Your first and most important Unique Selling Point (USP) should be that you’re a human being.

As I hurtle towards my 5th year in business (woah), I’ve been reflecting on what’s really shaped my work and it all comes back to one thing: human connection.

For years, I wrestled with the question every self-employed person comes up against:

Why would someone choose to work with me over another?

& Wtf is my USP?

I overthought it to the moon and back and could never get beyond ‘because I guess I’m pretty good at what I do!?’

But in an infinite sea of talent, being "good" isn’t always enough. You’ve got to talk the talk as well as walk the walk.

The clarity came to me when I zoomed out and got to know myself better, beyond my work. When I figured out what really matters. To me and to others. And the answer?

Human connection

and…

Joy.

In a world that often pushes us to perform, perfect, and polish ourselves into something palatable, these highly necessary experiences can get left behind.

And without them, things become repetitive, bland and self serving.

That’s when it clicked. My superpower is…

Being human

Showing up as me. Building trust. Caring deeply. Going against the ‘shoulds’ and doing things in a way that feels good to me.

And now that I’ve figured it out for myself, I love helping my clients dig into their USP and their big ‘why’.

I thoughtfully translate their untamed ideas into something clear and joyful. Then they walk away feeling excited, confident, and ready to connect with their people. And that energy can be soooo infectious.

So if you’re out there building something of your own, here’s my advice:

① Lead with how it feels, not just how it looks
Design isn’t just about how things look. It’s about making people feel something. What energy are you putting out into the world? That energy is what will spark feelings in others, and the feeling is what people will connect with.

② Give the people what they want!
Your realness is your power. Show your quirks, your personality, share your why. That’s what makes you magnetic. That’s what builds trust.

③ Joy as a strategy
Let your excitement guide you. If you’re lit up by what you’re working on, your audience will be too.

And finally, a lesson I’ve learned the hard way If you’re your own boss, you have no excuse not to lighten things up a little - remember why you started in the first place!

✦✹✦