You’re Not Playing Small (The Staying Solo Book is Here!)

What if everything you’ve been told about growing a business isn’t just wrong but actually making things worse for you?

We’ve been fed the idea that real success means scaling, hiring, and building something bigger. If you’re not growing like business bros and celebrity entrepreneurs say you should, you’re somehow failing.

But what if all that advice—hiring a team, building an agency, launching a course—isn’t just bad for you but also holding you back from having a profitable, sustainable business that works for your life?

That’s why I wrote my new book, Staying Solo. Because staying solo isn’t settling; it’s a strategy—a damn good one.So, if you’ve ever felt like most business advice wasn’t made for you, you’re right.

Let’s talk about why—and what to do instead.

Why I Wrote Staying Solo: Frustration with Hot Garbage Business Advice

For years, business advice has been the same:

• If you want to be successful, you have to scale.
• You have to hire a team.
• You must turn your services into a digital product if you work online.

And my personal favorite: “Trading time for money is the worst thing you can do.”

This advice isn’t just misleading; it’s useless for many solo service business owners.

What they don’t tell you is that scaling comes with trade-offs. It’s not all dreamy CEO vibes and passive income while you sip lattes on the beach. It’s payroll, overhead, managing people, and dealing with new headaches.

Hiring a team? Cool—except now you’ve gone from doing work you love to spending your days managing other people doing the work you love.

Selling digital products? Sure, but no one mentions that marketing them becomes a full-time job. And let’s not even start on the audience size you need to make those “$10K months on autopilot” happen.

But beyond the bad advice, there’s something else that really irks me: the sheer disrespect for people who choose to stay solo.

Somewhere along the way, the narrative became: if you don’t have employees, you don’t have a real business. If you’re not “scaling,” you’re not serious.

If you say you’re a solopreneur, consultant, or freelancer, celebrity entrepreneurs will condescendingly ask, “Oh, so it’s just you?” as if that somehow makes your business less legitimate.

There’s this ingrained belief that success only counts if you’re growing bigger, taking on staff, and becoming the “boss.” It is as if the only measure of a real business is how many people are on your payroll.

Never mind that many solo service business owners make more money than those with an entire team and sky-high overhead. Never mind that they have more freedom, flexibility, and a business that works for their lives.

Some of the most profitable, stable, and enjoyable businesses I’ve seen are run by solo service providers who know exactly what they want and refuse to be pressured into hiring or scaling just because it’s what they’re “supposed” to do.

I wrote Staying Solo for every service provider who’s been told they need to “think bigger” when in reality, they’re already running a damn good business.

For freelancers who don’t want to be an agency,

For the consultants who don’t want to be course creators.

For the service providers who want to grow—on their terms.

This book shows you that you’re not playing small; you’re strategically small.

The Problem This Book Solves

Here’s the deal. Once you’ve built a solid business and you’re booked out, you hit a wall. What’s next?

If you listen to all the “experts,” your only options are:

• Hiring and managing a team (which is not why most of us started our businesses),
• Selling courses or group programs (which is a whole other business model),
• Or “just raise your prices” (as if that alone is the magic bullet).

But what if you don’t want to do any of that? That’s where Staying Solo comes in.

Most “business” books are written for people with big teams or who are just starting a business. There’s not much else out there, and honestly, I know from personal experience how steeped in hustle culture and toxic entrepreneurial bullshit those books are.

This book is about growing your business in a way that works for you. It’s not about chasing the next thing just because you “should.” It’s about running a business that feels sustainable, profitable, and aligned with what you want.

I know that 10 years ago, as a solo service business owner, this book was the permission slip I needed. Instead, I wasted a lot of time, energy and money to figure out that the dream that celebrity entrepreneurs are selling is complete and utter bullshit. That’s why this book exists. Because I know I’m not the only one who’s felt like they’re running a great business but still being told they need to do more.

This Book Isn’t Just Another Business Book

Staying Solo: Your Guide to Building a Simple and Sustainable Service Business isn’t another “10 Steps to Six Figures” or “Millionaire Manifesto” book. 

This book is for people who already have a business and’ve figured out the basics but are wondering: Now what?

It’s for solo service business owners who are done with all the “scale-or-fail” nonsense.

• Making more money without burning yourself out.
• Building a business that works for you, not some coach’s formula.
• Challenging the idea that bigger is always better.

Staying Solo isn’t just about staying small. It’s about making intentional decisions about how to run a business.

Being solo doesn’t mean being stuck or that you have to settle.

It means you control your schedule, choose your clients, and decide whether to grow or maintain a steady, sustainable business supporting your life.

It means you can define success on your terms—by making more money, working fewer hours, or only taking on projects that genuinely light you up.

It’s about freedom, not limitation.

It’s about discernment, not defaulting to what everyone else says you should do.

It’s about building a business that works for you instead of running you into the ground.

It means defining success on your terms.

This book isn’t just about giving permission to stay solo—it’s about giving you a roadmap to do it better.

The conversation about success must change, especially in a world where capitalism tells us that more is always better, no matter the cost. (I think we can all agree that it’s seriously broken.)

Solo, But Not Alone—Here’s How to Get Involved

If this approach to business speaks to you, then you’re exactly who I wrote Staying Solo for. Let’s make solo business success the norm, and here’s how you can help:

Grab the book:

Staying Solo officially launches on April 7th, so grab an extra copy for a friend.

Join the Book Launch Team:

Want to help spread the word? I’m gathering a crew of solo business owners who believe in this message and want to help make Staying Solo a movement. As a launch team member, you’ll get behind-the-scenes updates and ways to share the book with your audience—without feeling like a pushy salesperson.

You can sign up here.

Share the Book:

Know someone tired of the scale-or-die narrative? Tag them, send them this episode, or share about the book on social media. The more people we reach, the more we can change the conversation about what real success looks like.

Send Me a DM:

Connect with me on Instagram to share your biggest takeaway from this episode or the book. I’d love to hear from you. 

Together, we can challenge the outdated narrative of what success should look like and create a future where staying solo is seen as a powerful, strategic choice. However you choose to get involved, I appreciate your participation and support so far.

Solo Isn’t Small, It’s Smart

Staying solo isn’t a backup plan. It’s a strategy—a choice.

And for most business owners, it’s the smartest path to a sustainable, profitable, and enjoyable business.

You don’t need permission to stay solo, but you deserve a guide that helps you do it better. That’s why I wrote the book Staying Solo.

The book launches on April 7th, 2025, so grab your copy and start building a business that works for you, not someone else’s version of success. If this message resonates, share the book, join the launch team, or simply start owning your choice to stay solo with confidence.

Success isn’t about scaling for its sake; it’s about building a business that supports the life you want.

Until next time, keep running your business your way.