The Farmer with the Purple Carrots
Imagine walking through a bustling farmer's market. Dozens of stalls line the path, and nearly all of them are selling the same things: red tomatoes, green lettuce, orange carrots. The farmers compete on price, on the size of their displays, on the volume of their voice. It is a sea of sameness.
Then, you see it. Tucked at the end of a row is a quiet stall with a simple, hand-painted sign: "Purple Carrots." The farmer isn't shouting. They don't have the biggest stall. But they have the only purple carrots at the market. They are not competing with the other carrot sellers; they have created their own category. Suddenly, price is no longer the most important factor. Intrigue is.
For many of us building a business based on our expertise, we feel like we're selling orange carrots in a very crowded market. We have deep experience, but we're forced to compete in a game defined by others.
The Commodity Trap
The silent struggle for most seasoned experts is the fear of becoming a commodity. You have decades of nuanced wisdom, but online, you are asked to fit into a neat little box: "business coach," "marketing consultant," "financial advisor." When you adopt a generic label, you accept a generic value. You are forced to compete on volume and tactics, shouting to be heard over the noise.
This is the commodity trap, and it devalues your greatest asset: the unique combination of experiences, perspectives, and skills that only you possess. The problem isn't that your expertise isn't valuable; it's that you're standing in the wrong line at the market. The solution is not to shout louder. It is to cultivate your purple carrots.
Defining Your "Onlyness"
The strategic shift is to stop trying to be the best and start being the only. This is the concept of "Onlyness," a term coined by strategist Nilofer Merchant. It is the recognition that your specific place in the world is a function of your unique history and perspective.
Your "Onlyness" is found at the intersection of your skills. It's not just one thing you do; it's the powerful alchemy of combining them. As Merchant puts it:
“Each of us stands in a spot in the world only you stand in as a function of your history and experience, visions, and hopes." Nolopher Merchant
When you define and claim this "category of one," you are no longer competing. You are creating. You become the destination, not just another option.
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A Quick Win: The Intersection Exercise
You can begin to uncover your "Onlyness" in the next two minutes. Take out a piece of paper and draw two large, overlapping circles.
In the left circle, write down your primary professional expertise (e.g., "20 years in corporate finance").
In the right circle, write down a distinct skill, passion, or experience (e.g., "a passion for historical preservation").
Now, look at the space where they overlap. What exists only in that intersection? In this example, it could be "Financial consulting for historical societies and non-profits." That is a category of one. That is the beginning of your purple carrots.