Solopreneur Stories Will Stevens

In this episode I speak with Nancy Chu.



Nancy is a Product Management Leadership and Solopreneur Coach, whose mission is to develop the courage of product leaders to reach their goals faster, and tech employees to make their first $10k months outside of corporate.



Nancy has accumulated nearly 2 decades of experience in engineering and product management, building products for hundreds of millions of users generating tens of millions in revenue across her roles at companies like Meta/Facebook and Roku. 



We cover topics including:




Toxicity in the workplace and overcoming traumatic workplace experiences


The connection of mental health and physical health for solopreneurs and employees


Her experience with the forum Blind


Livestreaming with Buddhist master teachers



And other topics. 



Nancy was such a pleasure to speak with and we hit some really deep topics.



What I love about conversations like these is that, as much as some of Nancy’s story and advice can be applied to solopreneurship, its application really finds itself squarely talking about life and our own psychology.



It was another great discussion where I learned a lot from her story, journey, solopreneurship, and life lessons. And I think you will too.



Here is - Nancy Chu.



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Are you a freelancer who wants to focus on the work that actually gets you paid?



Whelm handles all of the necessary but boring and time consuming administrative work so you can focus on the work that you love and makes you money.



You can create invoices, receive payments, generate client contracts, manage projects, and collect vital client feedback. All in one, simple platform.



Check it out with my link here.

In this episode I speak with Lala Cooper Carver.

Lala is a Content & Communications Consultant, with an extensive background in brand identity, communications, and content. She’s partnered with some of the biggest names in consumer tech, healthcare, energy and publishing over the past decade.

Lala launched her micro-business, Goldline Content, in September 2021. Since then, it's grown rapidly, and currently supports a wide range of businesses and organizations in the UK and around the world.

Lala and I cover topics including:


The benefits solopreneurs can have coming from an agency background and wearing different hats


Accepting the challenges of solopreneurship and focusing on solutions


Jumping in, taking action, and being bold as a solopreneur


The importance of saying no to things, but also the challenge of embracing a no mindset as a solopreneur


Burnout, being aware of it and being empathetic about it



And other topics.

We talk about perspectives that are as much for employers as they are for solopreneurs. 

While the primary audience of this podcast is aspiring or seasoned solopreneurs, a lot of this advice is very actionable for employers out there looking to learn from those who have gone out on their own and why they’ve done so.

I’ve said on this podcast before that I am personally 100% open to being an employee, but that employer would have to meet certain criteria - and the bar seems to remain low for a lot of corporations out there, so I hope some of the perspectives discussed with my guests may get through to anyone willing to listen.

So I hope you enjoy my conversation with - Lala Cooper Carver.

In this episode I speak with Tim Hillison.



Tim is the Founder & CEO of Entry Point 1. 



He’s launched over $1B in products and campaigns for some of the world’s most recognized companies like Visa, Microsoft, and PayPal, and led global go-to-market strategy in the US, EMEA, and APAC for PwC and Cognizant. 



Currently, he helps scale B2B startups and transform scaleups into enterprises.



Tim was a ton of fun to speak with. We cover topics today's solopreneurs will find a lot of value from, including:




The myth of linear career paths 


Some of the limitations put on specialist roles 


Stoicism and the works of Epictetus


Growth at all costs


Web 1, 2, and 3 and career 1, 2, and 3


Some thoughts I really enjoyed regarding modern business, and where there’s a gap in satisfying modern life needs



And other topics.



Tim is someone I’ve been in touch with a few times outside of the podcast, and he’s just a great example of how generous some folks are in the solopreneurship space who is out there working to make the pie bigger and support everyone winning. It’s really great.



I learned a lot, and I think you will too.



Here is - Tim Hillison.



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Are you a freelancer who wants to focus on the work that actually gets you paid?



Whelm handles all of the necessary but boring and time consuming administrative work so you can focus on the work that you love and makes you money.



You can create invoices, receive payments, generate client contracts, manage projects, and collect vital client feedback. All in one, simple platform.



Check it out with my link here.

In this episode, I speak with Tenisha Griggs.



Tenisha is a solopreneur, agency founder, and public speaker.



As part of her solopreneur journey, she’s launched 37X, a digital marketing agency catering to B2B and e-commerce brands.



She’s a former All-American track and field athlete, has been recognized as 'Advertiser of the Year' by ADWEEK, and is a sought-after speaker, where she shares her expertise on leveraging AI, digital advertising, and championing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the ever-evolving marketing landscape.



Throughout our discussion, Tenisha shares valuable insights on the ups and downs of her journey as a new solopreneur, offering tangible advice for fellow solopreneurs who can be successful on their own journey.



We explore topics including:




The importance of personal alignment in goal-setting, 


The art of networking and winning clients, 


And the transformative power of continuous daily improvement inspired by the works of James Clear and his book, Atomic Habits.



But that's not all – we also delve into the wisdom of proverbs and Buddhist parables, adding a lot of emotional depth and richness to our conversation.



This episode is a treasure. Tenisha is a total professional, and her dedication and expertise really comes to life as she shares her story, experience, and wisdom.



I hope you enjoy my conversation with - Tenisha Griggs.



==========



Are you a freelancer who wants to focus on the work that actually gets you paid?



Whelm handles all of the necessary but boring and time consuming administrative work so you can focus on the work that you love and makes you money.



You can create invoices, receive payments, generate client contracts, manage projects, and collect vital client feedback. All in one, simple platform



Check it out with my link here.

In this episode I explore the world of solopreneurship with Nick Lafferty, Growth Consultant and Founder of Early Exit Club. 

Nick shares his backstory, insights, and experiences on his journey of quitting his job to pursue his solopreneur dreams.

We get deep into some of Nick's areas of expertise, the challenges and highlights of his solopreneur venture thus far, and the backstory on his work with digital products, including The Competitive Conquesting Playbook and Notion templates.

Nick shares some of his personal strategies for success, from the power of journaling and positive affirmations to the significance of a compelling personal positioning statement. 

Nick also fearlessly and transparently opens up about sharing his personal finances with his audiences and what other solopreneurs should consider when doing the same.

Nick is a wealth of knowledge and someone who is thriving in this era of fractional work and solopreneurship. The topics we cover are essential for aspiring and seasoned solopreneurs, with tactical insights and actionable advice others can leverage to grow their brand and pursue solopreneurship success.

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Are you a freelancer who wants to focus on the work that actually gets you paid?

Whelm handles all of the necessary but boring and time consuming administrative work so you can focus on the work that you love and makes you money.

You can create invoices, receive payments, generate client contracts, manage projects, and collect vital client feedback. All in one, simple platform

Check it out with my link here.

In this episode I speak with Shirin Shahin.

Shirin is a seasoned solopreneur who has worked in product marketing for over 10-years both at larger enterprise companies like Constant Contact and Brightcove, and then as a founder and consultant for herself, which she’s been doing since 2019. She works with primarily B2B organizations of all sizes who are either starting to build their product marketing foundation or expanding on it. 

In our conversation we covers topics including:


What it was like transitioning from large companies with large teams to her own company as a solopreneur of one


WeWork and what it's like as a solopreneur working in public spaces


Her experiences in mentorship with organizations like Tech Stars


Productized services and some common misconceptions



And other great topics.

We have a lot in common and this was a really fun episode, so I hope you’ll learn something and enjoy my conversation with - Shirin Shahin.



==========



Are you a freelancer who wants to focus on the work that actually gets you paid?



Whelm handles all of the necessary but boring and time consuming administrative work so you can focus on the work that you love and makes you money.



You can create invoices, receive payments, generate client contracts, manage projects, and collect vital client feedback. All in one, simple platform



Check it out with my link here.