Breaking Solo Podcast

Are your low prices costing you more than they bring in? Shella Gardezi learned the hard way that undercharging doesn’t make clients see you as a great deal. It makes them see you as an employee, and then they hand the strategy work to someone else.


Shella runs Words Plus Design, an agency that helps entrepreneurs build visibility through SEO, public relations, and digital PR. She started out in journalism, moved into marketing, and then launched her own business after a three-hour daily commute. Her former employer became her first client.


In this episode of Breaking Solo, you’ll hear:

• Why charging for your value sets you up as a strategic partner instead of a vendor
• How posting on LinkedIn moved her from web design into authority content and PR
• Why she would start with recurring monthly services if she were starting over today
• The lean tech stack that runs her business: MailerLite, Systeme.io, Zapier, and more
• Her energy-based daily routine
• How to test your business idea, and line up bridge income, before you quit your job

If you’re ready to stop competing on price and start building real authority, this conversation is for you.


🔗 Connect with Shella: words-design.com






BIO






Shella Gardezi is a public relations strategist, former journalist, and content marketing expert with more than 20 years of experience helping entrepreneurs, authors, coaches, and small businesses increase their visibility and credibility.Drawing on her background in journalism and marketing, she helps clients uncover compelling stories, position themselves as industry authorities, and earn media coverage that drives trust, traffic, and business growth. Her work has helped clients secure media interviews, strengthen their online presence, and attract more aligned opportunities.


Website


https://www.words-design.com (https://www.words-design.com/)


Social Media Links


https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellagardezi/https://www.instagram.com/wordsplusdesign/https://www.facebook.com/wordsplusdesign


Freebie Giveaway Link


https://guest-posting-template.subscribepage.io

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Do you know what AI is telling people about your business right now?


Bryan Eisenberg has spent 30 years helping businesses get found, understood, and chosen. He and his brother coined the term conversion rate optimization, wrote New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers, and worked with brands like Dell, Disney, and Google. Today, he'd rather work with owner-operators.


In this episode of Breaking Solo, Bryan explains why buying has nothing to do with your sales process, and why your quirks and lived experience connect with people more than any trend. You'll hear how a 2008 funding collapse left him "277 pounds of frustration," how he reclaimed his health twice, and why two focused hours beat fourteen depleted ones.


Bryan also talks about writing books across every publishing model, and why you don't make money from the book, you make money because of it. He shares how he uses Claude as his "first employee" to cut hours of podcast promotion down to minutes. And he explains why the window to fix your AI story is closing fast.


Connect with Bryan: Find him on LinkedIn, where you can download his free guide, What Does AI Know About You?


Bio


Bryan Eisenberg is the co-founder of BuyerLegends and DataTurk.ai, and an award-winning, internationally recognized authority in marketing to today’s customers. A pioneer in digital analytics, conversion rate optimization, persuasion architecture, persona marketing, buyer narratives, and customer experience, Bryan has spent decades helping businesses craft stories that drive action.As a bestselling author, Bryan has co-written “Call to Action”, “Waiting For Your Cat to Bark?”, “Always Be Testing”, “Buyer Legends“, “Be Like Amazon: Even a Lemonade Stand Can Do It” and The Rice and Beans Millionaire. His books that have appeared on the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, and Business Week, and Amazon bestseller lists. His latest is “I Think I Swallowed an Elephant: The Stories We Sell, The Success We Build.”At his core, Bryan is a navigator of transformation, someone who sees the hidden patterns in data, human psychology, and storytelling, and helps businesses and individuals rewrite their narratives for success. With his ability to “grok” complex ideas and distill them into clear, persuasive strategies, he has influenced industries ranging from e-commerce and SaaS to local service businesses.


Website


https://www.bryaneisenberg.com/


Social Media Links


http://www.linkedin.com/in/bryaneisenberghttps://www.facebook.com/bryan.eisenberghttps://www.instagram.com/bryangroks


Freebie Giveaway Link


https://www.bryaneisenberg.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Elephants-Toolbox-Print.pdf

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What happens when the client you gave eleven years to hits pause without warning?


For Jeanne Tan, that moment, along with losing her husband to pancreatic cancer in 2020, forced a hard truth: she'd been running a business while thinking like an employee. In this episode of Breaking Solo, Jeanne shares how she stopped trading hours for someone else's stability and repackaged her expertise into the Sales to Search SEO framework, a program-based offer built for entrepreneurs.


You'll hear why rankings and AI citations don't automatically turn into sales, and why Jeanne believes building your brand and a community of buyers should come before chasing keywords. She also gets honest about the inner work behind the pivot. She talks about breaking a lifelong habit of waiting for the "perfect conditions," confronting procrastination, and handwriting her goals every morning to stay anchored to her why: her three kids, including a son with autism.


If you've wondered whether it's okay to stop doing one thing and start something new, this conversation is your permission slip.


Connect with Jeanne: Search "Jeanne Tan SEO Consultant" on Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn. You can also find her Sales to Search SEO Mastermind and Google Me 30-Day Challenge on Skool.


BIO


Jeanne Tan is a conversion-driven SEO Consultant and the creator of the Sales-to-Search™ SEO framework. She is passionate about helping fellow solopreneurs and niche businesses sell even before they r ank on search and AI engines.


Websitehttps://jeanne-tan.com/Social Media Links


https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanne-tan/https://www.facebook.com/jeannetan.seo.entrepreneur/https://www.skool.com/authority-founders-seo-circle-2106/about


Freebie Giveaway Link


https://jeanne-tan.com/sales-to-search-seo-gift/

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What if the thing that keeps your business alive for four decades isn't a niche, a funnel, or a framework — but plain curiosity?


Lisa Bastian has been working for herself since the late 1980s. She started Bastian Public Relations while raising a young son, back when a woman who worked from home was too corporate for the playgroup moms and too domestic for the corporate clients. She's written for national magazines across 30 industries, flown to the Netherlands and northern France on economic development press trips, carried a federal badge as a background investigator for 10 years, held a Texas PI license, served as an IABC chapter president, and — a year and a half ago — launched Tropics Lifestyle Coffee, a niche gifting brand she describes as home decor disguised as coffee.


In this episode, you'll hear why she stopped chasing money and started chasing fit, and what that decision cost her before it paid off. You'll get her actual tech stack, including the lifetime-deal platform she's used for three years to run a Shopify business on a solopreneur budget. And you'll hear her take on AI: use it hard on the back end, keep it far away from your customer.


If you've been waiting to feel qualified before you try something new, Lisa's answer is simple. Rush right in. You're not going to break it.






Lisa Bastian is an award-winning journalist, entrepreneur, publisher, and public relations professional whose career spans more than 40 years. She has written more than 1,000 published articles, earned numerous communications awards, served as a magazine editor, operated a long-running public relations agency, conducted federal background investigations supporting some of America's most sensitive missions, and founded multiple businesses. Throughout her career, she has interviewed leaders across industries ranging from healthcare and economic development to travel, tourism, and business. Known for her curiosity, research skills, and ability to identify emerging trends, Lisa brings a unique perspective on reinvention, storytelling, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning. She believes some of the most valuable business lessons come not from theory, but from decades of observing how successful people think, adapt, and solve problems. THEN SUGGESTED short intro from this: Today's guest is Lisa Bastian, an award-winning journalist, publisher, entrepreneur, and former federal background investigator. Over a career spanning four decades, she's written more than 1,000 articles, earned dozens of professional honors, interviewed leaders from around the world, and built businesses across publishing, communications, and e-commerce. Lisa joins us to discuss reinvention, using AI without fear, entrepreneurship, curiosity, and what she has learned from a lifetime spent studying successful people and organizations.


Website


https://www.tropicslifestylecoffee.com (https://www.tropicslifestylecoffee.com/)


Social Media Links:


LinkedIn / https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisabastianfacebook / https://www.facebook.com/Tropicslifestylecoffee/instagram / https://www.instagram.com/tropicslifestylecoffee/

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What if the "law of attraction" is actually doing women entrepreneurs a disservice?


Donna Price, founder of Compass Rose Consulting, works with women entrepreneurs on building more profitable, efficient businesses that make a bigger impact — for their clients and the world. She went solo after five years managing an outdoor education camp, working 16-hour days with a two-year-old at home and realizing something had to change. Inspired by a mentor who made building a coaching business look easy, Donna fell for the classic "if you build it, they will come" myth — only to discover her mentor's success was built on years of local professional connections Donna simply didn't have yet in her new community.


In this episode, Donna gets candid about the expensive mistake nearly every solopreneur shares (a hard drive full of programs promising to be "the one" that changes everything), why she now helps clients build their own success framework instead of chasing someone else's, and why she believes the law of attraction can be an almost damaging belief for entrepreneurs — vision boards don't build businesses, action does. She also shares the story of nearly abandoning her "women entrepreneurs" niche because an expert told her it wasn't defined enough, her practice of striving (not perfecting) daily habits without the guilt spiral that comes with missing a day, and details on her relaunching Business Growth Project, built around a four-directional compass framework.






BIO


Donna Lynn Price is the founder of Compass Rose Consulting and creator of the Business Growth Hub — a community for women entrepreneurs who are done following everyone else's map.


She's a business growth and profitability coach, the author of The Business Growth & Profits Field Guide, and an adventurer who has cycled across the country, kayaked with whales, and climbed more mountains than she can count.


Her message is simple: there is no ONE way to build a business. There is only YOUR WAY. And your compass is already pointing.


Website


https://compassroseconsulting.com (https://compassroseconsulting.com/)


Social Media Links


https://linkedin.com/in/donnalynnprice


https://facebook.com/donnalprice


https://facebook.com/groups/businessgrowthproject


https://youtube.com/@compassroseconsulting


https://instagram.com/donnalynnprice






Freebie Giveaway Link


https://compassroseconsulting.com/field-guide

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What happens when a solopreneur's kitchen-table business turns into a national franchise — run by her own daughter?


Liz Wahl is president of Young Rembrandts, an after-school drawing franchise that started in 1988 when her mother, a fine arts major with no interest in becoming a business owner, began teaching a handful of neighborhood kids in their living room. Liz grew up watching that grassroots hustle turn into something bigger, stepped in as a teacher after graduating college into the tough 2008 job market, and eventually took the reins of the organization her mother built almost by accident.


In this episode, Liz talks about what she looks for in franchisees (hint: it's not art experience — it's passion and timing), the "analysis paralysis" she sees derail so many aspiring entrepreneurs before they ever launch, and why she believes solopreneurs need to fully commit to their entrepreneurial journey rather than keeping one foot in a full-time job. She also shares the lesson her mother taught her about inner growth preceding business growth, why she deliberately schedules downtime to stay present for both her staff and her two young kids, and her advice for finding — and holding onto — your "why" when the day-to-day realities of running a business aren't sunshine and rainbows.






Bio


Lizi Wahl is the President of Young Rembrandts, an international children’s art education franchise dedicated to helping kids build confidence and creativity through drawing. With nearly two decades of experience in franchising, marketing, operations, and brand development, Lizi is passionate about helping families, educators, and entrepreneurs create meaningful impact through art and business.I would love to share my journey through leadership, creativity, community, and carrying forward the legacy of a mission-driven brand — while balancing motherhood, business ownership, and the evolving future of franchising.


Website


http://www.youngrembrandtsfranchise.com (http://www.youngrembrandtsfranchise.com/)






Social Media Links


https://www.instagram.com/lw886


https://www.instagram.com/youngrembrandts






https://facebook.com/youngrembrandts1

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What if your business could feel the way Disney feels — that unmistakable rush of happiness the moment you walk through the gates?


Shaun Whynacht, founder of Blue Cow Marketing, has spent 15 years in marketing automation helping small business owners bring their expertise and their ideal client experience to life through systems, CRM, and AI. He grew up in an entrepreneurial family without even realizing that's what it was — a grandfather who ran a TV repair shop, a mother with a craft store, a grandmother with a cake shop — and started his own first business, a DJ gig, at 17.


In this episode, Shaun opens up about his most expensive mistake: chasing every shiny new business idea that came his way instead of staying focused on the one thing he actually wanted to build. He talks about how that hard lesson led him to what he now calls building the "Disney experience" for his clients — automating the parts of a business owner's day they hate so the joy of what they built can actually come through. We also get into his refreshingly honest, chaotic-but-real weekly routine, why he built his own task management software instead of using what's on the market, and his brand-new "Leaky Bucket" audio series — created in collaboration with an AI co-host named Callie.






Shaun Whynacht is the founder of Blue Cow Marketing, a Nova Scotia-based marketing automation agency that helps small businesses, speakers, and service professionals simplify their systems, improve customer experiences, and stop letting good leads fall through the cracks. With over 15 years in marketing, CRM strategy, and automation, Shaun specializes in building practical tools that save time, strengthen relationships, and make business feel less chaotic. He’s known for blending smart strategy with plain-language advice, real-life stories, and just enough sarcasm to keep things interesting.


Websitehttps://www.bluecowmarketing.ca (https://www.bluecowmarketing.ca/)


Social Media Links


https://linkedin.com/in/shaunwhynacht


Freebie Giveaway Link


https://theleakybucket.ca

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Most overwhelmed entrepreneurs don't need another productivity hack. They need to stop carrying everything themselves.


Dortha Hise has spent more than 20 years helping entrepreneurs build clarity, capacity, and breathing room into their businesses through systems, delegation, and strategic support. Her core insight, after two decades in the trenches: people aren't overwhelmed because they lack the right tools — they're overwhelmed because they've been carrying too much for too long.


In this episode, Dortha talks about her winding road into solopreneurship (including a legal career that just wouldn't take, and a research-assistant gig that snowballed into a full business), the costly pattern she calls her "loyalty fuse" — staying too long with team members and clients who were showing her clear warning signs — and the surprising realization that her best referrals often came with the same red flags as the clients she wanted to move away from.


We also get into the hidden struggles of scaling growth without the systems to support it, why boundaries (and having a "gatekeeper" to enforce them) matter more than most solopreneurs realize, her actual daily routine (4am starts, journaling, gardening, and hikes with her husband), and her newly built delegation archetypes quiz — the tool she says took her 20 years to figure out how to build.


Dortha Hise helps overwhelmed entrepreneurs untangle burnout, reclaim capacity, and build more sustainable ways of working and leading. Blending over two decades of systems and operations experience with reflective, nature-based practices, she brings a grounded and human-centered approach to growth, leadership, and life.About my freebie giveaway:Listeners can take my free Delegation Archetype Quiz to discover their natural leadership and delegation style, along with reflective insights for reducing overwhelm and creating more sustainable ways of working and leading.


Website


https://summittoyoursuccess.com/


Social Media Links


https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorthahise/https://www.youtube.com/@DorthaHisehttps://www.facebook.com/dorthahise/Freebie Giveaway Link


https://link.digitalmentorhub.com/widget/survey/fDHKYwTUhbAbQLD448n9

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What if the best sales advice you've ever heard is: stop trying to sell?


Diane Helbig has spent 20 years as a business advisor and trainer, working with small and micro business owners on sales, leadership, customer service, and conflict management — all "the people stuff." She went solo after a full-time job started making decisions that weren't in her best interest, and her father's sudden passing became the tipping point that pushed her out the door for good.


In this episode, Diane gets candid about the challenge she's wrestled with for two decades: getting excited about new opportunities so fast that she runs in before stopping to ask if it actually makes sense. Her solution — an advisory board she built specifically to keep her honest — has become one of her most valuable business tools. She also shares how she uses AI to build hyper-specific training scenarios for clients (with a story about getting caught being a little too accurate), why she tells new solopreneurs to throw out everything they've ever learned about selling, and the costly lesson she learned from rushing into a business partnership without really knowing her partner.






BIO


Diane Helbig is a business and leadership advisor and trainer, award-winning author and speaker, and Accelerate Your Business Growth podcast host. As president of Helbig Enterprises, Diane helps businesses and organizations operate more constructively and profitably.Diane is the author of Succeed Without Selling, Lemonade Stand Selling, and Expert Insights. She is a contributing columnist to Top Sales Magazine and Roofing Magazine. Diane is a member of the NAWBO Northeast Ohio Board of Directors and NAWBO National Chapter Leadership Council.


Website https://www.helbigenterprises.com (https://www.helbigenterprises.com/)


Social Media Links


www.linkedin.com/in/dhelbigFreebie


Giveaway Link


https://www.helbigenterprises.com/networkingebook

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There's a story hiding inside every business — even the ones that swear they don't have one.


Jen Bullington is a business storyteller who helps entrepreneurs find the six stories buried in their business and use them strategically to shorten their sales cycle and make people genuinely fascinated by what they do. Her path there wasn't a straight line: after years as a corporate software trainer, Jen landed at an accounting firm where she watched a tax partner save a client $948,000 overnight — and then refuse to let that incredible story ever be told. It haunted her for years.


Fast forward to 2023, when Jen spent months in a chemo chair fighting breast cancer, and a voice woke her from a Benadryl nap with a message she couldn't ignore: stop wasting time, you were born to tell useful stories. When she came out the other side, she built the business she was meant to build all along.


In this episode, Jen talks about discovering she had undiagnosed ADHD at 46 (and why she now calls it a "superpower that has to be harnessed"), why she believes AI can never replace the human first draft of a story, the tools that keep her focused and organized, and why she's finally stopped feeling guilty about resting and asking for help. She also shares her honest advice for anyone wondering if they should go solo — and it isn't "follow your passion."






BIO


Jen Bullington is the creator of Storyselling for Success, a speaker, trainer, and Storyselling Sherpa who helps business owners uncover the stories hiding inside their work. Through her Storyselling Framework, she teaches leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals how to communicate their value, build trust, and make their invisible value visible. Jen believes meaningful work deserves meaningful stories.


Website


https://storyselling4success.com


Storyselling Immersion


https://storyselling4success.com/storyselling-immersion-masterclass/


Social Media Links


Main spot is LinkedIn:


https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenbullington/https://www.instagram.com/storyselling4success/


Freebie Giveaway Link


https://storyselling4success.com/gift/

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What if the thing that makes you unforgettable isn't your polish — it's your story?


Dawn Stebbing has spent 16 years as a global image and presence expert, helping women close the gap between blending in and becoming unforgettable. But her real differentiator isn't styling or color analysis — it's her refusal to separate image from mindset, leadership, and the deeper story underneath how someone shows up.


In this episode, Dawn talks about going solo to escape the pay gap and the ceiling she kept hitting working for someone else, pivoting her business through the 2008 crash and COVID, and the moment on her couch when she realized the "put-together" story she'd always told wasn't the one people actually needed to hear from her. She shares what happened when she finally told her raw, real story to a room of 200 women — and why that shift changed everything about how her audience connects with her.


We also get into self-care as strategy, not indulgence, why women supporting women matters more than ever, and how Dawn uses AI as a genuine business partner in her day-to-day work.


BIO


Our next speaker is Dawn Stebbing, known as the Global Image & Presence Expert and creator of the Voice & Visibility Code™.Dawn works with accomplished women entrepreneurs and leaders who are ready to elevate their presence, amplify their voice, and become the unmistakable face of the brand or business they’ve built.


With more than four decades of experience in sales and leadership, she has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs and executives to lead with greater confidence, credibility, and authenticity, aligning who they are on the inside with how they show up on the outside.


Her work has been featured in The Mesa Tribune, The Mesa Daily Independent, and The Morning Show, where she shares powerful insights on presence, visibility, and influence.Today, Dawn will show us how stepping fully into our presence can transform how we lead, how we’re perceived, and the opportunities that come our way.


Website


http://www.dawnstebbing.com


Social Media Links


https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnstebbing/https://www.facebook.com/dawnstebbinghttps://www.instagram.com/dawnstebbing/


Freebie Giveaway Link


https://visibility.dawnstebbing.com/the-authority-gap

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What does it actually take to become "the obvious choice" when AI is now doing the recommending instead of just the ranking?


Chuck McKay has spent decades in marketing — starting as a disc jockey and radio ad producer, moving into advertising sales, and eventually walking away from a steady paycheck (after one memorably honest, three-beer conversation with his sales manager) to become an independent marketing consultant with the International Wizard of Ads organization. Today he helps local businesses navigate a search landscape where AI engines don't hand you a list of ten options — they hand your customer one recommendation.


In this episode, Chuck breaks down his AIM Framework (AI-friendly website, Intent-driven pay-per-click, and Mass media Memory), shares the real financial and emotional cost of leaving a "regular check" behind, and gets brutally honest about the one skill every solopreneur needs and most try to avoid: selling. He also tells the story of advising his own son against starting a landscaping business — and why that advice had nothing to do with landscaping and everything to do with sales.


Plus, Chuck shares how he's approaching the launch of his fourth book, The AIM Framework for Local Business Marketing, with a level of intentional promotion he's never tried before.






Bio 


Marketing consultant who helps local advertisers become the obvious choice in an AI-driven world.


Website 


WizardofAdsChuckMcKay.com


Social Media Links 


https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckmckay/ ·


https://www.youtube.com/IAmChuckMcKay https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581175427104

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What happens when the business you build is born from the hardest thing you've ever survived?


Hannah Darby didn't set out to become an entrepreneur — she became one because she couldn't ignore what her own grief journey had taught her. As a holistic healer and grief guide, Hannah blends subconscious therapy, energy work, and counseling to help people heal at the root. But her path to solopreneurship wasn't linear: navigating a diagnosis of ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) forced her to rebuild her business — and her identity — around sustainability instead of hustle.


In this episode, Hannah opens up about the invisible grief that comes with chronic illness, how she found her niche by blending lived experience with professional training (including certification with David Kessler), and the mindset shift that changed everything: rest isn't the opposite of productivity — it's the foundation of it.


We also talk about her upcoming book, Safe to Grieve: Reclaiming Your Right to Heal, Feel and Rise Again, and what she believes is coming next for how solopreneurs work and support each other.


If you've ever felt like you have to earn your rest, or that grief has no place in a "business" conversation — this one's for you.


BIO


Hannah Darby GMBPsS SMACCPH is a multi-award-winning holistic healer who helps guide individuals along their personal grief journeys with her unique H.E.A.L.Ⓡ method.Hannah is a General Member of the British Psychological Society, a Senior Member of Accredited Counsellors, Coaches, Psychotherapists and Hypnotherapists, a Usui Reiki Master Teacher, a Master HeartHealing® Practitioner, a Certified Grief Coach, a Masseuse, and a Global Bestselling Author.Founder and CEO of Healing with Hannah, a unique therapy practice based on her professional and personal wisdom, guided by both science and spirituality. Hannah works with your mind, heart, and body to help you find deep healing. She has been featured in multiple national and international magazines.Hannah resides in the British countryside with her husband, four cats, and two chihuahuas. She enjoys country walks, music, and movies, and is a lifelong woman of faith.


Website


www.healingwithhannah.co.uk


Social Media Links


Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/healingwithhannahdarby


Instagram -


https://www.instagram.com/healingwithhannahd/


LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahdarbyhealingwithhannah/


YouTube -


https://www.youtube.com/@HealingwithHannah-hwh


Amazon Author profile -https://www.amazon.com/author/hannahdarby

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"That's not my job" — five words you'll never hear Scott Keene say. As a serial solopreneur turned professional bookkeeper and payroll specialist, Scott has run everything from a family restaurant and lounge to a pandemic-crushed kayak tour company before finding his true niche: helping business owners who are great at their craft but drowning in their books.


In this episode, Scott and Donna dig into the real cost of doing it all yourself — the delegation struggles, the blurred boundaries, the "I care too much" scope creep that comes with genuinely wanting your clients to win. Scott shares why he believes personal touch (not AI) is what solopreneurs actually need more of, how he found his niche after 20 years across restaurants, retail, and adventure tourism, and his hard-won advice on perseverance: fall off the horse, dust yourself off, get back on. He also opens up about his next chapter — helping solopreneurs plan for the retirement and protection their businesses often leave out.


If you've ever taken on too much because delegating felt impossible, this conversation is for you.






Bio


BioFor two decades, I've had the privilege of either sitting across the table from entrepreneurs, or being one myself.Entrepreneurs are people who have poured everything into building something of their own. Helping them turn financial chaos into clarity is what I have committed my professional life to.I know and truly understand that behind every set of books is a real person with real stakes, and I treat every engagement with that in mind.Based in Hawaii and working with businesses across industries and around the world, I specialize in helping founders and growing companies do more than just balance the books. I help them understand their numbers, control their costs, and build the operational backbone they need to scale with confidence.What I bring to the table:Whether you're launching a new venture, in a financial mess, or simply outgrowing your current systems, I step in with a calm, methodical approach and hit the ground running. My background spans construction, equipment rental, adventure tourism, restaurants/bars, lodging, retail, and professional services — Industries where margins are tight, operations are complex, and there's no room for error. I don't just record transactions — I build systems. From starting up finance and HR departments from scratch to modernizing outdated workflows, giving business owners back their time and giving them back their peace of mind are some of my highest priorities.Certified. Credentialed. Accountable:My technical credentials reflect a genuine commitment to professional excellence:- Advanced certifications in QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Payroll, Xero, FreshBooks, and NetSuite (just to name a few).- Payroll and tax compliance certifications through Intuit Academy, Gusto Academy, and ADP.- Registered PTIN Holder with the IRS — fiduciary responsibility is foundational.- Expertise in OSHA compliance, HR best practices, and employee training.A note on how I work:Attention to detail isn't just a professional value — it's a way of life. I hold a Federal Certificate in Professional Pilot & Aviation Administration and an FAA Helicopter Pilot License. Flying demands the same qualities I bring to every client engagement: precision, composure under pressure, and an unwavering respect for the consequences of getting things wrong. When you hire me, you're not just getting someone who can read a P&L — you're getting someone who genuinely cares about getting it right.


Website


www.bespokebookkeeping.com


Social Media Links


www.linkedin.com/in/a-scott-keene

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What happens when you close the biggest deal of your life… and feel nothing? That's the question that cracked open this conversation with Harland Merriam — former pastor, military chaplain, and now a real estate investor who facilitates masterminds for high-performing entrepreneurs across Central Florida.


After 40+ years serving congregations and the military, Harland "repurposed" (his word, not retired) into real estate investing — and quickly noticed a pattern: people doing very well financially were still asking, "Is this all there is?" That question became the seed of his book, Profit Seeks Purpose, and the foundation of the work he does now.


In this episode, we dig into:

• Why "just do it yourself" is some of the worst advice a solopreneur can follow
• The difference between passion and purpose — and why only one of them sustains you long-term
• The real story behind his book's central question: not "what will I do?" but "who will I be?"
• How he built a business model where the people around him operate as solopreneurs themselves
• Why he'd ask "why?" before ever giving advice to someone wanting to go solo

If you've ever hit a milestone and felt strangely empty afterward, this one's for you.






Bio


Harland Merriam is a real estate investor, coach, and pastor who works with successful leaders asking deeper questions about life and purpose. After years in ministry, the military, and business, he’s learned that success alone doesn’t satisfy—and that real transformation happens in community. He’s been a general partner on a 129-unit apartment complex and is currently serving as Chaplain at Stetson University. Today, he facilitates a mastermind and coaches entrepreneurs to build lives of deeper purpose. Harland lives in DeLand, Florida, with his wife, Barbara, and enjoys long walks, good conversations, and helping people discover what truly matters.






Website


www.ProfitSeeksPurppose.com


Social Media Links


LINKEDIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/harlandmerriam/FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/harland.merriam


Freebie Giveaway Link


https://www.profitseekspurpose.com/7-questions-download/

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You're never going to have all the time, all the budget, or all the information. So how do solopreneurs move forward anyway — without burning out, without radiating desperation, and without sunsetting the right project at the wrong moment?


In this episode of Breaking Solo, we explore the mindset that carries solopreneurs through the messy middle of building something on their own. Drawing on a career in project management, our guest unpacks the daily internal conversations every solopreneur knows too well — when to course correct, when to hold the line, and how to use the tools available (yes, including AI) as a second set of eyes when you're wearing 50 hats at once.


What we cover:

• Why AI belongs in your business as an executive assistant — not a replacement — and how picking one tool beats trying to master fifty
• The pivot dilemma: how to know when it's time to switch gears versus when you need more information
• Be patient, be brave, start small — and why waiting for the "trifecta of perfection" guarantees you go nowhere

If you've been stuck at the edge of a decision, this conversation is your nudge to take the next small, brave step forward.






BIO


Known as “The Coach”, Nicole brings two decades of project management expertise supporting Fortune 100 organizations – namely CBRE, Chevron, HP, Citigroup, and Marriott International. She also offers five years of interior design experience, inclusive of commercial conversion portfolios for Beverly Hills based developers. Nicole holds a BA in Communications from California State University, Fullerton, and an MSc in Project Management from the University of Liverpool. She is a Founding Member of Sheconomy™ and the author of Corporate Coach Approach – A Systematic Guide to Career Development.


Website


https://twohorseproductions.com/


Social Media Links


https://www.instagram.com/corporatecoachapproach/


https://www.instagram.com/twohorseproductions605/


https://www.facebook.com/people/Two-Horse-Productions/61574620307013/

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What if consistent, predictable income isn't a personality trait — it's a recipe? In this episode, I sit down with Dan Rochon, real estate agent, sales trainer, host of the No Broke Months podcast, and author of the upcoming book Teach to Sell (published by Post Hill Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster).


Dan has spent the last 15 years documenting the exact framework that gets him hired 85% of the time as a real estate agent — and built an entire methodology to teach it to anyone who's willing to follow the steps. Dan shares the moment at 32, waiting tables as a recovering addict, when he decided to design his own life. We dig into the reframe every solopreneur needs to hear — "you're not in the plumbing business, you're in the lead generation business with plumbing as your vocation" — and why missing that single distinction is what keeps so many solopreneurs stuck. We talk about the 10 daily activities that drive his business (4 in the business, 5 on the business, plus managing money), why he spends 1–3 hours every single day finding business no matter what he made yesterday, and the brilliant proactive technique he uses to walk real estate clients through the emotional rollercoaster they're about to have before it happens.


Dan also opens up about the persistence it took to land his book deal — 27 nos before the first yes — and the $10,000 training course he's giving away free to anyone who picks up Teach to Sell at teachtosellbook.com. If you've ever felt like sales was something other people were born good at, this conversation is the recipe card you've been missing.






BIO


Dan Rochon is the founder of Consistent and Predictable Income (CPI), Greetings Virginia, and the author of Teach to Sell Book, a transformative approach to leadership and sales. With over a decade of experience in real estate and coaching, Dan helps sales professionals build consistent and predictable income by leading with purpose and influence. His work empowers individuals and teams to achieve their highest potential. Dan is also the host of the No Broke Months Podcast.






Website


https://www.nobrokemonths.com/


Social Media Links


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086498082316


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danrochon


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrochonx


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NoBrokeMonths


Teach To Sell Book: https://www.teachtosellbook.com/


Podcast Website: https://www.nobrokemonths.com/

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What happens when a fifth-generation doctor walks away from one of the most established medical institutions in the UK to rebuild healthcare the way it used to feel? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Suhail Hussain, a UK-based GP (the equivalent of a family physician in the States) who left the NHS during COVID to launch his own private, home-visiting medical practice. Dr. Hussain shares why telephone and video consultations broke something fundamental about the doctor-patient relationship for him, how a client once told him "you're part of our extended family" — and the moment he realized that was exactly the practice he'd been trying to build. We talk about the strange experience of being the first person in five generations of doctors to also have to be a businessperson, and the parts of solopreneurship that nobody warned him about: marketing, social media, building a personal brand, and the surprisingly lonely road of going it alone. We also dig into how AI is already reshaping medicine (especially in radiology and admin work), why he believes the people most insulated from AI disruption are tradespeople like plumbers and electricians, and the moment he realized that if he really wanted to grow, he couldn't keep doing everything himself. Dr. Hussain also opens up about his weight loss and men's health programs, and why he's especially passionate about creating safe space for men to talk about things they rarely raise with anyone. If you've ever felt the pull to build something more human in an industry that's drifted toward convenience, this conversation is a quiet reminder that the old-fashioned way isn't outdated — it's just rare.






BIO


Dr Suhail Hussain is an experienced GP of over 20 years’ experience.Having worked extensively in the NHS, including specialities of medicine, surgery, oncology, obs/gynae, emergency medicine and paediatrics. He has now transitioned to working in the private sector providing timely, bespoke care to several families.Now working exclusively with busy professional, high net worth individuals and their families his main service is predicated on home/work place visits making access to healthcare as convenient as possible.He has a strong connection of secondary care specialists in all medical fields as well as physios, chiropractors and allied health professionals, to name a few.He also has connections with providers of other bespoke and luxury services and is always happy to help his clients with this if needed.For 10 years he was a senior tutor at 3 major London Medical Schools – Imperial, Barts and UCL, where he was involved in the teaching of undergrad students from first to final year.Education and speaking are 2 of his strongest passions and when not seeing patients he most enjoys helping others learn.He has appeared on television programmes talking about all things medical and answering caller’s questions live on air.He has written extensively for several established newspapers – The Telegraph, Independent to name a few and also appeared on BBC and Sky news to share his views on current medical topics.He also speaks for charities and the Boarding Schools association.He is a strong advocate for healthy living and believes that medicine should be about prevention rather than cure and helps people optimise their lifestyles, so they do not need medication.Can talk about leaving a stable career in the NHS after 20 years, setting up my own private practice against all family advice. Having no idea about client acquisition and marketing. The struggles of continuiing to run your own business whilst also serving clients.


Website


drsuhailhussain.com


Social Media Links


https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dr-suhail-hussain-private-doctor


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd8-VagUhcFcsXaJbBX-MIA


https://www.instagram.com/drsuhailhussaingp/

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What happens when a four-year-old gets a coin pulled out of his ear and decides that's what he's going to do with his life? In this episode, I sit down with Magic Brad — magician, event marketer, and a refreshingly contrarian solopreneur — for a conversation packed with hard-won wisdom, weird brilliance, and one of the most unbothered takes on competition I've ever heard. Brad shares how getting laid off from his county parks job pushed him into solopreneurship full-time, how he built an event-based marketing engine in the postcard era that filled his calendar months in advance, and why the rise of the internet (and then COVID) forced him to pivot from in-person events to digital ones — without losing the human element that makes his work work. We dig into why he doesn't believe in competition ("McDonald's and Burger King are still there"), the postcard marketing software he calls his "magic marketing tool," and why he ties new habits to existing ones like brushing his teeth instead of fighting himself with checklists. Brad also shares his version of Napoleon Hill's mastermind — a daily meditation where he invites anyone from Elon Musk to Bruce Lee to Jesus into the room to give him advice — and the single piece of advice he'd give every new solopreneur: you can't fail if you don't quit. If you've been trying to out-hustle your competition instead of just being unmistakably yourself, this conversation will remind you that the strongest market position isn't being better — it's being the only one.






Bio


Magical Since 1957


Website


https://MagicBrad.com


Social Media Links


https://FollowMagicBrad.com

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What if the reason your revenue is stuck isn't that you're doing the wrong things — but that you're doing them in the wrong order? In this episode, I sit down with Ken Steven, business growth consultant and creator of the Revenue Growth Readiness Scorecard, for a conversation that genuinely shifted how I think about scaling a solo business. Ken spent years turning around companies stuck on a $5–7M plateau — with a 93.7% success rate — and along the way he kept seeing the same five growth drivers stymie progress over and over: mindset and vision, offer and business model, marketing and visibility, systems and automation, and authority and reach. We talk about why the conventional advice to "fix your weakest driver first" is often dead wrong (using a brilliant car-won't-start analogy), why most coaches and consultants leap to spending more on marketing when the real problem lives upstream in their offer, and why pricing is the single fastest lever to add $20K/month to a solo business. Ken also opens up about the moment he doubled his rate on a whim and won the gig anyway, the pivot to taking a piece of the upside on business turnarounds, and why solopreneurs who score "green" across all five drivers are often the ones quietly leaving the most revenue on the table through complacency. I took his free scorecard before the conversation — and the discussion that came out of my results made me rethink what "doing well" actually means in a solo business. If you've been throwing tactics at a plateau hoping something sticks, this is the diagnostic-first conversation you didn't know you needed.


BIO


Ken Steven is a seasoned business growth advisor and the creator of the Revenue Freedom Method™. For decades, Ken specialized in doubling the sales and profits of private companies, achieving that result for 93.7% of his clients. Today, his focus is on helping solopreneur coaches and consultants, and founders of service-based businesses, break through revenue plateaus. His goal is simple: to show you how to add at least $20,000 to your monthly revenue without adding more hours to your week.


Website


https://kensteven.com/


Social Media Links


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethsteven/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CoachKenStevenFreebie


Giveaway Link


The Revenue Growth Readiness Scorecard: https://scorecard.kensteven.com/ken-ldxawjii

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What do you do when the medical world keeps telling you "it's just hormones" and you know it's something more? In this episode, I sit down with Donna Thorell, founder of Vitality by Donna, who became her own case study after years of being dismissed by doctors — and ended up building an entire holistic wellness practice for women out of what she learned. Donna shares how she lost 70 pounds, rebalanced her body and mind, and reverse-engineered the system that's now helping her clients do the same. We talk about why she works exclusively with "women who look like they have it all together" (but quietly aren't), how she pieces together nervous system regulation, body awareness, nutrition, and movement into a single connected approach — and why she pushes back hard on the surgery-and-shots culture that's pressuring women to fix what was never broken. Donna also shares her Safe Touch Protocol, built on a sobering statistic about how many women carry trauma into every space they enter, and why treating every client as if you know their story (even when you don't) is the foundation of trust-based solopreneurship. We dig into her three-days-on, four-days-off work rhythm, why a coach needs a coach, and the upcoming pajama-party-style retreats she's running where multimillion-dollar executives and stay-at-home moms sit side by side as equals. Her advice to anyone starting out? Find your why — and don't let the world write the ending to your story.


BIO


m a trauma-informed Holistic Health Practitioner and the founder of a woman-owned wellness practice built for women who have been strong for too long.My work comes from lived experience. I am a trauma survivor who had to find my own way back when support didn’t exist for me. That journey became my foundation… and now it’s the work I bring to every woman I serve.I specialize in nervous system regulation and whole-person wellness, integrating nutrition, body-based therapies, and my proprietary SafeTouch Protocol to help women move out of survival mode and back into their bodies. This isn’t surface-level care… it’s deep recalibration that restores energy, reduces inflammation, and rebuilds confidence from the inside out.I work with high-functioning, emotionally giving women… professionals, caregivers, leaders, and survivors… who are ready to stop just getting through life and start fully living it.Through private immersions, coaching, and specialized treatments, I create spaces where women can regulate, rebuild, and lead their lives from a place of clarity and power.I don’t help women cope.I help them come home to themselves… and from there, everything changes.


Website


Www.VitalityByDonna.com


Social Media Links


Vitality By Donna on IG and FB, Donna Thorell on Linkedin

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What do you do when a client tells you your entire industry is "churning fluff"? If you're Richard Cook, you let it shake you — and then you use it to reinvent the way you work. In this episode, I sit down with Richard, founder and managing director of London-based B2B PR consultancy Champion Communications, for a conversation that ranges from accidental solopreneurship to running a UK business from São Paulo. Richard shares how his original business partner's maternity leave nudged him into going solo by design, how that single offhand "churning fluff" comment pushed him to redefine PR as a demand-generation engine instead of a press-release factory, and why he believes it's never been a more possible time to build a service business alone. We dig into his 5 AM routine (born of necessity, kept by choice), why he's traded LinkedIn for Substack as his daily intellectual fuel, and the surprisingly elegant way he's using Claude to map out which media outlets have OpenAI licensing agreements — so his clients' stories land where AI models are actually reading. Richard also shares the most underrated piece of advice he wishes he'd taken seriously: don't be afraid of fear. The terror of solopreneurship doesn't go away — but you can learn to use the adrenaline instead of running from it. If you've ever wondered whether the panic you feel is a sign you're failing or a sign you're paying attention, this conversation will reframe the whole thing.


Bio


Richard Cook is the Managing Director of Champion Communications, a London-based PR and communications consultancy specialising in helping B2B technology companies grow. Founded in 2008, Champion has grown into a tight-knit, high-performing team, making Richard no stranger to the challenges of building a small business.Rather than chasing vanity metrics, Richard is relentless in his pursuit of growth, showing the real value of PR through campaigns dedicated to generating leads and driving web traffic. It's a mindset that resonates deeply with founders and small business owners who need their marketing to move the needle.With a background spanning the Prince's Trust International, Kaizo, and Big Group, Richard brings a well-rounded perspective to communications and business growth. He has a passion for helping smaller companies punch above their weight, earn credibility, and get noticed in competitive markets.


Website


https://championcomms.com/


Social Media Links


https://uk.linkedin.com/company/champion-communications

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What happens when sheer will gets your business to the point where willpower alone isn't enough? In this episode, I sit down with Beth Sanders, founder of Ballast Ops and a fractional COO who specializes in being the "number two" for founders who've outgrown going it alone. Beth shares why she left full-time work to partner with multiple founders at once, how being EOS-certified shaped her approach, and why she flexes to what each business needs instead of running the same playbook for every client. We dig into the irony of being great at time management for everyone except yourself, the change management framework she used to lead an entire company through becoming AI-first, and the personal ROI calculator that's reshaping how she says yes (and no) to work. Beth also shares the single piece of advice she'd give every new solopreneur — and why spending two months getting really, really clear on what you offer paid off more than any networking event ever could. If you've been white-knuckling your way through running every part of your business and quietly wondering whether you need a thought partner, this conversation will help you see what's possible on the other side.






Bio






Founders usually find me when execution starts slipping under growth: deals stall, customer retention softens, priorities collide, and teams lose clarity on what matters most.I step in to rebuild execution at the system level - aligning leadership, installing operating discipline, and turning strategy into results without adding friction or bureaucracy. Over the last several years, I've helped companies: - Scale revenue 5x+ across multiple growth stages- Increase close rates and shorten sales cycles- Improve customer retention and customer experience- Install EOS-based operating systems that teams actually run- Stabilize execution during inflection points, transitions, and downturns I think like an owner, execute like an operator, and lead without ego. I work best with founders who want a true operating partner - someone who owns execution across functions and builds results that compound. Fractional COO and EOS Growth Integrator. Operating style & assessments: Predictive Index (Captain) - Kolbe 8-6-3-3 - EOS Integrator (Masterclass Certified 2024)






https://www.ballastops.com/


https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethksanders/

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What happens when you stop waiting for permission and start building because you can see exactly what's broken? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sarah Choudhary — PhD in data science, Forbes Technology Council member, and CEO of ICE Innovations — for a conversation that completely reframed how I think about solopreneurship at scale. After 20+ years building AI strategy for 150+ organizations including Fortune 500s, Sarah is now bootstrapping four ventures simultaneously: ICE Rideshare (paying drivers fairly with a 25% commission instead of 30–60%), iChef (a home-cooked food marketplace), Sprowberry (a barter economy app), and Zora (an AI-powered decision engine for solopreneurs). We talk about how she runs multiple companies as one architecture instead of four separate chaos factories, why differentiation has to be built into the product (not the marketing), and the mindset shift she calls moving from permission to authority — the realization that wasted years of her career waiting for someone to green-light her ideas. We also dig into why AI is leverage (not labor replacement), why compounding only rewards the founders who stay in the game, and why protecting your sharpest 90 minutes is one of the most important business decisions you'll make. If you've ever felt the pull to build something but kept waiting for someone to validate the idea first, Sarah's story is the permission slip you didn't know you needed — and the proof you don't need one at all.


🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breaking-solo/id1802739542






Bio


Sarah Choudhary is a seasoned technologist, serial entrepreneur, and visionary leader with over two decades of experience spanning AI, machine learning, data science, and cloud computing. From pioneering integrations of artificial intelligence with real-world applications to founding and scaling multiple successful companies, Sarah's journey is one of relentless innovation.


Holding a PhD in Data Science and having consulted for industry giants like Ernst & Young and Accenture, she now leads ICE Innovations — building the next generation of AI-powered platforms that redefine how we live, move, and eat.






Website


sarahchoudhary.com


Social Media Links


https://linktr.ee/sarahchoudhary

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