

Staying Solo
Maggie Patterson, BS-Free Business
Growing a solo service business is tough. It's even harder when you're bombarded with BS advice that steers you away from your values and why you started your business in the first place.
This is the podcast for solo creatives and consultants who want to remain as a team of one and have zero interest in the hustle and grind of typical business teachings.
Most podcasts for solopreneurs and freelancers, hosted by out-of-touch celebrity entrepreneurs who haven't offered one-to-one services in years, miss the mark on today's market realities.
Maggie Patterson, a service business owner for 20 years, understands that to stay solo, you need to know what matters to you, what works for you, and what you should completely ignore.
In each episode, she examines one piece of conventional business advice to discover how it may hurt your business or be completely wrong for you as a solo business owner.
Join Maggie for real talk to help you avoid burnout or the desire to entirely burn down your business to open a flower shop, book store, or cat cafe. (Because those cats won't pay the bills.)
(Formerly the BS-Free Service Business Show)
This is the podcast for solo creatives and consultants who want to remain as a team of one and have zero interest in the hustle and grind of typical business teachings.
Most podcasts for solopreneurs and freelancers, hosted by out-of-touch celebrity entrepreneurs who haven't offered one-to-one services in years, miss the mark on today's market realities.
Maggie Patterson, a service business owner for 20 years, understands that to stay solo, you need to know what matters to you, what works for you, and what you should completely ignore.
In each episode, she examines one piece of conventional business advice to discover how it may hurt your business or be completely wrong for you as a solo business owner.
Join Maggie for real talk to help you avoid burnout or the desire to entirely burn down your business to open a flower shop, book store, or cat cafe. (Because those cats won't pay the bills.)
(Formerly the BS-Free Service Business Show)
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 11, 2025 • 16min
The Mini Client Audit: Why Better Clients Aren't Showing Up (And It's Not Because Everyone Else Is "Lucky")
If it feels like other people land better clients with ease, here's the truth: it's not luck, it's structure. In this just-in-time episode, we run a Mini Client Audit to uncover what's actually blocking better clients from finding (and choosing) you. You'll hear: The visibility mistake most booked service providers don't realize they're making The subtle way you might be pushing your best-fit clients away without meaning to What's really happening after the sales call when things go silent Landing better clients aren't about trying harder. They're about fixing the right things. And this episode shows you exactly where to start. If you're ready for a real plan to get booked with better clients in 2026, that's exactly what we're building inside the Staying Solo Squad this January. We're kicking things off by creating your One-Page Booked & Unbothered Sales Plan, the simple, sustainable roadmap to attract the right clients, build real trust, and keep the work (and money) flowing all year long. Doors are open until December 18th. Join us.

Dec 8, 2025 • 13min
The Delight of Enough: A Quiet Rebellion in a World Built for More
Ever hit a money milestone and instantly feel like it's… still not enough? You're not broken, you're human. When money has felt unpredictable at any point in your life, "enough" doesn't feel safe; it feels suspicious. And that's usually when the internet tries to sell you a mindset fix you may not even need. In this episode, we're digging into why your brain reacts this way and why choosing enough might be one of the most unexpectedly delightful decisions you can make in your business and your life. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why money milestones may not feel safe. How scarcity conditioning and money trauma fuel the chase for "more". Why choosing enough is a countercultural power move. What enough actually looks like in your business and life. How sufficiency creates a steadier, more sustainable business. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please:. Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolor Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo

Dec 1, 2025 • 12min
The Delight of Progress (Not Perfection)
Perfection isn't ambition — it's armour. It keeps you safe from judgment, mistakes, and uncertainty… but it also keeps you stuck. And when your business relies on you taking action, that kind of safety gets expensive fast. In today's episode, The Delight of Progress (Not Perfection), we're digging into what perfectionism is really protecting you from, and why choosing progress is actually the safer path forward. Topics discussed in this episode include: How perfectionism keeps you stuck (and why it feels so productive). The hidden cost of waiting for "perfect". The tiny steps that create real momentum with messy action. Why progress is the true competitive advantage in your business. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please:. Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolor Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo

Nov 24, 2025 • 13min
The Delightful NO: A Plan for What You're Saying YES To
If you're trying to run your business with 2019 energy, no wonder you're exhausted. After years of uncertainty, you can't manage your time like a machine. You need to manage your capacity like a human. And that starts with the Delightful No — the kind of boundary that protects your energy, your focus, and your sanity. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why you're depleted, not disorganized. How collective stress has reshaped your true capacity. The myth of "I can handle it all with better time management." Why every yes has a cost. How the Delightful No protects your energy and focus. A simple YES Plan for using your capacity intentionally. Practical ways to say no without guilt. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please:. Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolor Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo

Nov 17, 2025 • 8min
Delightfully Boring: This Is How You Calm Yourself Down
Some days, you look at the online business world and wonder, what are we even doing? We were sold freedom and ended up with nonstop optimization, fake urgency, and the pressure to perform 24/7. In a world this chaotic, the smartest move you can make is building a business that isn't. You can't control the economy, the algorithm, or a flaky client, but you can control how your business runs. And when you do, your business stops being the source of drama and becomes the calm in the storm. In this episode, we're exploring the power of a delightfully boring business. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why the business "freedom" dream isn't working. How hustle culture morphed into non-stop optimization. What a delightfully boring business really looks like. Why predictability reduces stress and boosts clarity. How to build a business that stays steady no matter what. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please:. Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolo Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo

Nov 10, 2025 • 44min
What Happens When You Finally Redesign the Business You've Outgrown with Natalie Taylor
Not every business pivot starts with a breakdown. Sometimes it hits quietly — like staring at yet another sales page for a client you genuinely like and thinking, I can't keep doing this. That was the moment for Natalie Taylor. You can love your clients, be fully booked, and still know something has to change. In this episode, Natalie shares how she went from burned-out and booked-out to building a business that actually fits her life — not the other way around. Topics discussed in this episode include: Natalie's quiet "I'm done" moment that changed everything. Burnout in a business that looks successful from the outside. How Natalie shifted from copywriter to strategic consultant. Letting go of clients + safety nets without burning it all down. The mindset shifts that made her reinvention actually stick. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please:. Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolor Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo

Nov 3, 2025 • 18min
You're Not the Problem (But Your Strategy Might Be)
Ever had everything look fine…clients happy, money flowing, nothing on fire…yet something still feels off? That quiet friction? That low-level hum you can't shake? That's not anxiety. It's a warning light. In this episode, we're digging into what's really going on beneath the surface and how to fix it before it cracks wide open. Topics discussed in this episode include: The hidden cracks that show up even when business looks "fine".. Signs your business model, pricing, or positioning needs to evolve. The role of a strategy reset and why it's not a teardown. The three-phase Revenue Reset framework: Define, Design, Deliver.. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please:. Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolo Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo

Oct 27, 2025 • 15min
Fewer Clients, More Money? (Yes, It's Possible.)
Everyone loves to brag about being "booked out." But let's be honest, booked out can also mean booked solid, burned out, and barely making bank. What no one tells you is that a full calendar doesn't guarantee profit, margin, or breathing room. Sometimes it just means you've built yourself a job you can't step away from. In this episode, we're rethinking what "booked out" should actually look like and how to make more without stuffing your schedule. Because "fewer clients, more money" isn't a tagline. It's the most sustainable way to run your business. Topics discussed in this episode include: The myth of "more clients = more success" and how it keeps you stuck. The real cost of volume-based business models and why the real secret is focusing on value. Three strategies to earn more with fewer clients. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please:. Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolo Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo

Oct 20, 2025 • 15min
Booked Out and Burned Out (But Not About to Burn It All Down)
You'd think being great at what you do would make business easier. But the better you get, the more the cracks show. The clients, systems, and strategy that used to work? Now they feel too small. You've outgrown the business you built. So you tweak, tinker, and try to make it fit again but the friction keeps coming back, because you're not meant to patch it, you're meant to rebuild it. Topics discussed in this episode include: The "season of stuck" and why it's a normal sign of growth. Why patching symptoms (tweaks, tweaks, tweaks) never fixes the real problem. How shifting clients, markets, and standards creates hidden misalignment. The three areas that actually need your attention. Why pausing is strategic and not optional. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please:. Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolo Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo

Oct 13, 2025 • 10min
The Must-Have AI Conversation That Builds (or Breaks) Trust
If you're not talking about AI with your clients, you're already losing their trust. In this episode, I break down why silence is a risk and how to lead the AI conversation without sounding defensive, desperate, or out of touch. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why client skepticism is rising and how AI is amplifying it. The hidden trust gap created when you stay silent about AI. What clients are really thinking (but not asking) about your use of AI.. The three pillars of the AI conversation and how to discuss AI without sounding outdated or opportunistic. How to define your own AI stance before speaking to clients. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. If you enjoyed today's episode, please:. Leave a positive review or rating at www.ratethispodcast.com/stayingsolo Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Sign up for email updates at www.bsfreebusiness.com/solo


