Most business advice about going solo sounds the same.

Quit the job. Take the leap. Freedom awaits.

This episode doesn’t do that.

Because sometimes the opposite is true.

Hi, I'm Mike Fox, host of this podcast, "Lone Wolf Unleashed."

In this episode, I share a real conversation that stuck with me. A retired dental technician. His former colleague who went solo. And the moment one of them realised that leaving employment had quietly delayed his retirement by years.

It’s not a story about failure.

The business was working. The money was fine.

But the numbers didn’t stack up the way he assumed they would.

We talk about the trade-offs nobody really runs before going out on their own.

Income versus risk.

Flexibility versus responsibility.

And how easy it is to build a business that only works when you do.

This isn’t anti-entrepreneurship.

It’s pro-awareness.

If you’re running solo, or thinking about it, this episode is a reality check worth having before the clock runs down.

Timestamped summary

00:00 A Christmas conversation that sparked this episode

01:20 Employment vs business, the moment of realisation

02:45 When “doing well” still isn’t enough

03:50 The hidden workload of solo ownership

05:10 Risk, pricing, and why many businesses underpay themselves

06:30 Flexibility myths and where freedom actually comes from

08:10 The question you should answer before quitting your job

09:40 What I don’t want you to end up regretting