What’s My Niche?

What’s my niche? Who is my audience? How far is my reach? These are all great questions. Questions I don’t think have the answers for, fully. I’m someone who wears many hats and does so proudly because wearing these hats bring me joy, but joy doesn’t pay the bills or put food in my stomach. Joy does nourish the soul and depending on your mindset, that might be more important than the financial cost of living. I may not know what my niche is completely, but I have ideas on what they are and which one do I think would be the primary niche if I were well known for it. Not that I really want the fame that could come with what I do. I primarily just want the money (financial freedom) but I’ll get into that later.

Ernest’s Niches.

Yesterday I was watching a livestream and someone in the comments said that “talking shit” is a trillion dollar business. I see myself as more outspoken. Not really a “shit talker” because I’m not speaking to talk shit. I’m speaking to share my thoughts but if “shit talking” is what constitutes for being outspoken today then I’ll go with it. I’m not one to get too hung up on labels others place on me. Being outspoken is my first niche, one I think many people would agree on. The second one I think people would say is being nice. I know that is a personality trait, but see it through the eyes of the individuals I’m talking about, it’s a niche and one of the only reasons someone would like me or what I do. I personally would put my sense of humor as my second niche because it’s my second favorite niche. It’s not that I don’t like being nice, but in my experience people tend to look at the “nice creators” as a stepping stone for them to further their goals. That’s for other creatives and people who want something in general. I have more niches’, I believe, but the last one I think people most know me for (or think of me as) is the dude who does everything or the person that’s always doing something. I call it “the person who is often seen, but rarely heard.” As we know with what’s going on in the world, simply just seeing someone or something isn’t enough, no matter how long you’ve been seeing it. As mentioned before, I think comedy is a common creative tactic I use when I put on my communication hat. Speaking of, social commentary is my last niche. People pick up on that about me but tend to throw it in the “talking shit” bucket.

Ernest’s Audience.

Audience? Ack Ack Ack! What’s that?! That was a joke for those who didn’t know. I’m thankful for everyone who decides to take the time out and read or listen to anything I’ve put out. Those who do it because they’re naturally curious or they actually like what I do. I don’t think that number is big enough to call an audience. Being able to inspire or entertain people from many walks of life really does wonders for my self-esteem as a creator even if I can count on both hands the amount of times people have reached out to me and expressed their enjoyment of what ever I did. I feel like it is better to have a diverse audience because those are people who most likely like you for you, and that’s another heart warming moment for me. When your audience isn’t an echo-chamber or one demographic you’re less likely to pander to keep your base. That’s not to say if my audience, whoever they are happened to be primarily black, I won’t be happy with that. I’d be ecstatic, actually. I’m just saying I want my audience to be the type of individuals that I can have healthy conversations with and can joke with because of what I believe my purpose is.

I understand that nothing is guarantee. Even if I do amass the following that I want there is a possibility that I lose that following for reasons unknown. This type of self-awareness is what keeps me sane to be quite honest with you. When you aren’t as big as other creators you can get away with more in terms of creativity, you just reach a much smaller audience. I’m not saying this happens to everyone, but the bigger you become the more haters you’ll get. That’s one of the lessons I feel the universe is either protecting me from or is waiting for me to mature a bit more in order to give me that bigger audience because lord knows I’d slit a hater’s throat and if I want to be able to live freely and continue doing the things I enjoy doing I need to learn to ignore all of the white noise. The universe also seems to remind me that what’s meant for me will happen. I can continue doing the 10,000+ hours and get the joy I get from it along the way or I can quit. I can learn new tricks along the way or I can quit.

Ernest’s Purpose.

I do strongly believe one my purposes in doing what I do is to show people you don’t have to do it the “right way,” the way of living we’ve all been taught either by parents/elders in our life or society. You don’t have to toe the company line whatever that company is. You don’t have to do things you don’t want to do 100% of the time or for the rest of your life. Another purpose I think I’m meant to serve is to present alternative living and thinking. What I don’t want to be is the tree of giving which is really the tree of taken. I don’t want to be the person people just take from because they think it doesn’t effect me at all or they think I like being taken advantage of. People who look to just take from me will do that with everyone who will allow themselves to be taken advantaged of. Imagine a tree with a bright eyed smiling face on it. On that tree there’s a million branches on it. On this smiling tree with a million branches there are leaves made of money and other material wants growing on it. Sounds like a utopian tree, right? Would you approach this nice looking smiling tree with dollar bills and other goodies as leaves? If your answer is yes, will it ever cross your mind how this money tree continues to produce what you take from it? If it does cross your mind and you’re still taking from this tree, why? Is it because of the smile? El oh El this is why I don’t have an audience. I force people to critically think about their actions and no one likes that. Wise cracks aside, I truly believe my purpose is to just lead by example. To show others that something can be done whether it’d be “alternative” living or thinking. That is my ultimate niche and my audience just might be people who are just as free flowing as I am. They take whatever they need from me, I provide it with a smile on my face and I move on continuously spreading my message and living in my truth. Unlike the tree who is forced to produce content in one setting. Forced to live the life of a tree despite its leaves and branches being different from most.

P.S. this is not anti-tree propaganda. #SaveTheTrees #SaveTheChildren