The Life-First Solopreneur (formerly The Aspiring Solopreneur)

Most solopreneurs make the mistake of trying to serve everyone and end up standing out to no one. In this short and punchy episode of The Aspiring Solopreneur , Carly and Joe dive into one of the most overlooked steps in building a successful solo business: positioning. They break down why niching down isn’t limiting, but rather the key to charging more, marketing smarter, and actually getting not...

What if building a business that supports your life actually isn’t about hustle…but about resilience, systems, and intention? In this episode of The Aspiring Solopreneur, Carly and Joe sit down with Mike Lynch, creator, RV-lifer, automation strategist, and founder of Flywheel Factory, for a refreshingly honest conversation about what solopreneurship really looks like behind the scenes. Mike shares...

Before you dive headfirst into your solopreneur journey, there are two things you absolutely need to nail down: your competition and your customers. In this episode of The Aspiring Solopreneur , Joe and Carly continue the series on the Solopreneur Success Cycle and break down why “everyone” is not your audience, how to spot opportunities your competitors are overlooking, and why creating personas...

PR isn’t just for big brands with big budgets, and this episode proves it. In this conversation, PR experts Lydia Bagarozza & Bridget Sicsko, of Visibility on Purpose, break down exactly how solopreneurs can get featured in podcasts, publications, and major media without paying thousands or hiring an agency.  They walk through a simple, repeatable PR framework that focuses on positioning, pitc...

Everyone is busy planning what they’re bringing into 2026. New goals. New strategies. New habits. But what if the real progress comes from deciding what doesn’t make the cut? In this episode, we flip the usual New Year conversation on its head and talk about the things solopreneurs should seriously consider leaving behind. From creating content just because it’s “trending,” to chasing passive inco...

If the word sales makes you tense up, this episode is about to change everything. In this conversation, sales expert Adam Cerra breaks down why most solopreneurs struggle with selling, and it’s not because they’re bad at it. It’s because they’ve been taught the wrong mindset. Instead of “closing,” Adam introduces inverse closing, a way to turn sales calls into guided conversations where prospects...

Ever wonder which tools and services you actually need as a solopreneur, and which ones are just shiny distractions? In this episode of The Aspiring Solopreneur , Carly and Joe revisit one of the most debated sections of their book, Solopreneur Business For Dummies: setting up your company’s tools and services. From creating rock-solid SOPs to knowing when to outsource, to avoiding the dreaded “to...

Why is it so hard to explain what you do, even when you’re really good at it?  In this episode, messaging strategist Damian Vallelonga breaks down why solopreneurs struggle with clarity, confidence, and consistency in their messaging, and what to do about it. We talk about why referrals aren’t a strategy, how vague language quietly kills opportunities, and the exact framework Damian uses to help s...

After years of working alongside solopreneurs, 2025 finally gave us something new: real data, real patterns, and real lessons we couldn’t ignore. In this episode, Carly and Joe step back from the nonstop AI conversation to unpack what actually moved the needle for solopreneurs this year, and what didn’t.  From why “human-first” marketing is outperforming polished automation, to the growing importa...

What if the reason your business feels stressful isn’t more work, it’s how you’re handling your money? In this episode, Megan Schwan pulls back the curtain on the financial mistakes almost every solopreneur makes (especially early on) and how to fix them without becoming a numbers nerd. We’re talking pricing mistakes, scope creep, avoiding your books, fearing taxes, and why most solopreneurs are u...

If the holidays feel like a chaotic mash-up of family gatherings, last-minute tasks, and pressure to magically “figure out next year,” this episode is your breath of fresh air. Carly and Joe break down why December is actually the perfect time to prep your business, without overhauling your life, and how reconnecting with your why can completely change the way you enter 2026. They’ll walk you thro...

In this episode, Will Simpson gets honest about the moment he realized he didn’t want a boss. He breaks down the identity crisis that hit after leaving decades of COO/CTO life, the surprising advantage founders over 40 actually have, why solopreneurs must unlearn corporate thinking, and how embracing “good enough” is the key to launching anything. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re too late, t...

If you’re ready to create a business that supports your life instead of running it , this is the episode you need. Carly and Joe dive into Step Zero of the Solopreneur Success Cycle: Defining Your Goals , and spoiler alert: it’s way deeper than “make money” or “gain freedom.” You’ll learn how to uncover your true why , build goals that actually guide your decisions, and avoid creating a business y...

Okay friends, buckle up, because today’s episode is one of those “wait… why has no one explained success like THIS before?” moments. We’re talking with Kyle Austin Young who breaks down success not as a magical personality trait, but as something you can literally math your way into. Kyle takes us into the world of probability hacking, a shockingly simple way to figure out your real chances of suc...

You know that electric rush when you finally build the business you’ve been dreaming about? And then, right as you’re about to tell people… you freeze? In this episode, Carly and Joe dive into one of the least discussed but most universal solopreneur struggles: the fear of actually putting yourself out there. Why do so many solopreneurs, yes, even the wildly successful ones, get stuck right at the...

If you’ve been getting hammered with “AI income hacks” on Instagram and TikTok, you are not alone. Carly has been targeted so aggressively that she’s starting to suspect her phone can hear her thoughts, so today, she and Joe sit down with Becky Beach, a solopreneur who actually does this stuff successfully. From AI-powered funnels to Instagram chatbots to wildly profitable printable products, Beck...

If you've ever wondered how Joe somehow whips up a custom GPT for literally everything, from content creation to arguing with him when ChatGPT gets too agreeable, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for. Carly finally asks the question the whole community’s been thinking: “How is Joe doing that?” And this time, he actually shows us. Step-by-step. On-screen. In real time. Whether you want a GPT...

What happens when the Wild West days of early internet marketing collide with the deeply human side of AI? In this episode, Steven Sakach from aiCMO joins Carly to talk about blending empathy with innovation (yes, even in a world that often feels robotic and copy-and-paste). From his outrageous early-career bidding wars to his BLISS framework (Build Love Into Scalable Systems), Steven shows solopr...

AI isn’t coming for your solopreneur job, but it will happily take your tasks. In this episode, Carly and Joe break down how to turn AI into the world’s most over-eager intern: fast, enthusiastic, occasionally clueless, and totally coachable. From using AI without losing your voice…to avoiding “hallucination traps”… to building a GPT that actually remembers what you told it, this episode shows sol...

In this episode, Luke Hessler gets radically real about losing everything and rebuilding faster using the only assets no one can take: mindset, skills, and relationships. We dig into personal branding for any personality (yes, introverts), the “one post a day for a year” muscle, turning your warm network into real leads (today), and scaling without employees by fixing fulfillment first and systemi...

If you thought SEO was complicated…meet its AI-powered cousin. In this episode, Carly and Joe break down the buzzword that dominated INBOUND, AEO (AI Engine Optimization), and explain what it actually means for solopreneurs. Spoiler: it’s not about gaming algorithms or chasing clicks. It’s about making sure your voice, ideas, and frameworks show up when AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Googl...

What happens when a bartender from New York gets hit by a car, and ends up building a $350 million real estate empire? Jason Yarusi joins The Aspiring Solopreneur to share how that wake-up call sparked his Live 100 mindset, a simple yet powerful framework for breaking patterns, building momentum, and magnifying results. From redefining success to fighting perfectionism, Jason gets real about how s...

Wouldn’t it be nice if your business could just stay perfect forever: same clients, same income, same flow? Yeah… we wish! In this episode of The Aspiring Solopreneur , Carly and Joe get real about how to future-proof your business (and yourself) for the inevitable changes ahead. From spotting shifts in your industry to using AI and automation wisely, diversifying income streams, and planning for...

What happens when your biggest strength, helping others, starts draining your energy? In this empowering episode, returning guest Leah Marone, psychotherapist and author of Serial Fixer , joins Carly for a heart-to-heart about why solopreneurs often fall into “fixer mode.” You’ll learn how to stop rescuing and start empowering, how to calm your inner critic, and how to set boundaries without guilt...

You’ve got your solopreneur business humming: systems in place, clients happy, goals aligned...but there’s one crucial piece most of us forget: our own well-being. In this episode, Carly and Joe get real about the not-so-glamorous (but absolutely essential) side of solopreneurship, balancing your business and your life. From scheduling workouts like meetings to curbing doomscrolling and finding yo...