The two are not mutually exclusive. In my opinion, they should overlap—every thought piece should provide actionable takeaways, and every how-to article should feature a real anecdote.

But as an individual, if I truly want to sell myself, I have to be myself. Writing for an audience (alone) forces me to lose myself.

Early in my freelance writing career, I realized that being a good wordsmith and enjoying the writing process itself was simply a drop in the bucket of being a good writer. To be a good writer, you have to be many, many more things.