The Road toSolopreneur

Success

— ONE WOMAN SHOP —

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Dear solopreneur:

We’re Cristina and Sara of One Woman Shop, a resource hub and membership community for female solo business owners.

In September of 2015, we ran our first-ever Solopreneur Success Bundle. It was an epic offering, where we brought together 19 contributors to collaborate on a roundup of products worth over $1,500. We sold it $99, but it was available for five days only. (It’s no longer available, but you can grab the One Woman Shop Bundle, four OWS-created products for just $99. Use RTSSebook at checkout for an extra 20% off!)

We built the Bundle to help as many solopreneurs as possible launch, grow, and level up in their solo businesses by offering resources on everything from finances to copywriting and growing an online community to designing a digital retreat. The purpose? To shorten the learning curve for those in our community.

An equally important part of shortening that curve is sharing stories of other solopreneurs navigating the ups and downs of business ownership and coming out better for it. With that in mind, we offered our community the opportunity to share their lessons with us through The Road to Solopreneur Success blog tour.

We asked them to respond to the following prompts:

What area(s) of your business do you struggle with most and what do you plan on changing?

and/or

What area(s) of your business are you excelling at most and how did you get there?

These are their stories. There have been laughs, there have been cries, there have been days spent on the couch binging on Netflix, but most of all? There have been lessons that you, fellow solopreneur, can nod along in agreement with and, most importantly, learn from.

Enough from us — let’s hear it from our 18 contributors. And best wishes on your Road to Solopreneur Success!

Cheers!

Sara + Cristina

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Starting Something? You Need to be Willing to Be a Beginner — Hannah BraimeThe One Thing Every Creative Solopreneur Should Be Doing — Ashley BrooksOn Managing Overwhelm as a One-Woman Business — Indigo ColtonLessons from a Solopreneur — Jill DretzkaThe Sting of Underquoting Never Lessens, But Here’s What I’m Going to Do About It — Christine FunkeThe Road to Solopreneur Success — Jo GiffordHow to Get Off the Self-Pity Train — Shenee HowardThe Road to Success: The Struggle is Real — Lisa JacobsThe Struggle for Work/Life Balance as a Solopreneur — Jackie JohnstoneFrom a Box of Rocks to a 6-Figure Empire — Anna LongThe Conundrum of Being a Solopreneur — Marianne Manthey7 Mistakes I’ve Made on the Road to Solopreneur Success — Shannon MatternThe Road to Solopreneur Success — Jennie Mustafa-Julock#GoingSolo: Hard Parts + Highlights — Laura PalmerThe Road to Solopreneur Success — Natalia RealSolopreneur Success: How I Built a Community of 3,000 Loyal Subscribers — Carrie SmithWho’s Driving Your Bus? — Kerry SwetmomThe Road to Solopreneur Success — Danielle ZieglerClosing

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Table of Contents

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STARTING SOMETHING? YOU NEED TO BE WILLING TO BE A BEGINNER

Hannah Braime — Becoming Who You Are

Everybody has their “thing” about business they find most challenging.

Mine?

Feeling like a beginner. Over and over again.

As a typical type-A raised to believe in results and gold stars, being a beginner has historically been an awkward, uncomfortable and somewhat embarrassing phase to get through as soon as possible. Although this approach protects our ego, it causes problems in business and life.

When I’ve been unwilling to embrace the fact I’m a beginner in my own business, I’ve closed myself off to new opportunities. I’ve avoided doing the work I need to do to improve. I’ve dropped projects prematurely. Hardest of all, I’ve looked back with regret at things I didn’t do for no other reason than because they just felt too uncomfortable.

The fact is everyone starts as a beginner. And, it’s only through being willing to embrace being a beginner that we can find creative fulfillment and joy.

THE FOUR STAGES OF COMPETENCE

Whenever we learn anything new, there are four key stages we go through. We don’t always reach all these stages. Sometimes, what we’re learning isn’t a huge priority. Sometimes, we decide that where we are is good enough. Sometimes, we get discouraged and give up, losing the opportunity to progress to the next stage.

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When we first start out with a new activity or skill, we have unconscious incompetence. In other words, we don’t know much — and we don’t yet know just how much we don’t know!

The next stage, and the one that poses the most challenges for creatives, is conscious incompetence. When we’re in this stage, we’re aware of how much we don’t know. Especially in the initial stages of this phase, however, we might not yet know how to change that.

If we’re willing to do the work, eventually we will move to consciouscompetence. This is where we are more competent in what we’re doing, but we still need to think about it to get it right. Although we can feel buoyed by progress, the amount of energy this stage takes can be draining.

Finally, if we stick with it, we reach the stage of unconscious incompetence. This is the hallowed stage where the skill or activity in question becomes as natural as riding a bike. It becomes second nature and something we can do on autopilot.

But our journey doesn’t end there.

Growth is a constant process. If we want to keep growing and improving ourselves and our business, we’re going to keep cycling through these four stages. Once we’ve reached conscious competence in one stage of our business, as soon as we decide to level up, we’re going to be thrown right back into unconscious incompetence again.

SO, HOW DO WE GET COMFORTABLE WITH BEING A BEGINNER?

1. Remember the stages

I’ve found it helpful just remembering the stages of competence and realising “Oh, I’m in the conscious incompetence phase right now and that’s why this feels so hard.” I also know that if I’m willing to keep going, then it will start to get easier.

When I’ve been unwilling to embrace the fact I’m a beginner, I’ve closed myself off to new opportunities.

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2. Deliberate practice

In his book, So Good They Can’t Ignore You, Cal Newport talks about the importance of deliberate practice. This is the kind of practice that stretches us past our comfort zones and invites feedback on our performance. It’s not comfortable, it’s not always fun, but it’s necessary to move to the next stage of competence.

3. Be open to detours

Remember: there isn’t just one right path to a destination. When life and work get challenging, it’s tempting to look at other people and assume they’re further ahead than we are. Appearances, though, can be deceiving. Whatever path you’re on is the right path for you, so embrace it and make it your own.

Over to you: How do you deal with being a beginner in life and work?

THE ONE THING EVERY CREATIVE SOLOPRENEUR SHOULD BE DOING

Ashley Brooks — Brooks Editorial

I’ve been writing and editing professionally for nearly three years. I guess that’s long enough for people to think I know what I’m doing, because I get emails all the time from aspiring editors who need advice on breaking into the freelance world (also known as “creative solopreneur” to those of us who like fancy job titles).

I still don’t feel like I have it all together, but I know I’ve come a long way since I started working from my living room couch back in November of 2012.

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Every single month of these three years has felt like walking through the woods in the dark: constantly stumbling, occasionally falling down, never knowing exactly where I’m headed.

But looking back, I can see a clear path that took me to where I am today. (Gotta love that hindsight, right?) Now, when people ask me for advice on the freelance world, I know there’s only one piece of advice service-based creative solopreneurs need:

Build relationships.

Relationships are the reason for nearly every single paying client I’ve ever had. This is good news for you: Anyone can build relationships. You don’t need investor money or an MBA or fancy analytics. You just have to be able to connect with other people.

But as any kindergartner knows, making friends is hard sometimes. These are my top five tips for building relationships that can boost your freelance career (and leave you with new friends!).

5 WAYS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AS A CREATIVE SOLOPRENEUR

1. Network in person

Networking events are every introvert’s nightmare, but they don’t have to be as torturous as you imagine. Search your area for casual events that place a high priority on fun — meetups that happen at bars or other local hotspots are a good bet. Bring a friend along so you don’t have to stand awkwardly by yourself, then get in there and mingle!

2. Create or join an online community

Online communities are the perfect option for freelancers who are crunched for time or don’t have many options for local networking events. Social media is a good place to start — get your foot in the door with Twitter chats or Facebook groups! You could also join an online membership community, like One Woman Shop or the Influence Network. Don’t forget about blogs! Commenting on other bloggers’ posts is a low-pressure way to strike up a friendship. Foster engagement in the comment section of your own blog, too.

Looking back, I can see a clear path that took me to where I am today.

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3. Tell people what you do

You never know who might be looking for someone who does what you do, so don’t be shy about sharing your freelance job title. The next time you meet someone new or reconnect with a friend you haven’t seen in awhile, mention that you’re looking to take on a few more clients. You’ll be at the top of their mind if they hear of anyone who could use help from a freelancer like you!

4. Support others

No one wants a friend who only talks about themselves all the time. Back away from the self-promotion and focus on building up others. Sharing a blog post, spreading the word about a friend’s new business, or sending a simple note of encouragement are all easy ways to take yourself out of the spotlight and make the relationship a priority.

Remember, relationships aren’t about using people! You should sincerely care about the people you’re connecting with — even if you only know them online.

5. Start a referral program

Finding clients is no small feat. Leverage the clients you do have by setting up a referral program. Offer clients a discount on their next project with you if they refer a new client who books with you. (If you’re in an industry where clients usually aren’t recurring, like wedding photography, try offering a $50 cash bonus instead.)

Many freelancers shy away from referral programs because they think they can’t afford it. But you’re not losing revenue if you gain a new client — especially if that client sends even more people your way!

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IS ALWAYS WORTH IT

Building relationships takes time. (I’ve been in this for three years, remember?) This isn’t going to be a get-rich-quick scheme. But building lasting friendships alongside a successful freelance business is well worth the up-front effort. If you’re looking to start your own freelance journey, this is where you need to start.

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ON MANAGING OVERWHELM AS A ONE-WOMAN BUSINESS

Indigo Colton

When it comes to running a business, there are many things that you need to have in place: an editorial calendar, social media accounts, email (newsletter + your own inbox), clients/customers, etc. The list goes on and on. And the one thing that results from writing out every single thing you need? Overwhelm.

At the time of writing, I’ve been running my own business for a little over a year. It’s a world that I fell into entirely on accident, so I wasn’t really sure how to get everything running smoothly. For months and months I worked with inefficient systems, read every article I could find on running a business between my classes (did I mention that I also go to college full time?), and have experimented like nobody’s business to try and get a handle on everything that I need to do.

But it isn’t always easy. Especially when there are many, many demands for my time, and yours.

One thing that I’m really working on going forward is managing my overwhelm. Because it’s just me running the whole business — doing everything from booking clients to accounting to blogging to sharing things on social media. And while I’ve gotten good systems in place, it’s still slightly overwhelming on the best of days.

My goal is to create these same kinds of boundaries for myself, so I can make sure that I’m taking care of myself and not looking at every single thing I need to do all at once.

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SO HOW AM I GOING TO MANAGE MY OVERWHELM?

1. Batch my to dos

Basically, I’m going to be blocking out 1-2 hour blocks every week to do certain tasks. So maybe Monday I spend two hours doing administrative tasks, Tuesday I spend one hour scheduling social media updates for the rest of the week, etc. This allows me to know exactly what’s happening when, and to be able to give 100% of my attention to the task at hand.

One action you can take: What tasks do you do every single day/week for your business? Can you pencil in one block of time to knock it all out at once instead of doing them whenever they come up?

2. Set clear boundaries

In all of the contracts I send to my clients, there are very clear boundaries. I lay out when I’ll be available via email, how the sharing of deliverables is handled, etc. My goal is to create these same kinds of boundaries for myself, so I can make sure that I’m taking care of myself and not looking at every single thing I need to do all at once.

One action you can take: Where can you set up firmer boundaries in your life? Maybe when it’s time to do client work, you close everything on your computer that isn’t related to that task to keep yourself from getting distracted. Maybe you take every Friday off so you can relax.

3. Track my time

Another thing that I’m trying to get better at is knowing just how long it takes for me to get something done. I track my time for my clients, so why not make myself a client and do the same? That way I’ll be able to see where I’m being inefficient (spending three hours outlining a paper is not the best use of my time) and where I can improve (how can I streamline the outlining process so it’s only taking 15-30 minutes?).

One action you can take: Set up an account in Harvest and track your time for one week. This means everything from making coffee to writing a blog post! At the end of the week review your report and see where you’re spending too long on a task and where you can improve your time management skills.

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LESSONS FROM A SOLOPRENEUR

Jill Dretzka — Spark + Influence

From the age of five, my mom always told me I did my best work when I have a consistently full plate. She’s right: I feel more in control and more focused when I am slammed with work, school, sports, music, etc. I have a need to be challenged; to be learning constantly. I think I picked a pretty challenging yet rewarding career.

The road here has been a tough one. There isn’t a single day that goes by that I don’t learn at least three new things. I love being a solopreneur, but it hasn’t always been easy.

I would say without a doubt, my biggest business struggle has been pricing/valuing how much I am worth. There are dozens of factors when putting together a price for a client:

• How much time will it take? • How much money do I need to make to meet my financial needs? • Is this a project I want to do? (I just had an awesome discussion about this recently.) • Does it require extra resources?

For me, even after almost five years I still get a knot in my stomach every time I send a price out into the universe. The results vary, but you typically get someone who accepts right away, someone who walks away without negotiating, or the negotiators. The reason this is the biggest struggle for me is because I feel like when I send a price out there I am saying, “This is how much I am worth” and that is a humbling and scary feeling.

When you work alone, sometimes it is hard not to attach your self -worth to that price tag. As much as I hate to admit this, the ones that say, “That’s way too much, you’re gouging me” — those words stick with you and can make you feel gun shy the next time. But that’s where we have to change!

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So how do I plan to change this? I try to provide as much value as I can. I want every person that reads my proposal to be like, “Wow, I get all this for $XX!”

Also, you have to believe! Believe in yourself, believe in your worth and know that you are worth the money you are asking for.

Last, but certainly not least, try to not take it personally when people don’t agree with your pricing. Much easier said than done, but if you can do that, you’ve set yourself up for a stronger next proposal!

On the flip side, I would say the thing I excel at would be putting myself out there and connecting with businesses and other entrepreneurs. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when you are running a business, the best thing you can do for yourself is set up an amazing community around you. I have friends, family, clients, accountability partners, and business coaches that I talk to on a weekly basis that are the single biggest success I have so far as a business owner.

Being a solo business owner has helped me find my purpose in life. It gives me a reason to get up in the morning. It makes me believe I can change the world and I wouldn’t give it up for anything. Find your passion; the rest will fall into place!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when you are running a business, the best thing you can do for yourself is set up an amazing community around you.

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THE STING OF UNDERQUOTING NEVER LESSENS, BUT HERE’S WHAT I’M GOING TO DO ABOUT IT

Christine Funke — Spark Virtual Assistance

One of the worst feelings to have as a freelancer or solopreneur is that moment you realize you totally underestimated the scope of a project and you’re going to have to do a lot of work for free. Ugh.

It’s a fairly common problem and arises from unforeseen but acceptable complications or a lack of experience in doing that kind of work. It’s a bummer all around, but with the former you usually can negotiate with a client to increase the project fee or adjust the scope; when it’s the latter, you’re probably stuck.

Lack of experience can be a tough hurdle to overcome when you’ve changed careers or are just getting started at a new job. Feelings of inadequacy or frustration can prevent you from seeking new clients, trying new things or even continuing on as a solopreneur.

MY JOURNEY IN SELF-EMPLOYMENT

In 2014, I started my own business working as a virtual assistant, and while I had experience doing online marketing tasks from other jobs, working for myself and being responsible for the content and strategy of my clients was all new for me.

It’s been a lot of underquoting and a lot of Googling.

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I can estimate that at least half of my projects for the first year were underquoted in terms of the time I needed to get the task done. I track my time and it’s disheartening to see the clock keep running, but the end is far from near. How could I get it so wrong?

While the sting of that moment of awareness never loses its potency, I’ve managed to change the way I think about my lack of experience.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AS I DO

When you don’t know how to do something, how do you get it done?

I’m a visual and tactile learner, so first I read about it, then I do it. After a few times, I can say I’m fairly proficient. With client work, the process of trial-and-error gets a bit trickier.

The new way that I think about taking on new tasks, is that when I underquote a project and then need a lot of extra time to learn more or try it out (usually somewhere else besides on the actual client’s content), instead of getting disheartened I accept that this is my hands-on learning time. I shoulder the buffer of trying something new and my client still gets their deliverables.

Yes, it still stinks when I don’t get paid as much as I’d like, but honestly, the next time someone asks me to do that task, I’ve got a better idea of how long it’ll take, plus I won’t need as much time to learn it completely new. The uncertain feelings have roots in perfectionism (shouldn’t I just be able to do this perfectly from the beginning?) and that may never go away, but having a different mindset has made me feel less stressed.

THREE THINGS TO WORK ON This adventure of being self-employed is extremely fluid. Each day is different and it depends solely on me to make it into what I want it to be. Outside factors like an accountability buddy or a great community can support you

This adventure of being self-employed is extremely fluid. Each day is different and it depends solely on me to make it into what I want it to be.

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and give guidance, but my confidence and experience is what will make me successful.

As I go into my second year of business, there are three things I am committed to doing:

1. Keep taking on new projects to learn new things

I’m extremely grateful that I get to work with amazing clients who put their trust and confidence in me to do good work. They provide me the opportunity to try new tasks and I need to be open to all possibilities and run with them!

2. Invest in my education and skills

I’ve worked with a business coach and attended lots of free webinars. I’m doing a web design professional certificate program and a few self-paced courses here and there. All of these, plus all of the freebies, ebooks, and resources available from knowledgeable and talented solopreneurs like me around the web will only help me develop my skills and build up my experience. Use them!

3. Give myself a break

As most of us are, I am hard on myself when it comes to the decisions I make with my business. Making mistakes is a part of business and I need to give myself some wiggle room. Rethinking such a yucky process of underquoting as a positive way to advance my skills will surely be a turning point in my professional life.

Here’s to learning new things!

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THE ROAD TO SOLOPRENEUR SUCCESS

Jo Gifford — Dexterous Diva

Success is whatever you deem it to be.

As solopreneurs, we might all have very different definitions of “making it.”

It might be: • your first 10k month • your first media write up • your first sell out e-course

Whatever it is, it is likely to be deeply personal.

Whatever your definition is, make the realisation of it tangible, enjoyable, and trackable to celebrate each moment.

MY IDEAS

For me, my goals as a solopreneur were always to love what I do, to inspire others, to make life better for my family financially, and to teach my daughters about the power of self-employment for women.

Beyond those, on a very practical level, I wanted to build a career for myself that allowed for my family, for my health issues, and for my personal development as a human being.

I can certainly say I achieved those goals, and seek to deepen them daily.

I was a childhood entrepreneur, with a colourful, multi-passionate and multi-directional portfolio career that followed. The experience of going solo is something I am proud of, and I treasure the experiences that I collect along the way.

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MY GOALS

When I started out, success meant quitting the 9-5 and having my own freedom.

My next goal was to make enough to pay the rent and to feed myself sufficiently well. (Yep, being an entrepreneur can make and break you!)

Next up, my goal was to travel more, working as I went, and to enjoy the flexibility of my new freedom-based lifestyle.

My goals along the way have been to increase my readers and audience, to be featured on certain sites, to become talked about, respected, and well known as a leader in my field.

As each day, week, month and year passes, my goals change, as do my definitions of success.

My aims on the vision board change regularly, as I reach new levels of my own version of success. My financial goals become higher as I become comfortable with more clients and products, a bigger audience, more opportunities for collaboration, and a higher profile.

RISK AND GROWTH

As my goals become larger with more challenges, risks and exposure, there is more scope for failure and vulnerability as I progress. Embracing those risks, in your own time, brings growth.

My goals for success are always linked to my goals for myself as a person — after all, mindset and the choices we make are at the heart of everything we do in life, which applies to business in every sense.

Going solo and making it — whatever that might mean to you — always requires that you love what you do enough to keep learning, growing, and rebuilding yourself after each failure.

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• It takes guts to go solo. • It takes courage to be visible, to put your soul and your name on the line as you make your living. • It takes daily habits, actions, choice, and failure to have success. • It takes continued learning, mentors, masterminds, resilience, investments, highs, lows, and everything in between to continue on this road.

Going solo and making it — whatever that might mean to you — always requires that you love what you do enough to keep learning, growing,and rebuilding yourself after each failure.

It means igniting your own brilliance, committing daily to being the best self you can be, and to keep on truckin’.

HOW TO GET OFF THE SELF-PITY TRAIN

Shenee Howard — Hey Shenee

As part of the Road to Solopreneur Success blog tour I chose to talk about something I work on every day.

Forgiveness.

AKA — “Hey girl, stop beating yourself up and move on already.”

So many of my clients (oh, and me, too) spend a lot of time beating themselves up over things.

Why am I not famous yet?

Why haven’t I done this?

Why did I post that?

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Why, why, why?

It is easy to get caught up in feeling sorry for ourselves for the things we don’t have, the mistakes we have made and the things that just didn’t work out.

For every achievement and big awesome thing I accomplish, I focus on the 100 other things that need to happen next. I obsess over the mistakes and the people I made upset along the way. Every win is just a brief exhale before disaster strikes.

This is, of course, the way most people are when they are just starting out. The learning curve is steep, and you are just trying to make something happen. But staying this way can be bad for your health.

Boy, do I know it.

This is so important because if you stay in this mode, your business doesn’t make you happy. You are just surviving, which is not the point.

Maybe you’ve experienced this too. You have a launch, and it fails. You don’t necessarily stop having launches all together, but you are cautious, glitchy and paranoid about it. You overthink it. You stop trusting yourself to make decisions. You get in a funk. Why launch? Why am I even here? What is the point?

You somehow manage to figure something out, but then you find yourself in the same place two months later.

Recently something happened in my business that was so traumatizing; I didn’t think I would come back from it. I even had an email planned. An official goodbye to biz for good.

Dear People Who Read This,

I CAN’T DO THIS SLKDMGSG.

It got that far because I had spent so much time beating myself up and

It is easy to get caught up in feeling sorry for ourselves for the things we don’t have, the mistakes we have made and the things that just didn’t work out.

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obsessing over things that I could not see the light on the other end, just dark.And when you can’t see the light, you can’t move forward in anything.

The most obvious answer is gratitude, but gratitude has never been active or official enough for me. I needed something I could do — a ceremony of sorts, to clear out the bad juju and feel-bads and start fresh.Forgive but not forget.

Learn but not dwell.

Take action but not out of panic or regret.

Behind the scenes, I’ve been designing little projects to help with those invisible things we need. The things we have to do in order to make our businesses happen in reality and not just in our heads. The things nobody really sells. This is one of the first ones I’ve designed, and I actually used it the other day.

I call it the “Get Out of the Clusterfuck of Feelings” project.

Goal: Clear out the mental clutter, stop feeling sorry for yourself and give yourself a new, shiny, clean slate.

Step 1: Detox

Unsubscribe. Unfollow. Stop looking at everyone’s greatest hits. It is bad for your feels. I usually go digitally dark for at least 24 hours while I work through the project. You might need more if you are deep in the hole.

No, you are not missing anything.

Step 2: Write yourself a letter

Have you ever read Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed? It is by far the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read. People send her the most gut-wrenching letters, and she sends the most amazing responses that are full of forgiveness, love and acceptance. It is truly one of my favorite books. Anyways, I’ve been writing myself letters as a way to process the things and feel better. I simply ask for what I need and what I think will make me feel better, and then I put on my advice hat and answer. Gamechanger.

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Step 3: Create a “never the hell again” list

Now that you wrote your letter, what are the things you’ve learned? What will you never do again? What would you do differently? Write it and file it away. Don’t look at it now, just have it somewhere so that when you start your next thing, you know what is up.

Step 4: Do nothing for a while

The digital space does not allow a lot of time for breaks. It is easy to feel like if you don’t do that you’ll somehow get left behind. I like to give myself “nothing time.” This is the time you can take to do your final wallow in self-pity. Give yourself a time limit. After you feel your feels, you gotta brush yourself off and leave that thing behind.

Step 5: Just figure out your next three steps

This is my policy from bouncing back from anything. You don’t have to think big picture. You shouldn’t. Just get through the next three. And the next three. And the next. This has been huge for me bouncing back from my thing. I just eat one piece of pie at a time and eventually I’ve finished the whole thing.

That is how we forgive, accept and truly move on.

Phew. Deep breaths. That was some heavy stuff.

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THE ROAD TO SUCCESS: THE STRUGGLE IS REAL

Lisa Jacobs — Marketing Creativity

WHAT AREA OF YOUR BUSINESS DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH MOST AND WHAT DO YOU PLAN ON CHANGING?

I really love this question, and it turned the writer in me on right away! On my blog, I share a lot of creative business issues I’ve already worked out, and I can always relate to your struggles because I’ve been through them myself.

I rarely share my current struggles in business, but trust me, I’m always facing a few. A creative business is demanding. You make it all up as you go along! You don’t know where next month’s paycheck is going to come from; you’ll figure it out next month. You don’t know what’s going to sell or what’s going to fail. You don’t know if you’ll get paid for the forty hours you’ve already invested into your products. It could be all for naught.

Every once and a blue moon, I’ll share something that’s really bothering me on the blog, but again, it’s very rare. I love that this prompt came at a time when I’m struggling with something I wasn’t ready to share.

“Great people do things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it. Doing what you’re afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks like that — that’s what life is. You might be really good. You might find out something about yourself that’s really special and if you’re not good, who cares? You tried something. Now you know something about yourself.” — Amy Poehler

I love the quote above because my biggest struggle behind-the-scenes is taking risks that I need to take in order to grow. That may sound funny coming from a person who gives speeches on all that I would do “If I knew I could not fail,” but bear with me, this story runs a little deeper.

For about a year now, I’ve been acutely aware that I am bottlenecking my

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business by being the person who does all the writing, designing, production, marketing and customer support.

Sometimes, people insist on keeping their problems.

Did you ever have a friend who was going through a hard time, and you supported her, listened to her and tried to help her work it out? But the next day, she called back with the exact same problem still unresolved. She repeated the same questions and needed you to give her the same advice all over again.

Suddenly, you realize your friend is on a continuous loop with her problem because she doesn’t mind keeping it. We sometimes get very comfortable with our obstacles, for one reason or another:

• We like the nurturing attention it brings from the outside world • We’re addicted to the dramatics an unsolved problem adds to our life, or (most likely) • We feel overwhelmed, uncertain and too scared to take the first step in the right direction.

Nothing upsets me more than when I catch myself keeping problems.

Still, something’s holding me back.

While I can physically do things (with my time and energy) that scare me and feel like risks, I still battle my fear of investing large amounts of money (anything over $500). For instance, I was deathly afraid of launching the Movers & Makers retreat which required a hefty investment up front.

Long before the Energy Shop and Marketing Creativity (both opened 2010), I was trying my hand at blogging (but I didn’t really know what blogging was), and I created a lifestyle website (but I didn’t know what that meant yet). I’d never heard of WordPress or Blogger, so I used a website builder to create a place where I could talk about recipes, raising children and building a happy home; all of the things I love about being a stay-at-home mom.

I had maybe two readers, and they were both members of my family. About five articles in, I decided I wanted to host a private retreat (much like the Movers & Makers Summit). I had no readership, let alone an email list. Still to this day, I wonder: Who did I think was going to come?

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It was on the delusional side of the above “Start before you think you’re ready” advice. I was following the “If you build it, they will come” mentality that I now heavily advise against. To kick off my plan, I booked a conference room and blocked 10 suites at a 5-star resort on the waterfront of Chesapeake Bay, Maryland with a non-refundable $1,000 deposit.

It didn’t take long for me to realize the mistake I’d made. I lost $1,000 of my family’s personal finances on that grand idea. It was an error that taught me a lot about online business, humbled me greatly, and (subconsciously) still holds me back.

Even though I’ve learned so much about business in the last decade — even though I’ve since brought a lot of money home from my work — I’m still scared of taking big risks that could potentially cost my family’s finances.

There I said it. I’m scared.

However, keeping your problems is the equivalent to chasing your tail or running on a hamster wheel. If you don’t use your complaints to learn what needs to change in your life, then you’re getting nowhere fast.

We’re worth so much more than our problems.

I’m telling you, it’s the secret to your success. Just start solving your own problems. Alleviate your own complaints. You don’t know how? Learn. Somebody’s done it before, and you can do it, too.

I look around at my peers, my partners and my affiliates, and I realize that the one thing we all have in common is this: We stuck with it. We kept building. When we were faced with an issue, we too complained, but then we examined the obstacle and hurdled it.

Creating your own business is not easy. You have to do a lot of things that you’ve never done before. And for many, as soon as the paved road ends, they stop traveling toward the destination. You have to want your destination so hard that you’re willing to carve your own path.

However, keeping your problems is the equivalent to chasing your tail or running on a hamster wheel...you’re getting nowhere fast.

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Burnout.

Sure, you’ve heard warnings from other entrepreneurs but it’s something that happens to other, less driven people, right? You’re a hustler. An achiever. A get.shit.done-er.

You work seven days a week. You always have a course on the go to help you write/market/sell/network better. When you’re not working, you’re reading business books or listening to business podcasts. And you probably spend more total time in business Facebook groups than you do socializing with real friends.

How do I know?

Because that was me in the first two years of solopreneurship.

In the beginning, that single-minded focus and drive was a huge asset. It takes a lot to get a new business off the ground.

And it was so exciting! All I wanted to do was work on my business: get my website up, find those first clients, write blog posts and guest posts, do webinars, etc. It was so easy to fall into a pattern of working 10 hour days, rarely taking weekends off and being permanently on with social media and email just a click away on the smartphone.

But just a few months before my two-year biz-versary, despite a full client load and having just wrapped my best quarter ever, I found myself in tears on the phone with my business coach.

In the beginning, that single-minded focus and drive was a huge asset.

THE STRUGGLE FOR WORK/LIFE BALANCE AS A SOLOPRENEUR

Jackie Johnstone

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I was wrapping up my biggest launch ever but I felt terrible. The entire launch I’d felt like I was pushing a heavy boulder uphill, I had too much to do and not enough time to do it in and I failed to meet the big goal I’d set for myself.

I was feeling frustrated, spent and completely devoid of motivation.

That’s when, thanks to a few wise words from my coach, I first realized I couldn’t keep working the way I had been. I was burning out.

Woah.

THE WAY BACK FROM BURNOUT

After taking some time to reflect and talk through how I was feeling with my business friends and a life coach, I realized it was time to slow waaaay down.

I stepped away from social media, blogging and active marketing, simply running my business in a kind of “maintenance mode” while I made time for ME, outside of my business.

It took two whole months before my motivation really came rushing back, bringing with it a bunch of new ideas I was actually excited to get to work on.

So I’m back at it — with a few new boundaries:

• I take at least one full weekend day off. (Sometimes the entire weekend!) • I finish work by 7pm. (I do occasionally work later but I balance that by starting later that day or the next.) • I don’t schedule anything on Fridays. (I usually end up working for a few hours, but it feels really nice to have that day completely open to do what I like.) • I take a proper lunch break. (At least 30 minutes, and no eating next to my laptop.)

These are helping a lot but I’m not perfect and I don’t have it all figured out.

So this is a work in progress but I am much more aware of what the path towards burnout looks like so I can catch myself if I start walking down that way again.

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When I was five, I set up shop at the end of my gravel driveway in Idaho. I was intent on selling rocks to farmers passing by (roughly 20 cars a day…woohoo!). You could say that was my first forray into the world of entrepreneurship, as well as my first “pity sell” from the farmer down the road who definitely got a kick out of my business idea.

I’m 32 years old now and I’m currently running three businesses (one online, one offline, and one blended). I’m set to hit six figures this year and I’ll be honest with you: It hasn’t been an easy ride.

WHAT WERE MY BIGGEST STRUGGLES?

My biggest struggles have never been around creating or strategy. They have always been more around finding my identity within my business and getting comfortable marketing without feeling queasy.

When I launched my first brick-and-mortar skin studio (that I have since sold) I struggled to figure out who I wanted as clients (shouldn’t I just want anyone?), then I struggled with writing my copy, designing my website and marketing. Actually, what didn’t I struggle with?

But it was those exact struggles that pushed me to learn more about business, get creative with my marketing, and get comfortable helping others on their biz-building journey. Through those struggles, Electric Empire was born and now I’ve had the pleasure of helping over 150 solopreneurs (mostly women) create, grow and profit from their passions.

A business is just a business if it doesn’t support a passion or a thrill within you that is deeper than simply making money.

FROM A BOX OF ROCKS TO A 6-FIGURE EMPIRE

Anna Long — Electric Empire

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WHAT IS MY SECRET WEAPON FOR SUCCESS?

I think that my secret weapon for success has been my persistence (despite all the cry sessions and self-doubting) and surrounding myself with free and paid resources to further my education and point me in the right direction.

When I created Electric Empire, I told myself that I would create the ultimate experience for new entrepreneurs struggling to build their empires. It’s not perfect and it’s about to get another face-lift, but I’m stoked to have been a part of so many people’s journeys and money-making adventures!

MY ADVICE TO YOU?

Keep at it and never stop reflecting on what you desire most!

A business is just a business if it doesn’t support a passion or a thrill within you that is deeper than simply making money.

Also don’t be afraid to throw in the towel once in awhile if it helps you get closer to the deeper, more soulful vision of what you want your life to look and feel like. Just because one idea, program or creation didn’t work out, it doesn’t mean that the next one won’t!

When I am asked why I started my online business, I usually tell people that I do it so I can eventually quit my job. My main motivation, besides connecting with and helping other women, is the ability to dictate my own schedule so that I can have more time with my family.

THE CONUNDRUM OF BEING A SOLOPRENEUR

Marianne Manthey — Design Your Own Blog

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But building a business while working a full time job is hard to manage, especially when you have a family to take care of. Managing all those balls in the air without losing either your family or your business is an incredible task.

I have two big fears: one is that if I don’t work hard enough, my business will fail and I will never be able to leave my job and have the freedom to spend more time with my family. The other is that I will work so hard that I will not have a family left to spend that freedom with when I get there.

The latter almost came true a few weeks ago during our family vacation.

As many of you know, I spent about six weeks this summer on a redesign of my website. Then (because I’m crazy) I thought it would be a good idea to do seven giveaway posts in seven days immediately following the launch and preceding a two-week vacation. To top it off, I also had an article deadline due during the first week of said vacation.

I worked myself to the bone the first few weeks of August. I worked late every night and pulled an all-nighter the eve of the launch, which ended with me getting physically sick, complete with fever, chills and body aches. My body had had enough!

But I still had those seven posts to write, seven emails to send, and that article deadline. A smarter person would have told her audience that the seven days of giveaways would have to be postponed. In retrospect I’m sure you guys would have understood.

But what did I do?

I did them anyway. I stayed up late every night when I should have been resting and the next week I worked into the first five days of our vacation. On the last of those five nights, as I was fighting to stay awake to complete my deadline, my husband finally snapped. He’d had enough!

I really can’t blame him. He had been so patient up to then and I had totally taken advantage of it. I had promised him that I would not work on vacation and yet here we were five days in and I was staying up late to work again.

And guess what? The world didn’t end, and neither did my business.

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THE LESSON

I’m happy now to say that my husband and I ended up working it out, but I learned a really important lesson this summer: It’s not okay to become so obsessed with your business that you sacrifice your family for it.

Building a business as a solopreneur is a delicate balance, especially if you’ve got a day job and a family to boot.

Opportunities may be lost, but boundaries must be drawn. After that fateful night with my husband, I shut my computer off and didn’t turn it back on for five full days. I’m pretty sure I went through withdrawals at first but after a day or two it became liberating. It felt so good to unplug!

And guess what? The world didn’t end, and neither did my business.

Since then, I’ve been working on drawing boundaries so I don’t burn out, get sick again or lose my family. It’s really hard not to work all the time, but I have to find that balance: my family and everything that I love depends on it.

I haven’t done anything more exciting and fulfilling in my life than start my own business. That might seem like a bold statement considering I’m happily married, with one beautiful dog and a wonderful extended family…but it’s true.

Helping other people to overcome something that comes easy to me is very rewarding. I watch how they take what they’ve learned from me to help others in so many areas of their lives — building confidence, accepting their bodies, coming to terms with who they are, decluttering, exploring their creative side,

7 MISTAKES I’VE MADE ON THE ROAD TO SOLOPRENEUR SUCCESS

Shannon Mattern — WP+BFF

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build businesses, improve their finances, homeschool their kids, bring them closer to their faith, improve their health and wellness. The list goes on and on.

At the same time it’s extremely fulfilling, it’s also quite humbling. I just teach WordPress — they are teaching people how to change their lives!

As I look back on the past several months since I first launched WP+BFF, I’m filled with gratitude. And I also think of things I could have done differently. Not that I regret any of the decisions I’ve made along the road to solopreneur success — they are all opportunities to learn and grow — but if a mistake I made can help you grow that much faster, I’d love for you to learn from it!

Mistake #1 – Not setting boundaries

I created a Facebook group to help my BFFs work through my free video tutorial series — which is the best thing I’ve ever done for my business because there’s no better way to interact with your community. But (there’s always a but) I was so eager to help and to position myself as an expert that I was in that Facebook group 24×7 — so much so that I had major anxiety when I couldn’t be online. “What if someone needs something and I’m not there to answer it? What if they go somewhere else for help? What if they tell people that I’m not responsive?”

I set the expectation from the start that you’d get an answer to your question within an hour. And I still have a day job that pays me to work for them between the hours of 8am – 5pm. If I could go back in time, I’d set the expectation that I’d be in there answering questions twice a day, and now that’s exactly what’s happening. But it took some time to reset those expectations.

Mistake #2 – Waiting too long to join a mastermind group

Just because I’m a one woman shop doesn’t mean I have to carry the weight of this business on my shoulders. I had come across One Woman Shop while researching ways to grow my business, perused their membership and didn’t do anything.

A few months later I was nominated for their 100 Best Sites for Solopreneurs list. I perused their membership again and did nothing.

Then I saw how much money I was blowing on Facebook ads vs. how much

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traffic I was getting from that one blog post on their site and thought, “Hmm… maybe my $30 a month would be better spent on a One Woman Shop membership since it comes with ad space…”

I didn’t know that it came with a monthly accountability group and one-on-one coaching. (Editor’s note: Coaching is now a stand-alone service.) So I took advantage of that right away – and the very first thing Cristina and Sara helped me to do is set some boundaries (and they gave me language to use so I wouldn’t feel like a total asshole), gave me some tools and ideas to automate more and work less, and activate my community to help me market.

Seriously, they need to raise their prices. And you should join One Woman Shop before they do.

Mistake #3 – Creating a product that’s more advanced than where my audience is right now

I started with a free 5 Day Website Challenge that teaches how to build a WordPress site from scratch to grow an email list. Then I built a course called WP*OMG – Operation Marketing Genius which teaches how to build an online course or membership site and how to create all the marketing sequences to automate getting people into the course.

Sounds like a logical next step, right? Wrong. I miscalculated. It launched to crickets. People need more help after they build their first site. There was too big of a gap between where my people are right now vs. where they will be when they need to create an online course or membership site or sell something. They need to hone their services, develop their brand, grow their list. They weren’t ready for OMG — even though they said they wanted it. I went too far past where they were.

Mistake #4 – Not sleeping enough (see #1)

Staring at a computer screen all day makes my eyeballs hurt. I shouldn’t be doing it. And I’m starting to see way more lines around my eyes and it

I’ve got some lofty goals for my one woman shop, and I’ve got quite a ways to go to reach them.

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has nothing to do with me turning 36 this year because I wouldn’t be aging at all if I was getting my beauty rest. (That’s what I like to tell myself, anyway.)

I’m in bed at 9 but I’m probably not asleep until 10:30–11. (Especially if The Profit comes on CNBC...I’m obsessed with that show right now.) Then I’m up at 5:30 to work out and work before I go to work. Insert lots of caffeine and it’s no wonder I can’t keep track of where I’m supposed to be when. (I may or may not have driven downtown for a meeting on the wrong day.) I’m still making this mistake. #workingonit

Mistake #5 – Spending too little time with my family (see #1)

I might be in the room or car with my husband, but I’m certainly paying zero attention to what he’s saying when my nose is in my Macbook or glued to my iPhone. Countless times he’s been talking to me and I listen to the first five words, then start typing again, then realize he’s waiting for a response and then say “Wait, what was that again?” I try to feign misunderstanding, but he knows the truth — I just stopped listening.

He’s certainly supportive of me, but if I don’t stop doing this I think I’ll end up very regretful down the road. Because in my head nothing is more important than family, especially my husband, but my actions certainly don’t show it. #workingonit

Mistake #6 – Focusing on money and not on people (see #1)

This totally has to do with boundaries and a lack of confidence and clarity around my offer. I have people tell me all the time that they wish there was a way to pay me for the 5 Day Challenge. Or for the support they got from me in my Facebook group. And I would think man, if I had even charged $10 for the 5 Day Challenge I’d have $10,000 dollars.

Or if I create a course and sell it for $297 and I have to sell X courses to make X dollars — then I spend all my time creating that course and zero time nurturing and interacting with my group — and it all goes to shit. My list literally stops growing; I’m not even kidding. Then when I go back to helping people, my list starts growing again. This has happened at least three times since I started.

Mistake #7 – Not paying for shortcuts

I have a tendency to want to learn everything about everything and do it

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all myself — and I really think it’s important to learn the tech that runs your business (duh, that’s what I teach!) but once you learn it and understand it, it doesn’t always make sense for you to keep doing it.

I’ve been using Photoshop for a hundred years (okay, like 10) but that doesn’t make me a graphic designer. One of the most important things I’ve done for my business is to hire a graphic designer. A couple of them, actually.

And instead of spinning my wheels and spending a ton of time on trial and error to figure out how to write sales copy or put together packages and services, I’ve invested in courses that will help me get there faster and do a better job. I know it’s scary to spend money when you’re just starting out, but you must prioritize learning the skills that will support your business as you grow — and sometimes that means paying for a course.

I’ve got some lofty goals for my one woman shop, and I’ve got quite a ways to go to reach them.

I’ve got a lot to work on, and I’m sure I’ll create many more opportunities to learn from my mistakes as I move forward. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to screw up!

On September 1, 2006, Live Audaciously (the original name of my business) was born.

On that day, my wife and I bought my first Mac computer (an iBook – remember those?), set it up, and wrote an ad for my services. We posted the ad on Craigslist and in the Presidential Management Fellows listserv… y’know, before social media was a thing we thought that CL and listservs were the height of sophistication. I got my first client almost four months later.

THE ROAD TO SOLOPRENEUR SUCCESS

Jennie Mustafa-Julock — The Audacity Coach

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At the end of that month, I got a “temporary” job (pfft) at The Container Store as my side-hustle while I took my coaching practice from a glorified hobby to an actual business. In those early years, I mentally quit 2-3 times a week, but somehow found resilience and kept going. Eventually, I started making some headway, figured out how to get clients, built some group programs, wrote a book, launched another side-hustle (oh how I miss Hungry Entrepreneurs), started speaking and hosting workshops, created the Audacity LAB, blogged, podcasted, co-authored ebooks, and so much more.

Of everything that I’ve tried to create in my business, the area where I most excel is community building. When Facebook Groups became a thing — thank you, Zucky — I leapt at the opportunity to bring my clients together. Up until then, my clients never had opportunities to connect with one another. I was instigating Audacity in all these individuals, but they were not benefiting from any shared experience of leveling up. And sure, there were (and still are) forums on websites and Yahoo groups and things like that, but Facebook Groups were revolutionary for one very obvious reason: everyone was already on Facebook, constantly.

My Audacity LAB (aka League of Ambitious Badasses) has been around for just two of my nine years and it’s helped me more than quadruple my business in that time. In the LAB, I have a daily opportunity to demonstrate what I do without any barrier to entry. I also create opportunities for my paying clients, past clients, and future clients to hobnob and learn from each other. And let’s face it, I’ve also found a way to make playing on Facebook an integral part of my job. How cool is that?!

If you’re thinking about starting a community around your work, do it. Yesterday, if not sooner. I promise it will be a game changer for you. Just look at what it’s done for Sara and Cristina at One Woman Shop!

In those early years, I mentally quit 2-3 times a week, but somehow found resilience and kept going.

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#goingsolo has been going strong for almost 12 months now.

The truth: It’s been the most difficult + most fun 12 months of my 32 years of life.

THE HARD PARTS

The snooze

I’ve spent a few days of #goingsolo life in sweatpants. I’ve pushed the snooze for a full 1.5 hours some mornings. I’ve admittedly felt only 10% motivated on occasion. Some days of this solopreneur life I feel downright lazy. Combating the snooze isn’t always easy, but I remind myself, daily, that good things come to those who hustle (and bust their booty outta bed and into a pencil skirt).

#GOINGSOLO: HARD PARTS + HIGHLIGHTS

Laura Palmer — xo-lp

To say that building my business has been a roller coaster ride is putting it mildly. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

You know, they say it takes 10 years to become an overnight success. Well, I just wrapped up year nine.

Through my Audacity LAB, I’ve started a movement…and I’m just getting warmed up!

Prepare accordingly.

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The fear

Confidence is contagious, but sometimes as a solopreneur, things get a little dicey. The doubt monster is a legit threat to success and particularly on a snooze day: sometimes that fear can creep in and cloud your success metrics. I’ve worked on building my own flock of strong, thoughtful, pick-me-up kinda gals that help me push through the fear days and get back on track. Confidence is contagious, yes, and sales is really just an exchange of that confidence. There’s no time for the fear, you guys.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

The clients

Most days I share my morning coffee with Matt & Savannah, but sometimes that’s the only meeting I have all day. My favorite part about self-employment is handing over illustrated work that delights my clients. It’s not without its challenges of course, but client feedback, the “I love the lines, but can that be green” & “this is exactly what I pictured, now can we add text?”, is my favorite. My job feels like one giant collaboration, daily.

The mobility

Since marrying my sweetheart in March, we’ve been able to see 22 states in our sweet country. That’s 22 new places, 22 spotty wifi stops, 22 trips together, experiencing new foods and fishing streams thanks to self-employed mobility. Being able to pick up my laptop, my markers, two Moleskines and a few stamps and know that my office is coming with me to Moab? It’s amazing. There’s nothing more fun than the freedom to spontaneously relocate for a week.

The creativity

Everyday I am drawing. Now I likely was doing this before, but I can’t recall a time in my professional career where I was drawing this much (it’s a lot). I used to look at drawing as my “outlet” but with self-employment, my hobby turned into my money maker. I thought that might drain my Sharpie, but instead, I’ve been more prolific than ever. All the Moleskines = full.

I’ve worked on building my own flock of strong, thoughtful, pick-me-up kinda gals that help me push through the fear days and get back on track.

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I’m gonna get real here, because my last name is “Real,” yo (been waiting 2.5 years to put that gem in my blog).

Let’s talk about solopreneur success + struggles — what are they and how do you get to what you want? And who the hell am I, of all people, to tell you about these things, anyway?

I’ve discussed the lessons from my first and second years in biz as a full-time solopreneur already; this is a little different. Let’s talk about struggles and crawling our way out of that dank cave of misery into the bright, smells-like-flowers sunshine of success.

THE ROAD TO SOLOPRENEUR SUCCESS

Natalia Real — Website Hero

And the way I see it, it’s up to me to make the decisions that will put more Xs in my successes column than in its gloomier counterpart of a column.

The freedom

Remember when you were 14 and all you wanted to do was enjoy life’s simple pleasures: binge watch the 90210 marathon, eat ice cream in bed, play your music too loud and have other people say your drawings are “so cool.” Many days of #goingsolo include all of the above.

One asset to my flock: the gals at One Woman Shop.

Cristina + Sara are solopreneurs helping other solopreneurs, offering a community of ladies resources to help fight the doubt monsters and embrace the freedom of a #goingsolo life.

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THE BAD: STRUGGLES

We all know them and/or have heard of ‘em:

• Nobody to tell you what to do = the potential for too many naps + Netflix• Inconsistent income — you could go from $1k to $9k in a month…and then

back again• Nightmare clients — didn’t take heed when you sensed red flags? Didn’t

set firm boundaries? That’s when they get ya• Unpaid vacays and sick days• [Sh*tty] work/life balance• Plateaus• A dearth of clients — slow seasons, an illness that interferes with marketing

efforts and suddenly nobody’s knocking at your virtual door

THE GOOD: SUCCESS

We also have the best-case scenario. When things are going so well and smooth and cheesecake-delicious that pretty much every moment is bliss.

And depending on your own, unique definition of “success,” this can look like whatever you want:

• Nobody to tell you what to do = the potential for too many naps + Netflix (yup, same as the first struggle I listed!)

• Working in your PJs — can I get a woot woot?• Knocking it out of the park with your new course and being monumentally

proud of + pumped about it• Choosing who to work with — I’d love to have drinks or brunch with most of

my clients• Choosing when to work — I tend to work late nights and sleep during

mornings• You shape your income — I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s doable• You shape your year — take your vacation whenever you want• Location independence — I’m based out of Miami but have worked from

cities including New York, Paris, Stockholm, and Buenos Aires• Watching your kids grow; no late nights at the office• Free-free-free-freeeeedommmm to shape your life the way you want

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MY PERSONAL ROAD TO SOLOPRENEUR SUCCESS

I’ve personally gone through many of the aforementioned struggles and also celebrated many of the successes.

And the way I see it, it’s up to me to make the decisions that will put more Xs in my successes column than in its gloomier counterpart of a column. Useful steps I’ve taken to this effect include:

• Getting more sleep — we’re not robots, just accept it• Eating well — I had cookies for breakfast last week and it literally ruined my

whole damn day, I was like a tired, cranky kid til nighttime• Exercising regularly — I’m stronger and more energetic• NLP (neurolinguistic programming) — cuz y’all got issues, yo (including

yours truly) so deal with ‘em• Prioritizing my social life — cuz working weekends was depressing the hell

out of me, and studies consistently show that personal happiness is mostly contingent on social relationships, not wealth or other such factors

• Creating a source of passive income so I can relax more when I travel (and travel more) — I’ve got my DIY Website Maintenance Course done and am brainstorming a second course for 2016

• Giving my sales funnel(s) a boost — with email autoresponders, Facebook ads, guest posting, a consistent social media presence, etc. so I can spend less time actively marketing myself

• Always helping — not only is it fun and good karma, but it also reminds people that you exist and that you can help them, so they’ll be more likely to approach you when they need your expertise

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Since launching this blogging business in the summer of 2011, I’ve always focused on one thing: community. Instead of “networking” like everyone else advises, I spent all my time building relationships, both online and offline.

I went to in-person workshops, meetups, and conferences. I met people for coffee, Skype dates, and group mastermind chats on a regular basis (and I still do this every month!). I interact on Twitter and reply to comments and share feedback. Not because I’m trying to get something from them, but because I actually care!

Over the years, I’ve built up a community of 3,000 loyal subscribers, and over 25,000 readers visit my blog each month. Here’s how I did it.

CREATING A SPAM-FREE COMMUNITY

Two years ago I launched what is now called The Careful Cents Club on Facebook. It’s basically a free group for freelancers and solopreneurs who are looking for a safe space to ask questions, offer advice, and share their accomplishments.

As a member of The Club you get access to the weekly newsletter, book club, and fun freebies. We also have a weekly Freelancer Feature where we highlight a different freelancer who has reached an amazing milestone (like quitting their day job, or getting mentioned in the press).

The reason I started this private group is because I believe that a supportive freelance community can help you get through any obstacle, and you should be able to access something like this for free.

SOLOPRENEUR SUCCESS: HOW I BUILT A COMMUNITY OF 3,000 LOYAL SUBSCRIBERS

Carrie Smith — Careful Cents

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I tried joining LinkedIn groups, but they were full of self-promotional links and spammy stuff — no one really cared about each other’s success. Then I tried Google+ communities and other Facebook groups, but they made me want to run away within a month.

So I gave up and started my own group.

SHARING ACTIONABLE ADVICE EVERY WEEK

Another aspect to the loyal community of readers that I’ve created around Careful Cents comes in the form of a weekly newsletter. I don’t just share a blog post blurb or links out to random articles, I send out personal stories, tips, and advice on topics that I’m dealing with in that moment. And most of the content isn’t published anywhere else.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m very big on offering spam-free resources, and the weekly newsletter is no different. I’m a real business owner and encounter the same obstacles you face every day, and this is what I share in my emails each week. My newsletter has a 35% open rate (which is unheard of in the financial industry and business sphere).

BUILDING A TRUSTWORTHY TEAM

The backbone of my business is built with a community in mind, and this includes dedicated team members who help keep things running smoothly.

Over the past four years I’ve hired a Community Coordinator, two different Assistant Editors, a PowerPoint expert, a tech guy, a VA and other contractors for various jobs.

I’m by no means a one-woman show! There’s absolutely no way that anyone could (or should!) do all of the business tasks themselves, which is why it’s important to outsource work to team members you trust.

In addition to hiring contractors on a regular basis, I also work with highly motivated freelance contributors who share their personal stories of quitting

I’m a real business owner and encounter the same obstacles you face every day, and this is what I share in my emails each week.

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Kerry Swetmon — System Envy

Two years ago I realized that I had built a successful business that really wasn’t fulfilling me at all. It was a crushing realization, actually. And I went on this painful exploration (which was really an evolution) to find out how I ended up where I was. What I discovered was one of the most important life lessons I’ve ever learned, and I’m pretty sure I’ll continue to confront it forever. Fear can get in the way of a lot of things and in my case, it lead me to go the safe route, to follow the money and do whatever “they” said I was supposed to do as a new business owner. So it was fear that lead me astray. Fear I had to conquer in order to live my purpose and create a business being of service.

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” — Joseph Campbell

How would you live if you had no fear? Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of rejection. Fear of going broke. Fear of being alone. Fear of humiliation. Fear of regret. Fear of success. Imagine for a second what your life would look like in the absence of fear.

As frustrating and oft-debilitating as it can be, the emotion of fear actually serves an important purpose. It often acts as a compass and keeps us from doing things blindly or compulsively. For example, fear keeps us from

their jobs and being freelance business owners. This allows for different perspectives, more ideas, and continues fostering the community here on Careful Cents.

FOSTERING CONNECTIONS

I’m extremely proud of the dedicated community I’ve built around my blog and brand. It’s taken several years, many late nights, and lots of email conversations, but I know many of my readers by name and am genuinely interested in seeing them succeed. Financial obstacles are very difficult to overcome, and even more so when you don’t have the support you need. This is why I work every day to create a trustworthy and spam-free space for freelancers to overcome their financial mountains.

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jumping in front of a train or running into a burning building. However, fear also keeps us from other spiritually beneficial callings. And it is here where courage takes center stage. What would you do? Where would you go? What would you say? And best yet…who would you be?

So, what of courage? Too often we don’t give ourselves credit for being courageous. I’m not referring to the acts of pure adrenaline involved with, for example, lifting a car to save someone’s life. I’m talking about the courageous acts we do to fight through a kind of “darkness” in order to uphold some part of our fundamental truth. The darkness can represent anything about which you feel unsure, insecure, shy, and anxious or any other suppressive emotion. There are, essentially, three options when you find the darkness sprawled out in front of you. You could advance, head-first into the unknown which stands between you and your truth. You could turn around and retreat from the darkness. Or, you could skirt the edges of the unfamiliar path and attempt to find some passive way of making it to the other side. However, the latter two will undoubtedly lead to a dead end.

Our truth will not be quiet. You might ignore it, but it will always be there, begging to be made known. But not without the presence of courage. It is courage that drives the truth bus.

Courage battles the darkness on the path to your truth. And courage is the best defense against the imaginary fears [we deem] lurking along the path. Courage will be your partner in reclaiming the powerful truth you were meant to emanate. You see, courage is born of love and compassion. It seeks truth and justice and it doesn’t care what might happen if you battle the darkness. Courage wants what’s on the other side of the unknown. Courage is driven by personal conviction. Being courageous means putting yourself on the line and standing up for what you know is right and true.

Learning to be courageous is simple, but not easy. The first step is to acknowledge what’s inside of you. Don’t quell the very things you know in your heart. Listen to the whispers; accept what you’re being shown. Own and uphold what you were put on this Earth to do. And know there is no real point in avoiding the darkness. Fulfillment lives on the other side.

Imagine for a second what your life would look like in the absence of fear.

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THE ROAD TO SOLOPRENEUR SUCCESS

Danielle Ziegler

WHAT AREA(S) OF YOUR BUSINESS DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH MOST AND WHAT DO YOU PLAN ON CHANGING?

Around two years into my business I started thinking about hiring an assistant. I’ve hired a few subcontractors here and there, but now at nearly three years in, it’s becoming more urgent. It can be very challenging to give up control of something you’ve built from the ground up.

I’ve been working on an audit of what I do every day and within my business so I can pinpoint my weakest areas and delegate those out, as well as streamline repetitive tasks. Included in the weakest areas are also things that I just don’t feel energized doing.

For example, while I love writing, certain projects drain my energy, so I’ve started working with a copywriter on some of these projects. I also have a developer to help out with the more technical things that I just honestly don’t want to take the time to figure out.

While being a one woman shop is a wonderful thing, it’s okay to get help when you need it. Hire the coach, invest in the e-course, or delegate your weakest areas to others who excel in them.

Don’t be held hostage by fear. Let your purpose prevail.

This has been a hard lesson for me to learn and I’m still challenged, often on a daily basis. But, as mentioned above, fear must be challenged. Today, I have a business that is fulfilling and powerful, helping my dream clients leverage and scale their business. And it’s because I looked fear in the face and kept going. It’s not perfect, and I don’t always win the fear war, but I’m getting stronger.

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I also struggle with work-life balance. It doesn’t exist in a consistent way that people might imagine, but give-and-take is definitely necessary.

I’ve started implementing “no-work-weekends.” If I feel a little overwhelmed on Friday before 5pm-ish, I’ll make an organized to-do list to get started with on Monday. Then I try to disconnect as much as possible. I find myself more energized and productive on Monday mornings this way.

WHAT AREA(S) OF YOUR BUSINESS ARE YOU EXCELLING AT MOST AND HOW DID YOU GET THERE?

I have a solid client base of amazing women right now. I’ve built most of my client base from referrals from current or previous clients, offering flexible/customizable service plans + providing helpful content on my blog. It took consistent work and attention to detail with each client to get here.

As mentioned above, I’m at a point where I need to start hiring help and I also have some big, slightly change-of-direction plans for the upcoming months.

I’m far enough into my business where I have a better idea of what I want to work on most. A business like this is ever-changing, but after some time you start to figure out what works best for you and your tribe.

When I started, I offered both business coaching + holistic health coaching. While I still incorporate the importance of health in entrepreneurship, I haven’t offered health coaching for quite some time. This was mostly a demand-based decision, but also just a natural evolution as I wanted to get more involved in helping other coaches reach more people.

One of the best parts of running my business so far has been the relationships I’ve formed with my clients, my tribe, other entrepreneurs/bloggers. It sounds a little cliche maybe, but it’s been so true. It’s important to keep the mindset of community over competition. We all bring different strengths to the table, so we can do amazing things if we work together and support one another.

While being a one woman shop is a wonderful thing, it’s okay to get help when you need it.

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One Woman Shops:

There you have it — lessons learned from 18 solopreneurs on this (somewhat bumpy) road to solopreneur success. The journey isn’t always straight up sunshine, and no two paths look the same. But remember this: As solopreneurs, we get to wake up every day knowing we’re creating a business and life we love. Cheers to your own lessons learned on the road to solopreneur success!

Cristina + SaraPS: Quick reminder — As a thank you for downloading this ebook and taking the time to learn from our incredibly honest contributors, we’re giving you 20% off the One Woman Shop Bundle, four OWS-created products (valued at $204) for just $99. Use RTSSebook in the discount box at checkout!