in.
Things to Focus on Instead of Perfecting Your Niche
If you’re stuck spiraling about your niche, here are a few more productive things you can spend your energy on:
Get super clear on your offer. What do you help people do? What’s the transformation?
Build social proof. Get results and talk about them.
Create valuable content that inspires, teaches, or clarifies something for your audience.
Let your personality and point of view come through. Make it easy for people to connect with you.
Show up consistently. Even imperfect action builds momentum.
Don’t be afraid to pivot if something isn’t working.
My Own Niching Fail (and What It Taught Me)
Back in 2021 or 2022, I signed up for a group coaching program that was all about niching. I didn’t know that going in, but the whole thing centered on picking a super-specific niche.
At the time, I thought, “Okay, my corporate background is in the fitness industry, so I’ll brand myself as the designer for health and wellness businesses.”
I went all in: updated my website, my service guide, my social media, everything. And guess what? It didn’t work. I didn’t book any dreamy new clients. And worse, I realized I didn’t even want to work with fitness brands exclusively.
So I pivoted. I went back to what was working before and gave myself permission to cast a slightly wider net. That small shift made a big difference.
The Bottom Line on Niching
Niching can be helpful, but it’s not everything. And in many cases, it’s not the first thing you need to figure out. You can absolutely build a six-figure brand without a perfect niche. What matters more is nailing your offers, showing up consistently, and delivering amazing results.
So if you’re early in your business or in the middle of a pivot and still feel unclear on your niche, you’re not behind. Just keep going, keep showing up, and stay curious. The clarity will come.
And when it does, it’ll feel a lot more aligned than anything you tried to force.
Want to chat more about this? DM me on Instagram @spechtand.co. I’d love to hear where you’re at with your niche (or lack thereof).
🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned In The Episode:
➡️ Follow me on Instagram @spechtand.co
➡️ Book A Discovery Call With Morgan
➡️ Learn more about The Six Figure Brand Society
➡️ Book Your Free 5min Brand Audit
🎧 Listen to episode 17 of The Six Figure Brand Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube
