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
Apr 11, 2022 • 18min
Awkward Client Situations: What To Do When Things Get Sticky
Ever had an awkward moment with a client? Of course you have!Whether you’ve been in business for one year or 20 years, awkward moments with clients are bound to happen. Maybe they ghosted you. Or maybe they haven’t paid their invoice despite numerous requests. Or maybe they completely changed direction mid-project and expect you to go back and start from square one. Whatever your awkward moment may have been, the result is usually the same — you’re left feeling stressed out and not at all pleased with what’s gone down. In this episode, I’m talking about those awkward client moments when things get sticky and you’re trying not to completely lose your shit. Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/awkward-client-situations
Apr 4, 2022 • 19min
Putting Sell the Strategy Into Action
Have you ever heard someone in business talking about strategy and wanted to roll your eyes? The unfortunate reality is that in the online biz world (and many other places!) people use the word strategy simply as a means to charge more money for whatever they’re selling. But we all know that not every strategy is created equal. Having said that, strategy is a GOOD thing. Strategy makes your life easier as there’s actually a roadmap to guide your work. Best of all, strategy is something you can actively be selling. In this episode, we’re digging deeper into Selling the Strategy and I’m going to give you specific examples to help you get into action. Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/how-to-sell-the-strategy
Mar 28, 2022 • 14min
Sell the Strategy: Stepping Up Your Service Business
Ever felt frustrated by a client situation and like *something* has to change but you aren’t sure where to begin. One-size-fits-all solutions are rarely the magic bullet they’re sold as, but the good news is, there are some shifts you can make to move your business towards a place where you aren’t ready to tear your hair out. For me, that was implementing what I call Sell the Strategy. In this episode, I’m going to share this pivotal change that made all the difference for me and my business. Get the inside scoop right here: smallbusinessboss.co/sell-the-strategy
Mar 21, 2022 • 23min
Myths About Service Businesses (The 2022 Edition)
Ever heard the expression “a lie often repeated becomes the truth”? The reality is that when we hear something enough times, we often start to believe it — including the countless tropes and myths often repeated by celebrity entrepreneurs. . Whether it’s the stories about burnout being inevitable or that you need to be booked out at all times, these myths can start to make us feel like we’re missing something or like we’ll never get things right. But that isn’t the case at all. That’s why in this episode, we’re looking at being booked out, burnt out, and other lies about service businesses. Get the inside scoop right here: smallbusinessboss.co/myths-about-service-businesses
Mar 14, 2022 • 23min
*BEST OF EPISODE* Marketing Yourself on LinkedIn with Chrissie Wywrot
**Welcome to the Best of the BS-Free Service Business Show series. This episode is a re-release that originally went live on September 24, 2018.** I'm talking with marketing expert Chrissie Wywrot to give you the inside scoop on how to get yourself more exposure, generate engagement, and highlight the best parts of your biz. If you've been trying to figure out how to polish up your Linkedin profile or online brand to establish yourself as an expert in your field, this is the episode for you. Get the scoop here: https://smallbusinessboss.co/marketing-yourself-on-linkedin/
Mar 7, 2022 • 14min
*BEST OF EPISODE* Creating a Deliberately Simple Client Experience
**Welcome to the Best of the BS-Free Service Business Show series. This episode is a re-release that originally went live on March 3, 2020.** Fact: When you make your money by serving clients, the experience you create can make or break your business. Also fact: Most service providers make this WAY too complicated and totally overthink it. In this episode of the Small Business Boss podcast, I’m giving you actionable ideas on how you can deliver a deliberately simple client experience. Get the inside scoop right here: https://smallbusinessboss.co/simple-client-experience/
Feb 28, 2022 • 8min
*BEST OF EPISODE* Power Move - Creating Your Signature Service
**Welcome to the Best of the BS-Free Service Business Show series. This episode is a re-release that originally went live on August 6, 2018.** If you’ve ever thought about creating a signature service but decided not to, think again! A signature service is how you can show your expertise and it puts everyone on notice that you’re a total boss who’s got it going ON. In this episode, I’m sharing everything you need to know about creating a signature service and how it can transform your business. Get the inside scoop here: https://smallbusinessboss.co/creating-your-signature-service/
Feb 21, 2022 • 14min
*BEST OF EPISODE* Myths of Growing Your Services Business - The 2020 Edition
**Welcome to the Best of the BS-Free Service Business Show series. This episode is a re-release that originally went live on January 20, 2020.** You can’t grow without a team. Your income will plateau. You’ve heard all the myths of a service business before, and in this new episode, we’re taking a look at these myths and looking at how they stack up in 2020. Get the inside scoop right here: https://smallbusinessboss.co/growing-a-services-business-in-2020/
Feb 14, 2022 • 17min
*BEST OF EPISODE* What I Learned About Finding Clients in 2019
**Welcome to the Best of the BS-Free Service Business Show series. This episode is a re-release that originally went live on January 13, 2020.** As business owners, most of us are really good at setting big goals for our business. Especially revenue goals, but many times we don’t think about what it’s going to take to actually reach that goal. I speak from experience as someone with many an ambitious goal that wasn’t met because it wasn’t grounded in reality. For many people, those big goals are super motivating, but for me, they’re soul-crushing when I fall short. In this episode, I wanted to share some real numbers to give you an idea of what it took to increase revenue in 2019, and more importantly, what I learned about finding clients. Get the inside scoop right here: https://smallbusinessboss.co/finding-clients-2019/
Feb 7, 2022 • 33min
Why Your Message Really Matters Now More Than Ever with Michelle Mazur
There’s no shortage of messaging being thrown at us in the world of online business. We’re told to live our best life. To take back our freedom. To avoid burnout. And on and on and on… The problem? These messages, while they may be things we actually need to hear, are these the messages we want trickling down to our own clients? And if we’re all using the same messaging, where’s the room for differentiation? In this episode, Dr. Michelle Mazur joins us to unpack exactly why your message matters, how to make a compelling argument for your work and so much more. smallbusinessboss.co/why-your-messaging-matters
