Generalists Are Poor, Specialists Are Rich - Not Anymore!

I came across this quote recently, and as a generalist who supports other generalists to become financially free, you can imagine how it stopped me in my tracks!

"Generalists are poor, specialists are rich. The family MD gets by while the surgeon is wealthy."

It’s a little phrase, but in my experience, even though it's a far-fetched myth, it can make any generalist feel bad.

For a long time, I felt out of place, juggling multiple interests and thriving in diverse areas rather than focusing on just one thing. People often told me I needed to specialize, that I started so many things, but hardly ever finished anything. But the more I lived, the more I realized that being a generalist is my biggest strength. My curiosity and wide skill set didn’t just fit into a single box - they built bridges between them.

And here’s the thing, the rapid growth of Tech and AI is making space for talents like ours. Renaissance people - those who see connections others miss - are leading innovation. We adapt quickly, think more creatively, and offer insights specialists may overlook. We’re no longer “jack of all trades, master of none”; we’re the missing piece that drives change.

Being a generalist means adopting powerful AI tools much faster than anyone else, amplifying our already impressive versatility and problem-solving skills. Click here to read more about my current favorites and how I use them:

• ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude: These LLMs provide instant insights and help me adapt to emerging trends. I love the new OpenAI Agent for research and lists, Gemini for document summaries, picture generation, and emails, and Claude for deep research.

• Jasper.ai: Streamline content creation with AI-powered efficiency. Their recent updates make them my go-to for anything content-related.

• Motionapp.com: Uses AI to optimize your schedule for project management. Efficient, even though - fair warning - sometimes a bit too rigid for a generalist like me.

• Runwayml.com: Revolutionizes creative work with generative AI.

• Adzviser.com: Embraces AI technology to revolutionize digital advertising, empowering businesses to craft more effective ad campaigns, target the right audiences, and maximize ROI.

• Gemini.com Gems: An AI cross-functional team that empowers you to achieve more than you thought possible.

• HeyGen.com: Redefines storytelling with AI-generated videos, enabling users to create engaging, high-quality content effortlessly.

• ElevenLabs.io: Transforms the way we interact with audio through advanced AI-driven voice technology, giving creators the tools to generate realistic, dynamic voiceovers and push the boundaries of audio storytelling.

• NotebookLM.google: I love the custom podcasts and summaries I can create from information and knowledge I provide, making information more accessible and digestible for on-the-go learners.

• n8n.io: My new passion, an open-source automation platform that puts the power back in your hands. With n8n, you’re not just automating tasks - you’re building a powerful AI agentic workflow that reflects your vision, your ideas, and your unique needs.

• Lovable.dev: THE vibe coding app that I use to build coachmila.ai. Talking about my new AI coach, try it out here: coachmila.ai/free-ai-life-coach-mila

It’s not just about the technology - it’s about the courage to take that first step in embodying your creative generalist nature, trusting your instincts, and believing in the value you bring to the table.

Every challenge is an opportunity to grow, to innovate, and to push boundaries. Remember, you have what it takes to create something extraordinary - so start now, and see where your unique talents and interests can take you.

Let's redefine what it means to be a generalist - and why the world desperately needs us.

Here’s to owning your beautiful mix of skills,
Murielle

Featured image representing a diverse group of creative generalists, generated using AI by Google Gemini.

Are You Ready to Thrive as a Creative Generalist?

Imagine what you could achieve if you embraced the power of your many skills, unique perspective, and the potential of AI. The world is waiting for the ideas only you can bring to life - now with the support of innovative technology.

Whether you're navigating a complex challenge or striving to realize your next big vision, having the right partner can make all the difference. That's where I come in - I specialize in helping multi-passionate individuals like you turn their talents and many interests into superpowers.

Schedule your free session!

Generalist Wisdom Part 1: Specialists Learn Everything,Generalists Learn Everything That Is Useful

As early as our teens, we’re expected to pick a particular career path. Careers days start as early as 4th grade nowadays, with many kids exclamating the classics that they’ll be nurses, teachers, or firefighters, or not knowing what they want to do at all! Still, we insist on starting the decision game at that young age. And for generalists and creative types, it’s all downhill from there.

In the past, like our parents’ generations, you picked one career and you kept going your entire working life. Every class you took in college or post-graduate certification was meant to further that career, help you climb the corporate ladder, and set you up for an easy retirement. 

There have always been outliers to this, of course. People who followed one path and then jumped to the next when they decided to learn something new. But it really wasn’t until the last decade - when being a generalist became super popular - that hiring managers are finally seeing the benefit to having generalists on the team. 

The difference between a specialist and a generalist is that specialists want to know everything about a single subject, but generalists want to know everything that is USEFUL about a particular subject. For instance, this can be seen clearly in the medical field. The neurosurgeon learns everything there is to know about the brain, nervous systems, and the spine. But a general surgeon must learn about several different areas of the body. Their “specialized” knowledge is specific to be useful for them to perform surgery in that particular area. They won’t know everything there is to know about neurosurgery, but they’ll know enough to help if needed. 

Another great example of this is the music teacher vs. violin professor. A music teacher has a generalized understanding of musical instruments, music theory, and maybe plays a few instruments well - not spectacularly, but good enough to teach students about music. The violin professor, on the other hand, has spent years learning everything there is to know about their instrument, how to play a vast amount of music, how to teach others to play the violin, and while they might know how to play another instrument, they’d never sacrifice their violin technique for it. 

There are definite pros and cons to being either a specialist or a generalist. Generalists are open to challenges, usually end up in leadership roles, and enjoy thinking outside the box. Specialists, though, usually have less competition for jobs, are better equipped for changes in their field, and sometimes receive higher salaries. 

I know I might be biased, but I definitely think the pros tip toward the generalists just a little bit more 🤓. So, what can you learn from generalists to help your career and businesses? 

1. Increased skill sets. Because generalists tend to learn everything useful about a particular subject, and end up doing this with a lot of subjects, they have various skill sets. Specialists, on the other hand, usually have advanced knowledge in their area of expertise, but they don’t have wide-ranging experience in other areas. Instead of only learning about your particular field, you should become familiar with tangential areas of your field, expanding your skill sets in the process, which can make you both indispensable for your current role but also broaden your skills and knowledge in future ones.

2. Learn to multiproject™ better. Generalists usually have an easier time multiprojecting™ (not in the moment, but with interests!) because of their ability to hop from one thing to the next. They aren’t limited by the box of a specialized field, which gives them a level of comfort when transitioning from topic to topic. Now, usually, I caution my clients on multitasking projects too much. The sweet spot for most generalists is between 3 to 5 at any given time. You shouldn’t burn yourself out trying to do too much at once (projects and ideas have a way of nagging at you until you do something with them anyway, so they’re not about to go anywhere). But if you notice you’re a bit uncomfortable switching gears or meeting various goals, learning to multitask - or habit stack as some researchers have called it - you can get more done without overwhelming yourself.

3. Develop critical thinking and collaborative skills. In most companies, specialists tend to either work with other specialists or in solitary environments. This robs specialists of the ability to work as a team with people who have different viewpoints, which can impede their ability to foster critical thinking. Alternatively, generalists usually work in big groups of people from all sorts of different fields and roles. This gives them the ability to talk to different people, hear different ideas, and incorporate various voices into the work, which can provide better, more sophisticated problem-solving to a project.

Whether you are a specialist or a generalist, there is so much we can learn from one another to improve our current role or help us bring a new business to fruition. By incorporating more of the generalist’s traits into your work, though, you’ll explore and grow necessary skills that can help you positively impact your workplace.

Not sure if you’re a specialist or a generalist?

We’ve been so conditioned to follow the specialist route that it can be confusing to discover you might be a generalist.

By working together, we can figure out which category you fall into and how to leverage that style to improve your career.

Schedule your free session!