What if the thing that makes you unforgettable isn't your polish — it's your story?

Dawn Stebbing has spent 16 years as a global image and presence expert, helping women close the gap between blending in and becoming unforgettable. But her real differentiator isn't styling or color analysis — it's her refusal to separate image from mindset, leadership, and the deeper story underneath how someone shows up.

In this episode, Dawn talks about going solo to escape the pay gap and the ceiling she kept hitting working for someone else, pivoting her business through the 2008 crash and COVID, and the moment on her couch when she realized the "put-together" story she'd always told wasn't the one people actually needed to hear from her. She shares what happened when she finally told her raw, real story to a room of 200 women — and why that shift changed everything about how her audience connects with her.

We also get into self-care as strategy, not indulgence, why women supporting women matters more than ever, and how Dawn uses AI as a genuine business partner in her day-to-day work.

BIO

Our next speaker is Dawn Stebbing, known as the Global Image & Presence Expert and creator of the Voice & Visibility Code™.Dawn works with accomplished women entrepreneurs and leaders who are ready to elevate their presence, amplify their voice, and become the unmistakable face of the brand or business they’ve built.

With more than four decades of experience in sales and leadership, she has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs and executives to lead with greater confidence, credibility, and authenticity, aligning who they are on the inside with how they show up on the outside.

Her work has been featured in The Mesa Tribune, The Mesa Daily Independent, and The Morning Show, where she shares powerful insights on presence, visibility, and influence.Today, Dawn will show us how stepping fully into our presence can transform how we lead, how we’re perceived, and the opportunities that come our way.

Website

http://www.dawnstebbing.com

Social Media Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnstebbing/https://www.facebook.com/dawnstebbinghttps://www.instagram.com/dawnstebbing/

Freebie Giveaway Link

https://visibility.dawnstebbing.com/the-authority-gap

What does it actually take to become "the obvious choice" when AI is now doing the recommending instead of just the ranking?

Chuck McKay has spent decades in marketing — starting as a disc jockey and radio ad producer, moving into advertising sales, and eventually walking away from a steady paycheck (after one memorably honest, three-beer conversation with his sales manager) to become an independent marketing consultant with the International Wizard of Ads organization. Today he helps local businesses navigate a search landscape where AI engines don't hand you a list of ten options — they hand your customer one recommendation.

In this episode, Chuck breaks down his AIM Framework (AI-friendly website, Intent-driven pay-per-click, and Mass media Memory), shares the real financial and emotional cost of leaving a "regular check" behind, and gets brutally honest about the one skill every solopreneur needs and most try to avoid: selling. He also tells the story of advising his own son against starting a landscaping business — and why that advice had nothing to do with landscaping and everything to do with sales.

Plus, Chuck shares how he's approaching the launch of his fourth book, The AIM Framework for Local Business Marketing, with a level of intentional promotion he's never tried before.

Bio 

Marketing consultant who helps local advertisers become the obvious choice in an AI-driven world.

Website 

WizardofAdsChuckMcKay.com

Social Media Links 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckmckay/ ·

https://www.youtube.com/IAmChuckMcKay https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581175427104

What happens when the business you build is born from the hardest thing you've ever survived?

Hannah Darby didn't set out to become an entrepreneur — she became one because she couldn't ignore what her own grief journey had taught her. As a holistic healer and grief guide, Hannah blends subconscious therapy, energy work, and counseling to help people heal at the root. But her path to solopreneurship wasn't linear: navigating a diagnosis of ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) forced her to rebuild her business — and her identity — around sustainability instead of hustle.

In this episode, Hannah opens up about the invisible grief that comes with chronic illness, how she found her niche by blending lived experience with professional training (including certification with David Kessler), and the mindset shift that changed everything: rest isn't the opposite of productivity — it's the foundation of it.

We also talk about her upcoming book, Safe to Grieve: Reclaiming Your Right to Heal, Feel and Rise Again, and what she believes is coming next for how solopreneurs work and support each other.

If you've ever felt like you have to earn your rest, or that grief has no place in a "business" conversation — this one's for you.

BIO

Hannah Darby GMBPsS SMACCPH is a multi-award-winning holistic healer who helps guide individuals along their personal grief journeys with her unique H.E.A.L.Ⓡ method.Hannah is a General Member of the British Psychological Society, a Senior Member of Accredited Counsellors, Coaches, Psychotherapists and Hypnotherapists, a Usui Reiki Master Teacher, a Master HeartHealing® Practitioner, a Certified Grief Coach, a Masseuse, and a Global Bestselling Author.Founder and CEO of Healing with Hannah, a unique therapy practice based on her professional and personal wisdom, guided by both science and spirituality. Hannah works with your mind, heart, and body to help you find deep healing. She has been featured in multiple national and international magazines.Hannah resides in the British countryside with her husband, four cats, and two chihuahuas. She enjoys country walks, music, and movies, and is a lifelong woman of faith.

Website

www.healingwithhannah.co.uk

Social Media Links

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/healingwithhannahdarby

Instagram -

https://www.instagram.com/healingwithhannahd/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahdarbyhealingwithhannah/

YouTube -

https://www.youtube.com/@HealingwithHannah-hwh

Amazon Author profile -https://www.amazon.com/author/hannahdarby

"That's not my job" — five words you'll never hear Scott Keene say. As a serial solopreneur turned professional bookkeeper and payroll specialist, Scott has run everything from a family restaurant and lounge to a pandemic-crushed kayak tour company before finding his true niche: helping business owners who are great at their craft but drowning in their books.

In this episode, Scott and Donna dig into the real cost of doing it all yourself — the delegation struggles, the blurred boundaries, the "I care too much" scope creep that comes with genuinely wanting your clients to win. Scott shares why he believes personal touch (not AI) is what solopreneurs actually need more of, how he found his niche after 20 years across restaurants, retail, and adventure tourism, and his hard-won advice on perseverance: fall off the horse, dust yourself off, get back on. He also opens up about his next chapter — helping solopreneurs plan for the retirement and protection their businesses often leave out.

If you've ever taken on too much because delegating felt impossible, this conversation is for you.

Bio

BioFor two decades, I've had the privilege of either sitting across the table from entrepreneurs, or being one myself.Entrepreneurs are people who have poured everything into building something of their own. Helping them turn financial chaos into clarity is what I have committed my professional life to.I know and truly understand that behind every set of books is a real person with real stakes, and I treat every engagement with that in mind.Based in Hawaii and working with businesses across industries and around the world, I specialize in helping founders and growing companies do more than just balance the books. I help them understand their numbers, control their costs, and build the operational backbone they need to scale with confidence.What I bring to the table:Whether you're launching a new venture, in a financial mess, or simply outgrowing your current systems, I step in with a calm, methodical approach and hit the ground running. My background spans construction, equipment rental, adventure tourism, restaurants/bars, lodging, retail, and professional services — Industries where margins are tight, operations are complex, and there's no room for error. I don't just record transactions — I build systems. From starting up finance and HR departments from scratch to modernizing outdated workflows, giving business owners back their time and giving them back their peace of mind are some of my highest priorities.Certified. Credentialed. Accountable:My technical credentials reflect a genuine commitment to professional excellence:- Advanced certifications in QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Payroll, Xero, FreshBooks, and NetSuite (just to name a few).- Payroll and tax compliance certifications through Intuit Academy, Gusto Academy, and ADP.- Registered PTIN Holder with the IRS — fiduciary responsibility is foundational.- Expertise in OSHA compliance, HR best practices, and employee training.A note on how I work:Attention to detail isn't just a professional value — it's a way of life. I hold a Federal Certificate in Professional Pilot & Aviation Administration and an FAA Helicopter Pilot License. Flying demands the same qualities I bring to every client engagement: precision, composure under pressure, and an unwavering respect for the consequences of getting things wrong. When you hire me, you're not just getting someone who can read a P&L — you're getting someone who genuinely cares about getting it right.

Website

www.bespokebookkeeping.com

Social Media Links

www.linkedin.com/in/a-scott-keene

What happens when you close the biggest deal of your life… and feel nothing? That's the question that cracked open this conversation with Harland Merriam — former pastor, military chaplain, and now a real estate investor who facilitates masterminds for high-performing entrepreneurs across Central Florida.

After 40+ years serving congregations and the military, Harland "repurposed" (his word, not retired) into real estate investing — and quickly noticed a pattern: people doing very well financially were still asking, "Is this all there is?" That question became the seed of his book, Profit Seeks Purpose, and the foundation of the work he does now.

In this episode, we dig into:

• Why "just do it yourself" is some of the worst advice a solopreneur can follow
• The difference between passion and purpose — and why only one of them sustains you long-term
• The real story behind his book's central question: not "what will I do?" but "who will I be?"
• How he built a business model where the people around him operate as solopreneurs themselves
• Why he'd ask "why?" before ever giving advice to someone wanting to go solo

If you've ever hit a milestone and felt strangely empty afterward, this one's for you.

Bio

Harland Merriam is a real estate investor, coach, and pastor who works with successful leaders asking deeper questions about life and purpose. After years in ministry, the military, and business, he’s learned that success alone doesn’t satisfy—and that real transformation happens in community. He’s been a general partner on a 129-unit apartment complex and is currently serving as Chaplain at Stetson University. Today, he facilitates a mastermind and coaches entrepreneurs to build lives of deeper purpose. Harland lives in DeLand, Florida, with his wife, Barbara, and enjoys long walks, good conversations, and helping people discover what truly matters.

Website

www.ProfitSeeksPurppose.com

Social Media Links

LINKEDIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/harlandmerriam/FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/harland.merriam

Freebie Giveaway Link

https://www.profitseekspurpose.com/7-questions-download/

You're never going to have all the time, all the budget, or all the information. So how do solopreneurs move forward anyway — without burning out, without radiating desperation, and without sunsetting the right project at the wrong moment?

In this episode of Breaking Solo, we explore the mindset that carries solopreneurs through the messy middle of building something on their own. Drawing on a career in project management, our guest unpacks the daily internal conversations every solopreneur knows too well — when to course correct, when to hold the line, and how to use the tools available (yes, including AI) as a second set of eyes when you're wearing 50 hats at once.

What we cover:

• Why AI belongs in your business as an executive assistant — not a replacement — and how picking one tool beats trying to master fifty
• The pivot dilemma: how to know when it's time to switch gears versus when you need more information
• Be patient, be brave, start small — and why waiting for the "trifecta of perfection" guarantees you go nowhere

If you've been stuck at the edge of a decision, this conversation is your nudge to take the next small, brave step forward.

BIO

Known as “The Coach”, Nicole brings two decades of project management expertise supporting Fortune 100 organizations – namely CBRE, Chevron, HP, Citigroup, and Marriott International. She also offers five years of interior design experience, inclusive of commercial conversion portfolios for Beverly Hills based developers. Nicole holds a BA in Communications from California State University, Fullerton, and an MSc in Project Management from the University of Liverpool. She is a Founding Member of Sheconomy™ and the author of Corporate Coach Approach – A Systematic Guide to Career Development.

Website

https://twohorseproductions.com/

Social Media Links

https://www.instagram.com/corporatecoachapproach/

https://www.instagram.com/twohorseproductions605/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Two-Horse-Productions/61574620307013/

What if consistent, predictable income isn't a personality trait — it's a recipe? In this episode, I sit down with Dan Rochon, real estate agent, sales trainer, host of the No Broke Months podcast, and author of the upcoming book Teach to Sell (published by Post Hill Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster).

Dan has spent the last 15 years documenting the exact framework that gets him hired 85% of the time as a real estate agent — and built an entire methodology to teach it to anyone who's willing to follow the steps. Dan shares the moment at 32, waiting tables as a recovering addict, when he decided to design his own life. We dig into the reframe every solopreneur needs to hear — "you're not in the plumbing business, you're in the lead generation business with plumbing as your vocation" — and why missing that single distinction is what keeps so many solopreneurs stuck. We talk about the 10 daily activities that drive his business (4 in the business, 5 on the business, plus managing money), why he spends 1–3 hours every single day finding business no matter what he made yesterday, and the brilliant proactive technique he uses to walk real estate clients through the emotional rollercoaster they're about to have before it happens.

Dan also opens up about the persistence it took to land his book deal — 27 nos before the first yes — and the $10,000 training course he's giving away free to anyone who picks up Teach to Sell at teachtosellbook.com. If you've ever felt like sales was something other people were born good at, this conversation is the recipe card you've been missing.

BIO

Dan Rochon is the founder of Consistent and Predictable Income (CPI), Greetings Virginia, and the author of Teach to Sell Book, a transformative approach to leadership and sales. With over a decade of experience in real estate and coaching, Dan helps sales professionals build consistent and predictable income by leading with purpose and influence. His work empowers individuals and teams to achieve their highest potential. Dan is also the host of the No Broke Months Podcast.

Website

https://www.nobrokemonths.com/

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086498082316

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danrochon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrochonx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NoBrokeMonths

Teach To Sell Book: https://www.teachtosellbook.com/

Podcast Website: https://www.nobrokemonths.com/

What happens when a fifth-generation doctor walks away from one of the most established medical institutions in the UK to rebuild healthcare the way it used to feel? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Suhail Hussain, a UK-based GP (the equivalent of a family physician in the States) who left the NHS during COVID to launch his own private, home-visiting medical practice. Dr. Hussain shares why telephone and video consultations broke something fundamental about the doctor-patient relationship for him, how a client once told him "you're part of our extended family" — and the moment he realized that was exactly the practice he'd been trying to build. We talk about the strange experience of being the first person in five generations of doctors to also have to be a businessperson, and the parts of solopreneurship that nobody warned him about: marketing, social media, building a personal brand, and the surprisingly lonely road of going it alone. We also dig into how AI is already reshaping medicine (especially in radiology and admin work), why he believes the people most insulated from AI disruption are tradespeople like plumbers and electricians, and the moment he realized that if he really wanted to grow, he couldn't keep doing everything himself. Dr. Hussain also opens up about his weight loss and men's health programs, and why he's especially passionate about creating safe space for men to talk about things they rarely raise with anyone. If you've ever felt the pull to build something more human in an industry that's drifted toward convenience, this conversation is a quiet reminder that the old-fashioned way isn't outdated — it's just rare.

BIO

Dr Suhail Hussain is an experienced GP of over 20 years’ experience.Having worked extensively in the NHS, including specialities of medicine, surgery, oncology, obs/gynae, emergency medicine and paediatrics. He has now transitioned to working in the private sector providing timely, bespoke care to several families.Now working exclusively with busy professional, high net worth individuals and their families his main service is predicated on home/work place visits making access to healthcare as convenient as possible.He has a strong connection of secondary care specialists in all medical fields as well as physios, chiropractors and allied health professionals, to name a few.He also has connections with providers of other bespoke and luxury services and is always happy to help his clients with this if needed.For 10 years he was a senior tutor at 3 major London Medical Schools – Imperial, Barts and UCL, where he was involved in the teaching of undergrad students from first to final year.Education and speaking are 2 of his strongest passions and when not seeing patients he most enjoys helping others learn.He has appeared on television programmes talking about all things medical and answering caller’s questions live on air.He has written extensively for several established newspapers – The Telegraph, Independent to name a few and also appeared on BBC and Sky news to share his views on current medical topics.He also speaks for charities and the Boarding Schools association.He is a strong advocate for healthy living and believes that medicine should be about prevention rather than cure and helps people optimise their lifestyles, so they do not need medication.Can talk about leaving a stable career in the NHS after 20 years, setting up my own private practice against all family advice. Having no idea about client acquisition and marketing. The struggles of continuiing to run your own business whilst also serving clients.

Website

drsuhailhussain.com

Social Media Links

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dr-suhail-hussain-private-doctor

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd8-VagUhcFcsXaJbBX-MIA

https://www.instagram.com/drsuhailhussaingp/

What happens when a four-year-old gets a coin pulled out of his ear and decides that's what he's going to do with his life? In this episode, I sit down with Magic Brad — magician, event marketer, and a refreshingly contrarian solopreneur — for a conversation packed with hard-won wisdom, weird brilliance, and one of the most unbothered takes on competition I've ever heard. Brad shares how getting laid off from his county parks job pushed him into solopreneurship full-time, how he built an event-based marketing engine in the postcard era that filled his calendar months in advance, and why the rise of the internet (and then COVID) forced him to pivot from in-person events to digital ones — without losing the human element that makes his work work. We dig into why he doesn't believe in competition ("McDonald's and Burger King are still there"), the postcard marketing software he calls his "magic marketing tool," and why he ties new habits to existing ones like brushing his teeth instead of fighting himself with checklists. Brad also shares his version of Napoleon Hill's mastermind — a daily meditation where he invites anyone from Elon Musk to Bruce Lee to Jesus into the room to give him advice — and the single piece of advice he'd give every new solopreneur: you can't fail if you don't quit. If you've been trying to out-hustle your competition instead of just being unmistakably yourself, this conversation will remind you that the strongest market position isn't being better — it's being the only one.

Bio

Magical Since 1957

Website

https://MagicBrad.com

Social Media Links

https://FollowMagicBrad.com

What if the reason your revenue is stuck isn't that you're doing the wrong things — but that you're doing them in the wrong order? In this episode, I sit down with Ken Steven, business growth consultant and creator of the Revenue Growth Readiness Scorecard, for a conversation that genuinely shifted how I think about scaling a solo business. Ken spent years turning around companies stuck on a $5–7M plateau — with a 93.7% success rate — and along the way he kept seeing the same five growth drivers stymie progress over and over: mindset and vision, offer and business model, marketing and visibility, systems and automation, and authority and reach. We talk about why the conventional advice to "fix your weakest driver first" is often dead wrong (using a brilliant car-won't-start analogy), why most coaches and consultants leap to spending more on marketing when the real problem lives upstream in their offer, and why pricing is the single fastest lever to add $20K/month to a solo business. Ken also opens up about the moment he doubled his rate on a whim and won the gig anyway, the pivot to taking a piece of the upside on business turnarounds, and why solopreneurs who score "green" across all five drivers are often the ones quietly leaving the most revenue on the table through complacency. I took his free scorecard before the conversation — and the discussion that came out of my results made me rethink what "doing well" actually means in a solo business. If you've been throwing tactics at a plateau hoping something sticks, this is the diagnostic-first conversation you didn't know you needed.

BIO

Ken Steven is a seasoned business growth advisor and the creator of the Revenue Freedom Method™. For decades, Ken specialized in doubling the sales and profits of private companies, achieving that result for 93.7% of his clients. Today, his focus is on helping solopreneur coaches and consultants, and founders of service-based businesses, break through revenue plateaus. His goal is simple: to show you how to add at least $20,000 to your monthly revenue without adding more hours to your week.

Website

https://kensteven.com/

Social Media Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethsteven/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CoachKenStevenFreebie

Giveaway Link

The Revenue Growth Readiness Scorecard: https://scorecard.kensteven.com/ken-ldxawjii