How I Built a Seven-Figure Solopreneur Business by Finally Believing the Compliments
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One compliment didn’t tell me much.
Two made me pay attention.
When dozens of people told me the same thing over twenty years, I stopped dismissing it.
That’s how I discovered one of the greatest strengths of my career.
These are direct quotes from clients that I received over the years in emails, cards, and time spent together:
“You answer our emails quicker than anyone else I work with. Sometimes there is an answer before I refresh my inbox.”
“I never have to check up on you.”
“Most times, I don’t even see you. You show up, do your thing, and run with it. You’re like a ninja.”
“That’s my favorite thing about you. You do what you say you are going to do.”
“Our public image perfectly matches our internal work. I don’t know how you do it.”
“I feel like you make me look better at my job than I really am. Thank you for all of your dedication and hard work.”
“I wish I could clone you.”
“I feel like you are always paying attention, even to the little things. You turn our small wins into big wins for the public to celebrate.”
Looking back, I realized these compliments weren’t really about business per se.
They were about trust.
They were about reliability.
They were about consistency.
They were about learning a client’s business so well that they never had to hold my hand.
What surprised me most wasn’t that clients appreciated those qualities.
It was how valuable (and rare) they turned out to be.
That’s why I encourage every solopreneur to lean into their strengths instead of trying to be someone else.
For me, being a communicator, keeping my word, and not needing constant direction have always come naturally. I leaned into those strengths and spent the rest of my time fine-tuning my craft.
I didn’t build a one-person seven-figure solopreneur business by trying to be everything to everyone.
I built it by becoming exceptionally dependable at the things that came naturally to me.
It’s why I spent the last decade of my solopreneur career with zero advertising. I was making half a million dollars a year, and every dollar came through word of mouth.
Everyone wants to know how to stand out.
Ironically, I stood out by becoming exceptionally dependable at the things that were already instinctual to me.
Sometimes your greatest strength isn’t something you need to build.
It’s something you finally need to recognize.
Looking back, I wasn’t paid well because I knew more than everyone else. I was paid well because people trusted me to consistently deliver.
I was paid even more because I doubled down on the strengths that made me unmistakably me.
Being unapologetically “you” is the best business advice anyone could have given me 20 years ago.
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