Getting By Isn’t the Goal: Let’s Talk Salary Strategy
Your revenue may look good on paper, but if your take-home pay doesn’t reflect your effort, something’s not right. If that’s you, you’re not broken—you’re trapped in the salary lie. Big revenue, tiny take-home. Bad advice, such as “reinvest everything” and “keep your pay low to scale,” is what probably got you here. In this episode, we’re talking about why, in 2025, just scraping by isn’t safe and how it’s time to flip the script: your salary isn’t what’s left over—it’s the strategy. Topics discussed in this episode include: The real cost of just “getting by.” What it looks like to use salary as a strategy - not an afterthought. Four practical salary moves for 2025. Busting through myths about salary. How to get started with a salary-first reset. 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
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Wrong Plan, Wrong Fit: Why Your Strategy Won’t Hold Up in 2025
If your business looks solid on paper but still feels harder than it should—this episode is for you. It’s probably not your pricing or your offers. It’s your strategy—and it’s out of sync with your real life. Just because it used to work doesn’t mean it still does. In this episode, we’re digging into why your current strategy might be holding you back—and how to reset it for 2025 and beyond. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why your business might feel more complicated than it should—even if it looks successful on the outside. What the strategy gap is and how it quietly derails even experienced solo business owners. Signs your current strategy is outdated, misaligned, or actively working against you. Why scaling, hiring, or launching something new won’t fix a broken strategy. How strategy fleas—hand-me-down advice from courses, coaches, and internet gurus—keep you stuck. The five layers of the Strategy Stack and how they shape your entire business. A practical self-check to spot strategy misalignment fast How do you know when it’s time to reset vs. when to refine? For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. Check out the new free training Reset Era: Earn More Without Working More: www.bsfreebusiness.com/reset 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
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The Sustainability Ceiling: Why You’re Stuck (Even With Clients)
From the outside, your business looks great, but inside, you’re barely hanging on. You’re booked, making good money, and clients are happy… but you’re exhausted, skipping lunch, and running on fumes. That’s what I call the sustainability ceiling—when your business works, but only if you’re at 100% all the time. In this episode, we’re digging into what that really means and why the solution isn’t scaling, hiring, or launching something new. Topics discussed in this episode include: What the sustainability ceiling is—and how to know when you’ve hit it. Why more clients, more money, or a digital product won’t fix your overwhelm. Why scaling chaos only creates more chaos. The real reasons your business feels like it’s always one crisis away from collapse. How to stop white-knuckling your way through every week. A practical reset built around Space, Salary, and Strategy—not hustle. Why your next move isn’t reinvention—it’s realignment. For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com. Check out the new free training Reset Era: Earn More Without Working More: www.bsfreebusiness.com/reset 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
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The Real Life Rule: Stop Building for a Fantasy Version of You
Most business advice assumes you’ve got unlimited time, energy, and support. But what if you’re juggling caregiving, chronic illness, parenting—or just the reality of being human? If your business looks good on paper but feels hard to run, this episode is for you. We’re digging into The Real Life Rule—the mindset shift every solo service provider needs to build a business that actually works in real life. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why most business advice is built for fantasy, not reality. The unfortunate realities of hustle culture conditioning. How you suffer when you ignore your real-life needs. Why your capacity isn’t a problem—it’s a parameter. Breaking down what the Real Life Rule is and why I created it, and what it looks like in action ***Take the Real Life Rule Quiz Now*** www.bsfreebusiness.com/quiz 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
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The Reset Era: The Plan You Need for 2025 and Beyond
Let’s be honest, 2025 has been tough. In many cases, business feels heavier. Clients are cautious. Leads are slower. And what used to work? It’s not always landing like it used to. If you’ve been wondering, “Is it just me?”—it’s not. In this episode, I’m sharing why you may need to reset for the world we’re living in now. Topics discussed in this episode include: How surface-level stability masks deeper tension. Why most mainstream business advice is out of touch. What is the Reset Era, and what’s involved? Why you shouldn’t burn it all down. Why friction, fatigue, and resentment are signs that something needs to change in your business. ***Check out the new free training*** Reset Era: Earn More Without Working More: www.bsfreebusiness.com/reset 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
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