Being a generalist doesn’t mean I lack direction.
It means I’ve built a compass.
“So… what exactly do you do?”
I’ve heard that question more times than I can count—usually in a tone that’s halfway between curiosity and concern. It’s the kind of question that surfaces when people still assume being good at many things is a shortcoming, not a strategy. In a world that rewards specialization, it’s easy to assume that being a generalist means you’re unfocused, noncommittal, or just not exceptional at anything.
And honestly? I don’t make it any easier to disprove the assumption—because I usually struggle to answer. There’s no single, tidy title that sums it all up. I don’t have the clarity that comes with being able to say doctor, electrician, lawyer, or firefighter and have everyone immediately get it. But that’s the reality for a lot of us now. The work I do doesn’t fit neatly into a box—it flows across teams, roles, industries, and outcomes.
Being a generalist isn’t about being unsure of what you want. It’s about knowing that what you want won’t fit in just one lane.
Not Just a Swiss Army Knife
Let’s clear something up: I’m not talking about being a “jack-of-all-trades, master of none.” I’m talking about having a broad range and knowing when and how to use it.
People often associate generalists with breadth—and that’s fair. But what they miss is that many of us also have depth. We’re not just surface-level curious. We’re deep in multiple lanes. We’ve done the reps. We’ve held the line. We’ve delivered at speed and scale.
A good generalist isn’t general because they couldn’t choose a specialty. They’re general because they’ve mastered more than one.
I’ve spent years inside startups and creative teams—leading ops, managing crisis moments, building strategy, owning execution, and shaping brand voice. But I’ve also worked in large, complex organizations, navigated critical care environments, and helped introduce disruptive technologies where precision and trust were non-negotiable.
That’s not dabbling—that’s doing.
What Generalists Do Better
We’re pattern recognizers. Translators. Integrators.
We live in the grey areas—the messy middle where ideas collide, constraints exist, and the path isn’t clear. That’s exactly where creativity thrives.
Generalists know how to:
- Pivot without panic
- Fill gaps without being asked
- See systems—not just silos
- Go deep and wide — when to zoom in or step back
And maybe most importantly, we learn by doing. Fast.
Sometimes things just need to get done, and there’s no one else in the room to do them. So we figure it out. Even if it’s not perfect at first, we iterate. We improve. We deliver. That’s how range becomes skill.
Whether it was launching a generative NFT project like Spooky Pets, helping guide Viddy back to #1 after a content moderation crisis, or shaping voice and operations for community-led brands—I wasn’t there because I could do a little bit of everything. I was there because I knew how to do what needed doing.
Why It Matters More Than Ever
In a world where the ground shifts constantly—AI, Web3, economic resets, platform chaos—being too specialized can leave you stranded. You get stuck in a silo. Or worse, your niche gets automated.
Generalists aren’t just surviving the change. We’re built for it.
We connect across disciplines. We learn what matters quickly. We make things work when the instructions don’t exist yet. We’re not just versatile—we’re vital.
The future needs range and readiness—not more tunnel vision.
My Kind of Range
I’m not everywhere. I’m just built to move where I’m needed.
Strategy, storytelling, systems, execution—I’ve lived in all of it. Not because I couldn’t choose, but because the kind of work I want to do requires fluency in multiple functions. I don’t want to live in just one room. I want to build the whole house, and help others move in.
So when someone asks what I do, I still hesitate—but it’s not because I’m unsure. It’s because I’ve done too much to answer simply, and just enough to know exactly why.
