Journaled #018 | On Self-Perception

Most translators say, “I’m just a translator.”
This tiny word shrinks everything.

It shrinks how you see yourself.
It shrinks how clients see you.
It shrinks the opportunities you’ll ever get.

Here’s the paradox: the more you try to look humble, the more the market treats you as replaceable.

Think about Nike. If they said, “We just sell shoes,” no one would care. A shoe is a shoe. But Nike doesn’t just sell shoes. They sell victory, identity, and aspiration. That’s why people pay hundreds for sneakers that cost a fraction to produce.

Translators fall into the same trap.
When you present yourself as a word machine, you’ll only get paid like one.
But when you show up as a consultant, a guide into new markets, a creator who removes risk and adds trust—clients listen. And they pay differently.

The difference between a freelancer and a solopreneur isn’t talent. It’s mindset.
The story you tell about yourself is the story your clients believe. Change the story, and the market changes with it.

Today, do one thing:
Audit how you present yourself online.
Read your LinkedIn bio, your website, your email signature.
Does it say task-doer or consultant?

Rewrite it.
Shift the identity.
Step into the solopreneur frame.

Because the biggest career leap you’ll ever make isn’t from one client to the next.
It’s from “just a translator” → creator, consultant, solopreneur.

Dive deeper and unlock the solopreneur mindset → Read the full article.

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