In this episode, Vince Pierri of VAP Coaching shares his journey from being a full-time pastor to becoming a public speaking coach, and how a shift into creating high-traction infographics skyrocketed his business. He talks about the challenges and lessons learned from transitioning to LinkedIn content creation, including why certain formats like infographics have worked so well for him, and how they solve a major gap in the public speaking industry.

Vince dives into the process behind his infographics, how they became a selling point, and how his unique approach of education-first content stands out in a crowded LinkedIn space. He reflects on the ups and downs of cohort-based offers, working with other creators, and balancing high-impact work with the demands of entrepreneurship.

As Vince continues to refine his offers, he also opens up about his partnership with Heike and how they are scaling a new enterprise-focused offer that combines his infographic expertise with her viral video knowledge. He shares insights into how they are both optimizing for less time and higher impact in their new venture.

(00:00) Intro

(01:00) Vince’s transition from pastor to public speaking coach

(03:00) The financial motivation behind leaving ministry

(06:00) Building an audience on LinkedIn

(09:00) The shift to creating infographics

(11:00) The gap in public speaking content and how infographics filled it

(15:00) The challenge of scaling content creation

(18:00) Starting the infographic cohort and pricing strategies

(22:00) Balancing low-ticket and high-ticket offers

(25:00) The evolution of Vince’s enterprise offer with Heike

(30:00) Partnering for a more sustainable business model

(34:00) Key learnings from running a cohort-based business

(39:00) Vince’s plans to scale and return to pastoring

Follow Vince on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincent-angelo-coach/

Check out VAP Coaching: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vap-coaching/

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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, Logan Lyles, founder of DemandShift Summit, shares how he transitioned into entrepreneurship after being unexpectedly laid off and why that moment became the catalyst for building a differentiated B2B marketing business.

Logan walks through his early days of landing clients, leveraging his network, and thinking strategically about his offer before going to market. He breaks down how relationship-driven outreach, a simple LinkedIn launch post, and a creative research report helped him secure his first clients quickly and validate his business model.

Logan dives deep into his unique approach to webinar-led growth, explaining how he turned webinars into both a lead generation engine and a scalable media asset. He shares how he built a flywheel by combining content, audience building, and client delivery into one system allowing him to generate results for clients while simultaneously growing his own audience and pipeline. Throughout the conversation, Logan unpacks lessons on positioning, leveraging existing skills, building in public, and creating a service that doubles as a “permissionless demo” of your expertise.

(00:00) Intro

(01:00) Getting laid off → becoming an entrepreneur

(03:00) Landing first clients through network

(06:00) Using survey to to generate content and pipeline

(10:00) Why his outbound didn’t feel like outbound

(14:00) Content as a networking tool (events & outreach

(20:00) Choosing webinars as his core offer

(23:00) The 2-step signup that 5x’d conversions

(30:00) Building a media + service flywheel

(36:00) Differentiation through audience ownership

(40:00) What he’d do differently + scaling challenges

Follow Logan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loganlyles/ Check out DemandShift Summit: https://www.linkedin.com/company/demandshift-summit/

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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, 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/

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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, 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

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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/⁠