Hi Reader!
I’m doing a bunch of work on my house right now. My son is moving out, and I’m distracting myself from the 😭 of it all by updating his room. It will still be his, but not… uhm… disgusting.
It’s the only room in the house that’s never been professionally painted. I’ve always done that room myself. I don’t know why. The walls and ceiling were covered in earthquake cracks that I kept ignoring and painting over.
This week I finally hired a pro to do it right. And it got me thinking about how often I spend my time doing things someone else could do better.
In the language of Gay Hendricks, author of The Big Leap, I spend way too much time in my Zone of Competence (and sometimes, let’s be honest, my Zone of Incompetence)… instead of my Zone of Genius.
If you’ve read the book, you know the four Zones: Incompetence, Competence, Excellence, and Genius.
The Zone of Competence is the sneakiest one. It’s the zone of “I can technically do this… but should I?”
Because often you can sort of do the thing. Just not quickly, joyfully, or expertly. And often not without cursing under your breath.
The Cost of Cutting Corners
When I first bought my house, I tried to give the yard a DIY facelift. It was… fine-ish? But never a space I wanted to be in.
When I finally hired a professional, he took one look and knew how to make it both gorgeous and functional. I agonized over the cost, especially the lighting, but it’s one of the best investments I’ve made. I’ve never once regretted that “expensive” lighting.
We did cut one corner, though: the patio. Half beautiful slate pavers, half bargain-bin gravel. It was cheaper, but a huge mess. Literally. Gravel was tracked everywhere.
I knew immediately we’d made a mistake, but we waited a few years to fix it. By then, the new pavers didn’t match the old ones, so we had to dig everything up and blend the stones. It looks great now, but it cost a gazillion dollars more than if we’d done it right the first time. Sigh.
I thought I was saving money. What I was really spending was my time, energy, and eventually even more money.
You probably see where I’m going with this…
This is exactly what I see many women doing with their brand and website.
On our first call, women often apologize for not knowing what their brand should be, for not being good at design, or for feeling overwhelmed by Squarespace.
DIY platforms like Squarespace and Canva have created the false impression that everyone should be able to design beautiful, compelling marketing materials themselves.
And yes, maybe they technically can. They can write their own copy. They can piece together a website. But it takes forever, drains their energy, and often doesn’t reflect the premium, elevated business they’ve built.
My Zone of Genius
After working together, one client said:
“I wondered whether we even needed to hire someone. But being on the other side, I can say with 100% confidence it was a great investment. If I had tried to write the copy and create the design myself, there’s no way it would look half as professional.”
Another said:
“Caitlin took my DIY website and turned it into something I’m genuinely proud to share. The old one was fine and functional, but I never wanted to send people there. Now, I’m excited to share it.”
Your Zone of Genius
What could you do with the time you’ve been spending on your website?
Here’s what Hendricks says about the Zone of Genius: it’s the work that feels effortless for you and valuable for everyone else. It’s also the work only you can do.
For most women I work with, that means coaching, consulting, advising, creating, leading — the parts of their business that actually generate momentum and opportunity.
It does not mean rewriting website copy for the seventh time, wrestling with Squarespace layouts, or googling “How do I write a compelling About page?”
Every hour you spend fighting with your website is an hour you’re not doing the work that grows your business.
You don’t have to do this alone
If you’ve been DIY’ing your brand, feeling embarrassed to share your site, or holding back because it doesn’t feel like you, consider this your nudge.
The first step is my Branding Roadmap. It’s a 90-minute strategy session where we nail your messaging and map out the path to a gorgeous brand and website that attracts the right-fit clients.
If you’re tired of wasting time in your Zone of Competence (or Incompetence), hit reply or book a fit call here. We can talk about whether a Branding Roadmap is the right next step.
Talk soon,
P.S. I have one spot left for a Branding Roadmap in November. I’m booking full brands and websites for 2027.
Project Spotlight
I love it when women come to me for a new brand and say they don’t want to look anything like their competitors.
Angie Gad is the founder and CEO of GadIntel, a boutique intelligence firm offering bespoke training and intelligence program development. And yeah, she’s a total badass.
She’d built a stellar reputation in the intelligence community, but her website hadn’t kept up. With a new AI-powered intelligence writing platform launching and a conference coming up next week, a meh brand just wasn’t going to cut it.
Angie didn’t want the usual industry look: dark colors, glowing screens, and stock photos of oh-so-serious people studying data. As a young Muslim woman in the field, she wanted a brand that felt distinctly hers. Fresh, optimistic, and approachable, with plenty of authority. Take a look and let me know what you think.
Goodies Just For You
WHAT I’M THINKING ABOUT: Are you sick of everyone talking about AI? I am, and yet I can’t stop talking about it. Or listening to smart people talking about it. Last week I recommended this podcast with tech ethicist Tristan Harris. I also recommend you listen to Ezra Klein’s warning on his podcast this week. I gotta admit — after listening to both, I’m pretty freaked out.
WHAT I’M MAKING: This week I tried this Miso Cabbage Red Lentil Soup. It’s really healthy and I think it’s good enough for how healthy it is. But it’s not quite as delicious as I was hoping it would be. It’s fine. Next time I’ll increase the broth-to-water ratio. And maybe I’ll add a little Better than Bouillon to the leftovers in the pot.
SPECIAL OFFER: Pia Silva’s 3-day bootcamp wraps up today and I’ll be making a little appearance to share how her Mastery program completely changed my life and business.
I’ve talked about her a lot here, but the short story is that she helped me niche, clarify my offers, ditch free proposals, and substantially raise my rates. She also taught me how to run my projects in sprints, which has been a boon to both me and my clients. I love the freedom of being able to schedule my life and vacations around 2-week projects. My clients love the ease and speed with which they get full brands and websites. They often can’t believe how fast and easy the process was.
Her program was truly the best investment I’ve ever made in myself and my business. It paid for itself almost immediately. But lately I’ve been feeling even more grateful for it, as we face this uncertain AI-run future. The ease of my process really sets me apart from other designers. And most importantly, Pia taught me to position myself as the true, irreplaceable expert that I am.
If you’ve been considering joining her No BS Mastery program, now is the time. Her next cohort begins Oct 5. Early Bird pricing through my link ends at midnight on Oct. 2.
You Might Have Missed
The one about how to AI-proof your business. Read it here →
The one about investing in everyone but yourself. Read it here →
The one about how I blew up my own process. Read it here →
The one about the difference between pretty & powerful. Read it here →
The one about showing up, even when your confidence gets rattled. Read it here →
Don’t Be a Stranger
🖥️ Check out brands I've built for other accomplished women. Visit my website →
☎️ Ready to attract high-paying clients who value your expertise? Book a free fit call →
💃🏻 I've been having a good time over on LinkedIn. Come join me over there →