The Life-First Solopreneur

Joe Rando and Carly Ries
  • 5.0 (53)
  • 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 Life-First 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. 1d ago

    From The Vault: Life First. Then Business. Here's What That Actually Means For Solopreneurs.

    In this episode, Joe Rando and Carly Ries officially draw a line in the sand. After nearly 300 episodes and hundreds of conversations with solopreneurs, they name the single insight that keeps showing up in every episode that lands differently: the Life-First Business. Joe and Carly explain why most solopreneurs unintentionally build a business that ends up owning them, why that happens by default and not by choice, and why the forces reshaping work right now make this the right moment to name it, claim it, and build a movement around it. Key Points Most solopreneurs start by asking "what can I sell?" but the better starting point is designing the life you want the business to serve.Falling into The Ownership Trap isn't a character flaw. It happens by default when you say yes to revenue before you've designed the life around it.A Life-First Business is not about working less, it's about making conscious tradeoffs so the business gives you the freedom that actually matters to you.AI is reshaping the solopreneur landscape in two directions at once: pushing people out of traditional employment and empowering them to run a real business solo.The Life-First Movement is bigger than LifeStarr. If you're helping solopreneurs build businesses that serve their lives, Joe and Carly want to hear from you.FAQs What is a Life-First Business? A Life-First Business is one designed from the start to serve the life you want, not the other way around. Instead of building around your skills and seeing what life fits around the business, you begin with Step 0: defining what you want your life to look like. The business is then designed to support that. Does Life-First mean working less or only part-time? No. A Life-First Business is not about working fewer hours or generating passive income from a beach. It's about making intentional tradeoffs, choosing the freedoms that matter most to you, and building a business that protects them, whatever that looks like for your life. Why is this conversation happening now? Two forces are converging: AI is displacing or reshaping traditional jobs, pushing more people toward solopreneurship as a real option. At the same time, AI is giving solopreneurs the capability to run a serious business without a team. That combination makes this the right moment to define what a well-designed solo business actually looks like. What is The Ownership Trap? The Ownership Trap is what happens when a solopreneur builds without a life plan (saying yes to whatever pays, running everything on memory and email, with no system and no plan to evolve). The business grows, but it starts running the person instead of the other way around. What is the Life-First Movement? The Life-First Movement is the category of people, businesses, and ideas organized around one belief: the business exists to serve the life. Joe and Carly are building this movement at LifeStarr, but they're clear it's bigger than any one company. If you're working to help solopreneurs build businesses on their own terms, they want to connect. Life First. Then Business.

    From The Vault: Life First. Then Business. Here's What That Actually Means For Solopreneurs.

  2. 3d ago

    A Solopreneur's Case Against Trendy Marketing

    Tired of being told you need to post three times a day to grow your business? This episode is your permission slip to stop. Carly and Joe sit down with Polly Pollock, the creator of capacity-conscious marketing and founder of the Antisocial Marketing Kit. Polly runs a thriving business without an active social media presence, and she is here to show you how it is done. In this conversation, Polly shares her journey with a late ADHD diagnosis and how it reshaped the way she runs her business. She breaks down why popular, trendy marketing advice leaves so many solopreneurs burned out, and she offers a real, step by step alternative built on visibility strategies like podcast guesting, guest teaching, and strategic partnerships. You will learn: Why consistency does not mean showing up every single dayHow to time-block your marketing so it takes a few focused hours a week, not hours a dayWhy one signature offer beats a stack of five or sixHow to find where your ideal client actually spends their timeA life first reminder to protect your weekends, your evenings, and your funIf you have ever felt stuck in the noise of online business, this episode will help you free yourself from the marketing you hate and focus on what you love. Grab Polly's free Antisocial Marketing Kit at antisocialkit.com. Leave a five-star review, share this with a fellow solopreneur, and subscribe wherever you listen. 🌟 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

  3. Sep 10

    How Smart Solopreneurs Choose Who to Work With

    Signing the wrong client can mean months, or years, of stress, churn, and heartburn. In this episode, Carly and Joe break down how to vet clients and contractors before you commit. They cover why doing your homework upfront matters, how defining your business protects you from the wrong fit, and why personality can be just as important as the actual deliverables. You'll hear a clever way one consultant uses personality tests and questionnaires to gauge compatibility, why the gut check still reigns supreme, and the red flags that should make you pause. Think early freebie requests, panicky urgency, and how a prospect talks about past providers. Plus, Joe shares one of the worst hiring mistakes of his career and the lesson that stuck with him ever since. Hint, watch how people treat the waiter. If you want fewer bad-fit clients and more long-term relationships, this episode gives you the framework to get there.

  4. Sep 8

    The Solopreneur's Guide to Hiring Your First VA Without the Panic

    Think being a solopreneur means doing everything yourself? Think again. In this episode, we sit down with Rachael Davila, a virtual assistant since 2005 and founder of Extra Hands! Virtual Assistance, to break down everything you need to know before hiring your first VA. Rachael has seen both sides of the desk. She spent 16 years as a VA before hiring her own in 2021, and that experience gave her a fast education in why delegation feels so scary. We get into the real difference between "doers" and "collaborators," how to know which one your business actually needs, and why the cheapest VA is rarely the most affordable choice. You will also hear when to bring on support (spoiler, before you are drowning), how to document your processes even if your brain does not work that way, and why a human VA still beats AI for relationship-driven businesses. Whether you are curious, overwhelmed, or somewhere in between, this conversation will help you delegate with confidence. What you will learn The difference between a doer VA and a collaborator VAThe signals that tell you it is time to hireWhy cheaper VAs can cost you moreHow to find and vet the right-fit VA at any budgetWhen a human VA beats AI (and when it does not)Rachael's life-first advice: start small and build trustLearn more about Rachael at extrahandsva.com and check out her podcast Hey! Do I Need a VA? Enjoy the show? Leave us a five-star review and share this episode with a fellow solopreneur who needs it. 🌟 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

  5. Sep 3

    The Solopreneur's Guide to Breaking Up With a Bad Client

    Every solopreneur eventually meets the client who pays the bills but crushes the soul. The one who calls at odd hours, ignores your boundaries, pays late, and somehow still feels impossible to let go of because the money is good. In this episode, Carly and Joe tackle one of the hardest parts of running a life-first business, walking away from a client you cannot afford to lose. They explain why the difficult client is not always the mean one, sometimes it is the perfectly nice person who has pulled your business away from its core. You will learn how to do the real math on what a problem client is actually costing you per hour, why communicating your boundaries comes before firing anyone, and how raising your rates can either fix the relationship or end it cleanly. Carly and Joe also share why keeping things professional matters more than venting, how to give enough notice so you never leave someone in a lurch, and what to do with your freed-up time once the client is gone. Whether that client is your only client or the one funding your vacations, this conversation gives you a clear, calm path out. Your paycheck and your peace of mind do not have to be at war. Leave a five-star review, share this with a fellow solopreneur, and subscribe wherever you listen, including YouTube. 🌟 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

  6. Sep 1

    What Solopreneurs Should Stop Copying From Big Brands

    Warren Kornblum spent decades inside some of the biggest brands in retail, including Toys R Us across 27 countries, and he is convinced the solopreneur holds an advantage the giants would kill for. In this episode, Warren joins Carly and Joe to break down what really builds a brand when you are a business of one. Warren makes the case that branding was never about technology, reach, or advertising. It is about the customer, and solopreneurs are uniquely positioned to keep that focus razor sharp. He introduces his idea of the brand stand, the promise your business makes and keeps, and explains why a relationship will always beat a transaction. You will also hear why chasing followers and views can quietly work against you, the difference between share of mind and share of heart, and the danger of using AI to do the personal work that actually earns trust. Warren keeps it refreshingly real, and by the end you will have one simple thing you can start doing this week. In this episode you will learn: Why the solopreneur has a branding advantage over billion-dollar companiesWhat a brand stand is and how to build one that does not collapse into performanceThe difference between share of mind and share of heartWhy vanity metrics mislead you and what to measure insteadHow to earn trust without selling your soul for likesWhere solopreneurs most often overpromise and underdeliverWhether you are just starting or years into building your business of one, this conversation will change how you think about your brand. 🌟 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

  7. Aug 27

    [Re-Release] How to Get Leads Without Social Media (For Solopreneurs Who Hate Posting)

    You've been told you need to become a full-time content creator to grow your business. Post every day. Fight the algorithm. Do the newest TikTok dance. But what if you hate social media, and still need leads? In this episode, Carly and Joe break down practical lead generation strategies for solopreneurs who don't want to build an audience on social media. From leveraging your existing network to borrowing other people's audiences to building a referral system that actually works, these are relationship-first approaches that replace the pressure to go viral with something that feels a lot more real. Whether you're leaving corporate and dreading the "you need to be on social media" advice, or you've been solo for a while and want alternatives to the content hamster wheel, this episode is for you. Key topics covered: Why solopreneurs don't need a massive social media following to generate leadsHow to use social media for relationship-building without posting or broadcastingUsing LinkedIn for direct outreach and genuine connection (not selling)Tapping your existing network (past coworkers, vendors, clients, friends, and family) as your first lead generation pipelineThe simple outreach message that lets people know what you do without being pushyBorrowing audiences through podcast guesting, webinars, guest articles, and PRHow to build a referral system instead of hoping word-of-mouth happens on its ownBook recommendation: The Referral Engine by John JantschMemorable Takeaway Relationships, reputation, referrals...everything you do should go back to human connection and trust. Resources & Links Mentioned The Referral Engine by John JantschLifeStarr Community Alex Hormozi's YouTube channel

    [Re-Release] How to Get Leads Without Social Media (For Solopreneurs Who Hate Posting)

  8. Aug 25

    [Re-Release] The Pricing Strategy That Doubled This Solopreneur's Income in Year One

    Are you stuck in the hourly billing trap, racing against the clock while your clients pressure you to go faster, cheaper, and more?  In this episode, Jonathan Stark, the "Ditching Hourly" guy, joins Carly and Joe to break down exactly how solopreneurs can escape time-for-money pricing and switch to a value-based model that benefits both you and your clients. Jonathan shares the surprising moment he realized hourly billing was the root cause of nearly every frustration in his business, from scope creep to client tension to capped income. After making the switch, he doubled his income in year one and watched his client relationships transform almost overnight. This isn't abstract theory. Jonathan walks through his exact process for determining what your work is worth to a client, including his "why conversation" framework, a series of strategic questions that uncover urgency, business value, and what a home run looks like before you ever quote a price.  He also explains how to structure a three-option proposal, why he defines scope last (not first), and how to handle scope creep without awkward confrontations. You'll also hear Jonathan's take on retainer pricing, why he doesn't send "rates are going up" letters, when hourly billing might still make sense for newer solopreneurs, and why he keeps contracts minimal even though any lawyer would call him crazy for it. In this episode, you'll learn: Why hourly billing creates a self-fulfilling cycle of scope creep and client tensionThe "why conversation" framework: three categories of questions that reveal what your work is actually worthHow to build a three-option value-based proposal that practically sells itselfWhy Jonathan prices first and defines scope last, and how that changes everythingHow to handle scope creep requests without damaging the client relationshipThe difference between project-based value pricing and retainer-based advisory pricingWhen hourly billing might still be appropriate (and when it's a trap)Why getting paid upfront changes the entire dynamic of client workHow to raise your prices over time without losing existing clientsResources mentioned: Jonathan Stark's free email course: valuepricingbootcamp.comJonathan's website: jonathanstark.comDitching Hourly podcastIf you found this episode helpful, share it with a solopreneur friend who's struggling with pricing. And don't forget to leave a five-star review and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, including YouTube.

    [Re-Release] The Pricing Strategy That Doubled This Solopreneur's Income in Year One
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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 Life-First 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 and Carly Ries
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    334
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2021-2024 WorkStarr, Inc.
  • Show Website
    The Life-First Solopreneur

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