Podcast
The Aspiring Solopreneur
Hosted by Joe Rando, Carly Ries · EN
You didn't become a solopreneur to build a business that runs your life. You did it so your business could serve it.
The Aspiring Solopreneur is the twice-weekly podcast at the heart of the Life-First Movement. It's for solopreneurs who believe the business should be designed around life, not the other way around.
Hosts Joe Rando and Carly Ries, co-authors of Solopreneur Business for Dummies, sit down each week with solopreneurs who are building Life-First Businesses and experts who are helping others do the same.
Every episode explores what it really takes to design, run, and evolve a one-person business with your life at the center.
Basically, what we're trying to say is:
Life First. Then Business.
46episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
How A Solopreneur Can Set Client Boundaries Without Sounding Like a Jerk
2w ago00:15:49Tap to summarizeSetting boundaries is one thing. Setting them without feeling like a jerk is another. In this follow-up to their popular boundary-setting episode, Carly and Joe tackle the discomfort head-on and reframe boundaries not as confrontation, but as filters that let the right work through and keep the chaos out.They dig into the boundaries you already have but never formalized, why being available around the clock actually makes you look less valuable, and how to handle the big three: response times, working hours, and scope creep. Joe shares a war story about working until 2 a.m. for a "urgent" project the client didn't evaluate for two months, plus a clever premium-pricing trick that makes clients stop expecting instant replies.You'll also learn simple, drama-free scripts for pushing back on scope creep, the power of starting every project with a statement of work, and why respect has to flow in both directions, even when a client is paying you.In this episode:Why your assumed boundaries are still boundariesThe myth that 24/7 availability equals good serviceHow to set response-time expectations that clients actually respectThe "premium plan nobody buys" pricing strategyCalm scripts for handling scope creep and change ordersSwapping deliverables for budget-conscious clientsEnforcing respect and when to fire a clientWant Joe's statement of work template? Email joe@lifestarr.com with "SOW" or "statement of work" in the subject line.Boundaries won't cost you good clients. They'll reveal which clients were never going to be good ones in the first place.Life first. Then business. 🌟 Featured Resource: LifeStarr Intro for SolopreneursAre you building a business on your own and feeling like you’re going it alone? That stops today. LifeStarr Intro is a free, forever membership built especially for solopreneurs who want real support, real resources, and real community.When you join LifeStarr Intro, you unlock:A vibrant community of like-minded solopreneurs for feedback, encouragement, and connectionThe LifeStarr productivity app (coming soon), built to support your workflow using GTD principles (that’s Tasks, Projects, Inbox that works)Live problem-solving meetups, expert sessions and strategies...and you don’t pay a thingTotal value: $65/month. Your cost? Zero.👉 Ready to stop struggling solo and build a business that works for you? Join LifeStarr Intro for Free
Transcribe →How One Talk Can Generate Opportunities for 15 Years with Ashley Stahl
2w ago00:36:47Tap to summarizeAshley Stahl, career strategist, founder of Wise Whisper Agency, and speaker of one of the most-watched TED Talks of all time, joins the show to break down exactly how solopreneurs can build a powerful personal brand through speaking, without burning out or constantly performing online.In this episode, Ashley shares why "do what you love" is the wrong advice, how to identify your core values as a career filter, and why most people confuse credibility with authority (and which one actually gets you clients).What you'll learn:The difference between your skillset (the what) and your core values (the how), and why both matter for your businessWhy authority, not credibility, is what actually drives client growthThe "islands" framework for building a personal brand onlineHow to write a signature talk with original thinking, even if you've never been on a stageWhy a TEDx talk can generate opportunities for 15+ years after you give itThe structural formula Ashley's team uses to write talks (including word count, page count, and emotional arc)How focusing on one brand channel per year beats trying to be everywhere at onceConnect with Ashley:Website: wisewhisperagency.comBook a call: wisewhisperagency.com/calendarInstagram: @ashleystahl 🌟 Featured Resource: LifeStarr Intro for SolopreneursAre you building a business on your own and feeling like you’re going it alone? That stops today. LifeStarr Intro is a free, forever membership built especially for solopreneurs who want real support, real resources, and real community.When you join LifeStarr Intro, you unlock:A vibrant community of like-minded solopreneurs for feedback, encouragement, and connectionThe LifeStarr productivity app (coming soon), built to support your workflow using GTD principles (that’s Tasks, Projects, Inbox that works)Live problem-solving meetups, expert sessions and strategies...and you don’t pay a thingTotal value: $65/month. Your cost? Zero.👉 Ready to stop struggling solo and build a business that works for you? Join LifeStarr Intro for Free
Transcribe →Commitments vs. Communication: The Mindset Shift Every Solopreneur Needs
3w ago00:15:44Tap to summarizeEver open your inbox on a Monday morning, spend two hours responding to everything, and realize you haven't actually moved your business forward? You're not alone.In this episode, Carly and Joe break down the crucial difference between communication and commitments, and why confusing the two is quietly killing your productivity as a solopreneur.You'll learn the simple three-part structure (What + Who + When) that turns vague promises buried in email threads into trackable, actionable commitments. Joe shares his own journey from losing entire mornings to his inbox to building a paper-based system inspired by David Allen's Getting Things Done, and how that evolved into something even more streamlined.In this episode, we cover:Why treating every message as equally urgent keeps you busy but unproductiveThe difference between communication (talking about work) and commitments (owning the work)The What, Who, When framework for creating clear, trackable commitmentsWhy every commitment needs exactly one owner, never twoHow to track commitments others make to you (the ones most likely to fall through)Using tags and separate lists to filter by context so you only see what's relevantThe 60-second recap habit that prevents miscommunication before it startsJoe's analog card-and-notebook system that kept projects on track for yearsWhether you use a notebook, a spreadsheet, or a dedicated app, the tool doesn't matter, the habit does. Hit play and learn how to build it.Big news: The Aspiring Solopreneur podcast is now in the top 2% of all podcasts globally! Thank you for listening, now help us hit the top 1% by sharing this episode. 🌟 Featured Resource: LifeStarr Intro for SolopreneursAre you building a business on your own and feeling like you’re going it alone? That stops today. LifeStarr Intro is a free, forever membership built especially for solopreneurs who want real support, real resources, and real community.When you join LifeStarr Intro, you unlock:A vibrant community of like-minded solopreneurs for feedback, encouragement, and connectionThe LifeStarr productivity app (coming soon), built to support your workflow using GTD principles (that’s Tasks, Projects, Inbox that works)Live problem-solving meetups, expert sessions and strategies...and you don’t pay a thingTotal value: $65/month. Your cost? Zero.👉 Ready to stop struggling solo and build a business that works for you? Join LifeStarr Intro for Free
Transcribe →The Hidden Cost of Not Trademarking Your Solo Business Name
3w ago00:30:38Tap to summarizeThink forming an LLC protects your business name? Think again.In this episode of The Aspiring Solopreneur, trademark attorney Joey Vitale, founder of Indie Law, breaks down why trademarks are the number one legal risk facing every small business and why most solopreneurs don't realize it until it's too late.Joey shares real stories of entrepreneurs blindsided by cease and desist letters (including one who had to rebrand her podcast in 14 days while on vacation in Hawaii), explains the critical difference between LLC protection and trademark protection, and walks through exactly what you need to know to protect the brand you've worked so hard to build.In this episode, you'll learn:→ Why checking the domain name availability is NOT the same as being legally protected → The difference between an LLC (your "backstage name") and a trademark (your "onstage name") → Word marks vs. logo marks, and when each one makes sense → How to use "intent to use" filing to protect a name before you even launch → Why over half of the 500,000+ annual trademark applications get denied → The three hidden costs of a forced rebrand: time, identity, and your business machine → What a knockout search is and how to run one for free today → Why the TM symbol is helpful but won't save you from a legal challenge → Budget-friendly ways to get trademark protection in place, even as a life-first solopreneurJoey also unpacks the mindset shift that happens when founders receive their trademark registration, and why it's the modern equivalent of taping that first dollar bill to the cash register.Whether you're testing a new business name or you've been operating for years without filing, this episode gives you a clear, actionable roadmap to protect your brand.Resources mentioned:Indie LawUSPTO Trademark SearchJoey's book: Legally LegitLife First. Then Business. 🌟 Featured Resource: LifeStarr Intro for SolopreneursAre you building a business on your own and feeling like you’re going it alone? That stops today. LifeStarr Intro is a free, forever membership built especially for solopreneurs who want real support, real resources, and real community.When you join LifeStarr Intro, you unlock:A vibrant community of like-minded solopreneurs for feedback, encouragement, and connectionThe LifeStarr productivity app (coming soon), built to support your workflow using GTD principles (that’s Tasks, Projects, Inbox that works)Live problem-solving meetups, expert sessions and strategies...and you don’t pay a thingTotal value: $65/month. Your cost? Zero.👉 Ready to stop struggling solo and build a business that works for you? Join LifeStarr Intro for Free
Transcribe →Why Saying Yes Is Costing You the Solo Life You Designed
4w ago00:17:16Tap to summarizeThis episode tackles one of the biggest struggles solopreneurs face: the guilt that comes with saying no. Carly and Joe dig into why so many solopreneurs feel overwhelmed, not because they lack time, but because they keep saying yes to things that don't serve the life they've designed. They introduce a simple but powerful filter for every opportunity that comes your way: Does this serve the life I designed? Not "is this a good opportunity?" or "can I handle this?"They walk through three common scenarios where solopreneurs are tempted to say yes when they shouldn't: the exciting exposure opportunity that eats your time and energy, the high-paying client who drains you with every interaction, and the favor for a friend or peer that chips away at your boundaries. Joe shares a real example of turning down a speaking invitation in Boston, and offers a practical alternative for difficult client situations, adjusting the relationship until the client self-selects out. Carly shares a communication tactic she's learned for declining without inviting negotiation: simply say "I can't right now" and stop there.The episode wraps with a weekly challenge: the next time something lands on your desk that you'd normally say yes to out of habit, pause and run it through the filter first. 🌟 Featured Resource: LifeStarr Intro for SolopreneursAre you building a business on your own and feeling like you’re going it alone? That stops today. LifeStarr Intro is a free, forever membership built especially for solopreneurs who want real support, real resources, and real community.When you join LifeStarr Intro, you unlock:A vibrant community of like-minded solopreneurs for feedback, encouragement, and connectionThe LifeStarr productivity app (coming soon), built to support your workflow using GTD principles (that’s Tasks, Projects, Inbox that works)Live problem-solving meetups, expert sessions and strategies...and you don’t pay a thingTotal value: $65/month. Your cost? Zero.👉 Ready to stop struggling solo and build a business that works for you? Join LifeStarr Intro for Free
Transcribe →How to Build a Solo Business Without Losing Your Peace in the Process
4w ago00:35:25Tap to summarizeAlyssa Rogers is a certified life coach, burnout coach, military wife, and mom who is building her coaching business while still working a 9-to-5. After losing her childhood nanny at just 72, Alyssa realized that waiting until retirement to start living wasn't an option. She decided to create her own path toward freedom and fulfillment rather than settling for the "one day" mindset that keeps so many people stuck.In this episode, Alyssa shares how she accidentally discovered her calling as a burnout coach when her employer required her to get certified as a life coach. She breaks down the three types of burnout (career/financial, relationship, and personal), explains why comparison culture is destroying aspiring entrepreneurs, and reveals what she tells clients to do this week when they're overwhelmed.Alyssa also opens up about the online programs that overpromised and underdelivered, which ultimately pushed her to co-create her own digital marketing program with a built-in AI module that personalizes the experience based on who you actually are, not a cookie-cutter template.In this episode, you'll learn:The three types of burnout and how to identify which one is affecting youWhy your "why" matters more than the business model you chooseHow to do a personal and business audit when you're feeling stuckWhat most online business programs get wrong about mentorship and communityHow to use AI tools authentically without losing your voiceWhy building around your values instead of trending skills leads to sustainable successThe first steps to take when burnout hits before your business even gets off the groundConnect with Alyssa Rogers: TikTok: @freedombeyondburnoutResources mentioned:Henry Ford quote: "Whether you think you can or you cannot, you're right."Cody Johnson's song "Human."Connect with us: Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube. Leave a five-star review to help us reach more solopreneurs building a life-first business.Life First. Then Business. 🌟 Featured Resource: LifeStarr Intro for SolopreneursAre you building a business on your own and feeling like you’re going it alone? That stops today. LifeStarr Intro is a free, forever membership built especially for solopreneurs who want real support, real resources, and real community.When you join LifeStarr Intro, you unlock:A vibrant community of like-minded solopreneurs for feedback, encouragement, and connectionThe LifeStarr productivity app (coming soon), built to support your workflow using GTD principles (that’s Tasks, Projects, Inbox that works)Live problem-solving meetups, expert sessions and strategies...and you don’t pay a thingTotal value: $65/month. Your cost? Zero.👉 Ready to stop struggling solo and build a business that works for you? Join LifeStarr Intro for Free
Transcribe →Ditch the 9-to-5 Mindset: How Solopreneurs Should Really Structure Their Day
May 1400:14:26Tap to summarizeYou left your 9-to-5 for freedom, so why does your calendar still run your life?In this episode of The Aspiring Solopreneur, Carly and Joe tackle a habit most solopreneurs don't even realize they have: building their business around the clock instead of around themselves. If you've ever filled an open time slot with whatever felt urgent (hello, inbox), this one's for you.Carly introduces a simple 3-step energy audit framework you can start using today:Step 1 – Identify Your High-Energy Windows Track your energy (not your schedule) for one full week. Rate each block of time as sharp, steady, or dragging. Don't judge it, just observe. You'll likely discover two to three genuine peak windows per day, and they may be shorter than you think.Step 2 – Match Peak Energy to High-Value Work Once you know your windows, protect them for the work that actually moves your business forward — strategy, revenue-generating tasks, relationship building. Stop spending your best hours on email, Slack, and admin.Step 3 – Structure Your Operations Around Your Rhythms Move recurring meetings, client calls, and contractor check-ins outside your peak windows. Batch low-energy tasks together. Communicate your availability to clients; it's a boundary, not an inconvenience. Build a daily template and default to it.Joe adds a power tactic: use Calendly (or similar tools) to create separate meeting types with different available time slots, one for high-energy meetings, one for everything else, so your schedule enforces your energy plan automatically.Whether you're a morning person or a night owl, this episode gives you a concrete system to stop optimizing your schedule and start optimizing your output.Challenge: Start your energy audit this week. One week of honest observation can reshape how you run your entire business.Key Topics: energy management for solopreneurs, life-first business, the ownership trap, productivity without burnout, scheduling strategies, solopreneur time management, peak performance windows 🌟 Featured Resource: LifeStarr Intro for SolopreneursAre you building a business on your own and feeling like you’re going it alone? That stops today. LifeStarr Intro is a free, forever membership built especially for solopreneurs who want real support, real resources, and real community.When you join LifeStarr Intro, you unlock:A vibrant community of like-minded solopreneurs for feedback, encouragement, and connectionThe LifeStarr productivity app (coming soon), built to support your workflow using GTD principles (that’s Tasks, Projects, Inbox that works)Live problem-solving meetups, expert sessions and strategies...and you don’t pay a thingTotal value: $65/month. Your cost? Zero.👉 Ready to stop struggling solo and build a business that works for you? Join LifeStarr Intro for Free
Transcribe →Why Your 40s and 50s May Be the Best Time To Become A Solopreneur
May 1200:37:54Tap to summarizeHe was fired from 39% of his entertainment industry jobs. Then he turned serial failure into a superpower.John Tarnoff spent decades as a Hollywood studio executive and film producer, getting hired, getting fired, and reinventing himself over and over again. After surviving the dot-com crash, a string of layoffs, and an identity crisis in his 40s, John made a radical move: he went back to school at 50, landed his dream job at DreamWorks Animation, and eventually built a thriving coaching practice helping mid-career professionals take control of their careers.In this episode, John joins Carly and Joe to break down exactly how solopreneurs can apply the same reinvention framework he used, even if they're starting from scratch, feeling unconfident, or struggling with the identity shift from corporate employee to business owner.What you'll learn in this episode:→ Why your 40s and 50s are actually the ideal time to take big career risks → How to turn a messy career history into a compelling narrative that attracts clients → The three pillars every solopreneur needs: superpower clarity, a personal board of directors, and thought leadership → Why "if your market is everybody, your market is nobody," and how to find your niche → How to network authentically when you hate networking → Why confidence comes last (not first) and what to rely on instead → The one daily habit John recommends before anything else, and it's not what you'd expect → Why your identity is never your job title, and how to liberate yourself from that trapWhether you're mid-career and thinking about going solo, already running a one-person business, or stuck in the messy middle of a transition, this conversation will give you permission to stop waiting and start building.Find John: LinkedIn (search John Tarnoff Career Coach)Life First. Then Business. 🌟 Featured Resource: LifeStarr Intro for SolopreneursAre you building a business on your own and feeling like you’re going it alone? That stops today. LifeStarr Intro is a free, forever membership built especially for solopreneurs who want real support, real resources, and real community.When you join LifeStarr Intro, you unlock:A vibrant community of like-minded solopreneurs for feedback, encouragement, and connectionThe LifeStarr productivity app (coming soon), built to support your workflow using GTD principles (that’s Tasks, Projects, Inbox that works)Live problem-solving meetups, expert sessions and strategies...and you don’t pay a thingTotal value: $65/month. Your cost? Zero.👉 Ready to stop struggling solo and build a business that works for you? Join LifeStarr Intro for Free
Transcribe →The Life-First Business Framework: Pricing, Clients & Freedom
May 700:11:30Tap to summarizeMost solopreneurs think their biggest problem is getting more clients. But what if the real issue is that you built the wrong business in the first place?In this episode of The Aspiring Solopreneur, hosts Carly Ries and Joe Rando break down the #1 pattern they see after working with thousands of solopreneurs: people chase clients without first designing a business around the life they actually want to live. The result? Burnout, frustration, and a business that feels like a job you can't quit.Carly and Joe walk through the essential questions every solopreneur should answer before asking, "How do I get my next client?":→ What do I want my days to actually look like? → How much do I really need to earn to fund the life I want? → What kind of work energizes me vs. drains me? → Who do I want to work with, and who are my "energy vampires"?They also tackle pricing strategy head-on. Joe shares a real example of someone who charged $500 for work that saved a company $400,000, and how value-based pricing can transform your income without adding hours. The conversation covers when to raise prices, when to outsource, and why charging by the hour might be keeping you stuck.Whether you're just starting your solopreneur journey or you're deep in the hustle wondering why it doesn't feel right, this episode gives you a practical framework for building a business that supports your life, not the other way around.Key topics covered:Designing your business model around your ideal lifestyleValue-based pricing vs. hourly billingHow to determine how many clients you actually needWhen to consider outsourcing, automation, and AISetting realistic income goals as a solopreneurWhy niching down matters more than you thinkThe difference between making a living and making "too much"Life first. Then business. 🌟 Featured Resource: LifeStarr Intro for SolopreneursAre you building a business on your own and feeling like you’re going it alone? That stops today. LifeStarr Intro is a free, forever membership built especially for solopreneurs who want real support, real resources, and real community.When you join LifeStarr Intro, you unlock:A vibrant community of like-minded solopreneurs for feedback, encouragement, and connectionThe LifeStarr productivity app (coming soon), built to support your workflow using GTD principles (that’s Tasks, Projects, Inbox that works)Live problem-solving meetups, expert sessions and strategies...and you don’t pay a thingTotal value: $65/month. Your cost? Zero.👉 Ready to stop struggling solo and build a business that works for you? Join LifeStarr Intro for Free
Transcribe →Stop Avoiding Your Numbers: Financial Confidence for Solopreneurs
May 500:33:24Tap to summarizeMost solopreneurs got into business to chase a passion, not to crunch numbers. But avoiding your financial data is one of the fastest ways to stay stuck, underpaid, and overwhelmed.In this episode, we sit down with Andy Weins, junk removal business owner, professional speaker, and fractional CFO, who spent 17 years learning (sometimes the hard way) that the answers to your biggest business problems are hiding in data you're probably not collecting.Andy breaks down why entrepreneurship is inherently emotional and illogical, and how that wiring makes business owners uniquely bad at tracking the numbers that actually matter. He shares the story of a graphic designer charging one client the equivalent of $9/hour without realizing it, explains why your "best-selling" product might be draining your profits, and walks through how to build a KPI scorecard, even if you're a one-person operation.He also introduces his 20-20-10 framework: 20 hours working in your business, 20 hours working on it, and 10 hours investing in yourself. Plus, a dead-simple formula to calculate your real billable rate starting today.What You'll Learn in This Episode:— The difference between accounting and financial leadership (and why your CPA isn't enough) — How to calculate customer acquisition cost in three different ways — Why you should start with many KPIs and whittle down to the vital few — The 20-20-10 weekly structure for solopreneurs — A quick formula to find your minimum billable rate using 48 weeks and 20 hours — Why "spite is a hell of a drug" but success is more sustainableResources Mentioned: — Andy's book: Stop Avoiding Your Numbers: The Guide to Financial Confidence for Small Business Owners — Atomic Habits by James Clear — The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey — Connect with Andy on LinkedIn or at AndyWeins.com 🌟 Featured Resource: LifeStarr Intro for SolopreneursAre you building a business on your own and feeling like you’re going it alone? That stops today. LifeStarr Intro is a free, forever membership built especially for solopreneurs who want real support, real resources, and real community.When you join LifeStarr Intro, you unlock:A vibrant community of like-minded solopreneurs for feedback, encouragement, and connectionThe LifeStarr productivity app (coming soon), built to support your workflow using GTD principles (that’s Tasks, Projects, Inbox that works)Live problem-solving meetups, expert sessions and strategies...and you don’t pay a thingTotal value: $65/month. Your cost? Zero.👉 Ready to stop struggling solo and build a business that works for you? Join LifeStarr Intro for Free
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