The Bubble of One 

It was just a few years ago when I was desperate to quit my job. Burnout had consumed my life. My plan was to cut expenses to the bare minimum and start a side hustle that I could scale to full solopreneurship.

Ah! Sweet freedom awaited me.

Every evening and weekend I worked, sometimes just 30 minutes at a time. I built that fledgling business into a profitable model within a handful of months. 

But it was a fight. Fortunately, I had experience running a business; however, this was a solo business. I created everything from the ground up. 

I sourced the inventory. I crafted the listings. I set the prices.

It would have saved me hours of frustration and innumerable missteps if I had access to a group of people who could give me advice based on personal experiences.

Yeah, I could have paid for it. I needed a sounding board, not a commitment to a course with coaching available. 

I knew the mechanics of the business; I needed a close community of counsel.

Coach or no coach, forming a personal board of advisors is a must do for solopreneurs who want to level up their businesses.

Individual success does not occur in a silo.

What Is a Personal Board of Advisors?  

Let’s set up the scene: You’ve run into a problem in your business that you’ve never encountered before. You need support beyond an AI query—someone to give you the nitty gritty on not only what to do but how to execute it.

What do you do?

If you don’t have a support system of professionals who are on a similar journey to you, you’ll have to muddle through. But, it’s far smarter to gather up a group of advisors with whom you meet regularly. A cadre who is ready to help you, and you are ready to reciprocate.

Your personal board of advisors is a small, trusted group of fellow solopreneurs or experts who provide feedback, accountability, and diverse perspectives. An informal circle of business confidantes who meet for a common goal: support one another in their individual efforts to have successful businesses. 

Working in solitude limits your resources. Assembling an advisory group leads to better decision making, fresh ideas, and offers emotional support when you face challenges.

Why Solopreneurs Need a Board of Advisors 

Being your own boss has benefits that an employee will never know. You control everything, own all the decisions, and often determine when and where you’ll work. No approvals needed.

Those blessings are also curses—burnout, decision fatigue, lack of objectivity, and blind spots that catch you off guard. 

As wonderful as it is to work for yourself, establishing access to sound counsel is smart business planning. You’re creating a wellspring of guidance from people who understand the ins and outs of your business. Importantly, they provide advice grounded in experience.

A study out of Stanford shows that working collaboratively with others leads to sustained motivation by 64%. The same idea applies to forming a cohort that supports your goals and holds you accountable.

Being a solopreneur doesn’t mean you have to do everything on your own. And, it most certainly doesn’t mean you are the only source of solutions for your problems. 

How to Assemble Your Personal Board of Advisors  

The first step to assembling your personal board of advisors is to identify your needs.

Reflect on your business:

• What’s going well? (Break it down into the functional areas of the business—finance, operations, marketing, sales, etc.)

• What is a struggle? (per functional area)

• Where do you excel as a business owner?

• What areas of your business are outside your zone of expertise?

Another way to identify needs is to complete SWOT analysis. This is intended to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. 

Or, simply start by asking these two questions: What are my strengths? What are my weaknesses?

Maybe you’re solid on operations but need help with sales and marketing. Or, you’re great at client acquisition but struggle with closing deals.

Network (through communities, events, or platforms like LinkedIn) to identify fellow solopreneurs who fill your gaps. Likewise, see how your strengths fill their gaps. You’re forming relationships where you can reciprocate.

Define how often the group will connect and in what format (e.g., in-person, video call). Set expectations as to how you will support each other. 

Will you select a monthly topic or have participants submit questions to be answered?

Structured engagement ensures mutual benefit for everyone.

Part of that structured engagement is selecting the right people. Consider complementary skills, shared values, and mutual respect among solopreneurs or industry experts. 

Identify people who are willing to share their knowledge and hold similar values to you. For example, if you’re community-focused and prefer developing long-term client relationships, you probably won’t gain much from someone in high-pressure sales.

Making the Most of Your Board  

Have you ever participated in a group that was intended to accomplish something, but it wound up being a social gathering?

I see it happen all the time—networking groups, committees, project teams. If you lack a clear directive you lack accountability. If you lack accountability you lack progress. 

Here are three quick tips for getting the most out of your advisory board:

• Be open to feedback: You don’t know what you don’t know, so approach your involvement with curiosity. Be mindful of any propensity to be defensive when discussing problems you struggle to solve. 

• Prepare specific questions: Ask questions that lean on the expertise of each person in the group. These questions should match up your gaps with their knowledge.

• Reciprocate support: Be observant of other people’s needs and offer support when your experience and expertise are relevant.

Encourage regular check-ins to maintain accountability and track progress. I complete a process with my clients to determine how often they wish to receive check-ins and by what route (e.g., email, text, call). You can do the same with your advisory group. A quick, “How’s progress on your project going this week?” via text can help encourage people.

Ensure your group is filled with people who aren’t afraid to challenge ideas while offering solutions. Highly agreeable people may support your ego, but they won’t support your growth.

My Final Word

Step outside your “bubble of one” by forming a board of advisors that gives you direct access to the wealth of knowledge around you. Your board is a catalyst for stronger decisions and a thriving business.  

Building such a group not only supports you, but it supports the larger solopreneur community. 

Remember, we’re all a body of knowledge. The more we help one another the stronger we all become.

Join CONNECT-collective on YouTube!

If you are a solopreneur or entertaining starting your own solo business, I invite you to check out CONNECT-collective on YouTube! I talk about starting solo businesses to escape your 9-5 while avoiding burnout. I would love to see you there!

Special Invitation

Follow me on YouTube and LinkedIn to get tips and articles on business and career advice, and burnout recovery!

Sending you all Peace, Love, & Harmony!

-Michele

Do You Need Help Tapping Into Your Potential?

Are you struggling to meet your goals and wish you had support? Have you ever considered working with a coach? You may not know what a coach does.

One-on-One Coaching:

• You and I develop an individualized plan targeting your specific goals

• You receive individualized support from me

• Answers to your specific questions

• Guidance on your specific issues and blocks

• Accessibility to me outside coaching sessions for added support (individual texts and emails to check in)

• Your plan leads to learning how your personal growth is in your control

Are you ready to take action but are at a loss on what step to take next? 

I can teach you how to get started and accelerate your growth by using repeatable methods. Need the tools? I’ve got them. The goal is always to make you independent. I should be working myself out of a job. Once you take off, you may want to have a session from time to time, especially if you are scaling your goals. A good coach teaches you how to stand on your own two feet. Contact me today ([email protected]). Are you ready to CONNECT?