The Self-Employed Life

Some business owners still cling to the old-fashioned idea that quality takes time or that customers will wait due to the demand. In the past, I built my photography brand on these beliefs. But today, customers expect not just quality, but also something else – speed. Today, I'm joined by customer experience expert Jay Baer. With a strong background in research and renowned brand consulting, Jay e...

I fully support our guest's perspective of retiring the term "retirement;" as Dr. Jann Freed aptly puts it, "We are not retiring from life, but moving on to something else." In this episode, Jann and I explore the concept of "Breadcrumb Legacy" - a forward-thinking approach to leaving a meaningful impact. We discuss how legacy isn't just something at life's end, but a collection of intentional act...

When we talk about systems in business, we are most often referring to processes and technology. However, the best and most important systems you can create are around your behavior. By systemizing your behavior, you are able to move forward more efficiently and consistently and that is the way to grow your business.   Contact Jeffrey – Take the Self-Doubt Survey Self-Employed Newsletter Website B...

Here on "The Self-Employed Life," we often focus on businesses with under five team members, and even one-person businesses. Consequently, we don't often talk about scaling. However, regardless of your business's current size, I want to provide you with the opportunity to think big – even " Biggby." Today, I'm joined by Mike McFall as we delve into essential insights from his book Grow , exploring...

Observing my coaching clients and students of the Self-Employed Business Institute, I see far more fear of success than failure. In this episode I break down the fear of success. Why it shows up and what to do about it. It's important the fears associated with success not be thrown into one big bucket.   Contact Jeffrey – Take the Self-Doubt Survey Self-Employed Newsletter Website Books Watch my T...

If you're like most people, when you hear the term "seven figures," you probably immediately think of money. There's nothing wrong with that, except we don't hear as much about the holistic approach it takes to get there. This approach goes way beyond the hustle and focusing on the seven digits of money. In this episode, you're going to hear some of the most practical, down-to-earth, learned-from-...

I recently learned a new term called biomimicry, which is mimicking what we observe in nature and applying it elsewhere – such as in business. This concept aligns with my self-employed ecosystem approach and encourages viewing business as a natural ecosystem. In this episode, I have a fascinating conversation with Matt Treacey, who draws insightful analogies between ecological systems and email ma...

I've often said that recognition is a strategy, not a destination. Few of us want to be stars or celebrities, but smart marketers today understand that recognition is a strategy to build your brand and business. So, how can you leverage social media to build your brand image like a celebrity? Let's find out from someone who's been behind the scenes of some of the most iconic artists' social media...

Generally speaking, the listeners of my show – my coaching clients, and the students of the Self-Employed Business Institute – tend to be pretty gentle marketers. They are driven by purpose, heart-centered, and doing business with a soul. However, they may be too passive in their marketing. To improve their marketing, it's important to advocate for themselves more. In today's conversation with Cal...

In our attempts to reinvent ourselves, reposition our messaging, or work through the next iteration of our businesses, we can have moments of doubt and wonder, "Will this time really be any different?" I share a couple of tools to help you gain confidence that this time can be different.   Contact Jeffrey – Take the Self-Doubt Survey Self-Employed Newsletter Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSqua...

One of the things we self-employed business owners are often unprepared for is being an employer. The independent attributes that make us, us , and the freedom we seek running our own businesses can often mean being an employer doesn't come naturally. We may have never even thought about being an employer when we started our business – that was my case, and it was a big surprise when it came along...

What we, as small businesses, can learn from big companies has nothing to do with mimicking them in any way. But what is important to observe and learn is how they are affecting consumer behavior. Rest assured, they are. And the change of behavior they are creating is also affecting your business in ways that may be less obvious.   Contact Jeffrey – Take the Self-Doubt Survey Self-Employed Newslet...

I truly believe that one of our greatest responsibilities as service providers is to let the world know how we can serve them. Too often, the most purpose-driven, heart-centered and talented change makers are too shy about letting people know how they can serve them. Today I'm speaking with my good friend, Sylvie di Giusto, about the concept of fair advantage and the impact of personal branding. S...

What's the number one reason anyone becomes self-employed? Freedom. Independence. Is it possible for everyone to work and live anywhere they choose in the world? Maybe not, but it may be more possible for you than you think. Today I speak with Stacy Ennis about the importance of location independence as she shares her personal journey of moving around the globe, starting in Idaho and ending in Por...

Being such freedom-seekers, self-employed business owners often aren't prepared to be an employer, but we can find ourselves in that role whether we're prepared for it or not. This is a case of what works for you: your independent thinking can also work against you having to get along with others, whether it's employees, contractors, or clients. On today's episode, I speak with Michael Bungay Stan...

It's built into my sign off that, "you may be in business for yourself, but you're not in business by yourself." You are not alone. You're part of a much larger community, and we need to come together. My guest today, Natalie Franke, has her pulse on self-employment better than most. In today's conversation, Natalie highlights the significance of terminology and how it can impact the sense of unit...

One of the biggest mindset shifts I experienced was at a time when I felt like I had my feet in several different industries and went to all the different industry conferences - coaching, speaking, authorship, podcasting, you name it. The mindset shift was when I realized there was really one business model, and all those roles fell under this one business model: The expert business model. As expe...

Ever feel discouraged? Ever wonder if "this time," this latest attempt of whatever it is you're trying to do, is really going to turn out any different? Of course you have. We have ALL felt these moments of discouragement. There is a way through these moments, whether brief or for what feels like a whole period of life and that's what I share in this episode.   Contact Jeffrey – Take the Self-Doub...

I think there are times in life when we're stuck and we don't even know it, and of course, there are times in life we know we're stuck. How did we get stuck in the first place?   And what do we do to get ourselves out? Today I speak with Cara Brookins about how to end procrastination using her proven system to work with your brain to actually do the work. Cara shares her inspiring experience of bu...

I often refer to myself as a wisdom junkie. I love a good quote or pearl of wisdom, and it never ceases to amaze me how one thing,  one thing said in just the right way at the right time can change everything – or as our guest today says, "we're all one question away from a completely different life."   Today my guest Marc Champagne shares his insights into how to train our minds to work for us, n...