Why a bland brand nearly sabotaged this writer’s freelance business before it began.

Recently, someone (let’s call him Marcus) approached me for training and support with breaking into medical writing as a freelancer. He saw a TV interview segment I did in San Diego during which I talked about building a freedom-focused lifestyle. Resonating with my message, Marcus immediately applied to work with me 1:1 and I allocated him a spot.

With years of pharmaceutical work experience under his belt, Marcus joined The ‘Thriving & Free’ Medical Writer Program™ with the intention of building on what he already knew. The logical first step in his mind was to focus on regulatory writing, as it seemed like a natural extension of what he’d been doing before, in various high-stakes, full-time positions.

But more than that, Marcus came to Prospology because he knew we’d challenge him in ways he wouldn’t experience elsewhere. “It’s clear you’re more than just a group of instructors teaching things,” he said. “I’m confident that with the support of the Prospology Community, I can fulfill my ultimate goal of being my own boss and having the freedom and flexibility to spend more quality time with my family. You’re all about empowering professionals to make an impact in the medical and scientific fields through medical writing, and that’s what I’m here to do.”

The first couple of weeks in the program went by and everything seemed like it was on track for Marcus. But when we started diving into the foundations of his business—his niche, his personal brand, his “why”—something felt off.

Why surface-level answers won’t get you far

As part of the discovery process, I asked Marcus a series of questions designed to help uncover his strengths, interests, and values. He answered them all, honestly and diligently. However, even after a couple of rounds of additional prompting and encouragement, the responses I was getting were far too generic to be useful in the brand-building process.

Marcus was saying things like:

He opened up about all the various reasons why he left his former role: long, tiring commutes, constantly putting out fires, relentless pressure, etc. Even with a good salary, it just wasn’t worth it for Marcus to remain employed by someone else. “I want to watch my son grow up. I don’t want to be at work all the time, come home, and be tired,” he said.

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with any of this—Marcus wants to build a business where he’s not only escaping ‘the daily grind,’ but also living a life that allows him to be there for the people who matter most to him. These things are highly valid and make him human.

But when it comes to building a brand that attracts clients and helps a new freelance medical writer stand out in a competitive industry, this kind of generic self-awareness just doesn’t cut it. There are literally thousands of other freelance writers out there with these same experiences, beliefs, and motivations. This wasn’t going to help Marcus succeed, let alone thrive. And truthfully, he’s not alone—this is where so many aspiring freelance writers get stuck.

At this point, I had to speak up about my concerns.

Familiarity is not the same as alignment

What soon became clear was that Marcus had been leaning towards regulatory writing because it felt comfortable: it was what he was used to, after being in pharma for so long. But the more we talked and collaborated, the more it became clear that regulatory medical writing is never going to be something that will bring Marcus lasting fulfillment.

“I know I can do regulatory writing because I’ve essentially done it before,” Marcus explained. “But I didn’t enjoy rounding people up and trying to put documents together with limited time and resources—I just did what needed to get done.”

This distinction is an important one. Being good at something, or familiar with it, doesn’t mean it’s the right foundation for a business. If anything, relying on what’s familiar is one of the most common ways new freelancers end up with businesses that not only don’t stand the test of time but are also boring AF.

With this in mind, my inquiries shifted towards getting a better sense of where Marcus may bring unique passion and skills to the medcomms industry. As a business coach who only works with up to 10 V.I.P.s at a time, I wanted to find out what abilities come naturally to Marcus. I was keen to explore what he had done outside of pharma that had made him feel more alive, excited, and especially motivated in the past.

That was when the real Marcus started to show up. He described himself as someone who thrives when balancing structure with creativity. He told me he’s always been drawn to doing things differently—solving problems in ways others hadn’t considered, challenging outdated systems, and thinking a few steps ahead. Furthermore, he told me about a ‘failed’ business he’d started that allowed him to capitalize on his ‘outside the box’ way of thinking.

This was exactly what I’d been looking for—the untapped potential we could use to design a business around Marcus’s strengths instead of his resume. But there was one big problem: this version of Marcus had no business being boxed into regulatory writing—a field that requires precision and compliance, and doesn’t reward innovation in any shape or form.

So I planted the seed that this may not be the best route for Marcus to take. “If what you loved most about your former business was thinking differently and finding creative solutions, regulatory writing might not be the best fit because it doesn’t allow for any creativity,” I expressed. I gave him full permission to walk away before he stepped into something misaligned.

Without hesitation, Marcus replied “Yeah… I’m starting to realize this would just be more of the same kind of work I didn’t really enjoy. I’m definitely open to exploring other specialties.”

And from that moment on, we were locked in to a new, more tailored approach.

Guidance + self-awareness = breakthrough

With Marcus officially in ‘pivot mode,’ everything started to move. Once he had stopped trying to build a business around what looked good on paper, we could start working with who Marcus actually is.

Since then, the tone of our coaching conversations has shifted for the better. He’s no longer going through the motions—he’s connecting with himself and the bigger picture of what he wants to achieve in life.

This kind of clarity creates momentum. It removes the friction that shows up when you’re trying to force yourself into a box that you don’t fit into. Instead of asking “What should I do?” Marcus is now asking, “What do I want to build, and how can I do it in a way that actually serves me?”

Now, we’re able to explore new possibilities through a fresh lens in our coaching relationship—fun times! Marcus is digging into the other five training courses we have in our Freelance Medical Writing Academy to figure out how to bring more of who he is into his personal brand, before we circle back to refining his niche:

As the weeks go by, we’ll be having more honest, strategic conversations about what kind of writing feels energizing for Marcus—not just tolerable. We’ll also be discussing which types of clients he genuinely wants to support, so he can build something that feels like his, rather than a recycled version of someone else’s business model.

As Marcus learns how his voice, perspective, and so-called “failures” are actually part of what will make him valuable as a freelance medical writer, his transformation will accelerate and he’ll get progressively more excited about his future. And we’re just getting started!!

Why this matters for every new freelance writer

Marcus’ case isn’t unique. I see this all the time—new freelancers defaulting to what’s familiar, choosing a niche that sounds “professional,” or trying to build a brand that could belong to anyone.

It’s a huge problem, because when your brand is bland, clients don’t remember you. They don’t see what sets you apart, and you end up competing on things like speed, availability, and price—none of which lead to a sustainable or fulfilling business.

The truth is, your personal brand needs to be rooted in something real. It should reflect who you actually are, what you’re naturally great at, and the kind of work that feels like you.

Quite simply, if your brand could be copy-pasted onto another writer’s website and still make sense, it’s not strong enough.

It’s time to slow down and dig deeper. Get honest about what excites you, the kind of clients you want to work with, and the life you’re actually trying to build. When you do, your messaging will become magnetic. And instead of chasing clients, you’ll start attracting companies that actually value what you bring to the table.

If you resonate with Marcus’ story and want the same tailored support, apply to join The ‘Thriving & Free’ Medical Writer Program™ waitlist.

Prospology’s mission is to fast-track and amplify freelancers’ success through expert-led training, personalized coaching, constructive feedback, and strategic networking. As CEO, Sophie specializes in helping ambitious professionals transform burnout 🥱 into financial freedom 💸 by healing their relationship with work ❤️‍🩹 and aligning with their true purpose 🎯.