How to Identify Your True Ideal Audience (Without Overthinking It)
Alright folks…. Let’s be honest… those “ideal client” worksheets can make even the most organized professional want to flip a table.
You don’t need to know your audience’s favorite coffee order, Spotify playlist, or what kind of dog they’d adopt if they lived in Colorado to understand who you’re here to serve.
The truth? Your audience isn’t a checklist. They’re real people with real emotions, real struggles, and real desires, JUST LIKE YOU!
The Real Reason You’re Stuck
Most multi-passionate professionals overcomplicate defining their audience because they genuinely want to help everyone. You see potential in all kinds of people, and your work touches so many areas. For me it was looking at how I could help anyone manage their time, mindset, growth, boundaries, & purpose.
But here’s the thing… when you try to speak to everyone, you end up connecting deeply with no one.
Finding your true ideal audience isn’t about boxing yourself in, it’s about recognizing the common thread between the people who light you up the most. Even though I could help many with my topics, my passion is helping multi-passionate entrepreneurs like myself, which meant it was important to niche down in order to find my people, my tribe.
Start with Emotion, Not Demographics
Forget the marketing jargon for a second. Instead of asking “How old are they?” or “Where do they live?” ask:
What keeps them up at night?
What are they afraid to admit out loud?
What pattern are they tired of repeating?
People don’t make decisions based on age or income; they move when they feel seen.
Use the Mirror Test
If you’re struggling to define your audience, look in the mirror.
Chances are, your ideal audience is a past version of you, the one who was hustling too hard, was in a financial bind, had a challenging experience and grew from it but didn’t know where to start or didn’t have the support they needed to get through it.
You already know what it feels like to be them, that’s why YOU can guide them out of it.
Listen Before You Label
The best insight doesn’t come from Google, it comes from real conversations.
Every message, comment, or client thank-you note holds tiny pieces of truth. When someone shares what they’re struggling with or what they loved about working with you, that’s your audience saying, “Here’s what matters most to me.”
Listen closely to what people DM you about, the phrases they use when they describe their challenges, and the questions that keep showing up in your inbox. Those aren’t random, they’re clues.
Write those words down.
Use them.
Speak to them, not at them.
That’s how your message starts sounding like connection instead of marketing.
A Personal Shift
For a long time, I tried to “figure out” my ideal audience, like there was a perfect formula or profile I just hadn’t cracked yet. Honestly, nothing felt quite right.
Then I stopped analyzing and started listening.
I realized my clients weren’t looking for more motivation or productivity hacks. They didn’t want another system to squeeze into their already full lives. What they really wanted was permission; permission to slow down, breathe, and build a life that actually fit them WHILE still being successful in their businesses.
When I began speaking to that, to how they wanted to feel, not just what they wanted to achieve, my content started landing differently. People didn’t just read it; they felt it.
That’s when I knew I had finally found my true audience.
Your Next Step
Now it’s your turn. Take ten quiet minutes this week to reflect on your favorite clients or most meaningful conversations. Ask yourself:
What did they come to me for?
What did they really need underneath that?
How did they want to feel when we were done working together?
That’s your true ideal audience; not the numbers, not the data points, but the human beings behind them. The people you want to serve, enjoy connecting with, and understand their struggles and how to help them move them forward.
Ready to Find the People You’re Meant to Help?
Your people are out there and it’s time to find the ones who need your message, your story, your energy.
The easiest way to reach them isn’t through algorithms or ads. It’s through authenticity and speaking to their hearts, not their demographics.
I’d love to hear your “aha moment.” Who do you think your work naturally speaks to?
Come share your thoughts inside my free Facebook group, From Overwhelmed to Aligned: Breaking Limitations for Professionals.
