The Aspiring Solopreneur

Joe Rando, Carly Ries
  • 5.0 (51)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Semiweekly

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.

  1. 5h ago

    How She Made $100K in Her First 90 Days as a Coach

    Andrea Engstrom did $2 million in sales for someone else before she ever bet on herself. When she finally launched her own coaching program, she generated over $134,000 in her first 90 days, and today she runs consistent six-figure months while working just three days a week and homeschooling her kids. In this episode, Andrea breaks down exactly how she did it, step by step: how she filled a workshop with 500 registrations using only organic social posts, the costly mistake she made on her first launch (and the free-call pivot that saved it), and the three-day "nail your niche" closing process that more than doubled her conversion rate. She also gets honest about the mindset shift that changed everything: why systems create happiness, why "preparation is a form of procrastination," and why your highest-value activity is the only thing you should protect. What you'll learn: The "bet on yourself" moment that launched her businessHow she got 500 workshop registrations with zero paid adsWhy her one-call close became a three-call close (and doubled sales)How $25K/month in payment plans removed all sales pressureThe simple math behind $25/hour work vs. $1,000/hour workWhat to outsource first (hint: it's not in your business)"Business is a tool that enables you to live the life you desire. Business is not life." Connect with Andrea at andreaengstrom.com and register for her free workshop, 100K in 90 Days. Enjoyed this episode? Leave a five-star review, share it with a fellow solopreneur, and subscribe wherever you listen, including YouTube. Life First. Then Business. 🌟 Featured Resource: LifeStarr Intro for Solopreneurs Are 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

    41 min

  2. 5d ago

    Why Solopreneur Vacations Feel Impossible and How to Fix That

    Think you can't take a real vacation as a solopreneur? Carly and Joe are calling it what it is: a design flaw, not a workload problem. In this episode, they break down why time off feels impossible when you work for yourself, why solopreneur PTO is really UPTO (unpaid time off), and how the ownership trap convinces you that the business leaves when you do. Then they get practical with a step-by-step pre-vacation runway that starts four to six weeks out, not four to six days. You'll learn how to set client expectations from the start of every relationship, how to decide between going fully dark and scheduling limited check-ins, and why your re-entry plan matters just as much as your prep. Plus, Joe makes the case for the hybrid "have laptop, will travel" approach, and Carly shares the buffer day trick that protects your post-vacation glow from inbox overwhelm. What you'll learn in this episode: Why your business surviving a week without you is a design question, not an effort questionThe vacation readiness audit every solopreneur should run before booking a tripHow to build vacation boundaries into your scope of work from day oneGoing dark vs. scheduled availability, and how to choose what fits youThe hybrid vacation model for extending trips without losing incomeHow to design a re-entry plan with a buffer day so you don't kill your vacation highThis week's challenge: What is the one thing that would need to be true for you to take a full week off in the next six months? If it doesn't exist in your business yet, can you build it? If this isn't the worst episode you've ever heard, leave us a five-star review. It helps us reach more solopreneurs building a life-first business. Subscribe to The Aspiring Solopreneur on your favorite podcast platform, including YouTube. Life First. Then Business.Life F 🌟 Featured Resource: LifeStarr Intro for Solopreneurs Are 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

    18 min

  3. Jun 9

    How Solopreneurs Get Seen Without a Team or a Budget

    What would you do with 90 days, $100, and zero credibility? Personal branding expert Alejandro Sanoja says forget everything else, go on a podcast tour. In this episode, Carly and Joe sit down with Alejandro Sanoja, founder and CEO of Latinpresarios, adjunct professor at the University of Houston, TEDx speaker, and one of the top six personal branding experts to follow. Alejandro shares how he went from an introverted immigrant who fled Venezuela's economic collapse to building a brand around authentic communication, and why podcasting is the single highest-leverage move a solopreneur can make right now. We dig into the storytelling framework that makes "selling" feel natural, the warmth-plus-competence formula that actually builds trust, and why introverts often outperform extroverts when they do the prep work. Alejandro also breaks down how he protects his time by "dripping" his visibility instead of burning out, and shares a real client result: 3–5 new clients and ~$30K in pipeline in 90 days from podcast appearances alone. In this episode, you'll learn: The $100 personal branding plan: podcast tour math (list, camera, AI tools) that actually fits the budgetHow to tell a story with an "inciting incident" so promotion never feels salesyThe warmth + competence formula behind real trustWhy introverts can make better salespeople, and the prep that gets them thereHow to set boundaries and run visibility as a "drip" to avoid burnoutWhy SEO content alone no longer cuts through in the age of AI overviewsThe asymmetry of value: ~2 hours of work that compounds into 30+ pieces of contentAbout our guest: Alejandro Sanoja is the founder and CEO of Latinpresarios, an adjunct professor at the University of Houston, a TEDx speaker, published author, and international speaker recognized as one of the top six personal branding experts to follow. Resource: Landing page mentioned in the episode: https://latinpresarios.com/the-aspiring-solopreneur/ Find Alejandro on LinkedIn and at latinpresarios.com. Enjoyed this episode? Leave a 5-star review, share it with a friend, and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, including YouTube. Life First. Then Business. 🌟 Featured Resource: LifeStarr Intro for Solopreneurs Are 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

    48 min

  4. Jun 4

    How A Solopreneur Can Set Client Boundaries Without Sounding Like a Jerk

    Setting 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 Solopreneurs Are 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

    16 min

  5. Jun 2

    How One Talk Can Generate Opportunities for 15 Years with Ashley Stahl

    Ashley 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 Solopreneurs Are 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

    37 min

  6. May 28

    Commitments vs. Communication: The Mindset Shift Every Solopreneur Needs

    Ever 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 Solopreneurs Are 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

    16 min

  7. May 27

    The Hidden Cost of Not Trademarking Your Solo Business Name

    Think 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 solopreneur Joey 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 Solopreneurs Are 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

    31 min

  8. May 21

    Why Saying Yes Is Costing You the Solo Life You Designed

    This 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 Solopreneurs Are 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

    17 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Joe Rando, Carly Ries
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    307
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2021-2024 WorkStarr, Inc.
  • Show Website
    The Aspiring Solopreneur

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