Streamlined Solopreneur: Tips to Help Business Owners Grow Without Burnout

Growth by Subtraction: How to Make Time for What Matters Most

Oct 27, 2025

This week’s guest is Austin L. Church, a freelancer, author, and founder of Freelance Cake, who emphasizes the importance of letting go of what's unproductive. He discusses how pruning commitments can create space for what truly matters, both in work and family life. Austin critiques lengthy business books, highlighting the value of returning to fundamental ideas. He shares insights on shifting attention from negativity to gratitude and the significance of focusing energy for greater impact. Parenting tips also underscore the importance of presence over perfection.

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INSIGHT

Growth By Subtraction

Growth often comes from subtraction: prune projects to free attention and increase yield.
Fractured focus dilutes results, so remove distractions before starting a new venture.

INSIGHT

Values Over Virality

Don't copy people optimizing for different values like fame or wealth.
Compare outcomes only to people who share your values and definition of success.

INSIGHT

Indignation Steals Creative Energy

Indignation consumes emotional energy that could fuel creative work and relationships.
Letting go of chronic outrage frees capacity for meaningful action.

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When I was a kid, I said things like, “I won’t forget,” or “When I’m a dad, I won’t get mad.” Or…”I’m bored.”

But as you get older, and life puts you in various, unforeseen situations, it’s easy to get blindsided and react in a way you hoped you wouldn’t.

I think about this a lot when I consider what’s changed between turn 20 and turn 40. And there’s a common theme that has cropped up: pruning.

Letting go of what doesn’t work. Of where you used to spend your energy. About making more space in your life for the things that matter.

And I thought that there was no better person to bring on to talk about this than my friend, fellow freelancer, and fellow father, Austin L. Church. He’s a deep thinker, committed family man, and wants to help people.

Looking to prune what’s stealing your energy? Take the Business Overwhelm Diagnostic.

Top Takeaways

Fluff vs. value in business books — many books stretch one idea into 300 pages, but the best insights are usually old, durable ideas worth revisiting.
Growth by subtraction — focus and pruning beat doing “all the things.” Fractured attention leads to mediocre results.
Attention as water — what you focus on grows. Stop “watering” indignation and instead nurture gratitude, creativity, and presence.
Values over virality — not all success is worth emulating. If someone’s optimizing for attention or wealth at all costs, that doesn’t mean you should.
Parenting parallels — kids remember how you respond more than what you say. Choosing patience, presence, and love shapes both them and you.
“These are the good old days” — a simple mindset shift that makes it easier to stay present with family and avoid regrets later.

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