
Staying Solo
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)
Latest episodes

Nov 1, 2021 • 1h 1min
DUPED: Courses: Moneymaking Dream or Business Nightmare?
*Check out the first episode of Duped, season 2* Stop us if you’ve heard these ones before - “Make money while you sleep!” “Never trade dollars for hours again!” “Create it once and set it on autopilot!” We all know celebrity entrepreneurs make BIG promises when selling us a course that teaches us how to create… another course. But do courses actually live up to the hype? Are they the passive income dream they claim to be? In this episode of Duped, we’re looking at whether courses are a magical moneymaking dream or a bonafide business nightmare. Find out more at duped.online

Oct 25, 2021 • 31min
The Dynamics of Delegation with Bekka Prideaux
Does the idea of having to hand off work to other people make you break out in a cold sweat?Do you ever find yourself thinking “it will be faster if I just do it myself”? *raises hand sheepishly* The struggle is real, my friends. As someone who has a somewhat challenging relationship with delegation, it’s a muscle that I have to consciously work on building. Thankfully, I’ve had someone guiding me along the way and giving me a gentle nudge when needed.That’s why in this episode I sat down for a chat with leadership coach Bekka Prideaux to dive into the dynamics of delegation. We talk about how to improve your delegations skills, why delegation isn’t just about having a team, and so much more. Get the inside scoop right here: smallbusinessboss.co/dynamics-of-delegation

Oct 18, 2021 • 15min
7 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting an Agency
Despite how those FB ads make it look, running an agency and being the boss isn't all sitting back and watching the cash roll in while your team gets the job done. No matter how much you *think* you know about what the reality is, like so much else in life, you don’t know what you don’t know until you’re actually in the thick of it. That’s why in this episode, I’m sharing 7 things I wish I knew before starting an agency, including a few things that may be unexpected. Get the inside scoop right here: smallbusinessboss.co/before-starting-an-agency

Oct 11, 2021 • 12min
The Agency Business Model: Is it Right For You?
Do you ever feel like you don’t have enough hours in the day? Like you’re already working too much but could still be doing more? Then there’s the fact that your services are in demand and you would take on even more work if you were able. You WANT to grow your business, but driving yourself into the ground isn’t a solid strategy. Right about now, running the agency business model may seem like reeeeally good option. But is it? In this episode, we’re diving into the ins and outs of the agency business model, to help you answer the question….is it right for you? Get the inside scoop right here: smallbusinessboss.co/the-agency-model

Oct 4, 2021 • 30min
I Spent $285 on Low Cost Offers So You Don’t Have To
You know those low cost products all over your social media feeds making big promises? You may like them, or you may find them annoying, but there’s a very specific strategy around them. And a lot of those strategies are a big problem from my point of view. So I got curious and bought 9 of these products to analyze them. In this episode and essay, I’m sharing my findings from that analysis I did after spending $285 - the good, the bad and the really scammy. I’m doing the work so you don’t have to, and then sharing what you need to know. Get the inside scoop right here: smallbusinessboss.co/low-cost-offers

Sep 27, 2021 • 29min
Focusing on Values with Danait Berhe
When you think about your values, it’s probably pretty easy to list what matters to us personally.But what about your biz? We’ve all done those exercises where we sit down and write out a mission or a vision statement, or define the values for our business. But all too often they just end up in a file folder and forgotten about while we carry on with getting our work done.How do we ensure the values we define are something we actually consider regularly? In this episode, guest Danait Berhe shares how to put our business values into action. Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/business-values

Sep 20, 2021 • 12min
Rethinking Results in Your Business
Have you ever been talking to a potential client and they ask you what sort of results working with you will get them? I have, and honestly, it always gets my back up a little. Is it a valid question? Absolutely. But in the online world, “results” are all too often tied directly to cold hard cash. People are selling the promise of making big money if you work with them or buy their system, and that’s what we’re being compared against. So how do we have a nuanced conversation about results in a way that doesn’t just focus on money? In this episode, we’re going to talk about how to rethink the role of results in our business, and how we untether from toxic narratives about what results really are. Get the inside scoop right here: Smallbusinessboss.co/results-in-your-business

Sep 13, 2021 • 29min
What You Need to Know About Done-For-You vs. Coaching-Based Business Models
You know what’s annoying?How much people in the online space crap on service businesses. Celeb entrepreneurs are selling ways for us to get OUT of service businesses, with an understanding of an unspoken hierarchy where those who offer services are seen as less than those that focus on courses or programs. This results in more and more people getting lured away from their service businesses and told that coaching-based group programs is the way to go. But is it really? In this episode, we’re looking at the key differences between running a done-for-you service business, and one that offers coaching, including the hard numbers from my own experiences working in both models. Get the inside scoop right here: smallbusinessboss.co/business-models

Sep 6, 2021 • 21min
Simplify Your Service Biz
Have you ever heard someone say that there’s no money in services? I have, and I strongly disagreed. The service business model is one of the simplest around, and you can definitely make money — if you know what you’re doing. A service business doesn’t have to be complicated, despite what you may have been told. The reality is those celebrity entrepreneurs and inexperienced coaches — who like to tell us we NEED their fancy systems — overcomplicate things and create problems we don’t actually have in an effort to sell us things. In this episode, I’m sharing what you really need for your service business and how you simplify yours. Get the inside scoop right here: smallbusinessboss.co/simplify-your-service-biz

Aug 30, 2021 • 15min
The Aligned Service Business Model
Have you ever felt like things in your business aren’t running the way they should? Like your services are out of whack or what you sell is a struggle to deliver? While every business is unique, the online business world often tries to tell us there is one way to do things — not accounting for any of the complexities we may need to consider when building our business model. And that sets us up to fail. The good news — there are SO MANY ways to run your business. You just need a model that makes sense for what you do.Enter the Aligned Service Business Model. It puts you at the center of your services so what you’re delivering feels simple and easy. Check out the latest episode where we’re looking at the way to align your services with your values, strengths and skills. Get the inside scoop right here: smallbusinessboss.co/aligned-service-business-model