The Solo Grind
Welcome to the solo grind. Your weekly coffee break with a fellow solo entrepreneur who's right there in it with you. I am Teresa Schlup the original caffeine creative and this is where real business meets real life. No hype just honest conversations about building a business on your own terms. We talk mindset, strategy, burnout, breakthroughs, and everything in between because going solo doesn't mean doing it alone.
Grab a cup of coffee, find your favorite spot, and let's talk about what it really takes to do this thing solo.
Episodes
75 episodes
The Down & Dirty Truth of Transformation with Rachel Burr
We often think of transformation as this magical moment when everything beautifully falls into place, but for me transformation is far from beautiful. It is messy, ugly and comes with lots of doubts and tears, and yet, I continue to seek out ch...
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Episode 74
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45:10
Do You Have What It Takes to Make The “Dream” Happen?
Do you have what it takes to make your dreams happen? This is a question a lot of us struggle with, when building our business, especially building a business solo. And we often hear well intentioned encouragement that says something like......
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Episode 73
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36:20
Can I Really Get Paid to Do This?
I recently had a fascinating conversation about the Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell? It has been years since I really did anything with this, but I admit it is one of those concepts that has stuck with me. Just in case you haven’t heard...
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Episode 72
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39:52
A Little Tough Love About AI
AI is not your employee, it is not your friend. It's the suck up ass kisser who will tell you whatever you want to hear, without ever looking at the real you. Today I am here to encourage you to recognize that you are so much more a...
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Episode 71
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10:16
Things Our Tired Brains Do That Sabotage Success
How often do you stop to appreciate your brain? I know this wasn’t something I always thought of, but our brains are pretty remarkable. They help shape the people we become, store our knowledge and expertise, and come up with creative solutions...
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Episode 70
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35:04
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8 Tips to Ditch the Busy Work & Be Productive
Boredom for me is a very dangerous thing! During times of boredom I have said yes to opportunities I regret, made commitments I dread, and started and invested tons of money into hobbies that were only mildly interesting. And as a solo business...
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Episode 69
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30:48
Looking at the Competition? Here's how to do it Without Losing Your Confidence
Looking at our competition is normal, it can even be healthy and a strategic way to grow your business. It can help you better understand shifts and changes in your industry, and inspire you to try new approaches or even new services. ...
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Episode 68
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25:23
3 Business Rules I Decided to Break
There are a lot of "rules" out there in the business world, and I am someone who liked to challenges the rules, when they don't make sense. Today I am sharing 3 Business Rules I decided to break that actually helped pave the way for my success ...
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Episode 67
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23:30
Becoming Pitchworthy with KJ Blattenbauer
Joining me today is KJ Blattenbauer, a publicist with 30 years of experience, who has seen just about everything when it comes to visibility. KJ and I talk about why so many of us hide behind our screens, and she shares what it actually looks l...
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Episode 66
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26:06
Getting Organized for a Thriving 2026
Your business needs to evolve to carry the weight of business growth. Let's move from survival to sustainable and get your house in order.Early on in our business there was this clear path to follow. It may not have felt clear, but looki...
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Episode 65
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26:02
Streamlining for Sanity with Tori Chassé
The new year is in full swing, and I don’t know about you, but every year at this time I take a long hard look at my business, and ask one simple question… “How can I make things run more smoothly?” Thank...
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Episode 64
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33:19
Creating True Client Loyalty From First Click
We spend a lot of time trying to keep clients happy and coming back. We tweak our services, refine our systems, and look for the next thing that will make us stand out. But real loyalty is often in the small moments that happen along the way. T...
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Episode 63
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32:10
5 Lessons I am taking with me into 2026
Today isn’t about strategies or to-do lists. It is all about reflection my friends. And as this is the final episode of 2025, I thought I would share five lessons I’m taking with me into 2026. Lessons shaped by experience, perspective, and a wh...
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Episode 62
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20:42
There is Incredible Growth in the Pause...
Today in this short and sweet episode, I am reflecting on what happens when we keep pushing through just because we can. This drive to keep going may feel necessary, even like growth, but the constant giving just a little bit more comes at a pr...
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Episode 61
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12:23
Knowing Your Strengths Is Only the Beginning
We talk a lot about discovering our strengths. But knowing what you’re good at is only the first step. The real shift happens when you stop collecting insights and start using what you know about yourself to make better decisions, avoid unneces...
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Episode 60
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26:19
When Saying "Yes" Costs Too Much with Emily Aborn
Have you ever found yourself reading a book or listening to podcast, that grabs you so much you drop what you are doing, grab your notebook and start taking notes? That is what happened, when I first listened to the episode
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Episode 59
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37:24
Saying “No” as a Growth Strategy with Lesley Myrick
When we are small business owners, especially when we're in a creative service-driven field like interior design, saying yes to every opportunity often feels like a path to growth until it leads to burnout, scope creep, and mismatched clients.<...
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Episode 58
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48:32
Let’s Redefine the Dream (Again)
This time of year I love snuggling in and dreaming about what I want to create for the new year ahead. And this year I am doing things a little bit differently Before I imagine what can be I decided to go deep and ask myself some tough question...
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Episode 57
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22:02
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Find Your Marketing Zen
Despite all the hype we hear about the "one to rule them all" marketing approaches out there, Marketing your business is a VERY personal choice. What is ideal for someone else, may not work well for you. Why? Because we all have...
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Episode 56
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25:13
Body Language, Business & What You Might Be Missing
Ever had a client say everything’s “great,” but you can just feel that something’s off? You’re not imagining it. Those subtle cues... a glance away, crossed arms, a shift in tone... can tell you more than words ever will.Today N...
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Episode 55
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55:02
When Clarity Takes a Vacation
Awww… clarity! The elusive state of knowing exactly what you want at any given moment. As solo small business owners, clarity can be hard to find sometimes. There are so many ideas out there about what we should want, as well as how we should g...
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Episode 54
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19:14
When the Dream Doesn’t Fit Like You Thought It Would
As a solo small business owner, I am never short on dreams. I have dreams for the future, dreams about where I want to take my business, even dreams about what next week will look like. But the funny about dreams is they aren't always what we h...
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Episode 53
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21:52
The DARKSIDE of Marketing
Today we're dimming the lights, lighting some spooky candles, and talking about the dark side of marketing. We're diving into the ghouls, ghosts, and goblins that haunt the business world... those manipulative tactics that give honest entrepren...
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Episode 52
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28:42
First Impressions Matter, but they aren’t everything!
Do you ever stop to think about how you are perceived by others? Not just the first impression, but every impression you make? Each impression we make is a building block for our business reputation, and unfortunately, sometimes what we want to...
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Episode 51
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27:28
When It Stops Feeling Fun… Is it time to break up?
Have you ever had one of those relationships that started off fun and exciting, but after a while you begin to realize that things just aren’t all that fun or exciting anymore, and you start wondering if things are becoming toxic? No, I am not ...
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Episode 50
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20:39
