Top of the toolbox

Welcome to the Thought Follower, the savvy Solopreneur's guide to building a business you love.

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There’s a huge toolbox out in the garage.

It’s heavy, battered and overloaded.

When I flip open the lid, here’s what I’m greeted with:

Dozens of screwdrivers. Big ones. Small ones. Phillips. Flathead. There must be at least 30 in there, all of which do pretty much the same job.

This toolbox is the market for our services. There are lots of us out there, doing a similar job. Yes, there are differences—some of us are bigger, more specialised, or shinier—but at a glance?

We’re all screwdrivers. Or hammers. Or pliers. You get the idea.

So, the other day, I needed a screwdriver. Guess which one I grabbed from the toolbox?

None of them.

How to Become the Go-To Option

A few months ago, I needed a Phillips head screwdriver to replace a toy battery. I went to the garage, rummaged around, found one, used it—and when I was done? I didn’t put it back. I tucked it on a storage shelf in the kitchen.

Then, another time, I needed a flathead. Same thing. I grabbed one from the toolbox, used it, and stashed it on the shelf.

Now? I use those two screwdrivers for 90% of the screw-related jobs in my house.

This is the game for solopreneurs.

How do you escape the cluttered toolbox and become the go-to tool, easily accessible when your clients need you?

The answer isn’t new features, services or offers. It’s not about new branding or brighter colours.

Step 1: Get to the Top of the Toolbox Pile

When I needed a screwdriver, I grabbed the first one I saw on top of the heap. Quick scan. Done.

Clients work the same way. They choose the option that’s top of mind. And how do you get there? By showing up consistently:

• Content (LinkedIn, email newsletters)

• Outreach (following up, sharing useful resources)

• Coffee chats & catch-ups

Your clients have limited mental availability, or mindshare. Having a repeatable, consistent way to stay top of mind is 90% of the game.

Step 2: Stay on the Kitchen Shelf

Once you’ve done the job well, you become the trusted, within-reach option.

You don’t just disappear back into the clutter of the market. You’re right there, ready when clients need you next.

One of my longest-standing LinkedIn ghostwriting clients is a great example. If she needs a:

• Bio for a speaking engagement

• Thought leadership article outlined & written

• Pitch for media coverage

• Podcast booking strategy

• LinkedIn video content plan

She thinks of me.

Are there other people out there who do these things? Of course. But she doesn’t have time to rummage through the market. She just reaches for the screwdriver on the kitchen shelf.

Don’t Get Buried at the Bottom

Now, think of the poor screwdrivers buried right at the bottom of the toolbox.

I don’t even know if this toolbox is full of screwdrivers all the way down. I’ve never bothered to check. There could be an incredible, top-tier Swiss Army knife buried under there.

But I’ll never know.

This is the solopreneur who never markets themselves.

Who never pops back into their client’s head. Who gets forgotten. And when you’re forgotten, you don’t get picked up again.

Because who can be bothered going out to the garage and rummaging through the toolbox in our slippers in the middle of winter?

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