1,000 Routes with Nick Bennett #43 The Sean Blanda Route
Sean Blanda is the owner of Gate Check Studios, providing fractional brand, content, and marketing leadership for startups.
In this episode, Sean shares his journey from journalism to entrepreneurship, his experience as a founding marketer at Crossbeam, and why he ultimately chose to go solo. Sean discusses the creative exhaustion that led him to take the leap, the importance of adapting to shifts in marketing, and how his sabbatical-inspired newsletter helped him reconnect with his creative instincts. He also unpacks the process of landing his first clients, the challenge of productizing services, and why every solopreneur should embrace curiosity and velocity.
(00:00) Intro
(01:03) Sean’s entrepreneurial journey
(05:21) The birth and evolution of Gate Check Studios
(10:06) The Sabbatical concept and its impact
(21:41) Exploring side projects and client work
(23:19) The importance of curiosity and velocity
(26:12) Navigating client relationships and market corrections
(33:01) Productization and packaging strategies
(37:31) Results aren’t enough, vibes matter too
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Follow Sean on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanblanda/
Sean Blanda’s Official Website: https://seanblanda.com/
Gate Check Studios: https://gatecheckstudios.com/
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Subscribe to the 1,000 Routes Newsletter: https://1000routes.com/
Full-Stack Solopreneur is the only hybrid digital program that combines the flexibility of a self-paced course with the hands-on nature of a private consulting service: https://fullstacksolo.com/