In this episode, Mike Steadman, also known as “Iron Mike”, is a Marine Corps veteran and founder, and he shares his journey from leading troops in Afghanistan to building a business rooted in category design and go-to-market strategy. He reflects on leaving the military, launching a nonprofit boxing gym, and eventually pivoting into higher-leverage work after realizing the importance of market demand. Mike breaks down his core philosophy that category comes first, explaining why most founders struggle with positioning, how labels like “fractional” commoditize your value, and why defining your own category is key to standing out.

He also shares how he bootstrapped a podcasting business during COVID and used it to build relationships before transitioning into strategy. The conversation dives into his “movement to contact” approach to sales, focused on volume, consistency, and reps, and why learning sales early is critical. Mike emphasizes the importance of strong point of view, clear language, and consistent content, and shares his vision for adversarial go-to-market, built on one truth: the market owes you nothing and you have to earn every customer.

(00:00) Intro

(02:00) Starting a nonprofit boxing gym

(05:42) Why businesses fail

(07:04) Discovering category design

(10:15) Why “fractional” is a trap

(11:41) Spotting emerging markets

(16:34) Getting first clients

(20:04) Bootstrapping a business

(24:07) Red team and positioning process

(30:51) Lead generation and sales system

(38:18) Developing a strong point of view

(46:38) What’s next: adversarial go-to-market

Follow Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iron-mike-steadman/Check out OP4: https://op4.co

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Build a repeatable inbound motion and stabilize your revenue: ⁠https://duoconsulting.co/⁠

Each week, we share a new framework, concept, or example of how solopreneurs are scaling from $25,000 to $60,000+ per month: ​​⁠https://www.howsolosscale.com/⁠

In this episode, Louis Grenier, positioning + GTM consultant for B2B at Stand The F*ck Out and founder of Everyone Hates Marketers, shares his unconventional journey from a mechanical engineering background to building a successful marketing consultancy. Louis reflects on his early days in Dublin, how serendipity led him to stay, and his shift from agency work to becoming a marketing professional. He also talks about the lessons learned from burning out in his first agency and how he found his true passion in marketing, which ultimately shaped his business philosophy.

Louis explores his Everyone Hates Marketers podcast experience, where he emphasizes the importance of standing out in a crowded market by being unapologetically authentic. He shares his unique approach to positioning, go-to-market strategies, and creative differentiation in a noisy world. Throughout the conversation, Louis opens up about his entrepreneurial highs and lows, his time at Hotjar, and how his personal health challenges influenced his career, providing invaluable insights on growing a business based on values and the power of embracing failure.

(00:00) Intro

(01:49) Tech boom and serendipity shaped career

(04:10) Why he chose to stay in Dublin

(05:24) First real marketing role and lessons learned

(06:30) Launching agency and early mistakes made

(08:02) Cancun burnout after failed client experiment

(10:06) Hotjar role and podcast beginnings

(16:34) First sales and early business anxiety

(20:46) Current revenue streams and business model

(22:06) Cutting business branches to refocus growth

(25:07) Doubling down on B2B GTM consulting

(28:35) Generosity over metrics drives real growth

(30:46) Beta readers improved book quality massively

(31:54) Book became powerful sales engine

(36:19) Cancer diagnosis brought clarity, not change

(40:38) Regrets about past relationships and growth

(41:25) Pruning business to focus on one thing

Follow Louis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisgrenierCheck out Everyone Hates Marketers: https://www.everyonehatesmarketers.comCheck out Stand The F*ck Out: https://www.stfo.io

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Build a repeatable inbound motion and stabilize your revenue: ⁠https://duoconsulting.co/⁠

Each week, we share a new framework, concept, or example of how solopreneurs are scaling from $25,000 to $60,000+ per month: ​​⁠https://www.howsolosscale.com/⁠

In this episode, Michelle Warner, a business strategist and designer, shares her transition from building venture-backed startups to creating a smaller, more sustainable business. After ıexperiencing intense burnout, she stepped away from the traditional growth-at-all-costs model and began designing a business that aligned with her life. She reflects on how working with single mothers in a social impact startup revealed a growing wave of online entrepreneurship and inspired her consulting work.

Michelle also breaks down her core philosophy of relationship marketing vs traffic marketing, explaining why most service-based businesses struggle when they rely on audience growth alone. She shares how building intentional relationships, instead of chasing scale, leads to better clients, more aligned growth, and a more sustainable business model.

(00:00) Intro

(00:39) Leaving startups after burnout

(02:46) Shift to a smaller business

(02:56) Discovering online entrepreneurs

(06:59) Offers evolve over time

(12:32) Relationship vs traffic marketing

(28:00) Real vs transactional networking

(29:37) Connection avatars strategy

(32:59) Using a podcast to network

(35:23) Small, specific asks

(46:12) Defining what’s enough

Follow Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warnermichelle/ Check out Networking that Pays: https://www.themichellewarner.com/

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Build a repeatable inbound motion and stabilize your revenue: ⁠https://duoconsulting.co/⁠

Each week, we share a new framework, concept, or example of how solopreneurs are scaling from $25,000 to $60,000+ per month: ​​⁠https://www.howsolosscale.com/⁠

In this episode, Evan Kubitschek, founder of The Ops Gap and Grow Rogue, shares how an unexpected layoff from Pendo pushed him into independent consulting. He talks through the moment he realized he had been laid off, why the severance gave him the runway to go all in, and how he quickly turned that opportunity into a real business. Evan also reflects on why the traditional path in operations was starting to feel less appealing, especially as senior roles pulled him further away from the systems work he enjoyed most.

Evan also breaks down how he found his first clients, how he used experimentation to shape his business model, and what helped him avoid building a consulting practice that took over his life. He shares practical lessons on pricing, scope, pipeline, LinkedIn, and the value of protecting his time. Throughout the conversation, Evan makes the case that a successful service business is built less on follower count and more on clarity, consistency, and designing the business around the life you actually want.

(00:00) Intro

(00:30) Evan shares how he learned he was laid off

(02:47) How severance gave him runway to try consulting

(04:47) Why he chose going solo over in-house roles

(07:03) How he landed his first clients and niche

(13:02) Treating the business as a series of experiments

(25:36) His daily pipeline-building routine

(25:51) Using LinkedIn comments to start conversations

(29:26) Cleaning up his LinkedIn network intentionally

(33:20) Why follower count doesn’t equal revenue

(35:50) Stop overthinking and test more ideas

(39:08) Growing the business while protecting time

(43:20) Reflections on growth and long-term priorities

Follow Evan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evankubitschek/

Check out Grow Rogue: https://www.growrogue.com/

Check out The Ops Gap on Substack: https://theopsgap.substack.com/

—

Build a repeatable inbound motion and stabilize your revenue: ⁠https://duoconsulting.co/⁠

Each week, we share a new framework, concept, or example of how solopreneurs are scaling from $25,000 to $60,000+ per month: ​​⁠https://www.howsolosscale.com/⁠

In this episode, Jessica Lackey, a business strategist and educator, shares her remarkable career journey from high-level roles at McKinsey and Nike to building her own thriving business. Jessica reflects on the turning point when she realized corporate life wasn’t for her, leading her to become an entrepreneur. She discusses the challenges of transitioning from corporate roles to consulting and how she leveraged her personal networks to build a successful business.

Jessica also talks about her unique approach to business growth, emphasizing the importance of focusing on revenue first, rather than simply growing an audience. She explains how she deliberately optimized for profit and has continued to scale her business without relying heavily on social media or viral content. Jessica shares her thoughts on building authority over time, discussing how it takes years to establish a reputation that truly drives long-term success.

(00:00) Intro

(00:52) Two career-changing breaking points

(01:07) Nike burnout story and realization

(02:50) Rebuilding identity after corporate life

(03:17) COVID wake-up call for Jessica

(04:45) Side hustle reality: lessons learned

(06:01) First clients acquired through networks

(07:18) Juggling three part-time consulting gigs

(11:01) Building authority through strong relationships

(12:33) Developing an ecosystem of offers

(16:25) Serving the mid-market for success

(22:42) Prioritizing foundational business frameworks

(26:15) Building a five-year business flywheel

(43:13) Building authority takes time and consistency

(46:44) Small audience driving big revenue

Follow Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-lackey/Check out Deeper Foundations: https://deeperfoundations.com/

—

Build a repeatable inbound motion and stabilize your revenue: ⁠https://duoconsulting.co/⁠

Each week, we share a new framework, concept, or example of how solopreneurs are scaling from $25,000 to $60,000+ per month: ​​⁠https://www.howsolosscale.com/⁠

In this episode, Seth Waite, partner at Schaefer and former head of growth at a high-growth technology firm, shares his journey from law school dropout to building a thriving business. Seth discusses how his shift from corporate life to entrepreneurship was driven by a desire for freedom and solving customer problems. He reflects on the importance of staying hyper-specialized in business to maximize value without falling into the trap of the "bloated agency" model, which often dilutes expertise and margins. Seth also talks about scaling his business, the challenges of rapid headcount growth, and how he built systems that allowed his small team to operate at the efficiency of a much larger agency.

Seth recounts the acquisition of his previous company, the impact of COVID on his moving and storage startup, and how he pivoted quickly when faced with unexpected obstacles. As he looks ahead, Seth shares his plans for Schaefer’s future, focusing on the food and beverage sector to create more specialized, high-value services. He emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself with entrepreneurial people and maintaining freedom in business. Seth's vision is to help the world feel "at home" by solving consumer problems with innovative solutions and building businesses that prioritize customer value over sheer scale.

(00:00) Intro

(01:14) Seth Waite leaves law school

(02:11) Walmart agency strategy lessons

(06:25) Going solo and first exit

(08:34) Scaling with the acquirer’s help

(15:24) Productizing services and nailing positioning

(17:38) Jump to moving tech industry

(21:05) AI-driven quoting and hypergrowth

(28:01) Next AI venture and new pivot

(32:05) Partnering with Sydney for Schaefer

(34:21) Pivot to food and beverage brands

(36:23) Lean team advantage in business

(40:52) Scaling with systems and efficiency

(45:25) Business valuation and exit strategies

(53:56) Lessons learned on staying focused

(59:13) Last meal on earth

Follow Seth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwaite/Check out Schaefer: https://schaefer.co

—

Build a repeatable inbound motion and stabilize your revenue: ⁠https://duoconsulting.co/⁠
Each week, we share a new framework, concept, or example of how solopreneurs are scaling from $25,000 to $60,000+ per month: ​​⁠https://www.howsolosscale.com/⁠

In this episode, Lee Densmer, author and content marketing strategist at Globia Content Marketing, shares her journey from 25 years in corporate to launching her own consulting business. After two layoffs, Lee turned a forced decision into her best move yet, leveraging her extensive network to build a solid client base. She discusses the challenges of transitioning from corporate life, the importance of strategic networking, and the highs and lows of consulting. Lee reflects on her first three years, exploring how she adapted her offerings to better align with what she truly loves.

She reveals the evolution of her business model, moving from long-term retainers to shorter, more agile sprints, and the growing pains that come with a successful but shifting business. As Lee navigates the transition from being a sole consultant to running a content-driven business, she delves into her latest venture: launching a course alongside her book and consulting. Lee talks about how an accidental audience on LinkedIn became one of her greatest assets, providing a solid foundation for her next steps. She also shares her lessons learned on scaling, trusting the process, and finding fulfillment in the work.

(00:00) Intro

(03:02) No plan, just freedom

(04:56) Landing first clients

(06:06) When the network dries up

(07:50) Evolving offers and retainers

(10:34) Strategy vs. execution debate

(14:20) Building a partner bench

(20:56) Never stop biz dev

(24:31) Productizing the offer

(26:32) Firing bad fit clients

(31:20) Mexico sparks book idea

(36:50) Book costs and payoff

(43:43) Business regrets and outsourcing

Follow Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leedensmer/

Check out Globia Content Marketing: https://globiacontent.com/

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Create your next digital offer: https://harnessandhone.com/

Join How Solos Scale: ​​https://www.howsolosscale.com/

Download the free roadmap: https://fullstacksoloroadmap.com/

In this episode, Marc Thomas, founder of Positive Human, mentor at TinySeed, and former Sr. Growth Marketer at Podia, traces an unlikely path from freelance journalism to co-founding doopoll, surviving a COVID-era near-meltdown, and ultimately reinventing himself as a lifecycle/email operator for SaaS. Marc shares the chaotic “we priced it in the hallway” moment, the lesson of raising money before true validation, and the four-day surge that took doopoll from 1.6M to 16M votes—and nearly torched the company with usage-based bills.

He and Nick dig into the solopreneur head-game: optionality vs. salary, why Marc would take less money for more freedom, and how “punk” DIY energy: charisma, coaching, and seeing work through end-to-end wins in growth. Marc shares candid reflections on confidence dips, building pipeline without becoming your own worst client, and a pragmatic cash-flow system that lets him sleep at night while he eyes a return to software on his own terms.

(00:00) Intro

(00:29) Starting as a freelance journalist

(01:58) Creative gigs lead to a voting tool idea

(03:48) Building doopoll in four days

(04:19) Landing a 25k deal on the spot

(07:01) Fundraising before validation

(08:51) From 1.6M to 16M votes and server crashes

(10:32) Choosing stability and leaving doopoll

(17:22) The banker vs. taxi driver analogy

(20:52) Taking less money for more freedom

(26:18) Emotional whiplash of solopreneurship

(27:00) Lifecycle email and intersecting skills

(30:26) Punk marketing and DIY growth

(33:29) Learning charisma and coaching clients

(43:24) Cash-flow forecasting and personal runway

(45:39) Pipeline focus and new software projects

Follow Marc on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iammarcthomas

Check out Positive Human: https://www.positivehuman.co/

Check out Tinyseed: https://tinyseed.com/

—

Create your next digital offer: https://harnessandhone.com/

Join How Solos Scale: ​​https://www.howsolosscale.com/

Download the free roadmap: https://fullstacksoloroadmap.com/