The Successful Solopreneur
Welcome to The Successful Solopreneur podcast—a show created for everyday change makers ready to break free from the 9-to-5 grind and build a life on their own terms. I built my business from scratch, and I know what it takes to hit your first $100k. This podcast is your go-to resource if you’re tired of living by someone else’s rules and are eager to create work that fuels your passion, supports your family, and transforms lives.
Every week, we’ll dive into real strategies, share inspiring stories, and have candid conversations about overcoming self-sabotage, ditching trends, and embracing your unique gifts. We’ll explore how to live by the philosophy of “Less but Better”—focusing on what truly matters and building momentum with small, consistent wins. You’ll hear from guests who have mastered the art of discipline, purpose, and authenticity, and you’ll get actionable tips you can implement immediately.
If you’re ready to reclaim your power, prioritize values over impressions, and finally start living a life that makes you and your family proud, you’re in the right place. Tune in, feel heard, and let’s unlock your unfair advantage together—because your journey to success is one conversation away.
Intro music by IsMusic
The Successful Solopreneur
Stop Being True to Who You Are. Start Being True to Who You’re Becoming.
What if the advice to "be true to yourself" is actually holding you back from entrepreneurial success? This eye-opening episode challenges conventional wisdom about authenticity and self-development.
After encountering Adam Grant's powerful story about overcoming his fear of public speaking, I experienced a profound revelation: successful entrepreneurs aren't loyal to who they currently are—they're committed to who they're becoming. This distinction changes everything about how we approach business growth.
The journey of a solopreneur isn't about comfort or even confidence—it's about courage. Having worked with hundreds of business owners, I've discovered that phrases like "I need to be true to myself" often mask a deeper fear: "I'm avoiding what scares me because I don't believe I'm good enough." When we defend our authenticity, we're frequently just protecting our comfort zones.
Growth demands discomfort. Your business will never outgrow the person running it, which means your evolution is the critical factor in your success. The limitations in your business directly reflect the limitations in your mindset and identity. If you want to create something meaningful and sustainable, you must stop fighting for your comfort zone and start fighting for your potential.
Take a moment to fast-forward one year from today. What do you need to accomplish to feel successful? More importantly, what single action do you need to take today that would inevitably lead to that success? Is it launching that product, writing that book, or reaching out to potential clients? Whatever it is, say yes before you feel ready. Share your voice even if it shakes, because you become great not by being loyal to your past, but by committing to your future self.
Connect with Me
IG: @matthewpaetz
Click Here to Unlock Your Unfair Advantage
Welcome back to the show. And today, this morning, I'm really excited because, you know, I've really started to take a lot of what me to feel confident enough to have the self-belief to become consistent and really lean into this work and to these topics. So today is extra special because I'm very, very excited about the topic that we're going to cover, because it goes into just that we're going to cover, because it goes into just that. And what I want you to know is if you want to be successful, you have to stop being true to yourself, right? Because if you want to become a successful solopreneur, you need to stop being true to who you are now and become true to who you want to become. I'm going to say that again If you want to become successful, you have to stop being true to who you are now and start becoming true to who you want to become, because being true to yourself has phenomenal intentions. It really does. I mean hell.
Speaker 1:I used to preach this all the time, but this morning I was reading the commencement speech by Adam Grant and it literally stopped me in my tracks. He was telling a story from grad school about how he was absolutely terrified of public speaking. About how he was absolutely terrified of public speaking. But he knew that if his ideas were ever going to make an impact, if he was ever going to earn more opportunities to grow his career, he had to find his voice. So what he did is he started to volunteer to give guest lectures around campus and apparently the feedback in the beginning was absolutely brutal. He actually had one student tell him that his anxiety was so palpable that the whole class started to shake right. But it was after he was telling the story that he said something that absolutely woke me up, and what he said was, at that time, he wasn't being true to himself. He was being true to who he wanted to become Right, and that's when it clicked. That's the entire game, right, becoming a successful solopreneur it's not a comfortable journey. It's not about comfort, it's not even about confidence, but it's about courage, because courage is the currency of transformation, because I can tell you firsthand that success as an entrepreneur, as a solopreneur, is really a game of identity, right, not a game of money, not a game of clients, but a game of identity who you believe yourself to be and if you're ever going to make the transformation that's required for you to become successful right. You have to become committed to who you need to become in order to accomplish those goals right, whatever they might be for you. So I can tell you this, after working with literally hundreds of solopreneurs over the past six or seven years the comment that I just need to be true to myself is often a code for I'm avoiding the thing I know I need to do because, deep down, I'm afraid I'm not good enough to do it.
Speaker 1:When a lot of people are saying they need to be true to themselves, what they are arguing for is being true to their comfort zones, that current version of what they believe they're capable of, and you know this already. Growth demands discomfort Non-negotiable and your success requires your evolution, self-expansion, authentic self-expression, not about who you were, but the expression of who you're becoming. This is as true in your business as it is in any other area of your life your love life, your health, leadership, parenting, etc. Because the truth is, your business will never outgrow the person who's running it. So if you want to be great, if you want to become a successful solopreneur, you want to create something that you and your family can depend on, that you have to stop fighting for your comfort zone and start fighting for your potential right, because the goals that you have require you to follow through on the things that you're afraid of right and those fears. They're often just invitations to prove that you're the kind of person who can actually do it.
Speaker 1:So I want you to think about this Now, in this moment. I want you to fast forward one year from today, whatever the date is that you're listening to this. I want you to fast forward one year from today and I want you to ask yourself this question right now and pay close attention to the first thing that pops up. Not the thing you come up with, but what's that very first thing that comes up when you ask this question what do you need to accomplish by the end of this year in order to feel like it was a success for you? What do you need to accomplish by the end of this year to feel like it was a success for you, and whatever that was that just came up for you?
Speaker 1:Ask yourself this now what do you need to follow through on today to make that a reality? What's the task that you need to follow through on today? What is the promise you've been making yourself that you've avoided, you've procrastinated, you fear it's not good enough. Yet what is that one thing that, if you began to follow through, starting today would inevitably lead to the success that you desire a year from now? Because if you're going to become successful and I mean this to the core of my being you have to let your goals shape your behavior, not your past. Because to become a successful solopreneur, your potential must be driving your decisions, not your comfort zones.
Speaker 1:So what is that one thing, that one thing that, if you followed through, starting today, would have the greatest impact on your chances of success over the next year? Is it launching that thing, post writing the book, doing the course, inviting someone to work with you, that collaboration, a potential client running the workshop, whatever it is? What is that thing? And then say yes before you're ready? And you absolutely have to share your voice, share your message, even if your voice shakes, because you do not become great by being true to your current self or being loyal to your past. You become great by being true to who you're becoming. Until next time, I wish you a phenomenal day and just know that you have a teammate and trust that, whatever the struggles are that you're up against right now. They are exactly what is required of you to become who you're supposed to be. So until next time, until next show, I wish you the best and I'll see you on the other side of your success.