Invincible Solopreneurs - Make a living doing more of what you love

Larry Cornett, Ph.D.

Do you want to make a living doing more of what you love? Are you ready to discover the power, freedom, and joy of solopreneurship? I'm Dr. Larry Cornett, a Business Advisor and Leadership Coach. I frequently work with frustrated employees who want to escape their 9-5 jobs and launch their own businesses someday. They want to maximize their lifetime earning potential, become invulnerable to economic instability, and take control of how they spend their days. I spent over 2 decades in the Silicon Valley tech industry and millions of dollars launching new businesses, products, and services. I've had some wins, and I've also learned how to avoid the mistakes many new business owners make. Over 15 years ago, I left my corporate career to build my own business to reclaim my freedom, health, and life. I want to help you do the same! newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com

  1. Apr 22

    🎬 A 3-Decade Job to Self-Employment Playbook: Earn More, Work Less, Exit Earlier (Issue 186)

    During my hike through the forest this weekend, I recorded some thoughts about empowerment and what it means for each decade of your life. Some people may find it odd that I simultaneously coach my clients on how to get ahead in their careers and also how to exit the 9-to-5 grind to enjoy self-employment and semi-retirement. However, I see an overall arc to our lives from our 20s to our final years that includes your education, traditional employment, the freedom of a lifestyle business, and maximizing your enjoyment of your final years on this planet. It all centers on empowerment My empowerment strategy lets you squeeze the most out of your earning years and the most life out of your later years. * Empowered people have more career opportunities than others do. * Empowered people feel confident and courageous in their jobs. * Empowered people demand what they deserve from their working lives. * Empowered people create a path to greater freedom and fulfillment. * Empowered people get more of what they want out of life. * Empowered people live larger and refuse to settle for less. Summary of what I share in the video * The Unifying Thread of Empowerment * Career coaching and self-employment coaching may seem contradictory, but they share one goal: putting you in the driver’s seat of your working life, whether that’s climbing the ladder or exiting to creating your own path. * From Invincible to Empowered * My business branding is evolving. * It’s less about feeling invincible and more about being so skilled, visible, and respected that you become more empowered. * You become an opportunity magnet (I’ve talked a lot about this before). * Power Means You Can Walk Away * When you’re truly empowered, you stop tolerating bad bosses, toxic environments, and unreasonable demands. * During my long career, I have watched talented people push back and win because employers couldn’t afford to lose them. * The Value of Inside Champions * Throughout my career, former colleagues and advocates pulled me into companies and made the interview processes almost effortless. * That kind of network doesn’t happen by accident. * You have to earn it, expand it, and nurture it. * You Will Have Peak Earning Years * Research shows earning potential peaks and then declines. * Senior roles become scarce, and age discrimination is real (especially in tech). * You need to maximize your earnings while this brief window is open. * Same Hours, Very Different Pay * Would you rather earn $100K or $300K for the same eight hours/day? * Push hard for what you deserve. * Do not tolerate a one-way relationship with your employer. Get as much as you give. * The same goes for building a business. Maximize your revenue return for your time and energy. Don’t waste time on low-value activities. * Bank It, Don’t Burn It * Live leaner during your highest-earning years. * Invest aggressively, create a financial safety cushion, and start working on self-employment plans. * You’re buying your freedom through self-employment and better budgeting. * Your 20s Are for Foundation Building * Get educated * Find your people, make good friends, discover love, and find your life partner. * Start figuring out your professional path. * Enjoy this time! Don’t rush the exploration phase. * Your 30s and 40s Are Peak Earning Decades * This is your primary earning window. * Push hard, climb fast, and earn maximum value for your efforts. * Build your network (it’s one of your most valuable resources). * Quietly line up your self-employment plan and runway, so you can flip that freedom switch earlier than most do. * Your 50s+ Are for Living Large * Transition into self-employment that leverages your expertise and everything you already know. * Work when you want, where you want, and how you want. * Play a lot! I’m so glad I took the self-employment path and semi-retired early so I can enjoy my freedom and as much time as possible with the people I love. * Take care of your health and enjoy the last half of your life while you still can. * Life is short! Don’t save your bucket list for a decade where you can’t physically cross items off anymore. What are your thoughts on this? Leave a comment if you have a question. Schedule a free call with me if you’d like to discuss your unique situation and brainstorm some ideas for getting more of what you want out of your life and lifestyle business. From corporate exec to entrepreneur, Larry Cornett is a coach who helps you leverage your existing expertise to design a self-employment business that funds the life you want. Escape the 9-to-5 grind by creating your Exit Blueprint to freedom! ➡️ Ready to build your blueprint? Book a free call today to claim your spot. 📘 Check out my Invincible Solopreneurs Daily Journal! Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

    16 min
  2. Mar 18

    🌟 Refocusing to Meet Your Needs (Issue 180)

    The name of this podcast and newsletter has been missing the mark, so I need your help! “Invincible Solopreneurs” has been about freedom, independence, defining your second act, quitting your job, leaving bad bosses, and living life the way you want. But something's not clicking. The name doesn't seem to match what most of you actually want. So, I dive into that in this episode. Scroll up and hit play to listen to the details. Some things I’ve heard over the years * It’s not really about “building a business”, per se. It’s about starting your own thing that makes enough money so you can quit a job that is no longer serving you well. * You want to fund your freedom. You want to control your time. * You are tired of job hopping and interviewing. * You are tired of dealing with bad bosses and toxic managers. * You don’t want to scale something into a massive corporation. You want to create something reasonable and sustainable. * You don’t want a job—or even a business—to be the center of your universe. You want to focus on your life first, then define a model that supports that. * The word “invincible” may not resonate with you. * The word “solopreneur” may not resonate with you. The name I created was a fit for my brand and my other newsletters and podcasts. But a name like this isn't about me. It shouldn’t be about me. It’s about you, what you are seeking, and what you want. So, this change is about serving you better. And I would love to hear from you about what that means. More of what you want I want to refine the focus of this newsletter and podcast to give you more of what you want. I want to explore the right topics, have the right guests on the show, and share the kind of advice that meets your needs and gives you what you need most. If you’ve been following this newsletter and podcast, I know you care about: * Your freedom * Your independence * Having flexibility * Having time to lead the life you want * Being more than your job and profession * But… you still need to make a living and pay your bills * And you want to stretch your retirement dollars because you’re worried I know you're not really looking for a side hustle. You already have a job, and the last thing you want is more work. Instead, I think you're looking to define your second act (i.e., the next chapter of your life). You are in this in-between space that I was in, and many of my friends are in now. You’re feeling too old to keep getting hired, but you’re too young to retire. * Many of us hit this point in our 50s. * Of course, it’s more salient in some industries and professions than others. * You’re smart, ambitious, and adventurous. * You’re pretty savvy financially, and you’ve had some good successes. * You’re experienced enough that you don’t really like being told what to do. * You no longer have patience for BS, bad leadership, and corporate nonsense. * After decades on this path, you’re ready for something new. But you aren’t quite sure what that looks like yet. * You’re active and healthy, so you know you have a lot of years ahead of you. * You don’t want to fade into the sunset, sit on the porch, golf every day, or sit around playing cards. * You have a retirement plan, some investments, and some savings But, it’s not enough to support your lifestyle and carry you through for the next 30-40 years. * You want to generate an income that lets you cover your expenses and stretches your retirement dollars. * You sure ask heck don’t want to work 8 to 12-hour days, 5 days a week, anymore. You’re done with that. * But what does that mean? What does that look like for you? That, dear reader, is the whole point of this podcast and newsletter. Helping you explore, define, design, and plan your ideal second act so the last half of your life is as exciting and fulfilling as you can make it! What name best captures the essence of this? I know that “Invincible Solopreneurs” isn’t doing the job. I’m not married to any specific name or brand. * I care about the mission. * I care about this movement. * I feel so passionate about it that this is exactly what I’ve done with my own career and life. So, what should the new brand communicate? What should it promise? * It could be something that sounds like a fresh new chapter in your life. * The second act of your career and life. * Maybe how this isn’t your parent’s career path, and it’s certainly not their model of retirement. * Something that sounds like independence and autonomy. * Something that evokes a sense of excitement, adventure, and freedom. * Maybe something that hints at financial independence, but isn’t about getting rich (i.e., there’s more to life than money). Here’s where you come in. I’d love to get your input! A few questions for you I created a short questionnaire to get your thoughts on this renaming exercise. It has five questions and should only take about 2-3 minutes to complete. As one of my readers and listeners, I would really appreciate your feedback. Thanks! Next steps * You can join my free community if you’d like to discuss this in more detail with me and the other members. * After getting input from all of you, I’ll explore the ideas and come up with a few options. * In a few weeks, I should be able to share the new naming ideas with you and see what you think. * Nothing is going to change right away. I want to make a decision that reflects your wants and needs. * And the overall mission and movement doesn’t really change. It just becomes more focused on what you want. Reading & resources (mentioned in the podcast episode) * What is Coast FIRE? * Retirement calculator (what will you need?) * Gen X is facing a retirement crisis * “Company of One - Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business” by Paul Jarvis * “Free Agent Nation - How Americans New Independent Workers Are Transforming the Way We Live” by Daniel Pink Would you like to discuss your goals and plans with me? You can always schedule a complimentary call. Larry Cornett is a business coach who works with ambitious people to help them reclaim their power, become more invincible, and create better opportunities for their work and lives. Do more of what you love and less of what you hate! Check out his new Invincible Solopreneurs Daily Journal! Would you like to help support my newsletter and podcast, but don’t want to commit to a monthly fee? Check out my ☕️ Buy Me a Coffee. I’m a solopreneur, and coaching and writing are how I provide for my family. Thanks for your help! Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

    37 min
  3. 🌟 How Moving to Portugal Helped a Solopreneur Cut Costs and Enjoy a New Life (Issue 174)

    Feb 18

    🌟 How Moving to Portugal Helped a Solopreneur Cut Costs and Enjoy a New Life (Issue 174)

    Have you ever considered moving abroad? Do you dream of running a business in a more affordable location to improve your quality of life? If so, you will enjoy my guest for this episode, Casey Kelly. We had a great conversation about how and why she moved from Texas to Portugal, and the unique challenges of establishing and operating her small business from there. About Casey, in her own words: “I help people navigate complex, dynamic, multi-stage processes to get the outcomes they want. How? Two ways. First: I help AI-native and AI-enhanced SaaS companies plan and execute GTM, thought leadership, and customer success story content to drive sales, differentiate the brand, and generate investor interest. Second: I help Americans who want to move to Europe plan and execute their research effectively, so they can find the right destination for their needs, without wasting money or time.” Summary of what we discussed (scroll up and hit play to listen to the details) * Motivation to relocate – Casey’s research on elder‑care costs sparked a desire to leave the U.S. and explore a more sustainable lifestyle abroad. * Choosing Portugal over Spain – Portugal offered a clear, early‑adopter digital‑nomad visa, whereas Spain’s process was vague and slower. * Business restructuring – Casey wound down her U.S. S‑Corp and re‑established herself as an independent contractor in Portugal, relying on a local CPA to navigate tax and registration requirements. * Banking hurdles for Americans – U.S. reporting obligations deter many Portuguese banks from serving expats; success required persistent outreach and leveraging peer recommendations. * Cultural adjustments – Portuguese social etiquette, respect for hierarchy, slower pace of life, doing business, etc. * Language challenges – Portuguese is linguistically more complex than Spanish, with nuanced pronunciation, extensive formality levels, etc. * Work-style challenges – Maintaining U.S. client relationships requires flexible hours to accommodate time-zone differences, navigating time pressure, blocking vacation time, and clearly communicating availability. * Community building & information curation – Frustrated by noisy social media groups, Casey created the “We’re Moving to Europe” Skool community and Substack newsletter to centralize resources for Americans considering relocation. * Practical relocation checklist – Emphasizes defining non‑negotiables (e.g., healthcare, accessibility, friendliness, medication availability, income needs) before selecting a country or visa type. * Mindset shift – Moving abroad forced Casey to abandon the “always‑busy” U.S. work culture, adopt a slower rhythm, and prioritize personal well‑being over constant productivity, illustrating how our environment shapes our work habits. Where to find Casey * Her online community, “We’re Moving to Europe.” * Her Substack publication, “We’re Moving to Europe.” * Her LinkedIn profile Would you like to review your business plans with me? You can always schedule a complimentary call. Larry Cornett is a business coach who works with ambitious professionals to help them reclaim their power, become more invincible, and create better opportunities for their work and lives. Do more of what you love and less of what you hate! Check out his new Invincible Solopreneurs Daily Journal! Would you like to help support my newsletter and podcast, but don’t want to commit to a monthly fee? Check out my ☕️ Buy Me a Coffee. I’m a solopreneur, and coaching and writing are how I provide for my family. Thanks for your help! Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

    42 min
  4. Jan 21

    🌟 What If Your Job Doesn’t Matter? (Issue 170)

    What if I told you that your office job is not important? By the way, that links to a pretty funny video from the comedian Ali Woods. I upset quite a few people on LinkedIn when I made a comment months ago that most companies and jobs don’t need to exist. I guess this really touched a nerve because I dusted off that comment recently, and someone immediately became angry with me again. Ironically, they work for a pretty reckless corporation that provides a service that is destroying our society and our planet’s resources. But hey, what do I know? Secretly, I think many of us know it’s true, though we shouldn’t say it out loud if we want to keep receiving our paychecks. Many companies (especially in tech) don’t provide any real value, except to each other in some weird ecosystem of mutual support, corporate theater, and meaningless employment. Not only do many of them not generate meaningful value, but some are actually net negative. * They damage our society. * They put our children at risk. * The world would be better off without these corporations. Case in point: Meta wasted $73B on its silly metaverse concept, which has also been exposed as putting children at risk. Now, thousands of employees are losing jobs that were dedicated to that nonsense. And Meta lawyers are ordering evidence of child exploitation destroyed and research findings buried. Another example: watch Nvidia, OpenAI, and Microsoft playing in their infinite AI money loop (see illustration below). It’s so ridiculous. So, we have companies that don’t really need to exist, creating products that shouldn’t exist, and hiring people for jobs that are mostly pointless. David Graeber called these “b******t jobs” in his book “B******t Jobs: A Theory.” What is a b******t job? The defining feature is this: one so completely pointless that even the person who has to perform it every day cannot convince themselves there’s a good reason for them to be doing it. They may not be able to admit this to their co-workers – often, there are very good reasons not to do so – but they are convinced the job is pointless nonetheless. B******t jobs are not just jobs that are useless; typically, there has to be some degree of pretence and fraud involved as well. The employee must feel obliged to pretend that there is, in fact, a good reason their job exists, even if, privately, they find such claims ridiculous. (source) We've all encountered people working in such jobs. This famous scene in the movie “Office Space” shows “The Bobs” grilling an employee who obviously has a BS job. The Bobs are consultants the company hired to help make the daily operations run more efficiently while maximizing profits (i.e., deciding who should be fired). Outline of what I discuss in this episode (scroll up and hit play to listen to the details) * The pandemic opened our eyes * Parkinson's Law * Remote work opened up new possibilities * AI is disrupting corporate jobs * How to “play the game” * Or, redefine the game Would you like to review your business strategy with me? You can always schedule a complimentary call. Larry Cornett is a business coach who works with ambitious professionals to help them reclaim their power, become more invincible, and create better opportunities for their work and lives. Do more of what you love and less of what you hate! Check out his new Invincible Solopreneurs Daily Journal! Would you like to help support my newsletter and podcast, but don’t want to commit to a monthly fee? Check out my ☕️ Buy Me a Coffee. I’m a solopreneur, and coaching and writing are how I provide for my family. Thanks for your help! Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

    33 min
  5. 12/17/2025

    🌟 Solopreneurship Is a Long Game - Here’s How to Play It (Issue 166)

    Summary of Our Recent Livestream In this episode, Anna Codina - Stress Coach and I discussed what it really takes to transition from a traditional job into solopreneurship without rushing, overspending, or forcing yourself to become someone you’re not. One thing I wanted to clarify right away is that solopreneurship does not mean working alone. For me, it simply means keeping a clean business structure (i.e., one owner) while staying flexible about collaboration. Over the years, I’ve partnered with other solopreneurs, hired contractors, and worked closely with people like Anna, all without formal long-term partnerships or employees. That flexibility has saved me a lot of stress and allowed me to scale my business. We spent a lot of time on validation, because this is where most people go wrong. I strongly believe you should test business ideas with as little time and money as possible. You can do a meaningful test with a simple landing page, a clear problem statement, and real conversations with real potential customers. If no one signs up or wants to pay, that’s not a total failure. It’s just early feedback that saves you from wasted effort and money, and tells you to take things in a different direction. We also talked about patience and rejection. Silence doesn’t mean that no one is paying attention. I’ve had clients reach out years later and tell me they’d been quietly reading my work the whole time. This kind of business often has a long lead time, and relationships compound if you keep showing up and listening to what people actually need. As introverts, Anna and I also shared why you don’t need to be loud, salesy, or charismatic to succeed. Writing, podcasting, broadcasting, and one-on-one conversations work far better for me than large networking events or hard sales tactics. On my discovery calls, I don’t pitch at all. I just try to help! Most of the time, people ask me how they can keep working with me. The big takeaway is this: solopreneurship is a long game. It’s about planting seedlings (e.g., content, relationships, small experiments) and letting them grow over time. You don’t need perfection. You need consistent action, small failures, and the willingness to keep going even when it feels like no one is watching. That’s how sustainable and fulfilling small businesses are built. ⬆️ Scroll up and hit play if you want to listen to our entire conversation. Larry Cornett is a business coach who works with ambitious professionals to help them reclaim their power, become more invincible, and create better opportunities for their work and lives. Do more of what you love and less of what you hate! If you’re interested in joining my free Invincible Solopreneurs community, please complete this application form, and we’ll get back to you. Anna Codina is a peak performance coach who helps busy owners detach from work to live better personal lives. Are you feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or struggling to find that elusive work-life harmony? You’re not alone. Her coaching philosophy is simple: Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Get unstuck in 15 mins! I know some people would like to help support my newsletter and podcast, but don’t want to commit to a monthly fee. I get it! So, I set up a ☕️ Buy Me a Coffee to let folks contribute without an ongoing financial commitment. I’m a solopreneur, and coaching and writing are how I provide for my family. Thanks for your support! Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

    57 min
  6. 10/15/2025

    🌟 Are You Running a Real Business, or Is It Running You? (Issue 157)

    In this episode, Anna and I discuss the trap of building a business that replicates the worst parts of being an employee, but gives you none of the benefits. We have friends and clients who have made that mistake! Below are a few questions you should ask yourself. Note: We dive deep into each one in the podcast audio. Scroll up, hit play, and listen. Do you own your time? * If you’re always reacting to client work, you’re not running the business. It’s running you. Do you have pricing power? * Jobs pay for your time. * Businesses charge for outcomes. * If clients push your rates around, you’re still in employee mode. Can you say no without panicking? * The ability to decline a project without anxiety = business maturity. Are you building systems? * A business builds assets: processes, IP, offers, funnels, and client lists. * If everything breaks without you, it’s a job with more overhead. Do you work on the business or always in it? * Time spent thinking, planning, or optimizing = actual business-owner work. * If you never zoom out, you’re just self-managing burnout. Do you have an acquisition engine? * If you rely on luck, referrals, or job boards, you’re a contractor, not a business owner. ➡️ Are you worried that your business model has become an unpleasant trap? You can always schedule a call with Larry or Anna. See links below… Larry Cornett is a business coach who works with ambitious professionals to help them reclaim their power, become more invincible, and create better opportunities for their work and lives. Do more of what you love and less of what you hate! You can schedule a complimentary call with him at any time. Anna Codina is a peak performance coach who helps busy owners detach from work to live better personal lives. Are you feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or struggling to find that elusive work-life harmony? You’re not alone. Her coaching philosophy is simple: Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Get unstuck in 15 mins! Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

    54 min
  7. 09/10/2025

    Your Life, Your Business, Your Way (Issue 152)

    Why would you repeat old pain and misery if you could choose to escape it? I think everyone would prefer to avoid that situation. Yet, many people escape a bad work experience only to find themselves right back in the middle of another nightmare. I was recently talking with a friend who had worked for a narcissistic boss. They described how bad the environment was and the horrible things this boss said and did. So, they eventually quit and found a new job. Guess what? Their new boss is toxic, too. The work environment is unhealthy, and they dream of escaping it. Again. Negative patterns have an unpleasant way of repeating if you don’t solve the underlying issues that create them. Given all this, I ask my business coaching clients to stop racing ahead with an entrepreneurial idea. I want them to pause, take a breath, and engage in some deep introspection first. If I work with you, I start the business coaching and planning process with a deep dive into: * Who you really are. * How you want to spend your days. * What you really want for your life. * Where you want to (ideally) end up when your working journey ends. In this episode, I take you through the first step of what a coaching engagement with me is like and the exercises I would ask you to complete. Scroll up, hit play, and listen to hear some ideas that can help you design your next new business. ➡️ Would you like to brainstorm some marketing ideas with me? You can schedule a complimentary call. Larry Cornett is a business coach who works with ambitious professionals to help them reclaim their power, become more invincible, and create better opportunities for their work and lives. Do more of what you love and less of what you hate! Check out his new Invincible Solopreneurs Daily Journal! Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

    32 min

About

Do you want to make a living doing more of what you love? Are you ready to discover the power, freedom, and joy of solopreneurship? I'm Dr. Larry Cornett, a Business Advisor and Leadership Coach. I frequently work with frustrated employees who want to escape their 9-5 jobs and launch their own businesses someday. They want to maximize their lifetime earning potential, become invulnerable to economic instability, and take control of how they spend their days. I spent over 2 decades in the Silicon Valley tech industry and millions of dollars launching new businesses, products, and services. I've had some wins, and I've also learned how to avoid the mistakes many new business owners make. Over 15 years ago, I left my corporate career to build my own business to reclaim my freedom, health, and life. I want to help you do the same! newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com