Podcast
Staying Solo
Hosted by Maggie Patterson, BS-Free Business · EN
Growing a solo service business is tough. It's even harder when you're bombarded with BS advice that steers you away from your values and why you started your business in the first place.
This is the podcast for solo creatives and consultants who want to remain as a team of one and have zero interest in the hustle and grind of typical business teachings.
Most podcasts for solopreneurs and freelancers, hosted by out-of-touch celebrity entrepreneurs who haven't offered one-to-one services in years, miss the mark on today's market realities.
Maggie Patterson, a service business owner for 20 years, understands that to stay solo, you need to know what matters to you, what works for you, and what you should completely ignore.
In each episode, she examines one piece of conventional business advice to discover how it may hurt your business or be completely wrong for you as a solo business owner.
Join Maggie for real talk to help you avoid burnout or the desire to entirely burn down your business to open a flower shop, book store, or cat cafe. (Because those cats won't pay the bills.)
(Formerly the BS-Free Service Business Show)
33episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
From Over It to INTO IT: How to Change Up Your Business Without Burning It All Down
1w ago00:28:19Tap to summarizeWhen you're over your business, it's not that you don't know what's wrong…because you totally do. In this final episode of the Over It series, we're talking about how to stop living in that stuck-in-between place — and start feeling genuinely into your business again. Topics discussed in this episode include: The real reason experienced service providers end up feeling "over it." How survival mode keeps you stuck in reactive business decisions. The difference between strategic change and impulsive reinvention. Small shifts that can make your business feel sustainable again. What it actually takes to feel INTO your business instead of being drained by it. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolo Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo
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You're Still in Survival Mode (And It's Costing You)
2w ago00:17:39Tap to summarizeAt a certain point, the question isn't whether your business works, but whether the way you're running it is destroying your quality of life. In this next episode of our Over It series, we're talking about what happens when your business is technically working, but the way you're running it is quietly wrecking your quality of life — and how to recognize when you've outgrown the survival version of your business. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why do experienced service providers get stuck in survival mode? The difference between burnout and a productivity problem. How people-pleasing and playing it safe exhaust businesses. Signs you've outgrown your current business model. Building a business that better supports your life and goals. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolo Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo
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I'm Sick of Being Booked Out (And Not Making the Money I Want)
3w ago00:16:31Tap to summarizeYou're booked, busy, in demand. And completely over it. Either you're not making enough, or you ARE, but it's costing you your time, energy, and sanity. Either way, the math isn't working. This is the time-vs.-money trap—and no amount of tweaking is going to fix it. In this next installment of our Over It series, we break down why you're stuck here and the shift that actually gets you out. Topics discussed in this episode include: The "time vs. money trap" (and why being fully booked still feels terrible). Why you're stuck at the same revenue level despite working nonstop. How overdelivering, scope creep, and undercharging are killing your margins. Why small tweaks (pricing, efficiency, boundaries) aren't fixing the real problem. The shift that lets you make more without working more. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolo Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo
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I'm Kind of Over My Business (But Nothing's Actually Wrong)
May 400:17:37Tap to summarizeEver feel like nothing's "wrong," but you're dragging your feet, avoiding things, and quietly wondering how long you can keep doing this? So you try to fix the feeling. But the feeling isn't the problem. It's the signal. You're not burnt out—you've just outgrown your business. In this first episode of our new Over It series, we're breaking down what's actually going on and what your next move needs to be. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why "over it" isn't burnout — and what it really means. The Tinkering Trap keeping you stuck. Signs you've outgrown your business (even if it works). Why does nothing you try fix the problem? How to evolve your business without starting over. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolor Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo
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The Future of Service Businesses Isn't Bigger, It's Boring (And That's the Point)
Apr 2700:15:02Tap to summarizeWhen did running a business start meaning it takes over your entire life? Somewhere along the way, "success" became more clients, more offers, more everything… and a lot less time, energy, and sanity. The truth? You've been sold a version of business that was never built for how you actually want to live. In this episode, we're getting to why, if things are technically working but still feel off, it's all the bullshit, and what shifts you can make in your business to combat it. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why "more" (clients, offers, visibility) isn't the answer. The difference between real burnout and misaligned business expectations that mess with us. Why the "myth of more" doesn't work for solo service businesses. What the shift to a boring business that's peaceful, predictable, and profitable looks like in practice For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolo Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo
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Your Easy Yes in Action
Apr 2000:13:43Tap to summarizeYour business isn't hard to sell; you're just making it harder than it needs to be. When your capacity is maxed, "do more" isn't a strategy. It's the problem. In this episode, I'm breaking down the mismatch between your capacity and generic advice—and what to fix so your business becomes an easy yes for your clients (and not a no for you). Topics discussed in this episode include: Why "do more" isn't the fix. The real issue: too hard to say yes. How positioning and offers create friction. What Easy Yes Energy looks like. How to simplify and work within your capacity. 🔥Join the Squad through April 23, 2026🔥 For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolor Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo
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How to Be an Easy Yes Without Being Everywhere
Apr 1300:16:21Tap to summarizeMost service providers think they need to be everywhere, all the time, just to stay visible. So they either force it or avoid it completely. Both paths lead to the same result: not enough clients. In this episode, I'm breaking down the marketing mistakes that keep you stuck and how to shift to an approach that actually creates easy yeses. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why doing "more marketing" isn't the problem and what your marketing should actually be doing. Why showing up everywhere isn't turning into clients. 5 key marketing mistakes blocking your easy yeses, and how to fix them. What it takes to move someone from "interested" to "ready to work with you." 🔥Join the Squad through April 23, 2026 🔥 For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please:. Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolo Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo
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The Easy Yes Energy Blocks Stopping You from Booking Clients
Apr 800:14:59Tap to summarizeDespite what conventional business advice may tell you, if you're not booking clients, it's probably not a visibility problem. More marketing won't fix what's broken underneath. In this episode, we're breaking down the four Easy Yes Energy blocks that stop clients from saying yes and how to fix them so your more of your consults convert into paying clients. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why more marketing won't fix a conversion problem The 4 "Easy Yes" blocks that stop clients from booking. The journey of attention, interest, desire and action you need to take your clients on with Easy Yes Energy. How to deal with these blocks if you're identifying with what I'm sharing. Join the Staying Solo Squad wait list. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolor Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo
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Considered vs Chosen: Why You're Stuck in the Maybe Pile
Apr 600:14:39Tap to summarizeClients are interested—but they're not choosing you. If you're stuck in the "maybe" pile, it's not a sales problem. It's an Easy Yes Energy problem. In this episode, we're getting into why clients hesitate, what most people get wrong, and how to become the clear yes instead of just another option. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why interested clients don't convert and what keeps you stuck in the "maybe pile." Why it's not a sales problem and what you need to do instead. How clients actually decide: the 5-step "consideration journey." The key positioning gaps that cause you to lose leads you never even see. Join the Staying Solo Squad wait list. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolo Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo
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Creating Your Easy Yes Offer
Mar 3000:16:33Tap to summarizeIf your bigger packages have stopped selling, it's not your work; it's your entry point. Clients aren't ready to make big decisions right now. They want something simple, clear, and low-risk to start. That's where your Easy Yes Offer comes in. In this episode, we break down what it is, why most offers miss the mark, and how to create one that your clients actually say yes to. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why are bigger packages harder to sell in today's market? What an Easy Yes Offer is and how it reduces buyer risk. 3 common reasons offers don't sell. The POP framework: positioning, outcome, and process. How to design a simple, high-value starting offer (without underpricing). For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please: Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolor Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo
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