The Soloist Life

You’ve got a bookkeeper, a CPA, maybe even a CFO/strategic financial resource for your business—when and where does personal financial planning fit in? Advice-only financial planner and author Sean Mullaney walks us through financial planning for Soloists: The types of financial advisors Soloists are likely to encounter—how they work and are compensated (and why that matters). The signs that tell...

None of us are immune to transitions—it’s just that they seem start piling up at “mid-life”. Olympic gold medalist and performance coach Joe Jacobi shares his story and how you too can navigate resistance and uncertainty to pursue purpose, performance and impact: What working as part of a two-person boat teaches you about collaboration (and it’s probably not what you think). Why sometimes winning...

A quick Amazon search shows over 50,000 productivity titles—probably because as a society, we are obsessed with being productive. But what does productivity look like for Soloists? My theory—and I’m curious for your experience—is that many Soloists approach productivity a bit differently: My own (positive) experience with the classic Getting Things Done—and what seemed missing for Soloists (hint:...

When you’re focused on building a $100 million business with a co-founder, what could possibly make you peel off to become a Soloist? Consultant Rob Fegan shares how he pivoted from his first business to a highly profitable (and life-enhancing) Soloist consulting practice: Why he transitioned from co-founding and growing their potentially $100 million business to become a Soloist. The value of exp...

That first year after leaving corporate life can be tricky—do you say yes to most every opportunity or niche immediately and start saying no? Strategic communicator Jacqui Miller aced (by any measure) her first year as a Soloist and describes how she made it happen: The surprising first thing she did when leaving her corporate job to start her expertise business. Why she made the decision to niche...

You’ve been thinking about starting a podcast (or are just not happy with how yours is converting into leads and revenue). Prolific podcaster, author and coach Alastair McDermott shares how he created and runs multiple ongoing and evergreen podcasts: Why you’ll need to start before you’re ready (and the advantages of failing faster). How you might use an evergreen limited run podcast to fill a hol...

Moving from a job in big corporate to building a soloist expertise business is a bit of an adjustment. Consultant Mike Ryan turned his sweet spot into a thriving business and last year doubled his already significant revenue—he shares his story: The transition from being a buyer to becoming the seller—and how he built his referral “machine” (hint: cold calling didn’t work). Why he ignored advice t...

Can you build a six-figure advisory business working only 15 hours a week? CPA Erica Goode has—and she describes exactly how she did it (think serious boundaries): The lessons corporate burn-out can teach you about how to construct your own business. How setting rigid boundaries on her time allows her to meet all her work + life commitments. The value of time blocking (and another way to look at p...

Failure can be an excellent teacher—if we’ll only let it! In this solo episode, I walk you through the lessons from a recent failed launch to answer that all-important question: Is it time to quit? Why continuing to pursue a passion project can sometimes masquerade as (business) madness. The dirty little secret almost no one who does public launches talks about. The top questions to ask yourself w...

Dr Amanda Crowell, author of “Great Work: Do What Matters Most Without Sacrificing Everything Else”, tells us how to get to the work we were most meant to do: How to get off the “productivity roller coaster of doom” to make the time for your Great Work. Why your health and happiness make your Great Work flow easier—and how to optimize for them. A few questions to consider if you haven’t quite figu...

LinkedIn Jedi Master (and Founder of the B2B Writing Institute) Sarah Greesonbach shares how she uses LinkedIn to grow her business and relationships--and how you can too. How Sarah managed to build two soloist businesses—one with clients and the other with students—with one LinkedIn presence. Using LinkedIn as a way to develop your point of view and practice your voice with your ideal people. Why...

You’re committed to becoming a better communicator to help your clients more effectively—and to turbocharge your marketing. Has AI complicated or instead simplified standing out with your communications? Consultant, author and writer Jessica Mehring shares the results of her research on the impact of generative AI on communicating strategically: Why even though she writes professionally, Jessica d...

You’ve built a successful consulting practice using methods, tools and frameworks you’ve developed and road-tested with clients—is it time to ratchet up your impact and revenue? Award-winning author, speaker and certification expert Pamela Slim walks through the practical and strategic considerations of scaling your IP. Pam shares her from-the-front wisdom: The benefits of deliberately codifying y...

Choosing a mastermind may well be one of your biggest investments as a business owner—and yet the right one will repay that investment many times over. How can you decide if a mastermind is right for you? In this solo episode, I explain: The three contributing factors that will impact the success you experience with any mastermind. Why you never want to join a mastermind where you’re the smartest...

We tend to live by a set of unconscious rules that we’ve inherited—from our families, our culture, the media and more. But when they keep you tethered to a way of life that isn’t serving your highest good? Award-winning author, speaker and podcast host Heather Whelpley says it’s time to make your own rules. Together, we unpack: The four types of rules we have “inherited” from outside forces and ho...

Podcasting is a proven way to increase your authority, impact and revenue—but how can you produce a podcast that consistently achieves your goals? Lauren Popish, founder of The Wave (podcast editing for women, by women), shows how to clear the obstacles keeping you from starting—or continuing to grow—a purposeful podcast. Lauren shares her story and some frank advice: The two questions that you wa...

Do you cringe at the thought of tax season, wondering what ugly surprises lie in store for you? As fractional CFO to growth-minded business owners (and top podcaster) Shannon Weinstein says “You can’t hot glue and duct tape your numbers forever.” Shannon dives deep into how to set yourself up for a smooth tax season, no matter your business stage: Why collecting good data is an excellent place to...

Today it’s just you and me for a special bonus episode on the cusp of a brand spanking new year. I ask you an important question: how would your life be different if you stopped working on things that drain you and directed that energy to your genius zone instead? Get re-energized and re-inspired by your business for 2024: The four “zones” of activities and why only one is worthy of your focus. Wh...

How can we earn twice as much in half the time, with joy and ease, while serving the highest good? That’s the fundamental question award-winning author and podcaster Jenny Blake set out to answer in both her business and her now classic book “Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business”. Jenny shares some candid insights: The thrills and challenges of moving from a rollercoaster life (high pr...

You’ve made bold moves to get where you are, including having the guts to buck the norm and go solo. But are you still taking new (calculated) risks to build the business and life you’ve imagined? Consultant to open source start-ups—and confirmed risk taker—Emily Omier believes we need to take more risks. Emily shares her gutsy story and what it’s taught her about risk: What happens when you hit r...

Moving from traditional custom projects to productized services can completely change how you run your business: think more revenue, more free time and more joy in your work and your life. No BS Agency founder Pia Silva did it for her own branding agency and now teaches others to do the same. We had a candid conversation about: What happens when your business is successful financially, but not sus...

Selling doesn’t have to be a grind—in fact it can be a joyful opportunity to help your ideal clients and buyers achieve their vision. That’s the refreshing viewpoint of sales maven and Win Without Pitching leader Shannyn Lee. We explore: How to take control of conversations around fees and value (hint: you may need to kick some old baggage to the curb). Developing selling frameworks that define ho...

When speaking about positioning at a conference for creative business owners , a soloist approached me. After pivoting from a multi-employee business during the pandemic, she was pleasantly surprised at how much more she was earning solo. Our conversation inspired me to record this episode to share what is possible for soloists—and we’re not talking unicorns: The journey from something that looks...

You're an expert at one thing that you know the market needs, but you’re feeling tugged to do something else—something that just might be in your genius zone. Do you go for it? Communication maven turned agency matchmaker Rachel Huff did—and she shares her experience. We discuss: The challenges of starting a new business on the cusp of a global pandemic (with two tiny children and no day care). Ge...

How can we do more of what we and our clients and buyers value—and less (or better yet, none) of what we don’t? That’s the focal point of essentialist thinker Katie Burkhart’s mission to evolve the way we work.  We explore: The question to ask yourself before saying yes (and the freedom you give yourself when saying no).  Why work life balance is a myth when what we really want is to int...