Hey, Fearless Friends!

This week on Stay Fearless or Die Trying 😀 

• JOIN THE LOVE LIST! Each event is better than the last! This past weekend we held a single’s mixer at Arugula in West Hartford and sparks were flying. See what The Love List is building here!

• Get involved with Chief Swag Officer! I’m currently raising $200K for Chief Swag Officer as a friends and family round. Interested? Reply to this email and I’ll send you the deck.

• Cold pitch 10 new people every week. Reply to this email with some of the people you cold pitched and introduced yourself to this week and I’ll send a few of you something in the mail!

The Power of Building Alone

When I first started blogging (did I mention I was 12?), I was not in tune with the world of entrepreneurship, nor was I aware of what a solopreneur was.

All I knew was that I loved writing and that somehow, some way, I wanted to create something that was mine. No investors. No business partner. No safety net. Just me, my laptop, and a dream that felt way too big for a small-town girl.

Fast forward to today—I have built and scaled Chief Swag Officer, a custom microphone cover company that produces swag for brands like Red Bull, Netflix and more. I started a movement for young people to Be Fearless, including a brand that empowers young people to chase their dreams without hesitation.

I even cold pitched and sold a show to Radio Disney; and now, I’m building The Love List. As you can see, what once started as a personal blog has transformed into a career, out of a dream!

But I didn’t start with a team. I didn’t start with a budget. I built it alone.

And that’s what being a solopreneur is all about.

What Is a Solopreneur, Really?

A solopreneur is an entrepreneur who wears every hat in their business. You’re the founder, CEO, marketing team, accountant, web designer, and customer service rep—all rolled into one. You don’t have a co-founder to bounce ideas off of or a team to delegate to. I’ve got a team now for both of my companies but that took years. I wouldn’t have done it any other way, either.

It’s empowering, exhausting, and absolutely thrilling.

Solopreneurs create their own products or services, market them, post their own social content, and handle their own finances. It’s not just about independence—it’s about complete ownership, drive, and individualism.

The solopreneur path forces you to become resourceful, resilient, and relentlessly creative. It can be a difficult world to navigate, but here are some lessons I’ve learned along the way that may help you on your own journey.

Lesson #1: Be Okay With Starting Small

When I first started my career, I didn’t have followers or brand deals. I was just a girl writing online. But I didn’t wait until I had the “perfect” website, the “right” logo, or even supporters to entertain what I had to say—I started messy.

The biggest trap for solopreneurs is perfectionism. You think you need the perfect brand identity, business plan, or funding before you can start. But starting is what teaches you how to grow.

Your website can evolve. Your logo can change. Your audience can grow. But none of that happens if you’re too afraid to take the first step.

So post the content. Launch the product. Try the idea. You’ll figure it out along the way—because that’s what solopreneurs do.

Lesson #2: Don’t Compare Your Journey to Someone Else’s

Social media can be both your biggest asset and your biggest enemy. As a solopreneur, you’ll spend a lot of time online, and it’s easy to compare your progress to someone else’s highlight reel.

Comparison kills creativity, and the truth is, you never know what chapter someone else is in. You could be comparing your chapter one to someone else’s chapter ten.

You don’t see the sleepless nights behind someone else’s success. You don’t see their rejections, failed launches, or tears. Focus on your journey and celebrate your progress. Every email reply, every sale, every kind comment—it all counts.

Your business doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s to be successful, and it also doesn’t have to be built within the same time frame as someone else’s.

Lesson #3: Get Clear on Your Audience

One of the smartest things you can do early on is to get crystal clear about who your audience is. Your product or business may appeal to people from all walks of life, but the truth is, when you try to speak to everyone, you end up connecting with no one.

Knowing exactly who you’re talking to changes everything.

When you narrow down your audience—their age range, interests, lifestyle, pain points, and what they’re searching for—your messaging becomes sharper. When your messaging becomes sharper, your content becomes stronger, and your business becomes easier to manage.

This is especially important as a solopreneur because you don’t have a big marketing team behind you. You need to split your time and efforts wisely—you don’t want to spread yourself thin trying to appeal to everyone and their individual needs.

Clarity is your best friend. The clearer you are about your demographic, the less energy you waste trying to stretch yourself across multiple audiences. Your message becomes more focused, your ads more effective, and your offers more aligned with what people actually want.

Ask yourself:

• Who is my ideal customer or follower?

• What problem do they need solved?

• What tone, design, and platform speak to them most?

When you know your niche, your job gets easier. You’ll save your energy and have a more direct path to the people you want to reach.

Lesson #4: Be Unapologetically You

One of the biggest advantages of being a solopreneur is that you can be personable. It’s easier for consumers to connect with you than it is for them to connect with a faceless corporation. And remember, people don’t just buy from businesses—they buy from people and messages they like, relate to, and believe in.

You’re a real person creating something from the heart, which is a superpower in itself.

You can respond to messages personally, tell your story openly, and build relationships with customers who feel like friends. You’re not just selling a product or service—you’re building trust, which we’ve established in previous newsletters as being very important.

You also have the opportunity to set yourself apart from other businesses by being yourself—by being unique. Your personality isn’t being filtered by a PR team, and that can be refreshing to your audience.

In a world where everyone is trying to copy trends, your individuality is what will make you stand out. People connect with authenticity, not perfection. They want to see the human behind the business—the face, the story, the drive.

Lesson #5: Keep Your Eye on the Money

One of the most difficult parts of being a solopreneur is managing your finances! You must be on top of every penny at all times. You’re responsible for everything—budgeting, taxes, expenses, and pricing.

That’s a lot to keep up with, especially if finances aren’t your forte, but it’s a responsibility you must take on due to the many hats you wear as an entrepreneur.

It can be easy to get caught up in the creative side of things—designing, posting, and connecting—but if you don’t know where your money is going, the truth is, you’re not running a business; you have a hobby.

It’s essential that you stay organized. Using tools like QuickBooks or Excel spreadsheets can be incredibly helpful for tracking your finances.

Be aware of:

• How much you’re spending on supplies

• Shipping costs

• How much money you’re making back

• Taxes

It’s not just about profit—it’s also about control and understanding. You can’t make smart decisions if you don’t understand what’s really happening behind the scenes. The key is consistency. Don’t wait until tax season to play catch-up—that’s where mistakes and overwhelm happen.

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As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into being a solopreneur, but it is so rewarding! At times, you may face doubt, burnout, and even confusion, but if you follow these tips, you’re sure to reap the benefits of your hard work.

Remember to be kind and patient with yourself along this journey, and keep an attentive eye on all the details of your craft. You don’t need a team to make an impact. You don’t need investors to validate your dream. You just need courage, consistency, and belief in your vision.

Start small, stay curious, protect your energy, and keep going—because at the end of the day, fearlessness isn’t about never being scared. It’s about moving forward despite the fear.

If a girl who started blogging at twelve years old with no road map can build something from scratch—you can, too.

Stay fearless or die trying,

Alexa