Staying Solo

Most offer advice is a ticking time bomb—created for businesses nothing like yours by people who haven't worked with an actual client in years. It's overhyped, overcomplicated, and entirely out of touch. From the mythical signature offer to the never-ending offer ladder, this advice isn't built for solo service providers but for mass-market, one-size-fits-all business models. How do you create off...

As a solo service provider, you've heard it before—nail the basics, then keep growing. But business isn't static, and neither is your strategy. As you evolve, so should your foundation. Meet the Strategy Stack—a framework to help you refine and strengthen your business, one layer at a time. In this episode, I'm breaking down the Strategy Stack—what it is, how each layer fits together (because they...

Everyone's chasing six or seven figures like it's the ultimate goal—but is it really?  The truth is that revenue without purpose can leave you overworked, overwhelmed, and wondering if you've built a business or a burden. Success isn't just about making more money. It's about making money that actually supports your life and goals. So, how do you break free from the revenue rat race and build a bu...

You're burnt out from the grind, drowning in noise, and questioning whether the version of success we were all sold was ever worth it. Sound familiar?  Hustle culture promised us freedom, but all it delivered was stress, overwork, and businesses that feel more like a trap. We've been told that bigger is always better, that scaling is the only way forward, and that if we're struggling, we just need...

Adaptation is key if you want to run a sustainable service business as a team.  What worked a year (or even a month) ago may be ineffective in the current market. What your clients want may have evolved, and your personal goals may have changed.  The tricky part can be understanding when it's time to change things up or when it's best to stay on your current course.  In this episode, we're diving...

Traditional planning often fails solo business owners… Yet, everywhere you look, it's the same old thing: big, bold goals, detailed action plans, and endless hype about setting yourself up for your "best year ever." The problem? You don't have endless resources to make all these big, lofty goals a reality. You're a team of one, meaning your time and energy are finite resources, so you must plan ac...

It seems like people are talking about AI everywhere you turn these days.  As a result, many of us are trying to figure out how AI fits into our business. And if it does have a place in what you do, what about those legit legal and ethical concerns? How can we use it in a way that doesn't strip us of our creativity?  In this episode, I'm breaking it all down for you—the good, the bad, and the seri...

Here's the deal: packaging your services doesn't have to be overcomplicated.  Forget the endless "value ladders" and 15-step sales funnels, your clients just want something simple and easy to understand.  In this episode, we discuss how to package your services so they're simple, clear, and—most importantly—sellable. Topics discussed in this episode include: The problem with packaging: why is it o...

Monday morning. You're feeling motivated and ready to tackle the week. Your to-do list is set, and you're ready to CRUSH IT. And then… Friday rolls around, and you're wondering where it all went wrong.  Despite your "best-case scenario planning," reality had other ideas.  How do you avoid this trap so you aren't setting yourself up to fail? This episode explores how to ditch best-case scenario pla...

Trust is the bedrock of every great client relationship, so imagine what it would be like if every single client trusted you implicitly without hesitation. The question is — how do you create that?  It starts with avoiding sketchy marketing and the pushy sales gimmicks often promoted by celebrity entrepreneurs. In this episode, I show you why staying true to your values is ethical and the most pow...

"Always be closing!" "Overcome objections!" "Push for the deal!" These are just a few of the familiar refrains we often hear when it comes to selling. It's all pushy, and for many solo service business owners, the idea of sales already feels uncomfortable.  After all, you didn't start your business to become a salesperson, did you? The truth is that sales don't have to feel that way.  The key to b...

This week, we're sharing our most recent Duped episode, where we discuss Master Resell Rights. _____________________________ Have you ever seen an offer on social media claiming you can make big bucks in no time at all if you sell something created by someone else? Welcome to the world of Master Resell Rights, where you allegedly can get rich from doing little to no work at all. But like everythin...

Have you ever worked with a client who, despite hiring you for your expertise, just won't listen to what you tell them? The idea that the client is wrong goes against everything we've been taught, so it's a hard habit to break.  But the reality is that, yes, sometimes the client IS wrong. In this episode, I'm sharing how to handle those moments when your client is wrong (and maybe even a little de...

Do you ever feel like all the marketing advice you hear from celebrity entrepreneurs always ends up being far more work than you ever imagined — and rarely gets the results you're looking for? The reality is that these folks are doing you dirty with their one-size-fits-all marketing playbooks.  In this episode, I explain why celebrity entrepreneur advice isn't only misguided but harmful and what y...

Do you feel caught in a cycle of working more to make more money but melting down because you're overwhelmed and overworked? While you can run this loop for a while, it's not sustainable.  You're more than our work; you need a life while tending to your health and mental well-being.  In this episode, I'm diving into how to create your Capacity Code—a way to manage your time, energy, and emotional...

Feeling trapped in a rinse-and-repeat cycle where you work more, make more, get exhausted, recover, and then do it all over again? Listen to this quick training that I wanted to share with you, which includes: What the time vs. money trap is Why you may be feeling stuck The key levers you have to break out of it Tune in to discover how to grow your business sustainably in a way that works for you....

Do you ever feel like you work work work and yet never get ahead with your salary? Celeb entrepreneurs love to tell us we need to spend money to make money, but that toxic myth often leads us to make decisions that aren't in our best interests.  In this episode, I will show you how to pay yourself first, grow your salary, and build a business that works for you without buying into the hype. It's t...

The reality of being a solo business owner is that there are only so many hours in the day. You want to make more money, but you also want not ultimately to burn out. So what's a solo biz owner to do?  In this episode, I'm breaking down the myth of scaling and showing you how to use strategy to grow your business without burning out. Topics discussed in this episode include: The Staying Solo Frame...

Ever been told that when it comes to your business, bigger is better? As solo business owners, we're constantly inundated with advice telling us we "need" to grow and scale. But is that really the case? (Spoiler: it's not!) In this episode, we're unpacking why the pressure to scale often backfires and leaves service business owners stressed, overworked, and disillusioned. If you've ever felt that...

In a world of celebrity entrepreneurs pedalling generic business advice unsuitable for SERVICE or SOLO business owners, I've spent years separating fact from fiction. That's precisely why we're announcing some exciting changes to this podcast. Here's what you need to know. With our next episode, the BS-Free Service Business show will rebrand as the Staying Solo podcast. Plus, we're launching a new...

If you're anything like me, you love it when people let you peek behind the curtains of their business so you can see what's really going on.  In today's episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of my businesses and sharing my halfway highlights now that we're halfway through 2024.  Topics discussed in this episode include: What's been going on economically in 2024?  How my agency, Scoop Studios,...

What if I told you that the key to a sustainable business (that you don't want to burn to the ground once a week) ISN'T doing more? It's about doing LESS — but doing it better. In this episode, I'm flipping the script on your default "hustle hard" programming and sharing what really matters when growing a service business as a solopreneur.  Topics discussed in this episode include: How hustle cult...

This time of year gives us a natural time to pause and take stock of what's happening in our businesses. Think of it this way: it's about curiosity, not comparison, and finding joy, not judgment. In this episode, I'm sharing a simple way to reset and recharge your business for the rest of 2024. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why pausing to reflect back on previous months is important. K...

The sun is shining, summer is right around the corner and for many of us, we're ready to get outside and play.  The problem?  Hustle culture tells us that we need to work work work. Otherwise, our business will crumble. And even if we DO take some time off, we should still be available to our clients. But those are just a few of the many lies we've been fed, and I can tell you from experience that...

Have you ever started your Monday morning with a strong sense of existential dread and wondered how you could get all of your client work done… let alone any work ON your business? Next thing you know, the week has flown by, and it feels like the to-do list is just as long—if not even longer—than when you started.   The overwhelm is real and it's time for something to change, starting with getting...