The Solo Grind

Teresa Schlup, The Original Caffeine Creative

Welcome to the solo grind. Your weekly coffee break with a fellow solo entrepreneur who's right there in it with you. I am Teresa Schlup the original caffeine creative and this is where real business meets real life. No hype just honest conversations about building a business on your own terms. We talk mindset, strategy, burnout, breakthroughs, and everything in between because going solo doesn't mean doing it alone.Grab a cup of coffee, find your favorite spot, and let's talk about what it really takes to do this thing solo. 

  1. 8 Tips to Ditch the Busy Work & Be Productive

    FEB 17

    8 Tips to Ditch the Busy Work & Be Productive

    Send a text Boredom for me is a very dangerous thing! During times of boredom I have said yes to opportunities I regret, made commitments I dread, and started and invested tons of money into hobbies that were only mildly interesting. And as a solo business owner I have spent hours upon hours on busy work that did nothing… and I mean nothing… to actually build my business.  Just this morning I was feeling a little bored and rather than getting this podcast recorded as planned I found myself shifting my attention to a whole lot of other things that really have no value or purpose for what I am here to create.  So today we are going to hop off the hamster wheel of busy-ness and focus our attention on doing things that actually drive success. What I hope you take away from today's episode...  How to recognize what is busy work versus what is actually being productive Learn to trust yourself to know when to refocus your time and energy Recognize that avoidance is keeping you from getting things done, and what avoidance feels likeOne well documented decision can save you countless hours of busy work in the future The value of time limits on tasks and knowing what the "finish line" looks like Clearing up the clutter you've created will save you time, as well as protect your sanity and profits! Links to the cool stuff mentioned in this episode...  Episode 64: Streamlining for Sanity with my special guest Tori Chasse Connect with Tori Chassé for automation support Episode 47. The Tools I don’t use in Business  –– Any more. Links to connect with me...  Book a Consult HERE! (https://caffeinecreative.io/consult/) Email me HERE! theperfectblendcaffeinecreative.io

    31 min
  2. Looking at the Competition? Here's how to do it Without Losing Your Confidence

    FEB 10

    Looking at the Competition? Here's how to do it Without Losing Your Confidence

    Send a text Looking at our competition is normal, it can even be healthy and a strategic way to grow your business. It can help you better understand shifts and changes in your industry, and inspire you to try new approaches or even new services.  But taking a look at the competition can be a slippery slope my friends, as I am sure you have already discovered for yourself. If we aren’t careful our strategic looksie into what the competition is doing can lead to second-guessing our approach to everything from our marketing to our services. It can have us chasing trends, and making decisions that don’t align with our brand or support our goals. And it can seriously chip away at our confidence, and have us doubting our ability to be successful.  Today, we are taking an up close and personal look at the competition together, and how to do it without losing our confidence. What I hope you take away from today's episode...  Not everyone in your industry is your competitionThe really good people in your industry are ambassadors that support your industryHow to handle mimicking and copycats, even if you are the one doing the mimicking. The strategy to building a stronger business is taking a healthy look at what others are doing. Links to the cool stuff mentioned in this episode...  The dry research paper I found fascinating:  Competition Shadow: Anchoring to Fear Versus Hope in Estimating Rivals in Competition  Article by Tim Denning from Medium.com: Your Competition Is Magnificent Links to connect with me...  Book a Consult HERE! (https://caffeinecreative.io/consult/) Email me HERE! theperfectblendcaffeinecreative.io

    25 min
  3. Getting Organized for a Thriving 2026

    JAN 20

    Getting Organized for a Thriving 2026

    Send a text Your business needs to evolve to carry the weight of business growth. Let's move from survival to sustainable and get your house in order. Early on in our business there was this clear path to follow. It may not have felt clear, but looking back we can see there was a checklist of sorts to complete that put systems in place that would support us so we could officially say, “I am open for business.”  Once that checklist was completed it was time to get down to the business of building our business. We networked, collaborated, and of course sought out new clients, and kept a pretty busy schedule trying to fit it all in, all while those systems were in the background doing their job.  Like me, you might not have checked in on those systems all that much. After all it wasn’t like you didn’t have other pressing and more urgent things to take care of. And no doubt what you put into place to get things going has probably served you well, but here is something we don’t often think about…  Those systems we initially put into place to support our business were designed by and for a startup fledgling business.  What I hope you take away from today's episode...  Getting your house in order today, makes everything easier as your business moves through the new year What worked for you when you set your business up may not work for you todayThe foundation you created for your business needs to evolve if it is going to carry the weight of our business growth.  Links to the cool stuff mentioned in this episode...  Find Your Marketing ZenDarkside of MarketingInterior Design Contracts from Profit Insiders CoachingDIY Legal Templates from Lisa Fraley, The Legal CoachWaveAppsLinks to connect with me...  Book a Consult HERE! (https://caffeinecreative.io/consult/)Email me HERE! theperfectblendcaffeinecreative.io

    26 min

Trailer

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About

Welcome to the solo grind. Your weekly coffee break with a fellow solo entrepreneur who's right there in it with you. I am Teresa Schlup the original caffeine creative and this is where real business meets real life. No hype just honest conversations about building a business on your own terms. We talk mindset, strategy, burnout, breakthroughs, and everything in between because going solo doesn't mean doing it alone.Grab a cup of coffee, find your favorite spot, and let's talk about what it really takes to do this thing solo.