Welcome back to Lone Wolf Unleashed! I’m Mike, and today... Ever feel like the world is screaming at you to “scale up” your solo business—hire staff, build systems, chase endless growth—when all you really want is more freedom, less stress, and a business that fits your life instead of running it?

You’re not alone.

In this episode of Lone Wolf Unleashed, I'm flipping the script on the conventional wisdom of growth-at-all-costs.

And I'll be introducing you to the “Anti-Scale Manifesto”—eight game-changing principles for solopreneurs who value simplicity, autonomy, and deep client relationships over team management and corporate complexity.

00:00 "Introducing The Anti Scale Manifesto"

06:03 "Boundaries Over Unlimited Availability"

09:30 "Alignment Over Balance: Economic Sense"

12:40 "Strategic Client Scarcity"

16:12 Financial Security for Solo Operators

19:00 Implementing Anti-Scale Strategies

22:35 "Rethinking Business Scaling"

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A painful truth for business podcasters who still think follower counts equal listeners...

Let’s get uncomfortable for a moment.

LinkedIn tells you that bigger is better. Hit that 10,000, 50,000, or even 100,000 follower milestone, and suddenly you’re tempted to believe you’re sitting on a goldmine of eager podcast listeners.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

I’ve consulted with more than enough LinkedIn 'influencers' to know this: if you’re counting on that social proof to deliver actual podcast results, you’re going to be disappointed.

In fact, if you’re expecting more than a handful of listeners per episode simply because you have a five-figure following, you’re already losing the game.

Here’s the reality.

LinkedIn is a platform designed to serve its own interests, not yours. The algorithm is geared towards creating a false sense of reach and relevance. You post about your new episode, rack up a few dozen likes, maybe a polite comment from that one guy who always chimes in, and screenshot the analytics because they look impressive.

But when it comes to actual podcast listeners—real people pressing play, not bots or random scrollers—the numbers barely register.

And don’t just take my word for it.

I’ve literally done the math for clients.

The entire illusion falls apart once you work through the numbers on how posts convert followers into listeners. You’d be amazed (or horrified) at how small that number is.

Imagine this: 100,000 LinkedIn followers. That’s enough to fill a stadium, right?

So, if you’re chasing followers and bragging about your vanity metrics, you’re fooling yourself.

Want to break this cycle?

Listen to this episode to get the background on the problem.

Then, get the Swipe Files so you can fix it.

Ready to do the math? Get your free files at podmastery.co/math, or reach out for a straightforward audit of your podcast’s real growth potential.

Because your real audience deserves better than a vanity strategy.

00:00 "LinkedIn Followers Don't Equal Success"

03:57 Deceptive Podcast Popularity Tactics

08:59 Boost LinkedIn Engagement Tactics

10:46 "Podcast Growth and Mastery Tips"

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A Podknows Production

Podknows helps brands and creators to build their podcasts into virtual sales and marketing teams which get them results even when they're sleeping. Find out more at https://podknows.co.uk/

Welcome back to Lone Wolf Unleashed! I’m Mike, and today I'm talking about the harsh reality facing so many successful solo operators: the more your business grows, the more you find yourself working longer hours, sacrificing personal freedom, and getting lost in a maze of complex systems and endless admin.

If you’ve ever wondered why hitting those revenue numbers hasn’t delivered the life you imagined and instead left you more exhausted than ever then this episode is for you.

You’ll meet Mark, the “successful prisoner”.

He’s making six figures. But don't envy him yet.

He can’t remember his last real day off.

00:00 Trapped by Success in Solo Work

06:18 Business Evolution: From Growth to Automation

08:46 Hidden Costs of Entrepreneurial Success

11:53 Solopreneurs vs. Solo Operators

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Every August, you'll hear the same noise about everyone disappearing.

Holidays, beaches, the world moving a little slower.

I used to kinda buy into this myth myself, until I watched a client hit pause, just to realise that their audience hadn't gone anywhere.

They'd simply found something else to jam into their earbuds. This latest episode of Podcasting Insights is all about flipping the so-called 'summer slump' on its head.

I’m walking you through three moves you can make right now, literally before the weekend’s over, to keep your download numbers in healthy shape and your listeners coming back for more.

No grand production, no drama, just practical steps you can act on right away.

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Wanna get unstuck from the sub 100 downloads per month doldrums. Fancy getting closer to top 2% podcaster glory?

Podmaster audit

A Podknows Production

Podknows helps brands and creators to build their podcasts into virtual sales and marketing teams which get them results even when they're sleeping. Find out more at https://podknows.co.uk/

How long should your podcast episodes actually be?

Today, we’re tossing the rulebook out the window and figuring out episode length.

Forget those guru-mandated magic numbers; it’s all about what suits your story and your listeners' needs. Whether you’re aiming for a quick, snappy 15-minute burst or a deep-dive extravaganza of over an hour, we’ll guide you through the pros and cons of each format.

Welcome back to Lone Wolf Unleashed! I’m Mike, and today I’m pulling back the curtain on the messy, unfiltered side of systemizing your business.

Think skip ropes, stumbles, and plenty of bruises.

In this episode, I draw an honest, sometimes painfully funny comparison between my attempts to master skipping rope and the grind of building lean, effective business workflows as a solopreneur.

Forget the flashy advice and overnight automation hacks; I’ll show you why slow, steady practice wins every time, how tiny daily improvements add up, and why an imperfect spreadsheet beats a never-finished “perfect” system any day.

00:00 Business Systems: Awkward Beginnings

03:55 Practice Becomes Second Nature

07:12 "Small Consistent Business Improvements"

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It’s a well-worn scene now, isn’t it: you spend your evenings slicing up episodes, creating what you’re told are “virality-ready” podcast clips, then blowing them out across Instagram and TikTok, all on the promise - usually delivered to you by a LinkedIn “guru” - that social video is the missing link between your pod and the big leagues.

You get a few views, maybe even a flattering comment from someone you’ll never meet.

But, let’s be honest. The podcast stats don’t move.

Maybe there’s the odd outlier, but mostly, you’re banging your head against the same wall every upload cycle. I see it every week with new clients, and it’s always the same confusion: “I’ve got the clips, Neal. I followed the formula. Why is my actual audience not growing?”

There’s a reason for it. And in this episode, I break open exactly why your current approach isn’t moving the needle and what you need to flip around to get real, sustainable listener growth.

Mentioned in this episode:

A Podknows Production

Podknows helps brands and creators to build their podcasts into virtual sales and marketing teams which get them results even when they're sleeping. Find out more at https://podknows.co.uk/

Book your Podmaster audit

Wanna get unstuck from the sub 100 downloads per month doldrums. Fancy getting closer to top 2% podcaster glory?

Podmaster audit

Welcome to a fresh pour of Lone Wolf Unleashed! I’m Mike, and in today’s episode, we’re brewing up some hard truths about running a solo business—and why it’s more like making great coffee than you think.

Forget about the fancy beans, shiny CRMs, or the latest AI hype.

The secret to a consistently strong business (and coffee) isn’t what everyone sees on the surface.

It’s the unsexy, behind-the-scenes prep—the cleaning, the patience, the discipline—that makes all the difference.

Today, I’ll show you why skipping the 'boring stuff' leads to bitter results, and how mastering your foundational processes—think cleaning your machine, getting your ratios right, and not rushing the ‘bloom’—can free up your afternoons without sacrificing a cent.

Plus, you’ll get a simple, practical maintenance checklist you can use right away to strip down admin and keep things running smooth. Scroll for the link to that freebie.

Get this episode's free download:

http://lonewolfunleashed.com/coffee

00:00 "Business Brew Basics"

04:24 "Consistency in Measurement & Method"

09:18 "Simple Business Maintenance Guide"

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Welcome to Podcasting Insights with The Podmaster. I’m Neal Veglio, and I’m here to help independent podcasters and small business owners get real results from their shows.

In this episode, I’m sharing my top five strategies for being a better guest on other people’s podcasts.

If you’ve been invited onto shows and want to make a bigger impact, or you’re feeling nervous about coming across well as a guest, I’ve got you covered.

My goal is to help you not just appear as a guest, but become someone hosts want to invite back. If you’re ready to up your podcast guest game and create more opportunities for your brand, this episode is for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

A Podknows Production

Podknows helps brands and creators to build their podcasts into virtual sales and marketing teams which get them results even when they're sleeping. Find out more at https://podknows.co.uk/

Welcome to "Lone Wolf Unleashed", the podcast for solo operators who want to stop trading family dinners for never-ending workdays.

I’m your host, Mike Fox.

In this episode we’re slicing through the hype that’s turned every 'AI consultant' on LinkedIn into a self-proclaimed wizard promising to 10x your workflow and make it rain passive income, all while quietly getting rich selling courses instead of using the tools they’re peddling.

If you’re a solo operator tired of miracle hacks, overwhelmed by buzzwords, and just looking for straight talk on what actually works, this episode is for you. We’ll dig into industry research that shows real AI productivity gains are modest at best, reveal why most AI tools actually make you work more—not less—and show how the biggest returns aren’t coming from high-priced masterclasses, but from boring, simple automations that free your afternoons without hiring a single soul.

Below, you'll find the link to my BS detection kit you'll need for spotting AI grifters a mile away.

Listen, and you'll have the practical know-how to strip down your workflow to what really delivers. So switch off the hype, tune in, and let’s reclaim your time—no jargon, no fads, just results.

Let’s get into it.

Click play.

https://lonewolfunleashed.com/bs-detection

00:00 AI Productivity Myths and Stats

05:14 AI-Created Legal Disasters

09:02 Spotting AI Productivity Grifters

11:01 AI Hype vs. Productivity Reality

15:27 Grifter Guide: Spot Scams Fast (link is above)

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