Staying Solo

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...

If you offer services, at some point you've likely ruminated or waffled over which delivery model makes the most sense. Should you use retainers? Charge by the hour? Offer VIP days? And that's not even including any hot new trends in the online business world that pop up and tell us we need to switch gears RIGHT NOW! That's why in this episode, we're digging into two popular delivery models and as...

***Season 3 of Duped is here! This week we're sharing the first episode of the new season.*** While the words "best practices" are heard again and again in online business, do you ever take time to actually think about what they mean? Some of the best practices we're being sold in the online space have been so normalized that they're now business as usual —  Which would be fine if they weren't so...

Picture it: That moment when things with a client get super awkward and you want to crawl in a hole. And all you can think is… is there some way I could have avoided this? Awkward moments are just one of those things that are going to happen. But that doesn't mean there aren't some steps we can take to make them happen less often.   In this episode, we're digging into the top 10 awkward client mom...

Ever had an awkward moment with a client? Of course you have! Whether you've been in business for one year or 20 years, awkward moments with clients are bound to happen.  Maybe they ghosted you. Or maybe they haven't paid their invoice despite numerous requests. Or maybe they completely changed direction mid-project and expect you to go back and start from square one. Whatever your awkward moment...

Have you ever heard someone in business talking about strategy and wanted to roll your eyes? The unfortunate reality is that in the online biz world (and many other places!) people use the word strategy simply as a means to charge more money for whatever they're selling.  But we all know that not every strategy is created equal. Having said that, strategy is a GOOD thing. Strategy makes your life...

Ever felt frustrated by a client situation and like  *something* has to change but you aren't sure where to begin. One-size-fits-all solutions are rarely the magic bullet they're sold as, but the good news is, there are some shifts you can make to move your business towards a place where you aren't ready to tear your hair out.  For me, that was implementing what I call Sell the Strategy.   In this...

Ever heard the expression "a lie often repeated becomes the truth"? The reality is that when we hear something enough times, we often start to believe it — including the countless tropes and myths often repeated by celebrity entrepreneurs. .  Whether it's the stories about burnout being inevitable or that you need to be booked out at all times, these myths can start to make us feel like we're miss...

**Welcome to the Best of the BS-Free Service Business Show series. This episode is a re-release that originally went live on September 24, 2018.** I'm talking with marketing expert Chrissie Wywrot to give you the inside scoop on how to get yourself more exposure, generate engagement, and highlight the best parts of your biz. If you've been trying to figure out how to polish up your Linkedin profil...

**Welcome to the Best of the BS-Free Service Business Show series. This episode is a re-release that originally went live on March 3, 2020.** Fact: When you make your money by serving clients, the experience you create can make or break your business. Also fact: Most service providers make this WAY too complicated and totally overthink it. In this episode of the Small Business Boss podcast, I'm gi...

**Welcome to the Best of the BS-Free Service Business Show series. This episode is a re-release that originally went live on August 6, 2018.** If you've ever thought about creating a signature service but decided not to, think again! A signature service is how you can show your expertise and it puts everyone on notice that you're a total boss who's got it going ON. In this episode, I'm sharing eve...

**Welcome to the Best of the BS-Free Service Business Show series. This episode is a re-release that originally went live on January 20, 2020.** You can't grow without a team. Your income will plateau. You've heard all the myths of a service business before, and in this new episode, we're taking a look at these myths and looking at how they stack up in 2020. Get the inside scoop right here: https:...

**Welcome to the Best of the BS-Free Service Business Show series. This episode is a re-release that originally went live on January 13, 2020.** As business owners, most of us are really good at setting big goals for our business. Especially revenue goals, but many times we don't think about what it's going to take to actually reach that goal. I speak from experience as someone with many an ambiti...

There's no shortage of messaging being thrown at us in the world of online business. We're told to live our best life. To take back our freedom. To avoid burnout.  And on and on and on… The problem? These messages, while they may be things we actually need to hear, are these the messages we want trickling down to our own clients? And if we're all using the same messaging,  where's the room for dif...

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you took a little break in your business? No, I don't mean packing it in and fleeing for parts unknown. But what if you gave yourself permission to just stop doing a particular task for a while?  What would happen if you took a step back to let yourself reset for a bit? In this episode, I'm sharing my strange start to the year, the power of taking a brea...

Working with clients can sometimes be stressful, can't it? And when things are a little rocky, there's one specific thing that can end up making or breaking your client relationships — R-E-S-P-E-C-T. When a client doesn't 100% trust you, you can end up feeling frustrated and disrespected.  You probably want to burn things down and run away from working with clients at all.  But that's not the answ...