The Power of Knowing Exactly Who You’re Talking To.
The Riches Are in the Niches. It’s a common business idiom these days—and a pretty cool rhyme if you pronounce “niche” with a hard ‘TCH’ sound. (“Riches in the nitches” just hits differently.)
We Gen X’ers remember when FOX became the FOURTH television network—back when we lived in a 3-channel universe. The early days of cable felt like unlocking a treasure chest of content.
But that omni-culture is long gone. That’s why you now have to Google half the celebrities on Dancing with the Stars or Celebrity Jeopardy. Because today, everything is niche.More than ever, the riches really are in the niches. You don’t need to “go global.” You need to “go local”—connect with people who are into your stuff, even if that “stuff” is oddly specific.
And we all need that reminder from time to time.
I was recently recording a podcast with a high-falutin’ New York stockbroker—straight out of The Wolf of Wall Street, minus the crime and rampant drug use—when he asked about the shirt I was wearing.
It was one of my many Buc-ee’s shirts. Since moving down South, I’ve fallen in love with the convenience store giant—famous for its massive rest stops, elite-level service, and lovable beaver mascot. They’ve been called the “Disneyland of gas stations,” and they have over 50 locations stretching from Texas to Florida.
People love Buc-ee’s. Actually, that might be an understatement. People REALLY love Buc-ee’s. Maybe it’s the excellent food, the spotless restrooms, the over-the-top merch, or the friendly employees. Maybe it’s all of it.
Anyway, back to the stockbroker. He had no idea what Buc-ee’s was—or why I had a cartoon beaver on my chest. This man wasn’t working out of some boiler room in Queens; he’s a world traveler who owns more homes than I own shoes. But Buc-ee’s? Total mystery to him.
And you know what? I don’t think Buc-ee’s gives one beaver’s poop.
They know their audience. They know who they serve. And they do it brilliantly.
As a privately owned company, their exact numbers are hush-hush. But their estimated revenue? Somewhere between $2.5 and $5 billion.
Now that’s some riches in the niches.
But it’s not just about money—it’s also about influence.
A few months ago, Bill Murray appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast. You know, the Joe Rogan with:
Well, Bill Murray didn’t recognize him.
The recording began with Joe geeking out about having Bill on the show, and Murray casually asks, “Are you Joe?”
That moment is pure gold—and an excellent reminder. No matter how big your audience is, there are still people out there who have no clue who you are.
Do you know who Khabane Lame is? He’s a Senegalese-born, Italy-raised content creator with over 160 million TikTok followers.
How about Alan Chikin? He’s a creator out of Dallas with 90 million YouTube subscribers.
Now you might be staring at your screen, thinking, “Joe, those people have millions of followers—how are they niche?”
Because niche doesn’t mean small.
One of the definitions of “niche” is a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service.
Niche is about connecting with a particular set of people using your particular set of skills. (Very Liam Neeson of you.)
Joe Rogan, your favorite random TikToker, and even Buc-ee’s get it.
At my publishing company, we have a saying: “If your book is for everyone, it’s for no one.” You have to know who you’re writing for. The same goes for business. The same goes for content creation.
It might feel like a chicken-or-the-egg scenario, but once you identify your target, you’ll connect, build, and grow—even if some New York stockbroker has no idea who you are.
