Breaking Solo

Donna Amos
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

🎧 Breaking Solo is your go-to podcast for insights from solopreneurs who’ve made it happen—sharing their strategies, challenges, and the tools they use to stay ahead.

  1. 6d ago

    From Kitchen Table to Franchise: Liz Wahl on Scaling a Solopreneur's Legacy

    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 Social Media Links https://www.instagram.com/lw886 https://www.instagram.com/youngrembrandts https://facebook.com/youngrembrandts1

    From Kitchen Table to Franchise: Liz Wahl on Scaling a Solopreneur's Legacy

  2. Aug 30

    The Disney Experience: Shaun Whynacht on Automating the Magic Back Into Your Business

    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 Social Media Links https://linkedin.com/in/shaunwhynacht Freebie Giveaway Link https://theleakybucket.ca

    The Disney Experience: Shaun Whynacht on Automating the Magic Back Into Your Business

  3. Aug 23

    Breathing Room: Dortha Hise on Systems, Delegation, and Scaling Without Burning Out

    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

    Breathing Room: Dortha Hise on Systems, Delegation, and Scaling Without Burning Out

  4. Aug 15

    Stop Selling, Start Discovering: Diane Helbig on Business Advising for Micro Business Owners

    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 Social Media Links www.linkedin.com/in/dhelbigFreebie Giveaway Link https://www.helbigenterprises.com/networkingebook

    Stop Selling, Start Discovering: Diane Helbig on Business Advising for Micro Business Owners

  5. Aug 8

    The $948,000 Story Nobody Told: Jen Bullington on the Power of Business Storytelling

    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/

    The $948,000 Story Nobody Told: Jen Bullington on the Power of Business Storytelling

  6. Jul 31

    Elevate: How Dawn Stebbing Helps Women Close the Gap Between Blending In and Being Unforgettable

    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

    Elevate: How Dawn Stebbing Helps Women Close the Gap Between Blending In and Being Unforgettable

  7. Jul 25

    The AIM Framework: Chuck McKay on Marketing in an AI-Driven World

    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

    The AIM Framework: Chuck McKay on Marketing in an AI-Driven World

  8. Jul 17

    Safe to Grieve: Building a Sustainable Healing Business with Hannah Darby

    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

    Safe to Grieve: Building a Sustainable Healing Business with Hannah Darby
See All (74)

Ratings & Reviews

About

🎧 Breaking Solo is your go-to podcast for insights from solopreneurs who’ve made it happen—sharing their strategies, challenges, and the tools they use to stay ahead.

Information

  • Creator
    Donna Amos
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    74
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Donna Amos
  • Show Website
    Breaking Solo