There’s a great deal of conversation in self-employment around niche vs generalist - which wins out, which is better, which can compete with AI, which is more buyable.

I don’t think the real issue is niche or not, but simply an articulate positioning, linked to what people want or need.

We all know this, it’s what we do in our day jobs almost all the time. Searching for clarity. Finding an authentic voice. Yet, why is it so hard to do for ourselves?

Simon Knockton this week explores this exact topic, and we meet Saima Akram, a Riyadh based freelance strategist, who also focuses on helping products and brands find their voice.

I’m also very aware of the ongoing suppression of voices across many platforms (yes, LinkedIn, I am looking at you, whether it’s intentional or not), and thinking about how we can better use this platform to surface those who have a voice without reach.

If there’s work which you think deserves more attention - please, share it with us via the #curiositystream or email me. We can use this space to highlight more of the amazing work and people who don’t have yet have the awareness they deserve.

✌️mk

Simon Knockton: Claiming your own voice.

We’re all being asked to show up more clearly.

To articulate the thing only we can offer. And to do that, we need a clearer position than ever.

A clear position anchors you in a shifting market. It signals the value only you can create.

And it makes it easier for others to advocate for you — collaborators, clients, communities.

So why as expert strategists do we struggle to communicate ourselves?

Because we’re trained to see the possibility in others — not to claim our own.

Because we’re sensitive, multi-faceted thinkers who naturally hold complexity — yet often shy away from distilling ourselves into a singular story.

Because we’re used to championing ideas – but feel uneasy beating our own drum.

Because we can read the room, the culture, the pattern — yet can hesitate to take a stand for who we are.And because the work we do is often so adaptive, so fluid, so hybrid… reducing it into a crisp proposition can feel reductive.

But the world needs our incisive voices more than ever. And practically speaking — a concise position is business critical.

There are the conceptual layers we all need to explore:

Who are you — truly?
Why are your skills relevant now?
How do you want to show up with those things in mind?

The communication and positioning craft we know well.

But what blocks most strategists isn’t the thinking. It’s the energy behind it.

It’s the intention you bring to your work. It’s the willingness to evolve out loud.

It’s the capacity to lead thought publicly— even as things shift fast.

And the courage to face the real fears of being seen, of failing, of succeeding, of choosing wrong.

Letting go of old identities and old disappointments.

When you take the time to set the conceptual fundamentals and align yourself internally things get interesting.

You gain the confidence to have fun, to have a point of view and to magnetise the opportunities that genuinely fit.

But how do we find the time and headspace for this?

By bringing in a partner who can hold an expert space for us.

I’ve been supporting strategists through a rapid process designed to bring clarity, and it’s always an enjoyable, revealing process, often ending with a clear and confident…

“Yes — that’s me.”

An empowering position to stand behind.

» Simon Knockton is a Global Brand Strategist and Mind Body Guide. He provides workshops and support for strategists looking to clarify their own positioning. You can find more detail in this short video on LinkedIn.

Curiosity Stream

We’re heading into “trends” season. I’ll not spam every single deck I see here (and because multiple projects aim to curate them, we don’t need to duplicate that effort), but the more unusual and edge case ones are always worth a share.

» Scott Galloway’s take on what’s coming next - thanks Alex.

» Everyone is talking about Timothee Chalamet dunking on marketing - thanks Tash.

» I was at the RSA “Creative Freelancers Experience” panel debate about sustainability of careers in the creative industries. Youtube of the talk here (you can hear me asking a question if you pay attention towards the end).

» Randstad’s view on “in-demand” skills for 2026

» on “neutral” algorithms, and gendered outcomes - more data on the LinkedIn algorithmic issues.

» Nine territories where brands can inhabit

» Why films don’t feel “real” anymore. Haptic vs Optic.

» NextAtlas’s Unknown Unknowns - thanks Ann

» Concept Capers - set inside OverBrand, a fictional creative agency, you and up to 3 others play as creatives racing to pitch the greatest idea.

Meet a Member: Saima Akram

Hi everyone! My name is Saima Akram, a marketer based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

I am a freelance brand strategist turning generic products into brands and helping them find their purpose and voice. I have worked across various and diverse sectors (thanks to my wider agency experience). I divide my work into two categories: Analyzing the situation and enhancing the communication. I support my clients in assessing the market situation and based on the insights I help them with planning and strategy for their brands. 

I started my career as a Research Analyst and then progressed into Brand Strategist which I believe is the natural role transition as the former was all about re-collection of information and now as a brand strategist, I synthesize that information into actionable and meaningful directions. I am especially super proud of passing my MBA in Marketing with distinction that demonstrates my passion and genuine curiosity for this field.

I don’t believe in throwing fancy words and decks around for my clients, which means nothing outside the papers. I strongly believe in simplicity, authenticity, practicality and of course creativity in devising plans and strategies that will resonate and click. Working in Saudi and Pakistan has taught me how adaptability, cultural relevance and local insights can redefine the entire strategy development process.

I have learned repeatedly that globalization of messaging doesn’t mean only changing the language or visuals. It goes far beyond simple translation.

A piece of work I’m proud of

Every single piece of work I have worked on has my heart and soul. I get unexplainably excited about every project and every strategy I get a chance to work on.

I am especially proud of helping one industrial brand here in Saudi in which I re-developed their entire brand Identity. I helped them re-define their positioning and directed them through missed opportunities. I re-shaped their messaging and their whole way of co-existing with competitors.

This project made me realize the importance of communication and messaging as there is a saying “If you don’t want to change your pricing, change the way you communicate/speak”.

My entire campaign philosophy was based on this line. 

My Outside Perspective

Personally, I don’t prefer overcomplicated wordings and believe in simplicity of communication. As a strategist, our words should connect the dots and not just impress. I have had the privilege to work with many businessmen with promising brands in my career and one thing that I strongly felt was that they might be very good in their financials and businesses but need to be informed about marketing directions. So, I always prefer to communicate with simple, understandable and measurable tone. The practice of sounding sophisticated and overly complex is harmful in one way or another. They know the heart of their products and the destination they want to reach; I need to show them the clarity of that distance. Believe me when I say this, “It is that simple!!”

Three things I’m currently consuming

Read: I have been reading this book “Playing to win” lately by A. G Lafley to better understand how brands can create lasting and sustainable success through clear and well thought strategic choices. Businesses don’t run on intuition but on calculated choices and plans.

Read: I just finished reading another great book by Seth Godin “All marketers are liars” in which he explained beautifully the concept of storytelling and the importance of the attached stories and values to products.

Learn: I recently got selected for one of the prestigious nation-wide career accelerator programs and learned a lot from training. I am more focused on taking small steps rather than big giant jumps and taking myself from point 1 to point 2 instead of jumping over point 10.

» You can connect with Saima on LinkedIn, or in the community.

Gigs

1. Freelance Influencer Strategist (UK)
   https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20251121-sphere.html

2. Part-Time Freelance Social Strategist (UK)
   https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20251121-nourished.html

3. Global Insights Director (12-Month Maternity Cover) (London,UK)
   https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20251121-harpercollins.html

4. Digital Strategist with luxury exp (London,UK)
   https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20251121-greenpark.html

5. freelance creative strategist (USA)
   https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20251121-fever.html

6. Senior Content Strategist (Freelance) (London,UK)
   https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20251121-bdb.html

You can keep updated on real-time posts as we share them via:

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+ and of course, our slack channel if you’re a community member.

That’s all for this week.
mk✌️