Invincible Solopreneurs - Make a living doing more of what you love

My guest for this episode is David Jesse, Executive Product Leader, advisor, coach, and founder of Crescendo Product Group. His company enables product teams to deliver progressively stronger customer value and business outcomes.About DavidDavid Jesse is a seasoned product management executive with over 25 years of experience in companies ranging from seed-stage startups to large public enterprises. With deep expertise in marketplaces and global expansion, David has held executive product leadership roles at DoorDash, Fetch, Groupon, and eBay during periods of rapid expansion.David is also a co-founder and co-lead of the Chicago Product Alliance. The CPA works to elevate the general practice of product in Chicago. They organize keynote speakers, panels, workshops, and meetups in conjunction with Chicago chapters of groups such as ProductTank, Women In Product, ProductCamp, and Black Product Managers.We talk about* His background in Product leadership at eBay, PayPal, Gaia Interactive, Groupon, DoorDash, Fetch, etc. * When you have high-performing teams, people can flex between roles* How he defines fractional leadership (i.e., expertise on demand) * Why companies hire fractional leaders to help them accelerate execution, solve problems with gaps, navigate change management, tap into unique expertise, etc. * Fractional vs. Interim leadership needs for a client* Product operations vs. Product execution * The value of getting an outside, unbiased perspective * How your network is one of your most powerful career assets * The serendipity of discovering new opportunities through your network * How your reputation—good or bad—follows you around * Why he founded Crescendo Product Group and how he helps companies (e.g., transformation consulting, product leadership coaching, workshops)* The value of having a leadership mentor who is in your corner* How product management has evolved over the past decades * The massive disruption, new opportunities, and risks of using AI * How people should think about their careers for the next 10 yearsScroll up and hit play to listen to our full conversation.Where to find more* Crescendo Product Group* David’s LinkedInLarry Cornett is a business coach who works with ambitious professionals to help them reclaim their power, become more invincible, and create better opportunities for their work and lives. Do more of what you love and less of what you hate! Check out his new Invincible Solopreneurs Daily Journal!Invincible Solopreneurs is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

Set your solopreneur systems up more easily, launch your new business faster, and learn quickly through real testing with real customers in just a few days. That’s what Anna and I discuss in this episode. By the way, she is safe from the volcanic eruption in Costa Rica. Let’s get that out of the way first. You’ll hear us talking about it at the beginning of the episode. Once we moved past that concern, we jumped into the topic of how we set up all the basic tech and operational services for new solopreneur businesses (more details below). I recently created a new tech stack for someone’s solopreneur business. I shared this in an article a few weeks ago, so I included those 10 steps below. Scroll up and hit play on this podcast episode to hear us go into more detail about the process, why the systems are so important, and what we recommend when starting your new business. Sequence of setup operations* Email: Create an email address for your business using a trusted email provider. For example, you can set up a new business email address using Proton Mail (e.g., yourname@proton.me) and purchase a plan that provides at least one custom email name (e.g., yourname@yourbusinessdomain.com).* Domain Name: Now, you can use that new email address to sign up for domain name hosting (e.g., Namecheap) and secure a suitable domain name for your business.* Calendar: Unfortunately, I haven’t found another calendar service that integrates as easily with so many other services as Google Calendar does. So, you’ll have to set that up for your business, too.* Cloudflare: I love using Cloudflare for its ease of managing DNS records, improved website performance, and enhanced security (e.g., blocking attacks). To use Cloudflare to manage your DNS records instead, update your nameservers with your domain name host (step 2).* Custom Email Domain: Now that you have your domain name, you can set up a custom email name with Proton (e.g., yourname@yourbusinessdomain.com) and update your DNS MX records with Cloudflare. Please verify that you can send and receive from this new custom email before you use it to sign up for any other business services.* Website: Use your preferred website builder and hosting service to set up your new business website (e.g., I like Carrd). You will want to publish this new website using your new business domain (e.g., www.yourbusinessdomain.com).* Booking Meetings: Many services (e.g., Calendly) allow people to schedule meetings, but I’m a fan of TidyCal for its “buy once, use forever” model. Once you configure this service, you can set up both free and paid appointments.* Getting Paid: You’ll need a payment service to configure your paid appointments (e.g., with TidyCal) and accept payments from customers and clients. The easiest ones to set up are Stripe, PayPal, and Venmo; however, if you already have a preferred option, many others are also available. * Banking: Set up a separate bank account for your business. This will make your life much easier for accounting and tax preparation in the future.* Meetings and Calls: Most of us prefer not to share our private phone numbers with clients and customers. So, set up something like Zoom or Google Meet so you can have audio calls or video chats with them.Scroll up and hit play to listen to us explain this process and the steps in more detail. Plus, the usual banter and laughter. We’re only human! What are your favorite tools, services, and systems that are a must-have for your business? We’d love to hear about them! Please leave a comment below. Larry Cornett is a Freedom Coach who works with ambitious professionals to help them reclaim their power, become invincible, and create new opportunities for their work and lives. Do more of what you love and less of what you hate! Check out his new Invincible Solopreneurs Daily Journal!Anna Codina is a peak performance coach who helps busy owners detach from work to live better personal lives. Are you feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or struggling to find that elusive work-life harmony? You're not alone. Her coaching philosophy is simple: Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Get unstuck in 15 mins! Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

Does any of this sound familiar?* Do you feel guilty if you’re not productive every day?* Do you ever feel you can’t take a vacation from your business?* Have you been taught that you need to hustle 24x7 to be successful?* Do you worry about revenue flow and hate to say “No” to any new work?If you answered yes to one or more of those questions, this episode is for you! Anna and I discuss the productivity trap that many business owners fall into. We may feel lazy if we’re not always hustling to land new clients. We worry that our businesses will fall apart if we take a break or go away on a long vacation. We take on new clients we would rather avoid because we hate saying “No” to more income, and we fear hitting a dry spell. Scroll up and hit play to listen to our advice about avoiding this trap so you can learn how to enjoy your life and enjoy running your business, too! Larry Cornett is a Freedom Coach who works with ambitious professionals to help them reclaim their power, become invincible, and create new opportunities for their work and lives. Do more of what you love and less of what you hate! Check out his new Invincible Solopreneurs Daily Journal!Anna Codina is a peak performance coach who helps busy owners detach from work to live better personal lives. Are you feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or struggling to find that elusive work-life harmony? You're not alone. Her coaching philosophy is simple: Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Get unstuck in 15 mins! Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

Gaslighting, lying, bullying, threatening, belittling, and generally toxic behavior. We’ve all endured some lose-lose moments in our working relationships when deals go sideways, conversations become hostile, and you wonder if you can keep working together. * Those red flags in an initial client meeting that you shouldn’t have ignored. * A friendly customer who later turns hostile and demanding. * The deal negotiation that is starting to feel like it will be a terrible idea to accept. I’m happy to have Anna Codina as my co-host for this episode (and hopefully all future episodes). Anna and I have known each other for many years, and she has been a solopreneur for most of her working life. We co-hosted a previous podcast together with another friend, Trip O’Dell, which was called the Brave New Workforce. In this episode, Anna and I discuss why so many of us had an immediately familiar and bad feeling as we watched Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the current president of Ukraine, get pulled into an unpleasant deal negotiation (regarding a mineral deal and cease-fire negotiation with Russia) that went sideways in the Oval Office on Feb 28th, 2025 with the U.S. president, Donald Trump. In just a few minutes, many red flags popped up in this political meeting that typically would take weeks or months to emerge after working with a troubling business client. Anna and I have both experienced many of these issues and learned some painful lessons. Hit play to listen to our conversation about identifying these red flag issues and how you can avoid them as a solopreneur business owner. 10 Red Flag Moments from the Oval Office* They try to control the narrative from the beginning.* The goalposts keep moving. * A positive, upbeat beginning turns into a rapid, hostile tone switch. * They start asking you to justify your worth and putting you on the defensive. * They “dangle the carrot” of the future, wonderful things. * Nothing they discuss is set in stone (e.g., everything is vague and fuzzy). * They try to force unrealistic timelines. * They criticize without offering details or solutions. * They want you to “work for exposure” (i.e., you should feel lucky to have the deal). * They trash-talk past partners, contractors, employees, etc. Scroll up, hit play, and listen to our entire conversation. Comment below if you have a story about a red flag moment with a client or potential customer. * What did you learn from it? * What advice would you give others?Larry Cornett is a Freedom Coach who works with ambitious professionals to help them reclaim their power, become invincible, and create new opportunities for their work and lives. Do more of what you love and less of what you hate! Check out his new Invincible Solopreneurs Daily Journal!Anna Codina is a peak performance coach who helps busy owners detach from work to live better personal lives. Are you feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or struggling to find that elusive work-life harmony? You're not alone. Her coaching philosophy is simple: Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Get unstuck in 15 mins! Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

I have saved approximately $190,000 over the past 15 years by becoming a solopreneur. I know that number seems insane. It can’t be real, right?!?Let me share the math with you (more details in the podcast audio). Before I left my last corporate job in 2010, I was spending:* 🕰️ 750 hours/year commuting to a corporate campus. * 🚗 13,000 miles/year on California freeways.* ⛽️ $3,000/year on fuel.* 💰 About $10,000/year for other expenses like meals, coffee, new clothing, dry cleaning, vehicle maintenance and repair, various services (e.g., home repairs), etc. That Was Then, This Is Now* I work out of my home office. No commute!* I don’t drive on the freeways anymore. * My fuel costs are absurdly low. I only drive a few miles/month to check my mail in town occasionally. * I eat at home. No more expensive meals while I’m at work (e.g., going out for lunch). * I make excellent coffee at home. I used to spend thousands of dollars a year at Starbucks (BTW, how much do you spend?). * I no longer purchase lots of new clothing for work or do any dry cleaning. Hello, hoodie and comfortable pants!* My vehicle repairs dropped to almost nothing. I got rid of my expensive-to-maintain BMW and started driving a 1987 Toyota pickup, which I love. Plus, I barely drive, so wear and tear are minimal now. * All those other incidental expenses from a corporate job and commute vanished. * Another bonus? I work out every day, eat healthier, and have time to take care of myself. So, I lost 40 lbs and got into the best shape of my life. Remote work works. I love solopreneurship, and I could never return to a corporate office. However, that’s not why I wrote this newsletter and recorded this podcast. When people consider quitting their jobs to start a business, they focus on the revenue side of things. Can they replace their employment income? What most people don't consider is that they will also be reducing their expenses at the same time. Yes, you will spend money to run your business (note: this can be less than you think). But those are business expenses, not personal expenses. As such, they are tax deductible and reduce your taxable income. The money I spent as an employee could not be treated as a tax deduction. In fact, very few workers are allowed to deduct unreimbursed employee expenses now, thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. So, when you run the numbers on that business you’re thinking about building; you may not need to make as much as you think to replace your current income as an employee. Do the math and calculate how much that 9-5 job costs you mentally, emotionally, and financially. I’m Larry Cornett, a Freedom Coach who works with you to optimize your career, business, and life. My mission is to help you become a more "Invincible You" so you can live your life on your terms instead of being controlled by someone else's rules. My wife and I live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe. Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

Morning journaling changed my life. I’m so glad I started doing it years ago. Before I did, I would:* Lose many of my best ideas (e.g., “I’m sure I’ll remember this cool idea later!”).* Never set aside enough time for brainstorming and creativity to improve my life and business. * Feel stressed out because I checked my email, messages, and news first thing in the morning. Journaling is a process, a habit, and a way of thinking about yourself, your life, and the world. The time for introspection, creative thinking, and calm reflection has been among the best investments I’ve made in myself. However, I’ve never been happy with the journals I used. And, oh boy, have I purchased a lot of different kinds of journals over the years! So, I finally designed what I always wanted and recently published my creation: The Invincible Daily Journals (featuring four seasons). Note: I also have a journal specifically for business owners, The Invincible Solopreneurs Daily Journal. Benefits of JournalingI’ve talked about the power of writing and journaling before, which you can read in the article linked below. From the Harvard Business Review: A certain kind of guided, detailed writing can not only help us process what we’ve been through and assist us as we envision a path forward; it can lower our blood pressure, strengthen our immune systems, and increase our general well-being. Expressive writing can result in a reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression; improve our sleep and performance; and bring us greater focus and clarity. (source)A New Journal DesignAfter I left the corporate world in 2010, my life no longer revolved around quarters (i.e., Q1 through Q4). Also, humans aren’t meant to behave like corporations trapped in an artificial Q1-Q4 world. We live through very different cycles influenced by: * Personal events (e.g., vacations, birthdays, weddings, birth of a child, illness, loss). * Shared events (e.g., seasonal holidays, national holidays, local events). * Seasons, weather, and daylight hours. So, I wanted a journal that recognized this instead of arbitrarily structuring the pages by quarters or even months (e.g., the experience of November in the U.S. is very different from November in Australia). I also wanted the journals to support the personal ebb and flow of life, the daily ebb and flow of creativity and energy, and the seasonal ebb and flow of what matters to you in those moments of time. You can see the seasonal design reflected in the journal covers below. As I mentioned, I tested dozens of journal styles over several years. None of them quite met my needs. * Some were too basic (e.g., blank pages with no prompts). * Others were too complex and rigid (e.g., way too much structure or structure I didn’t need). * Some were full of the author’s commentary, leaving little room for my own thoughts and sketches. So, I spent the past decade fine-tuning effective morning journaling by modifying various journals I’ve used over the years. Using my favorite new fountain pen, I created my own headings, prompts, and visual elements on the pages. Eventually, I settled into a format that I really liked. But, every morning, I had to rewrite the section headings I wanted — day after day, week after week, and month after month. Well, enough was enough. Last year, I spent several months designing the ideal journal I wanted to use. Then, I created the four versions for spring, summer, fall, and winter and published them on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Lulu. Now they are available for everyone! Each book includes 90 days of entries to kick off your mornings and much more! All the journals include this “How to” page, but let me take you through the design of the entry pages and how to get the most out of using them. I’ll go into more detail in the audio of the podcast, too. * I’ve learned that morning journaling works best if you do it before something else distracts you, saps your creativity, or ruins your mood. * Obviously, each entry page has a place to enter the date.* The circles at the top-right corner of the page let you assess how you are feeling that day on a scale of 1 to 5 (e.g., 1 = Terrible, 3 = Okay, 5 = Great). * Every day, you write down your most important goal for the season. It may or may not change throughout the 90 days, but writing it down every day reinforces how important it is for you and strengthens your commitment to accomplishing it. * More importantly, you note what you plan to do that day to continue making progress toward that goal. This process helps you hold yourself accountable. * Then, you prioritize and enter your top 3 tasks for the day. Sure, you might get more done, but this ensures you focus your energy on the most important tasks first. * The morning thoughts section is for you to capture a stream of consciousness of creative ideas, random thoughts, sketches, diagrams, or whatever pops into your head. * Finally, you can return later in the evening (or the next morning) to write down your key takeaway for the day that could improve your life going forward. What did you learn? Here is an example of a completed entry page. Over the years, I’ve created a personal note-taking system that is somewhat similar to the bullet journal notations. * I use a bullet for each new idea or thought. * Sometimes, I will nest additional bullets under a parent item using hyphens. * I use an asterisk for something I want to highlight as important. * A checkbox is for a future task. * I frequently flip through past pages to check off to-do items and remind me of things I still need to get done. * I use all kinds of boxes, circles, underlines, and arrows for additional emphasis and grouping ideas. Why Paper?So, why do I use a paper journal instead of the thousands of available digital options? I’m glad you asked! Yes, I have tried various apps and tools over the years, but nothing matches a paper journal's distraction-free focus, speed, and flexibility. * Rapidly switching between typing and drawing is still slow and clumsy in apps, even on my iPad. * Being on my iPad, phone, or laptop leaves me vulnerable to digital distractions. Notifications plague me, it is too tempting to check my email, and social media and news are a dangerous click away. * The paper pages have many subtle visual cues that make them easy to scan and search. I can dogear the corner of a really important page, insert bookmarks and tape flags, and fan the pages to browse my day assessments, notes, sketches, etc. * I can quickly and easily flip between two pages and compare the content. This is still way easier in paper books than any digital medium. * I can take my journal with me everywhere (e.g., outside on my deck, at the coffee shop, on a flight), and it never runs out of battery, gets a cracked screen, reflects the sun’s glare, or crashes.Research has shown that there is a unique value in physically writing and drawing in a paper notebook. I already do much of my daily work on my phone, iPad, and laptop. If you know my background, you know I’m not a Luddite. I spent decades of my professional career designing and shipping all kinds of software. However, spending 20 minutes writing in a paper journal while I enjoy my coffee is a rare treat every morning. I love the break from the digital world! I love sketching concepts, creating diagrams, and writing notes by hand. It feels different, and my brain appreciates it. What to Write AboutI actually started journaling a long time ago. I was about 16 years old and wanted to capture my thoughts and dreams. Even then, I realized that doing it first thing in the morning was essential. I kept a notebook on my nightstand to jot down my dreams when I woke up — before they faded away. I’ve always been a vivid dreamer, so I wanted to use that to help me write fiction. I wish I had kept journaling, but I stopped when I went off to college. Thanks to a reminder about it from people like Tim Ferris, Ryan Holiday, and James Altucher, I returned to journaling several years ago. You might be asking, what in the heck can you find to write about every day? Well, the idea is to just let your mind go wild. No constraints. Nothing is silly or stupid. Just write! The more you do it, the easier it gets. Your creative writing muscle gets stronger. For example, my journal entries include: * Ideas for new goals this year. * Sketching a high-level roadmap of goals, subgoals, milestones, and tasks. * Crazy new product ideas (e.g., sketching gym equipment concepts).* How I’m feeling that day and why. I try to discover patterns in my moments of sadness, depression, and anxiety and find ways to manage it all better (e.g., I couldn’t make time for outdoor exercise this week, so I’m feeling down and need recharged). * Future to-do items I need to remember so I don’t forget them later (i.e., marked with a hand-drawn checkbox). * Notes about things I want to research more deeply. * New ideas for marketing my businesses. * New ideas for social media posts. * Potential partnerships and collaborations. * Ideas for courses and workshops. * Outlining the concept for a new book. * Sketching changes in my business model. * Sketching concepts for book covers. * Introspective notes to help me keep improving myself. * Reflecting on past events and memories. * Adding new destinations to my travel bucket list. * Sometimes, I’ll even draw some ideas for art projects, write poetry, and plot a fiction series. What are some things you can imagine writing in your daily journal? Let your imagination run wild! This is just for you. Check Them Out!I hope you’ll check out The Invincible Daily Journals and The Invincible Solopreneurs Daily Journal. Even if you don’t purchase one, I hope you’ll give daily journaling a chance and see if it makes a difference in your life! I’m Larry Cornett, a Freedom Coach who works with you to optimize your career, business, and life. My mission is to help you become a more "Invincible You" so you can live your

My guest for this episode is Sarah JanTausch, the Founder of SRJ Coaching and Consulting and creator of the Values-Based Career method. This method helps individuals unlock the hidden job market and ditch burnout while creating a career move rooted in their core values, ideal work style, and goals. Before starting her own business, she worked in politics and government, serving Ohio’s Governor and lieutenant governor. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University.About Sarah“I’m a speaker, trainer, and coach who works with individuals to create values-based careers. I also partner with organizations serving both students and job-seekers for the job market of the future. My specialties include career-pivots and generosity-based networking that makes creating genuine connections and growing your network feel almost completely effortless.Previously, I crafted my dream career working in politics and government. While serving Ohio’s Governor and Lt. Governor in various leadership roles and advocating for effective public policy, I ran multimillion dollar programs and I led a team while overseeing statewide outreach. I earned my Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University where I majored in Politics & Government. As a mid-career professional, I went back to school to earn my Master of Science in Management and Leadership at Western Governors University. I am a member of the National and Ohio Career Development Associations (OCDA) and I currently chair the OCDA’s government relations committee. Our total vocational impact includes more than just our day-to-day work. I love exploring and helping my clients define the impact they want to make on the world. For me, this includes a variety of volunteer roles I’ve held in my community, from volunteer board positions to spending approximately 15 years on political campaign work. I’ve worked on key issues including healthcare, substance abuse, education, and recreation. When I’m not working or volunteering, you can find me hanging out with my husband and our two cats Peanut Butter and Blaze or hitting up a local coffee house.”We talk about* How and why she pivoted her career even though she thought she had landed her dream job. * The surprising connection between a childhood passion and her solopreneur business. * A common mistake that many job seekers make. * How she works with her career coaching clients to uncover their values and find a job that is aligned with them. Scroll up and hit play to listen to our full conversation.Where to find Sarah* Her website* LinkedIn Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

My guest for this episode is Isabel Sterne, a writer, designer, and brand strategist who helps unconventional business owners build aligned brands. She offers LinkedIn visual design, content writing, marketing clarity calls, and monthly and project-based marketing and branding support.Before starting her own business, she worked for 12+ years in marketing and communications for global brands like Condé Nast and Effie Awards. She also has a B.Sc. in Communication from Cornell University. When I encountered Isabel on LinkedIn, I first noticed how funny her posts are. Then, I noticed how much engagement she was getting on those posts. She’s humble about this, but I like to say that she’s conquered LinkedIn. If you’re not following her there, you should be! About Isabel​Isabel Sterne helps founders and solopreneurs develop their reputations and attract more opportunities on LinkedIn and beyond.She provides design, ghostwriting, and strategy support for those looking to level up their LinkedIn presence and be seen as the experts they are.Late identified as neurodivergent, she's also passionate about neurodiversity advocacy and raising awareness about the challenges and advantages of thinking differently.We talk about* How she became more active on LinkedIn after being burned out by layoffs. * Why she decided to start her consulting practice doing what she had always been doing for her employers (e.g., creating marketing content).* How she would have told her younger self to put herself out there more. * What she does to be so successful on LinkedIn by being more human and authentic. * The role of AI in content creation and mistakes people make with it. * How she helps her clients get more out of LinkedIn and social media.* The challenges of being neurodivergent in the workplace. Scroll up and hit play to listen to our full conversation.Where to find Isabel* LinkedIn * Substack * Her website I’m Larry Cornett, a Freedom Coach who works with you to optimize your career, business, and life. My mission is to help you take complete control of your work and life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane. Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

My guest for this episode is Emily Schneider, a visual storyteller specializing in presentation design. She helps businesses and leaders confidently transform their messages into beautiful, effective presentations that truly resonate with their intended audiences. I love that Emily took a chance to gamble on herself and focus on her business after a layoff. She went all in and is succeeding! Many of us require this “push out of the nest” to take a big risk, like launching your own business. That’s how my first solopreneur business started, too. The startup I was working for as an employee was acquired, and we all got laid off a couple of months later. Rather than diving right into a job search, I decided to take a swing at running a solopreneur business. I had a family to support, so it was risky. But it worked out! About Emily“​My passion for simplifying complex content has become a bit of a magical knack — blending storytelling with a keen design eye. I'm not just a designer; I'm a strategic collaborator, dedicated to helping businesses confidently transform their messages into beautiful, effective presentations that truly resonate with their intended audiences.​What started with pink pixelated swirls and a questionable font choice as the invitation for my sweet sixteen luncheon has morphed into a creative business venture. My nearly two decades spent in the marketing and branding space, combined with my passion to help simplify information for clients in a vibrant and compelling way, make me a perfect partner for your presentation needs.”We talk about* Her background as an art director, creative director, and director of brand strategy and marketing. * Why she decided to start her consulting practice. * How she helps companies with presentation design and storytelling consulting. * What people struggle with the most with presentations. * Where she focuses her business. * How she finds new clients.Scroll up and hit play to listen to our full conversation.Where to find Emily* Her consulting website* Emily’s LinkedInDuring our conversation, I mentioned the book Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter) (my Amazon affiliate link). Check it out! I’m Larry Cornett, a Freedom Coach who works with you to optimize your career, business, and life. My mission is to help you take complete control of your work and life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane. Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

Today, I sent a physical letter to my subscribers with some tips on making money from a paid newsletter (Finding Ways to Fund Your Freedom). Yes, a physical letter. Imagine that! Thanks to Stamp Fans, it’s pretty easy. You can also use it to generate another revenue stream for your business. In this episode, I dive into the benefits of having an email list and why your solopreneur business needs a newsletter. I’m Larry Cornett, a Freedom Coach who works with you to optimize your career, business, and life. My mission is to help you take complete control of your work and life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane. Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

Note: In the podcast audio, I share more details and reveal something very personal about what’s happening to me right now. So, give it a listen! My friend was dead before 60.He’d put off retirement. He wanted to take a swing at becoming a multimillionaire again. But it didn’t work out. So, he finally decided to retire. Unfortunately, he was dead about two weeks later. Most people TRY to retire in their 60s. I say "try" because more people are now reporting they'll have to work into their 70s to augment their nest egg. Note: The average lifespan in the U.S. is 76. So… maybe—if you're lucky—you get 10 years of the so-called "good life"? Let me tell you, at that age, 10 years go by in the blink of an eye. I’m pushing 60. Ugh. Just typing that was a rude awakening. I still think of myself as in my 30s. I still feel like my career just started a few years ago at Apple. I'm already experiencing a feeling of time compression. My parents tell me it only accelerates from here on. So, it’s important to live life large now! Don’t wait. I left the 9-5 grind forever in my early 40s. I haven't had a boss since. * I was tired of spending hours on the freeway commuting every day. * I was tired of working on things that didn't matter. * I was tired of corporate BS and working for someone else. Then, I semi-retired at 50 and started living the life I'd always wanted. And, no, not because I struck it rich. It was because I restructured my business and how I live my life. * Spending more time with my family. * Working out every day. * Traveling whenever we feel like it (we’re flying to Alaska today). * Hiking in the forest every Wednesday. * Skiing on the mountain every week in the winter. I don't feel a need to fully retire. I love what I do! When you build your own business, you create your ideal work and life. You can do that, too. Don't wait until your 60s or 70s to live the life you've always wanted. Start planning your path to freedom now.I’m Larry Cornett, a Freedom Coach who works with you to optimize your career, business, and life. My mission is to help you take complete control of your work and life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane. Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

I always get excited about brainstorming new business ideas. It could be an idea for an entirely new business, product, or service. In the past, I often erred on the side of executing quickly. But after many years of wasting time and money, I’ve learned to exercise a bit of caution and perform a sanity check first. After all, success is as much about saying “No” to the wrong things as it is about saying “Yes” to the right opportunities. As solopreneurs, we don’t have infinite time and money, so we must place our bets more carefully. In my Solopreneur workshop earlier this year, I shared a simple scoring system for narrowing down a choice between multiple business ideas (see image below).Of course, it’s not quite as simple as what I could fit in one table on one slide in the presentation. So, I want to provide a more complete list of factors to explore when evaluating a new idea for your business.Factors to consider (discussed in more detail in the podcast audio):* Your unique twist on this business concept (e.g., why is the product or service unique or better than the competition?)* The market timing and demand (e.g., are you solving a real, current need or pain?)* Why you? (i.e., why can you do this better than others?)* Your capabilities (e.g., talent, knowledge, skills, experience, reputation)* Your resources (e.g., network, space, hardware, software)* Speed of execution (e.g., how quickly could you spin this up?)* The startup costs and ongoing expenses (e.g., rent, equipment, services, materials, ads, staff)* Finances (e.g., financial cushion, investors, loans)* The market (e.g., size of addressable market, local, global, online)* The potential customers (e.g., do you want to interact with and help these people?)* Your ability to reach these customers* Excitement about the offer (e.g., does creating and offering this excite you?)* Motivation to drive your business in this direction (e.g., is this the future you want?)* Compatibility with your desired life experience (e.g., do you want to keep doing what it takes to sell this service or product?) * What you could charge for the goods and/or services (e.g., fixed price, hourly, project-based, retainer, etc.)* The potential sales volume (e.g., realistic demand, fulfillment bottlenecks, your 1-on-1 time)* Scalability (e.g., can sales grow and be automated?)* The demands on your time (e.g., can you support this volume?)* Profitability (e.g., projected revenue - expected expenses)* Potential risks (e.g., burnout, legal, reputation)Would you like a confidential chat with me about your business ideas? Schedule a free coaching call! I’m Larry Cornett, a Freedom Coach who works with you to optimize your career, business, and life. My mission is to help you take complete control of your work and life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane. Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

My guest for this episode is Diana Ashbaugh, a financial advisor with Thrivent. Thrivent is a Fortune 500 diversified financial services organization that provides advice, investments, insurance, banking, and generosity programs and solutions so people can make the most of what they’ve been given.About Diana “I love working alongside individuals and families to demystify the world of finances so that they have a clear path to meeting their financial goals. As a former track and field athlete, I had great coaches who helped me understand that you can't start every race by sprinting. You have to set a pace that is realistic but pushes you to achieve your goals. I see myself as a coach to you with your financial goals. Everyone is running a race that is different than the person next to them, and you need a plan, pace, and coach who can help you navigate all the factors that affect your ability to reach your financial goals.”We talk about* Why everyone should meet with a financial advisor* Planning for your children’s college expenses* Understanding your finances when starting a new business* How to think about retirement and semi-retirement* Considerations for retirement accounts, selling stock, etc. Scroll up and hit play to listen to our full conversation. Where to find Diana* Diana Ashbaugh on the Thrivent website I’m Larry Cornett, a Freedom Coach who works with you to optimize your career, business, and life. My mission is to help you take complete control of your work and life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane. Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

Is solopreneurship for everyone? Of course not. But I really don’t want people avoiding it because of a bunch of silly myths being perpetuated by folks who have never even tried building a solopreneur lifestyle business. For example, someone on social media recently posted that solopreneurship is bad because: * Being the only person you can count on sucks.* You can’t take vacations.* You can’t be sick.* You can’t bounce ideas off anyone.Sigh… These concerns are so misguided that I promised myself I would make a podcast episode to debunk them. So, here we go! Hit play and listen. The 8 Myths1. You can’t take vacations 2. You can’t take sick days 3. You work alone4. You have to do it all yourself5. You have no one to talk to6. You’re lonely 7. There’s no water cooler serendipity 8. Your income is limited I’m Larry Cornett, a Freedom Coach who works with you to optimize your career, business, and life. My mission is to help you take complete control of your work and life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane. Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe

In this podcast episode, I share another peek at my Invincible Solopreneurs workshop (Build a Lifestyle Business to Escape Your 9-5 Job), which I hosted on February 26th. I will offer this workshop again in August this year. I talk about two really amazing things that are possible when you build your lifestyle business: * Design your ideal life first, then build a business around it. * Identify your ideal customers so you get to choose whom you spend time with every day/week. Enjoy!I’m Larry Cornett, a Freedom Coach who works with you to optimize your career, business, and life. My mission is to help you take complete control of your work and life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane. Get full access to Invincible Solopreneurs at newsletter.invinciblesolopreneurs.com/subscribe