Make Space for Creativity: Innovate Without the Overwhelm
What if your best ideas aren’t gone…they’re just buried under a packed calendar and constant noise? If every idea feels stale and your creativity’s running on fumes, this episode is your permission slip to slow down. In this episode, we’re unpacking the myth of “always-on” creativity, why overcommitment is killing your best ideas, and how to build in the margin you need to let your creativity thrive, without blowing up your business. Topics discussed in this episode include: The myth of always-on creativity. The difference between being burned out and maxed out. How things may look when you’re maxed out. Practical ways to make space and create margins. Redefining innovation as a solopreneur. Why space is a strategy, not a luxury. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. Be sure to subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode, and you can get Staying Solo updates by email by signing up here.
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13:14
Overcomplication Is a Scam (And You’re the Victim)
Ever tried a “simple” recipe only to end up with a kitchen disaster? That’s how most business owners run their businesses—turning something straightforward into a chaotic mess. The truth? Overcomplication is a scam. More income streams, endless platforms, and 57-step sales funnels won’t save you—they’ll sink you. In this episode, we’re breaking it all down—the Chaos Tax you’re unknowingly paying, why complexity isn’t making your business stronger, and how simplicity is the real power move. Topics discussed in this episode include: How celebrity entrepreneurs are victimizing us with their trash advice. How overcomplication steals our time and money. The “chaos tax” - what it is and how it shows up. 3 tangible steps for simplifying your business. Saying no to save yourself from yourself. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. Be sure to subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode, and you can get Staying Solo updates by email by signing up here.
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16:07
The Follow-Up Fix: How to Follow Up with Clients Without the Cringe
Feel like a clingy ex every time you follow up with a client? You’re not needy—you’re leading. Clients aren’t ignoring you, they’re busy. Following up isn’t desperate—it’s part of your job. In this episode, we’re getting real about following up with clients without feeling needy or annoying. I’ll show you why follow-up feels so awkward, how to fix that mindset, and break down the four most common types of follow-up so you can put this into practice. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why we feel weird about following up Four ways you can follow up without feeling pushy Following Up with Leads After a Call Proposal Follow-Up Existing Client Follow-Up The Post-Project Follow-Up Tips for making your follow-ups feel natural and effective For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. Be sure to subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode, and you can get Staying Solo updates by email by signing up here.
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12:17
No Sleaze, No Cheese: Discovery Calls That Actually Work
Tired of discovery calls that feel like free coaching sessions and awkward sales scripts? You’ve been sold a lie—overdeliver, be the “helpful expert,” and somehow close without selling. That doesn’t work. Not for Done-For-You service providers. In this episode, I’m breaking down how to do discovery calls in a straightforward, honest, and effective way. And the best part? It’s way simpler than you’ve been led to believe. Topics discussed in this episode include: What is a discovery call? What you want to achieve on a discovery call The challenges with discovery calls Tips for turning a discovery call into a meaningful discussion Tips for rethinking how you execute on your discovery calls For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. Be sure to subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode, and you can get Staying Solo updates by email by signing up here.
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13:51
Staying Solo Series - Maggie’s Story
This week I’m sharing my story from my new private podcast series, Staying Solo Stories. Staying Solo Stories is a private podcast where we dig into the real, unfiltered stories of business owners who’ve chosen to stay intentionally small—people who are proving every single day that you don’t need a big team or a complicated business model to be successful. In this episode, I share how I went from a freelancer with a baby at home to a business owner who’s still here, 20 years later—without scaling, without burning out, and without playing by the usual rules. Topics discussed in this episode: Starting a business out of necessity, not ambition. How I built my business via relationships. Experimenting with online business and learning some hard lessons. Choosing to stay small and sustainable on purpose. Sign up to hear the rest of the Solo Stories series episodes: www.stayingsolostories.com Get your copy of the Staying Solo book now: www.stayingsolobook.com For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. Be sure to subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode, and you can get Staying Solo updates by email by signing up here.
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)
Ireland