To explore this, let me share an example of an artist who knew he wasn’t trying to please everyone.
In 2018, at a Sotheby’s auction in London, Banksy’s painting sold for £1 million.
This might not sound unusual, except that a few seconds after the auction ended, a hidden shredder built into the frame activated and sliced the canvas into dangling ribbons.
You can watch the shocked reaction of the audience on this YouTube video of the Girl with Balloon painting: here
Why destroy a piece that had just sold for a fortune?
To Banksy, it was a message; art isn’t meant to be tamed, packaged, and owned just because the market wants it.
Banksy never tried to make art for “everyone.” His work is for people willing to see beauty and absurdity in the same frame. Those who don’t like it? He doesn’t try to convince them.
When you aim to appeal to everyone, you remove the very edges that give your work its meaning.
Banksy’s shredded canvas makes the people who matter lean closer, even if others walk away.
Your Authentic Audience
The truth is that the right audience, one that truly engages with you (even if it’s tiny), is far more valuable than a large audience that doesn’t.
You want to work with people who genuinely love the transformation that you create and also care about the same things as you do.
Think about the creators, coaches, or writers who have genuinely influenced you. Did they try to appeal to everyone?
They had a point of view. They stood for something specific and connected with you.
The goal is to find your 1000 true fans, the people who will love your work, champion it, share it, and come back for more because it speaks directly to something they care about.
Being true to yourself naturally attracts some and repels others, just like in real life.
Personal Resonance
Your mix of experiences, uniqueness, and insights creates your personal resonance, which is ****the way your presence and work naturally connect with others.
When you try to fit into a box and please everyone, you dull the very frequency that makes you authentic.
The most interesting voices online lean into the intersections of their genuine interests and expertise, letting their personal resonance guide the way.
It can be tempting to play it safe when money or followers are on your mind. But overthinking your niche can stall you.
Start with what you know, what you’ve lived, and what excites you, and let your personal resonance refine itself over time.
Steps to Help Get You Started
If you’re ready to stop trying to please everyone, here are some ways to begin:
- Audit your current content. Look at your last 10 pieces of work. How many feel like they could have been written by anyone? Those are your “vanilla” pieces. Notice the pattern, then start moving away from it.
- Ask yourself the uncomfortable questions. What opinions do you hold that might not be popular with everyone? What experiences have you had that shaped your unique perspective? What would you write about if you knew only 100 people would read it, but they’d be the right 100 people?
- Start saying no to topics that you don’t find fulfilling. Even if they’re “safe” or popular. If you’re not genuinely interested in something, your audience will sense it. Your enthusiasm (or lack of it) is contagious.
- Test your niche gradually. You don’t have to make a dramatic pivot overnight. Try dedicating one piece of content per week to your more specific interests or perspectives. See how it feels. Pay attention to the quality of engagement, not just the quantity.
- Look for the intersection of your expertise and your genuine interests. That sweet spot where what you know meets what you care about is often where your most compelling work lives.
- Accept that some people will unfollow or disengage. This isn’t failure. You’re making room for the people who actually want to hear what you have to say.
- Pay attention to what you consume, not just what you create. What podcasts do you love? What newsletters do you actually read instead of just subscribing to? What makes you screenshot a social media post to save for later? Your consumption habits reveal your natural interests better than any brainstorming session.
- Notice when you disagree with popular advice. Those moments when you read something everyone’s sharing and think “but that’s not how it actually works” or “that misses the point entirely”, that’s your unique perspective talking. Write about why you disagree.
- Track the conversations that energise you. Whether it’s at dinner parties, in Slack channels, or random comment threads, what topics make you lean in? What subjects do people come to you about? Sometimes others can see our expertise more clearly than we can.
- Embrace your weird combinations. Maybe you’re a finance expert who’s also into sustainable living, or a productivity coach who struggles with anxiety. These intersections are your competitive advantage.
- Look at your drafts folder differently. Those posts you wrote but never published because they felt “too personal” or “too specific”? Go back to them. They might be the most authentic work you’ve ever created.
You don’t have to appeal to everyone.
Success is about being deeply valued by the people who need what you have to offer, building something sustainable, not something that requires you to constantly exhaust yourself trying to be all things to all people.
The world needs your authentic voice, speaking to your audience, about the things that matter to both of you.
Let go of the exhausting act of trying to be “for everyone.” Find your people. They’re out there, and they’re waiting for someone like you who gets it.
