Streamlined Solopreneur: Build Systems so Your Business Supports Your Life

I knew from a young age, I wanted to play the drums. I got my first small kit when I was five and when my friends and I started a "band," heavy quotes, I played paint buckets. When I was 15 years old, I knew I needed a real kit. This is the story of how I got it, and how one man's incredible kindness had a profound effect on me. Show Notes Read the Story at Casabona.org Rate: Apple Podcasts | Spot...

2024 has been a transformative year for me. I learned a ton about myself and my business, and for the first time in a while I feel like I’m not flailing. I’ll have the clearest plan I’ve had in a long time in 2025 — one that’s reinforced by conversations I’ve had, not just hunches. So for the last episode of the year, I wanted to do a quick year in review where I talk about my biggest success, my...

It’s been two years since ChatGPT went mainstream, and AI has completely transformed how we work. While I maintain some hesitancy and skepticism in using AI, it has made it’s way into my daily life for certain tasks. While I’ll tell you all about that, I also talk about why the human touch will always matter, no matter how advanced these tools get. So strap in (yes, I wrote these words without any...

“Build your authority” feels like advice that’s often given without a solution attached. And it’s SO important to solopreneurs, especially since social media is no longer the best place to build a proper audience.  That’s why I sat down with Jessica Lackey, a business and operations strategist who’s all about helping solopreneurs like us build real authority.  We talked all about what you actually...

In this bonus episode, I share a gratitude-inspired look at the tools and habits that have shaped my year, including my favorite apps, services, and hardware. From time-saving actions to game-changing tech, this episode offers a sneak peek into my “favorites of the year” and how they’ve helped me reclaim time and focus. Links Obsidian Blank Spaces App The Brick I'm on Bluesky Audible ChatGPT Kindl...

Have you ever been playing with your kids or trying to relax, but your mind keeps drifting back to work? Trust me, you’re not alone! It can feel frustrating – and it can feel like you’re failing to achieve “work/life balance.”  That’s why I brought on Lindsey Carnick, a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Onward Psychological Services. We get into how our minds work, the importance of ali...

It’s the annual gift guide episode! Except, instead of just talking at you for 40 minutes, This year, I’ve teamed up with my good friend Cat Mulvihill to bring you the ultimate 2024 Gift Guide for solopreneurs and anyone working from home. We talk home goods, tech, productivity, EDC, and more. Our main goal fits perfectly with the mission too: we want to help you solve a problem…not just spend mon...

Bringing a VA into your business can free up your time and help you focus on growth, but finding and effectively working with the right VA requires clarity on what you need, a structured hiring process, and simple, ongoing communication. Many solopreneurs are overwhelmed by the process of hiring and working with a VA. You may not know where to start, what tasks to delegate, or how to ensure the VA...

A few months ago I launched a free private podcast called Joe’s Audio Notes. The episodes are very short (7 minutes or less), where I share my thoughts on being a solopreneur, a podcaster, a parent, and other thoughts related to being a productive member of society. I'm sharing 3 of the episodes here (which you can find in the chapter markers):  Thinking About my Content Strategy How do you pick t...

Ever thought about creating an online course that truly makes a difference? One that actually helps people accomplish their goals? That’s exactly what guitar coach Den López has done. He transformed his life from being a car mechanic in Barcelona to becoming a successful online guitar instructor. We’ll talk all about how he created the “Guitar in One Hour” Method that helps beginners play songs qu...

Being a business owner is hard. So is being a parent. So why don’t we hear more about how to do both well? Fret not – that’s why I brought Kim Caloca-Madden onto the show.  We dive deep into why business owners with kids should build systems and how automation can be a game-changer for busy parents. Kim shares her personal journey from being a stay-at-home mom needing to generate income to becomin...

The summer had one lasting effect I didn’t notice until recently: I made my schedule pretty open for anyone who wanted to meet. I didn’t want them to be limited to my limited availability, so I tried to be as open as possible. But over the last 2 weeks —really since my episode with Conny, I realized that I’ve let everyone else control my calendar. I’ll take a meeting with almost anyone bc I feel t...

My love-hate[but mostly hate] relationship with social media is well documented. It feels like a time-suck where you get into arguments with people who don’t care about anything you say. People tell me it’s great to grow your business…I just don’t see it.  But Katie Brinkley has changed that for me. She elevates CEOs to become thought leaders and disruptors in their industries. And she does it mos...

It’s easy for people who live unconstrained lives to give advice. “Just meditate for 2 hours each morning.” “Hustle.” “Get rid of anything that doesn’t bring you joy.”  The truth is that most people have some constraints to live by. Whether it’s kids, work, or other obligations, we can’t just drop everything to follow the latest guru.  That’s why I like Conny Graf’s approach. Conny has many creden...

Do you hate social media as much as I do? Some experts will tell you that you need social media to market,  but that’s increasingly not true. Gone are the heady days of Twitter, where you can tweet a link and people would actually see it.  That’s why I brought on Emily Aborn, a Content Copywriter, Speaker, and Podcast Host. She’s also a wealth of information on how to market by making sure you hav...

I made an unexpected $300 over a weekend in September. And I know that doesn’t sound like a lot — but it’s money I didn’t have, that I have now. That is the power of launching messy — something my friend Stacey encouraged me to do, and what I want to talk about today in a solo episode with some freshly minted segments: One Big Problem: How to get over the fear of making something perfect before la...

I’ve been thinking a lot about the notion of starting simple (or messy) vs. starting perfect. And while I definitely fall more on the side of “start messy and iterate,” there are a few places where you shouldn’t skimp.  A good home studio is one of them, which is why I brought on my friend Junaid. He’s a “Home Studio Architect,” and he’s a wealth of knowledge. We talk about why you need at least g...

Recently my friend Justin asked on X, “How do you define success?” I said, “Can I knock off for a day at will  to spend time with my family?” The world constantly tells us we need to hustle to be successful – but that can’t be true. If you’re a parent, for example, hustle is just not an option.  That’s why I’ve brought on Terry Toh. Terry helps business owners successfully run their side business...

Ever wonder how to make your podcast stand out in a sea of content? After a serendipitous conversation at Podcast Movement 2024, I uncovered a game-changing strategy that could revolutionize your approach. Spoiler alert: It involves segments. I'll break down why rethinking your podcast structure can make a big difference. We'll explore how segments can help you give more value to your audience, ma...

If you’re anything like me, you probably think about ways you can appreciably scale your business. Part of streamlining, after all, is taking things off your place.  That’s why I brought on Joel Oliver. Joel is the editor for all of my podcasts, including this one. I’ve been with him since he was a freelance editor, and now he’s grown to have a team of editors to help him work on more shows.  List...

It’s the end of the summer and the end of our experiment to keep our kids home instead of sending them to summer camp. So today I’m going to answer 3 questions: 1. How did it go (including giving it a grade) 2. Was it worth it? (and if yes, would it have made it **not** worth it) 3. Will we do it again? In Accelerated, I talk about why I want to create a more scalable business while remaining a so...

I think failing to give a good presentation is an incredibly missed opportunity. You have everything: a captive audience, borrowed credibility, and a place to deliver your message your way .  But there are a lot of places where your presentation can fall down. Most people will focus on not capturing the audience quickly enough, or pacing. Maybe not rehearsing.  But what about your slides? The actu...

Do you have offerings for people at any level of their journey? That’s the importance of having a well-defined product ladder. A product ladder provides multiple offerings at different price points and levels of engagement to meet potential customers where they are at. Today I’ll talk about how I have struggled with this in my own business, with offerings that didn’t clearly communicate how I help...

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the endless options for hosting your online business? The decision between a hosted platform like Squarespace or a self-hosted solution like WordPress can be daunting, especially for solopreneurs juggling multiple responsibilities. And while the conversation feels like it's been done to death, I was recently reminded that even seemingly simple platforms can shut you...

When I first started my business, I was 14 years old. My income was pretty light, and my expenses were even lighter. Heck – I didn’t even pay for hosting. I hosted my few client websites on a web server in my bedroom (don’t tell my old ISP).  But even then, I knew the importance of keeping track of my income and expenses, which I did in an Excel sheet. I’ve always had an interest in accounting, wh...