Staying Solo

*This week, we're sharing the first episode of Duped season 4 for your listening pleasure.* We're back! And a lot has happened since our last season. In this episode, we're digging into the world of business coaching and how things have gone seriously off the rails. Welcome to Season 4 of Duped. We're back, and we couldn't be more excited about what we have planned, as this season, we'll be diving...

2022 is rolling to a close, and as I've done the last two years, I wanted to check in on the state of online business — especially as predictions I've made in 2020 and 2021 about ethical marketing and the use of trauma-informed language, along with other market conditions have come true. Here's what you need to know about the state of ethical marketing and online business as we head into 2023. Get...

You've probably heard of the term trauma informed, but do you really know what it means? And should you trust coaches who are trauma-informed?  In this episode, my guests Nicole Lewis-Keeber and Shulamit Ber Levtov join me to explore the rise of trauma-informed coaching.  Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/trauma-informed-coaching

Planning season is upon us. Love it or hate it, it's a whole thing for us as business owners. In this episode, we're going to get real about planning for 2023. My goal for you is to help you nail down what will make the most difference for you in the coming year and not get sucked into things that waste your time, money, and energy. This isn't about hating on planning, but instead skipping the hyp...

**This week, we're sharing a sneak peek of Duped with the kickoff episode of season 4 for your listening pleasure.** Duped season 4 starts now! And in this first episode, we're going to look at the impending recession, and how celebrity entrepreneurs are now using that to mess with us and try to get our money.  Learn more at duped.online

No one starts a business, let alone a micro agency, thinking about the highs and lows, but they're inevitable. Which is where this episode comes in, as I'm sharing five questions for every micro agency owner to explore. They may not be what you're expecting, but I can guarantee they'll get you thinking in a new way. In this week's episode, we're wrapping up our series for micro agency owners with...

Are you selling strategy right now in your agency? Do you feel like a thought leader or like you're totally unappreciated by your clients? In this episode, we're looking at the power of strategy packages for your agency. And the hidden ripple effect selling strategy will have on everything from your revenue to your reputation.    Get the inside scoop at smallbusinessboss/strategy-for-your-agency

When you're running a micro agency, you're likely going to learn a lot of things along the way. Sometimes it's surprising and other times you wonder if you're completely unhinged because you're learning things the hard way.    No matter where you are in your journey as an agency owner, you're going to want to listen to this episode as we delve into lessons and hard-won wisdom from my journey as an...

Agencies are pitched as the natural next step when growing a service business, but is an agency right for you? And if you're running an agency what do you need to consider as agencies aren't one-size-fits-all? In this episode, we're looking at the world of micro agencies, including what they are, and some data that may surprise you.  Get the inside scoop right here: smallbusinessboss.co/what-is-a-...

Is your business a little slow? Do you need better leads? Or you're just plain sick of the marketing you're doing?    This episode is for you as we'll be talking about fresh ways to find clients, and why this is not the time to be relying on the magic of client attraction.  Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/finding-clients-in-2022

Have you ever thought you weren't good at sales? Or that you're missing some secret sales strategy?  In this episode, we're digging into some of the terrible takes on sales I've seen lately and the alternatives, and how sales as an industry is designed to mess with you.  Get the inside scoop at: smallbusinessboss.co/terrible-takes-on-sales

Have you ever been lying in bed and thought about what would happen to your business if you were unable to work? Or if you suddenly had to take time off? I know I sure have, and whenever I think about it, I don't always have clear answers to those questions. That's why in this episode, we're talking to Julee Yokoyama about covering your ass in your business and how to plan for the unexpected. Get...

You're probably already doing strategy work in your business, but you're not getting paid for it. Or you've got strategy offers and you feel like they're not quite right or you're struggling to sell them. No matter what's going on with selling strategy in your business, I've got you. In this episode, I'm diving into everything I've learned from my Sell the Strategy offer and what you need to consi...

As a business owner, sometimes you get a feeling. Like you're missing something. Or like things can't be this simple. I'm here to tell you that feeling may be lying to you. In this episode, we're looking at some places where BS sneaks into our business and very practically how to deal with it, as everyday actions are what makes all the difference in building a sustainable service business. Get the...

So many of the business strategies and tactics that we're taught feel overwhelming. Like we need to learn something new and start over. But what if we didn't need to constantly add new things and simply would build on the foundation we already have? In this episode, we're diving into how to actually build a service business that's sustainable and cutting through all the BS around scale. I'm sharin...

Scaling your business is seen as the ultimate goal for every online business owner. As the saying goes, if you're not scaling, you're failing". In this episode, I'm digging into the cult of scale, including why scaling isn't all it's cracked up to be and how the relentless quest for scale is doing more harm than good for many of us. Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/scale-and-sustainabili...

Working with clients one-on-one gets a bad rap in online business circles, and honestly, I really hate it. In this episode, I'm talking about why working one-on-ones is not at all what the celebrity entrepreneurs make it out to be, along with how and why I STILL work with clients one-on-one and have no plans to stop anytime soon. Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/work-with-clients

Inflation. Recession. There's no escaping talk of an economic downturn but how do you separate fact from fiction? How do you know what's just hype designed to make you buy? And what's actually helpful? And most of all, what do you really need to know? In this episode, we're getting real about a recession with a look at the actual numbers, the complete BS the online business world is currently spin...

For many of you, you're heading into summer, and you may be wondering how you're going to juggle everything for the next two months. In this episode, we're going to talk about how to create your Summer Action Plan, including five boundaries to set! Even if it's not summer for you as you're down under, you'll still find some helpful ideas for setting and managing boundaries when you work with clien...

Despite what you may have been told, not all service businesses are created equal. And that means not all advice for service business owners is applicable to everyone.  The needs and nuances of creatives, coaches and consultants vary wildly, yet they're all given the same strategies and BS advice.  So what advice should you actually be paying attention to?  That's why in this episode, we're going...

**This week we're sharing an episode from Duped Season 3 for your listening pleasure.** Over the last 10 years, there have been countless ways that celebrity entrepreneurs have sold to us, courses, masterminds, memberships and so many more. These trends come and go, and one of the big ones right now is group programs. In this episode of Duped, we're digging into all things group programs including...

Have you ever seen biz advice telling you to "stop trading time for dollars"? This is an all-too-common refrain when it comes to pricing your services, but there's something about this advice that misses the mark — What does it actually MEAN? Because while it may *sound* like good advice at first glance, there's way more nuance needed when discussing pricing. In this episode, we're diving into the...

There are lots of lessons on the path to being a successful business owner, aren't there? But if there's one lesson that stands out the most is that there's no singularly "right" way to create the business we want.  What works for me may not work for you, and that's totally okay! However, after nearly two decades of running a biz on my own, there ARE some lessons that I think everyone may benefit...

Do you know how to sell your strategy? Maybe your offer isn't quite right. Maybe you're having a hard time selling it. Or maybe, you just don't have the first clue where to begin.  I know I've made plenty of mistakes along the way when it comes to strategy.  And that's why I'm super passionate about helping people learn how they can sell strategy effectively within their own business.  In this epi...

Do you have a hill you're willing to die on when it comes to your business? For me, that hill is proposals.  As someone who works with creatives and consultants, I see a lot of confusion about how to sell their services.  Sales pages are great and all, but not for every service — especially when there are levels of customization involved.  That's why in this episode we're going to talk about how t...