
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

Jun 14, 2021 • 33min
Creating Time Freedom and Breaking Free from the Hustle with Becca Rich
Hands up if you’ve ever been told you need to “hustle harder”. Keep your hands up if reading makes you want to have a nap, because the idea of hustling is downright exhausting. The relentless message around needing to hustle is contrary to why we ever started a business. What we really need and want is more *freedom* with our time. That’s why I invited my guest Becca Rich, a holistic time management strategist and coach, to discuss the idea of time freedom and so much more. Get the inside scoop here: smallbusinessboss.co/time-freedom

Jun 7, 2021 • 23min
The Problem with Income Claim Marketing
“I make 7 figures and you can too! All you need is my proven system!” Bet you’ve seen this sort of claim so many times you’ve lost count and it’s totally eye roll worthy. The online business world is full of people making BIG income claims. And as the years pass, these claims seem to continuously escalate. First it was 5 figures, then it was 6, and now we’re at 7 or 8 figures. But you know what? The reality of the online business world is that most people are NOT making this kind of money. They’re simply not. Even worse, these claims generally have little to no evidence to back them up. But people see these numbers and feel like they’re failing. In this episode we’re diving into what you, as a consumer, need to know about income claim marketing. Get the inside scoop: https://smallbusinessboss.co/income-claim-marketing/

May 31, 2021 • 19min
Your Burning Questions Answered
Have you ever had a question and thought “hmmm, I wish there was another biz owner I could ask about this”? Over the past year I’ve had a great time interacting and answering. questions over on Instagram. And that’s exactly why I decided to bring those questions to the podcast and share them all with you. In this episode, I’m answering listener questions from how to deal with procrastination to what to do about pricing to if wanting to burn down your business is normal. Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/frequently-asked-questions

May 24, 2021 • 43min
Sustainable Visibility & Pitching Podcasts with Mai-Kee Tsang
Have you ever been given the advice that you need to work on your visibility as a business owner? While on the surface this is true, one of the things that holds many people back is feeling that visibility = an extroverted, loud, in-your-face approach. Totally not my style, and probably not yours either. And that’s okay! Because we do, in fact, have alternatives. In this episode, guest Mai-kee Tsang joins me to talk about her approach to visibility, and pitching yourself as a guest on podcasts. Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/sustainable-visibility

May 17, 2021 • 14min
Paying Your Team: What You Need to Know
One of the most common questions I get asked is about how much people should be paying their employees or contractors. While the actual amount will always vary depending on the role, having a strategy for determining what rates to offer is critical.An important part of running an ethical online business is about NOT trying to get the largest amount of work for the least amount of money. It’s time to put people before profits and not listen to the exploitative hiring BS celebrity entrepreneurs teach. In this episode, we’re diving into what you need to know about paying your team. Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/paying-your-team

May 10, 2021 • 20min
How to Spot a Celebrity Entrepreneur (2021 Edition)
When you’re trying to figure out who to trust online, you can’t just look for something sleazy or sketchy as a sign that you should skip doing business with someone. It’s much more complex and nuanced than looking at the FB ad with a guy on a yacht and thinking, next. It’s much more complicated, and sometimes a scammer looks and acts like your BFF or your fave academic researcher. And their marketing is designed to lure you with that image and act. In this episode, we’re diving into the world of celebrity entrepreneurship with fresh updates for 2021. Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/2021-celebrity-entrepreneur

May 3, 2021 • 14min
The Basics of Capacity Planning
Have you ever felt so overwhelmed in your biz that you’re ready to light a match and burn the whole thing to the ground? 🔥 Been there, done that. The reality of being of a biz owner is that even when things seem to be going great, the tide can turn quickly. Even something awesome like bringing a client onboard can start to make you feel like you're falling apart at the seams if you don’t actually have enough support to get all the work done. So how do we turn it around so we don’t end up in that position in the first place? It starts with capacity planning, where you get a better handle on the supply and demand of your business. In this episode of the BS-Free Service Business podcast, I’m giving you a crash course on the basics of capacity planning. Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/capacity-planning

Apr 26, 2021 • 26min
Inclusive Copywriting with Nailah Z. King
Language is always evolving, and with that, so should our marketing and copywriting. Why? Because the words we choose matter.If we want to convey the message that our business is inclusive, diverse and equitable, then the language we use needs to reflect that. That’s exactly why in this episode, Nailah King joins me to talk about inclusive copywriting including what it is, and how to get started on being more inclusive with your copy. Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/inclusive-copywriting

Apr 19, 2021 • 26min
Small, Simple & Sustainable: The Profitable Service Business
How many times have you heard the advice that you need to focus on scaling your service business? While on the surface telling someone to work on growing their business doesn’t seem like bad advice, the reality is that it’s not always time for growth. Being profitable doesn’t automatically mean you have to double or triple in size. In this episode, we’re going to dig into how to really build a small, simple and sustainable service business. One that’s profitable and that doesn’t drive you into the ground. Get the inside scoop: smallbusinessboss.co/profitable-service-business

Apr 15, 2021 • 44min
NEW PODCAST: Duped - The Case of the Bait and Switch
If you’ve worked in the online biz world for more than a hot minute, you’ve probably noticed something —Nothing is quite like it seems. You buy a template, a course, mastermind or hire a coach, and once you’ve handed over your hard earned money you quickly realize you are definitely NOT getting what you thought you paid for. Turns out you’ve fallen prey to the old “bait and switch”. And trust us when we say, so have we. It was with these sorts of questionable tactics in mind that we decided to do this limited series podcast as a way to explore some of the most pressing and concerning issues we see in online business. In our inaugural episode, we’re tackling the massive bait and switch problem that’s rampant in this industry and sharing ideas on how you can protect yourself. More details at duped.online.