Too headstrong to be managed. Unable to fit into a corporate culture. “Lone wolves.” The conventional wisdom on solopreneurs is that they don’t have the personalities to work in companies.
Maybe.
But many solopreneurs I know feel called on a mission and are comfortable leading alone. Their flocks or tribes may or may not have shown up yet. But they are fueled by a drive and passion that doesn’t require having a company around them, at least not in the ordinary sense.
However, I do notice this independence can cause problems for some of my clients, who feel isolated or lonely. They also tend to overwork, doing everything themselves because (a) they can – they’re multitalented, of course. And (b) they never quite acquire the mindset that you can be a solopreneur and a leader while still enjoying all the benefits of working in a large company.
After all, why create a lifestyle business and then work yourself to death in it?
There are three kinds of connection that can benefit solopreneurs:
- Backend support. Building a team who can help you deliver your services will allow you to spend more time marketing so you can help more people. (And resting, so you can be more creative.)
- Outreach support. Can you connect to others with similar audiences? Often, combining what you do with others makes for a more complete offer, and that means more impact on those you serve.
- Moral support. Having a small group of fellow solopreneurs who know your experience from the inside out can be invaluable. You may have buddies you talk with from time to time, but I urge you to find a real mastermind group. The support and accountability will change your world.
I’m at a conference in San Francisco this weekend with other solopreneurs seeking collaboration. It’s made me aware of the progress I’ve made in building back-end support – I have a lot more to offer than I used to!
I hope to find partners with whom I can work to bring our services to more and more of those who need them. I found my current mastermind group members a few years ago at an event just like this one.
What have been your experiences with collaboration? What’s the biggest “aha” you could share with solopreneurs who are still flying solo?
Solo flyer photo by cvanstane
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Thanks for this gret article, Samantha. I call it as playing the “Lone Ranger” and learned from personal experience that it’s overrated. Being independent and playing alone are two different ideas. The journey, after all, is about moving from separation to unity. My preference is to collaborate with as many likeminded people as possible to reach into the realm of infinite possibilities and support eachother in creating lives we never would have imagined possible alone.
OMG, Jane, that is so well-put! It IS overrated. We all seek unity and will struggle till we see that we can be independent and connected. Thank you for bringing a bigger perspective to my idea.