Ep. 3 - The Solopreneur - finding your edge
The first time I heard this I had no idea what the person was talking about. Solopreneur? I thought it was just an entrepreneur. But, what I have learned is that these are starkly different. Until recently, entrepreneurship was the only option (if you wanted to ‘work for yourself’), as you needed human leverage to accomplish the set goals or targets of the business.
However, this has vastly changed. The internet has created virtually any community one could imagine. Everyone can find a place for themselves if they look hard enough. So what does this mean for the solopreneur? Well, it means you can offer your teachings, passion, and/or medicine to your community without having a team to do it. You can reach these individuals through your online community. Offer help. Give, give, and give some more. Then, eventually, ask for something in return (i.e. money). Don’t be ashamed of it either. Be comfortable with money and power. It’s not the root of all evil as so many of us were taught.
Be comfortable with money and power.
Solopreneurship
Solopreneurship is exactly how it sounds. Entrepreneurship is usually defined as building an organization (i.e., employees, hierarchies, systems). Entrepreneurship is daunting. It is a massive undertaking that requires a risk appetite and (usually) significant capital investment. However, Solopreneurship is just you. Just the individual - no organizational hierarchy, no staff, and no office politics. This is something I think everyone should pursue, and can ultimately achieve. I hate the word side-hustle, or the quote ‘work on your 5 - 9 to escape the 9 - 5’. Whatever. Bullshit.
You don’t need to hustle like Gary Vaynerchuk to become successful or find your passion. However, you do have to put yourself out there. If you’re creating amazing work (maybe it’s painting, sketching, writing, or anything) but you’re not promoting it then NO ONE WILL SEE IT. And that is a shame, regardless if you’re doing it for financial gain or not.
I predict that within the next 10-15 years the only way to have true wealth will be through self-employment. True wealth is different for everyone. For me, true wealth is freedom and sovereignty. Freedom to do what I want, when I want. Financial freedom - choosing when I work and how I work. And sovereignty, not being reliant on the government or other aids.
And this is where solopreneurship comes into play. In my opinion, anyone can be a solopreneur. Everyone has their unique skill-set or ‘medicine’ that they can share with the world. It is intimidating and you will face mountains of Resistance, but it has also never been easier. The connectivity the world is experiencing makes your pursuit for solopreneurship that much easier. You only need 1,000 true fans to build a self-sustaining business. 1,000 fans in the internet ecosystem is not far-fetched. However, you must at the very least do the following;
- Stand-out.
- Be consistent.
- Be your authentic self.
Without the combination of these three it will falter. It will not be possible to sustain long-term success. It takes showing up everyday to succeed and being okay with delayed gratification. The reality is, the work you put in initially will not be realized for months, or years, later. And for some, that is just not worth their time. However, for the few that focus on those micro-progressions day in, and day out, they will find success - even if it may be a winding path.
Find your edge
I have just started my journey - 7.5 months into it to be exact. It is extremely difficult. I have written pieces that bombed. And I have written pieces that have gained more traction than I ever thought imaginable. It is finding this sweet-spot and not getting discouraged when items don’t gain traction. It is hard to predict what works and what doesn’t. I am still figuring this out. But, like any experiment you need lots of data points to draw conclusions. So get your unique medicine out into the world on a consistent basis. It is the only way you will ever know if it works.
Plus, as an added bonus, there is nothing more liberating than making your first dollar as an entre/solopreneur. You also start to realize its abundance. There is SO MUCH money out there (especially right now as the Fed continues to print it like monopoly money - but that’s for another day). Floating between hands day-to-day. Offer value and capture some of it. This will be the only way to true freedom in the coming decades.
Go find your edge.