In this episode, I sit down with Maggie Patterson, creator of BS-Free Business and author of "Staying Solo," to explore why so much business advice isn't designed for businesses like yours. We dive into Maggie's "real-life rule" — if it doesn't work for your real life (with all your caregiving responsibilities, mental health considerations, and actual capacity constraints), it doesn't work in your business.

Discover why being strategically wired can be a detriment as an employee but an asset as a solo business owner, learn how to build around your actual capacity instead of your maximum capacity, and find out why the best work you'll do might just be the work that feels easy.

Episode Highlights:

• Why so much small business advice recreates the same toxic patterns we tried to leave behind in corporate life
• How manipulative marketing tactics—like income claims and pain-point selling—harm solo business owners
• Why neurodivergent and introverted people often thrive as entrepreneurs after struggling in traditional workplaces
• The “real-life rule”: building your business around actual capacity, not fantasy capacity
• How being strategically wired can feel like a liability in corporate life but becomes a superpower in solo business
• Why the most sustainable businesses are often the simplest—lean, drama-free, and built to last

Key Concepts Explored:

• The "real-life rule": building business around actual capacity and constraints rather than fantasy versions of ourselves
• The neurodivergent advantage in solo business: creating accommodations for yourself that corporate environments can't provide
• Strategic brain blindness: how strategically-wired people undervalue their most marketable assets
• The employee detriment of strategic thinking: why strategic minds struggle in corporate but thrive as entrepreneurs
• The paradox of easy work: why the highest-value, most enjoyable work should feel effortless when you're truly skilled
• Income claim marketing and pain point manipulation vs. empathetic connection in business communication
• Lesser of evils decision-making: sustainable business choices for people with anxiety, ADHD, and mental health challenges
• Simplicity as competitive advantage: lean operations, minimal services, and building incrementally rather than perfectly
• Right-sizing dreams and expectations to prevent business-induced breakdown during caregiving and life challenges
• Neurodivergent entrepreneurship as affirmation: self-employment as refuge for those who don't fit traditional work culture

Common Questions Answered:

• How can I build a business that works with my ADHD/anxiety/neurodivergence?
• Why do I struggle with traditional business advice?
• Is self-employment viable for introverts and strategic thinkers?
• How do I build for my real capacity instead of my maximum capacity?
• Why does my strategic thinking feel undervalued in corporate environments?

Notable Quotes:

"So much of online business is built on this fantasy version of yourself—someone with endless time, endless energy, endless capacity. And it just doesn’t exist." – Maggie Patterson [00:05:00]

"We left corporate because it didn’t fit—but then we build businesses that are just as extractive, just as harmful, just as unsustainable." – Maggie Patterson [00:07:00]

"If it doesn’t work in your real life—with your caregiving, your mental health, your actual capacity—it doesn’t work in your business." – Maggie Patterson [00:11:00]

"There’s this constant push to build a business around your maximum capacity. But what if we built around our actual capacity instead?" – Maggie Patterson [00:14:00]

"Being strategically wired can feel like a liability as an employee—but as a solo business owner, it’s your superpower." – Maggie Patterson [00:18:00]

"The best work you’ll ever do might just be the work that feels easy." – Maggie Patterson [00:21:00]

"So much business advice doesn’t just not fit—it actually makes us feel like we’re failing at someone else’s game." – Sara Lobkovich [00:25:00]

"The most sustainable businesses are boring. They’re lean, drama-free, and built to last." – Maggie Patterson [00:28:00]

"We need to stop glorifying hustle and start glorifying sustainability." – Maggie Patterson [00:30:00]

Chapters:

[00:00:00] Introduction: Welcome to Thinkydoers and introduction to Maggie Patterson

[00:03:00] Guest Introduction: Maggie's background and BS-Free Business approach

[00:05:00] Bad Business Advice: Why most advice replicates toxic corporate patterns

[00:07:00] Marketing Deception: Income claims and manipulative pain point tactics

[00:09:00] Corporate Struggles: Why introverts and neurodivergent people struggle in traditional workplaces

[00:11:00] Managing Anxiety: Practical approaches for business owners with mental health challenges

[00:12:00] The Real-Life Rule: Building business around actual capacity, not fantasy capacity

[00:16:00] Easy Work Philosophy: Why the best work should feel easy

[00:17:00] Strategic Wiring: How strategic thinkers can transition from employee to entrepreneur

[00:21:00] Simple Business: Why lean and boring businesses work better

[00:23:00] Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs: Affirmation for those who don't fit traditional work culture

[00:25:00] Connect with Maggie: Where to find her work and resources

Guest Information:

• [Coming soon!]

Connect with Maggie:

• Website: bsfreebusiness.com
• Podcast: Staying Solo at bsfreebusiness.com/podcast
• Book: stayingsolobook.com
• Social: @bsfreebusiness on Threads and Instagram
• Take her capacity quiz: bsfreebusiness.com/quiz

Sara’s Links and Resources:

• Unblock Your Inner Strategist Community: findrc.co/ubyis
• Free Goal Fridays Series: findrc.co/goalfridays
• No-BS OKRs Workbook: findrc.co/pdfworkbook
• Join Sara's Email Newsletter: findrc.co/newsletter
• Email Sara: [email protected]
• Virtual OKR Consultation: saralobkovich.com/virtual-consult
• Sara's website: saralobkovich.com
• Additional resources: findrc.co
• Thinkydoers Homepage: saralobkovich.com/thinkydoers-pod

Upcoming Events:

• Catch Sara at the World OKR Summit! She’ll be speaking this October 30–31: okrsummit.org

Find full show notes and the episode transcript via https://findrc.co/thinkydoers.

Mentioned in this episode:

Don't forget: Get your free No-BS OKRs Workbook or schedule a VIP Strategy Day!

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.

Don't forget your free No-BS OKRs Workbook

Before I let you go, I just wanna remind you, you can pick up your copy of "You Are a Strategist: Use No-BS OKRs to Get Big Things Done" at https://youareastrategist.com, and you'll get that free PDF of the "No-BS OKRs Workbook" when you purchase direct.