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
82 episodes
What is AI Saying About You?
A few weeks ago I decided to have a little fun at the end of a long workday and asked ChatGPT one simple question: "What can you tell me about Teresa Schlup?" I’ve Googled myself for years out of curiosity, so this felt like a natural progressi...
When Your Brand Finally Feels Like You (The Nicole Schmidt Story)
Last week, we talked about the cost of pretending and how sometimes we just have to "try things on for size" to find our true niche in the world. Well, this week, we have someone who has found her niche. She went from pretending to be "Positive...
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The Real Cost of Pretending
Today I’m getting real about a piece of advice we hear all the time in business: "fake it till you make it." Honestly? I hate that advice. After seeing a totally staged, AI-generated post on social media from an acquaintance, I started thinking...
Let’s Play a Game… Are You a Boundary Pusher or the Eraser?
Boundaries sound simple… until you actually start paying attention to how they show up in your day-to-day life.In this episode, we’re playing a little game: Are you the boundary pusher… or the boundary eraser? Through...
Pretty Doesn’t Mean It Works
Have you ever experienced something that looked amazing… but didn’t actually work?I have and today I am sharing a little behind the scenes of my trip to coast that sparked a bigger conversation about something I see all to often in b...
The "Fairy Tale" Business Mindset
Have you ever caught yourself waiting for a "magic bean" or a "glass slipper" moment to finally catapult your business to the next level? I've been there, and even when it does happen it is never as great as we think it will be.Today, I’...
The Power of Design with Angela Cunningham
One of the things I hear the most from new potential clients is, "I just don't know that I... have enough... am enough... to have a good website." And from my seat at the computer looking in I see how much modesty is getting in the way of letti...
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...
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......
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...
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...
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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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...
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. ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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
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.<...
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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