A 2024 Gallup survey indicated that 60% of U.S. adults prefer to be their own boss. Personally, I turned down an offer to return to my job, because I wanted to give myself a fair shot at being my own boss. However, as they say, the hardest part is just getting started.

Justin Welsh, someone who’s built his entire business around solopreneurism, says that many solopreneurs give up within 6 months because their businesses haven’t gained traction. 

This is my warning to anyone in a 9-5 with a dream of going solo: This is exactly how people burn out from turning passions or hobbies into businesses. They were used to participating in the passion or hobby for enjoyment, and the need to produce an income can make it not so enjoyable.

This is avoidable.

Now, my rule of thumb is to give yourself a solid 2 years to see significant growth and up to five years to hit stability in your business. No one likes to hear that it takes time to build a solid business, but that’s reality.

That doesn’t mean that there’s no growth for the first two years. In fact, you can quickly build consistent growth by leveraging small wins that have a big impact. 

In this newsletter we’ll discover how tracking and sharing micro-achievements can transform your career narrative or business growth, proving your value without overwhelm.

Why Small Wins Matter for Solo Success

My secret to leveraging small wins is through micro-goals. I’ve covered them in depth in previous newsletters. Micro-goals are manageable achievements that’s accomplished in seven days or less. This might look like solving a client’s problem or launching a single product.

If you’re still in your 9-5 (dreaming of a solo business), small wins at your job lay the foundation for a solo career by showcasing transferable skills.

If you’re building a following online (which 90% of the time you should be), sharing small milestones (e.g., a client testimonial) strengthens audience trust and fuels growth.

Furthermore, a 2014 Harvard Business Review study (Amabile & Kramer) found that celebrating small progress boosts motivation and resilience, countering burnout.

Building on small wins is a low-risk, high-reward task that forms a narrative of value, whether you’re currently working a job with the goal of going solo or you’re already growing your business.

Small Wins for Aspiring Solopreneurs: Build Your Case 

For my burgeoning solopreneurs, build a habit of tracking small successes in your 9-5, like streamlining a process or resolving a client issue, to identify skills for your solo venture.

Mention these wins in team meetings or performance reviews to build a reputation as a problem-solver, reinforcing confidence for your transition. 

I did this as a project manager and, later, as an educator. 

While in finance I regularly reported projects my team were working on and their early completion to upper management. 

As a teacher, any extraordinary practices I implemented or achievements I gained I used for higher ratings on evaluations. These actions also simultaneously improved my classrooms by increasing student achievement and building trust with students and parents.

No matter what position I was in—project manager, teacher, principal—I tracked my achievements. Depending on what I’m tracking, whether it’s experiential or data-based, I track it in spreadsheets or journals. 

All along the way, I’ve observed that these small wins got me to the big wins. This is why I prioritize the small wins over the large goals.

This habit of engaging in and tracking small wins has helped me gain traction quickly in my solopreneur ventures. 

Creating a tracking habit builds momentum and reduces fear while you’re still in your 9-5 and planning your future escape.

Small Wins for Solopreneurs: Amplify Your Impact 

I recently coached a client to her dream job. She thought it was out of reach, but as we reviewed her background I revealed how her experience was more than enough to nail her interview and land the job. This may have been a small win for me, but it was a huge win for her.

This is an example of how you can take client wins and leverage them to build momentum in your business. I share every win in posts, newsletters, articles, and videos. This builds my reputation and trust among followers.

Create a “wins tracker” to log milestones and share one weekly, keeping your audience or clientele engaged and your momentum high.

So, what is a recent win you’ve had that you’ve not shared? And, why haven’t you shared it? Are you embarrassed that it feels like bragging? You don’t like to “toot your own horn?” 

Flip your mindset. You have expertise, gifts, and experience others can benefit from; however, they have no clue about them. Stop withholding your talents from the people who need them most.

Success Story 

I’ll give you a personal example: A couple of weeks ago I met with an acquaintance who contacted me through LinkedIn. I had recently started posting on the platform discussing topics that are related to my coaching business. When we met he said, “Michele, I never knew about your corporate background or that you’re coaching now. I need help, and I trust you.”

Y’all, that conversation would have never happened if I hadn’t posted my small wins.

Next Immediate Steps

Challenge: This week, log one small win (e.g., a task you nailed or a client thank-you) in a wins journal. Reflect: How could this translate to your solo career or business growth?

Share It: Post or tell someone about your win to practice owning your value.

Be consistent and make this a weekly habit. The traction you’ll gain from this habit may be slow at first, but then “WHOOSH!” it will take off like a rocket!

My Final Word

Small wins are a burnout-busting, confidence-boosting, momentum-building tool for creating or growing a solo career that aligns with your passions and market needs.

So, what is one small win you’re going to share this week? Join me on one of my platforms and share it with me (see the links below). Let’s celebrate together!

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Sending you all Peace, Love, & Harmony!

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. Are you ready to CONNECT?