I recently got a note from a fellow who was a carpenter and took one of my Construction Supervisor training classes. He’s now finishing up his Mechanical Engineering Technology degree and wants to talk about ways to make a living with that. He’s worked on some patents and is a sharp guy. The age old question, though, how to translate skill and effort into cash.

My son sent me this Pinching Earth photo of a clothespin sculpture in Belgium that got me thinking.

The world is full of niches where creative, hard working people make their mark. Think of the guy who first designed the clothespin. He found a niche that worked well for him. The folks that designed and built the sculpture above (and the Philadelphia Clothespin below) also found niches that worked.

In my own experience, I found a rational way to solve the problem of how to make a living. First, struggle to understand the things I like to do and have aptitude. Next, look at the world and see where money changes hands, try to understand where cash flows. Then I try to see a way to add value somewhere in that cash stream. Finally, the last and most important step, think hard and long about how I will find someone to pay me to add that value (selling).

That process may sound obvious, but I think few people use it. If you are transitional, or want to be, I encourage you to work through the steps in writing. You’ll likely be surprised with what you learn.