Are you a generalist or a specialist?
How would you define yourself ? Ever find it tricky to boil down what you do into a single sentence? Or worry you might be missing out if you zero in on just one thing?
How would you define yourself ?
Ever find it tricky to boil down what you do into a single sentence? Or worry you might be missing out if you zero in on just one thing?
I totally get it. Being laser-focused on a single thing can give you speedy progress. If you choose your niche wisely, you can really harness your lead-generation efforts and word of mouth to grow your business.
But in this ever-changing world of ours, it might be smart to spread your wings a little. Now, I'm not suggesting you become a jack-of-all-trades. But having more than one iron in the fire can sometimes be a smart move. Even necessary.
Breaking into the climate space can be tough. It takes time to build those all-important connections and credentials. And sometimes, to pay the bills, you may have to take on projects that aren't quite in your sweet spot.
So, how do you balance focusing on two things without confusing folks about what you do?
You can grab some insights from this recent Linkedin post and the comments. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
My friend Alessandra shared this wonderful reminder with me from the Newhappyco:
You are not your job; your life role or your responsibilities; your achievements; your past or present; your relationship; your body; your mind; your health; your personality; your present emotions; your pains; your experiences; your struggles; your productivity levels; or other people’s opinions or ideas about who you should be.
You are so much more ❤️
The shortcut
Most of you have heard about Upwork, Toptal. but here are five marketplaces that match freelancers and companies in the climate and social impact space.
1️⃣ Tekalo - match tech talent with impact-driven organisations.
2️⃣ The Now Work - a community of vetted independent sustainability consultants
3️⃣ Leafr Climate Freelancing - hire climate experts, designers and sustainability professionals
4️⃣ Climate Team - a platform for founders and climate solution start-ups in search of support
5️⃣ Work for Impact - a marketplace for skilled remote talent
Interesting opportunities for you
I've been digging through job boards and Slack channels to save you some time. Click here to access a selection of freelance opportunities in the climate and social impact space just for you:
Service Designer AFD - Marseille France
User Researcher - Chayn
Quantitative Researcher - Learning and Work Institute
Senior UX Designer - The Linux Foundation
Product Marketing Designer - Caraway
UX Designer & Visual Designer - Google.org
Product Designer - Spherical Studio
GHG Impact Assessment Services - Prime Coalition
‘Lived experience advisory board’ consultancy - Just Fair
Project Manager - Real Farming Trust
Fractional Engineering Leader - Vayda
Website creation - UNICEF
Emerging Technology Challenges Consultancy - National Democratic Institute
Program Coordinator - OpenArchive
Europe Communications Specialist - 350.org
Recruitment Coordinator - Back Market
Capacity Building Consultant - United Nations University
RFP - Evaluation - Water and Energy for Food South and Southeast Regional Innovation Hub
Access the details here
👉 If you found an interesting opportunity and want to share it with the community, click here.
P.S. Noticed a lot of design roles? It's because our mailing list has grown organically, attracting many designers. I've never paid for advertising IMMA, so our community has a bit of a design lean at the moment.
What's happening at IMMA?
🎬 A sneak peek at what's happening behind the scenes:
The past few weeks have been a bit of a slow season for IMMA. Between juggling my consulting gig, fighting off a bug, and making memories with my sister's kids, progress has been a touch slower. But hey, that's the beauty of a flexible work-life balance, right? 🫶
Wrestling with some serious red tape as I explore hiring an intern. Who knew cross-border remote work could be such a maze? 😓
I'm carving out a Free Office Hour each month, given I'll be dialing back on one-to-ones for a bit. A perfect opportunity for us to chat about freelancing and business-building in the climate & social impact space. (Mark the 21th of July in your calendar)
I'm teaming up with the fabulous Stephanie Lykourgou for the 'Design your Offering' programme. She is a fantastic Coach and a Food Sustainability Consultant. She will share how to tap into our inner voice to uncover what drives or blocks us to create a business that is truly sustainable for us.
I'm mulling over the idea of starting an invite-only Slack channel. To test a few ideas, share time-sensitive opportunities and help connect people. Let me know if you want to join.
What's happening next?
Join us for the next Sense & Respond event. Every last Friday of the month we come together. Individually we reflect back to capture all the progress we made, set intentions for the next month and share noteworthy signals from the market. Join us Friday 30th at 5pm CET (4-5pm BST, 11-12 EDT)
I will be in your inbox again Friday 14th of July 👋
Chat soon,
Lilli