Even those of us who have clear obsessio-… — oops! I mean passions — (in my case, the publishing industry and… um… cats) can have a blind spot when it comes to our own strengths.

If you’re thinking of starting a blog, but don’t know what to write about… if you’re struggling with pitching yourself to others… if you want to build a business, but are having trouble figuring out what, exactly, that business should entail… it could help to ask yourself the following questions.

1. What do you love to do in your spare time? What would you spend your time doing if you didn’t have to worry about the bills?

2. What do you naturally do well?

3. What have been your greatest achievements? What heart-exploding accomplishment do you brag about the most?

4. What do you daydream about doing?

5. What do you want to be remembered for?

6. What do other people consistently ask you for advice on?

7. And this final one isn’t a question, but a suggestion. Nay, an order. Ask other people where your strengths lie.

Now remember: Just because you daydream about — or enjoy doing — something doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the ticket to big riches (or moderate riches that allow you to buy lots of sexy boots and pretty dresses). I daydream all the damn time about being the next Ingrid Michaelson or Kate Miller-Heidke, yet I know myself, and I know that performing on-stage the way they do would make me projectile vomit and then pass out in a puddle of my own puke. But I’ve used that knowledge about my passion for singing as a jumping-off point and, at the moment, I sing funeral masses for money. (I still get clammy hands from nerves, but what can you do.)

So use your responses to these questions as jumping-off points. Perhaps even use a mind map software to brainstorm ways to take an interest and turn it from a hobby into a business.

Also, consider the ways in which various interests can overlap. I love my cats in a way that borders on the insane, and I also love writing. Because of that, I should probably be pitching Cat Fancy, and similar publications. (Seriously. Someone start paying me for being a crazy cat lady.) Could you possibly tap into one interest by using another skill?

How have you turned a hobby into a heaping pile of money?

This post was inspired by a question from a coaching client. If you have similar questions, please do send them my way. I will either answer them here on Freelancedom, and/or include them in a soon-to-be-released publication that I’d rather not talk more about now because I don’t want to jinx myself. Crap. Too late.

Related: Cornering The Market? Or Feeling Cornered?, To Be or Not To Be a Generalist, Are Your Supposed Weaknesses Actually Your Strengths?

I remember how good it felt when I first published this piece on YourTango. Finally, I thought to myself. Something that’s not about sex.

I was reminded of this yesterday, when I appeared on a radio show to talk about the experiences detailed in the article. Near the end of our chat, one of the hosts asked me where listeners could find more of my work. I dutifully rattled off my url.

Afterwards, I panicked. Poop! I thought to myself. When they go to my site, all they’ll find is sex stuff! Is that really all I want to be known for?

I’ve previously covered the benefits of both generalizing and specializing. Today, I’d like to talk about how to widen your net if your niche is no longer enough.

Examine Your Life For Your Areas of Expertise:

It still amazes me that, as a major prude, I somehow became pigeonholed as a sex writer. I remember one ill-fated lunch meeting with the deputy editor of a major magazine. I had come prepared with a number of story ideas and, after pitching them all, she’d said, “Those sound interesting. But I’m more interested in hearing what you have for our sex section.” ::sigh::

Since then, I’ve written about work/life balance, home decor, blogging, music, self-help, and debt. These are all things I just happened to be dealing with in my own life. It’s all about examining your own life for strong interests, hobbies, and passions.

Answer Your Own Questions:

Can’t find the answer to that nagging quandary or conundrum? Chances are, at least one other person is suffering from the same problem. Why not provide the answer yourself?

Sometimes, the best way to come up with fresh content is to answer an unanswered question.

Happily, you’ll also learn a lot in the process.

Start Small:

When you’re breaking into a new area (as when you’re breaking into any new field), the trick lies in getting your foot in the door.

Try targeting smaller (and more local) publications before going for broke and querying the major glossies.

Big or small, it’s also often easiest to break into the front-of-book sections first, as a means of proving yourself before being trusted with greater responsibility.

For tips on what to pitch, I like to search through MediaBistro’s How to Pitch series. It’s not the be-all-end-all, and many of the pieces are now out of date, but it’s a great start. You should also read back issues of any publication you’re thinking of pitching, for trends in tone, formatting, etc. I’d also like to plug Susan Shapiro‘s Writing for NYC Newspapers & Magazines class at New School. During the second half of the semester, she brings in guest editors every week for Q&A sessions. Completely invaluable.

Build Your Own Platform:

You can also do what I did in the realm of career writing, and start your own blog! It can act as a platform for future assignments, lending you expert cred and legitimacy if done well.

I’ve blogged about blogging before, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t just point you toward my own blogging guru, Darren Rowse of Problogger. He’ll tell you everything you need to know about starting your own blog and building it into something big.

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I’d love to hear of others’ success stories in breaking out of the box!