Breaking Solo

"That's not my job" — five words you'll never hear Scott Keene say. As a serial solopreneur turned professional bookkeeper and payroll specialist, Scott has run everything from a family restaurant and lounge to a pandemic-crushed kayak tour company before finding his true niche: helping business owners who are great at their craft but drowning in their books. In this episode, Sco...

What happens when you close the biggest deal of your life… and feel nothing? That's the question that cracked open this conversation with Harland Merriam — former pastor, military chaplain, and now a real estate investor who facilitates masterminds for high-performing entrepreneurs across Central Florida. After 40+ years serving congregations and the military, Harland "repurposed" (h...

You're never going to have all the time, all the budget, or all the information. So how do solopreneurs move forward anyway — without burning out, without radiating desperation, and without sunsetting the right project at the wrong moment? In this episode of  Breaking Solo , we explore the mindset that carries solopreneurs through the messy middle of building something on their own. Drawing on...

What if consistent, predictable income isn't a personality trait — it's a recipe? In this episode, I sit down with Dan Rochon, real estate agent, sales trainer, host of the  No Broke Months  podcast, and author of the upcoming book  Teach to Sell  (published by Post Hill Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster). Dan has spent the last 15 years documenting the exact framework that get...

What happens when a fifth-generation doctor walks away from one of the most established medical institutions in the UK to rebuild healthcare the way it used to feel? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Suhail Hussain, a UK-based GP (the equivalent of a family physician in the States) who left the NHS during COVID to launch his own private, home-visiting medical practice. Dr. Hussain shares why te...

What happens when a four-year-old gets a coin pulled out of his ear and decides that's what he's going to do with his life? In this episode, I sit down with Magic Brad — magician, event marketer, and a refreshingly contrarian solopreneur — for a conversation packed with hard-won wisdom, weird brilliance, and one of the most unbothered takes on competition I've ever heard. Brad shares h...

What if the reason your revenue is stuck isn't that you're doing the wrong things — but that you're doing them in the wrong order? In this episode, I sit down with Ken Steven, business growth consultant and creator of the Revenue Growth Readiness Scorecard, for a conversation that genuinely shifted how I think about scaling a solo business. Ken spent years turning around companies stuc...

What do you do when the medical world keeps telling you "it's just hormones" and you know it's something more? In this episode, I sit down with Donna Thorell, founder of Vitality by Donna, who became her own case study after years of being dismissed by doctors — and ended up building an entire holistic wellness practice for women out of what she learned. Donna shares how she lost...

What do you do when a client tells you your entire industry is "churning fluff"? If you're Richard Cook, you let it shake you — and then you use it to reinvent the way you work. In this episode, I sit down with Richard, founder and managing director of London-based B2B PR consultancy Champion Communications, for a conversation that ranges from accidental solopreneurship to running a...

What happens when sheer will gets your business to the point where willpower alone isn't enough? In this episode, I sit down with Beth Sanders, founder of Ballast Ops and a fractional COO who specializes in being the "number two" for founders who've outgrown going it alone. Beth shares why she left full-time work to partner with multiple founders at once, how being EOS-certified...

What happens when you stop waiting for permission and start building because you can see exactly what's broken? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sarah Choudhary — PhD in data science, Forbes Technology Council member, and CEO of ICE Innovations — for a conversation that completely reframed how I think about solopreneurship at scale. After 20+ years building AI strategy for 150+ organizatio...

What do a Y2K programmer, a Las Vegas lease-option real estate expert, and a sci-fi novelist building a Marvel-style universe have in common? They're all the same guy. In this episode, I sit down with Kevin A. Dunlap — author, speaker, and creator of the Crimson Alliance Universe — for a wide-ranging conversation about adaptability, perseverance, and what it really takes to keep going when the...

What do you do when your name is all over the internet and every background check becomes a closed door? In this episode, I sit down with Matt Melvin — author of  Bully Behind Bars: A Gay Christian Trump Supporter Goes to Prison — for a raw and deeply personal conversation about accountability, faith, and reinvention. Matt has lost more than a hundred jobs to background checks, walked away from an...

What happens when the smartest person in the room can't figure out their own marketing? In this episode, I sit down with executive coach and solopreneur Stever Robbins — host of the legendary  Get It Done Guy  podcast and Harvard MBA — for one of the most refreshingly honest conversations I've had on this show. Stever opens up about discovering he's neurodivergent in his 60s, and how t...

What if the missing piece in your solopreneur journey isn't another strategy — it's visibility? In this episode, I sit down with publicity expert and four-time author Jill Lublin to talk about how solopreneurs can get in front of the right audiences without a big budget or a PR agency. Jill shares how she went from law school dropout to director of publicity at four independent record labe...

In this episode of Breaking Solo, host Donna Amos speaks with Tanya Puri, a consultant and founder of Peer Insights. Tanya shares her journey of transitioning from corporate America to becoming a solopreneur, discussing the challenges of defining her expertise, finding her niche, and the importance of establishing productive routines. They explore industry trends, particularly the rise of fraction...

In this episode of Breaking Solo, host Donna Amos speaks with Evan Cox, a solopreneur specializing in nonprofit marketing. They discuss Evan's journey from working in a large nonprofit to becoming a solopreneur, the challenges he faced, and the importance of understanding multiple audiences in marketing. Evan shares insights on standing out in a competitive market, industry trends for solopren...

In this episode of Breaking Solo, host Donna Amos speaks with Holly Fisher, a marketing strategist and owner of Fisher Creative Marketing. Holly shares her journey into solopreneurship, the challenges she faced, and how she found her unique niche in the marketing industry. They discuss the impact of AI on marketing, essential tools for solopreneurs, and daily routines that enhance productivity. Ho...

In this episode of  Breaking Solo , Donna Amos sits down with  Shampaigne Graves , entrepreneur, founder of two businesses, and a powerful voice for women in business. Shampaigne shares how she started with  just $20, a free Shopify trial, and a mission  to help women start and stay in business—and how that early vision grew into a micro school, training center, and expanding team. She also opens...

What if the thing you’re calling “branding” is actually just a costume change… and your customers are now wandering the store like,  “Where did my ice cream go?” In this episode of  Breaking Solo , Donna Amos talks with  Beatrice Gutknecht , a positioning strategist who helps service-based businesses (think landscapers, accountants, home builders, and other “we-all-sound-the-same” pros) claim a cl...

In this episode of Breaking Solo, Donna Amos interviews Laurie-ann Morabito, a former shy individual who transformed into a confident speaker and coach. Laurie-ann shares her journey from corporate life to becoming a solopreneur, emphasizing the importance of public speaking in building credibility and attracting clients. The conversation explores the challenges of being a solopreneur, the evoluti...

What do you do when the career you planned disappears overnight? In this episode of  Breaking Solo , host Donna Amos sits down with Deirdre Martin, a business coach from Kilkenny, Ireland, who turned an unexpected layoff in retail banking into a purpose-driven solopreneur business. Deirdre shares how being laid off forced her to rethink everything—from income and identity to how she truly wanted t...

In this episode of Breaking Solo, host Donna Amos interviews Annie Figenshu, a solopreneur and content marketing expert. They discuss the challenges and rewards of running a solo business, the importance of effective content marketing, and the value of in-person networking. Annie shares her journey from performer to entrepreneur, the difficulties she faced during her divorce, and her strategies fo...

In this episode of Breaking Solo, host Donna Amos speaks with Tami Murphy, a business coach specializing in the toy and game industry. Tami shares her journey into entrepreneurship, the challenges of working alone, and the importance of finding joy in business. She discusses her strategies for differentiating herself in a competitive market, staying ahead of industry trends, and maintaining work-l...

Summary In this episode of Breaking Solo, host Donna Amos interviews Reena Duell, a former solopreneur turned business coach. Reena shares her journey of starting her own business while balancing family life, the health challenges she faced, and her transition to coaching other solopreneurs. The conversation delves into overcoming imposter syndrome, the importance of community support, and practic...