1,000 Routes with Nick Bennett

The “Consultant’s Consultant,” Max Traylor, gives us another round of unfiltered (maybe slightly unhinged) advice on solopreneurship, pricing, referrals, and inbound marketing.

In this episode, Max discusses his transition from conventional agency methods to a more relationship-driven approach, offering insights into how solopreneurs can grow client accounts, tackle mental blocks, and communicate more effectively. He also shares strategies for building your pipeline, using authentic communication to stand out in a competitive market, and being more adaptable in a fast-evolving industry.

(00:00) Why chose to niche down

(10:06) Building intentional relationships

(16:26) "Just be human; it'll build your business"

(26:18) Pricing your services correctly

(32:04) Why clients are willing to spend on ideas

(41:22) Knowing the difference between vulnerability and TMI

(45:05) Creating the world's worst agency, "Beige"

--

Follow Max on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxtraylor/
--

Subscribe to the 1,000 Routes Newsletter: https://1000routes.com/

Get my free blueprint for Solopreneurs - ⁠The Digital Consulting Blueprint: 5 Steps To Acquire New Clients, Stabilize Your Income, And Capture The Value You Create⁠: https://becomeadigitalconsultant.com/

Andrew Capland is a coach and mentor of growth leaders, an advisor for product-led SaaS companies, and the host of the Delivering Value podcast. Andrew is on a mission to revolutionize his business and build a media empire.

In this episode, Andrew shares his transition from a corporate role at companies like HubSpot, Wistia, and Postscript to becoming a solopreneur driven by passion and purpose. He also touches on the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, dealing with not-so-great clients, and the stress of making it on your own.
00:00 Overcoming self-doubt
01:06 Andrew’s journey through HubSpot, Wistia, and Postscript
03:01 Lessons from high-growth companies04:58 The impact of company culture
07:04 Transition to solopreneurship20:36 Building confidence and your client base
22:08 Refining the coaching business35:54 The importance of compassion in leadership
38:46 Balancing mission and money
56:24 Connection and vulnerability with coaching clients01:02:15 Building a media arm for greater impact

Follow Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/
Subscribe to the 1,000 Routes Newsletter: https://1000routes.com/
Get my free blueprint for Solopreneurs - ⁠The Digital Consulting Blueprint: 5 Steps To Acquire New Clients, Stabilize Your Income, And Capture The Value You Create⁠: https://becomeadigitalconsultant.com/

Shannon Curran, founder of SSC Consulting and a Fractional CMO, has a dream of what her life will look like and is building her work around that.

In this episode, Shannon opens up about her transition from full-time roles to a fractional CMO determined to balance life and work on her terms. From navigating organizational changes post-maternity leave to defining her niche in the crowded fractional leadership space, Shannon shares her journey and strategies. Learn how she supports tech startups, juggles multiple clients, and dedicates time to personal commitments—all while staying true to her values and aiming to create a sustainable business for her family's future.

(00:00) Defining why your work matters

(05:38) Jumping from full-time to a business of one

(09:17) “Babies make you brave”

(12:19) The challenge of closing a deal

(18:18) The evolution of skill sets over time

(25:33) Understanding the ebb and flow of solo work

(31:01) What’s working well for Shannon

(37:09) Niching in on a problem

(45:30) Can we stop the winning in public facade?

--

Follow Shannon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-sweeny-curran-55332942/

--

Subscribe to the 1,000 Routes Newsletter: https://1000routes.com/

Get my free blueprint for Solopreneurs - ⁠The Digital Consulting Blueprint: 5 Steps To Acquire New Clients, Stabilize Your Income, And Capture The Value You Create⁠: https://becomeadigitalconsultant.com/

Melanie Deziel is the co-founder of the Creator Kitchen, an author, and a self-described forever student who’s learned a lot in nearly a decade of building a business around herself.

In this episode, Melanie reveals her journey from New York Times big wig to solopreneurship, opening up about the fear of quantifying her worth and navigating business propositions. Melanie discusses her pivot towards content marketing, the creation of "The Content Fuel Framework," and her mission to support undiagnosed autistic women. Tune in for raw insights on partnership diligence, the importance of genuine networking, and how embracing her identity has shaped her passion-driven business.

(00:00) Going from journalist to solopreneur
(04:33) The mental adjustment needed to evaluate your work's worth
(08:43) Recognizing and leveraging opportunities
(11:42) Intentionally pivoting while figuring out preferences and market demand
(21:47) How to access the possibility of a partnership
(24:06) Rebranding handicaps as superpowers
(29:15) Measuring people by yardsticks that don’t belong to them
(34:00) Giving yourself permission to do things that fill your cup
(40:05) What Melanie hasn’t built, yet

--

Follow Melanie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniedeziel/

--

Subscribe to the 1,000 Routes Newsletter: https://1000routes.com/

Get my free blueprint for Solopreneurs - ⁠The Digital Consulting Blueprint: 5 Steps To Acquire New Clients, Stabilize Your Income, And Capture The Value You Create⁠: https://becomeadigitalconsultant.com/

If you call yourself a solopreneur, this is for you.

Whether you became one on purpose, or because it seemed easier than getting another job after a layoff, like a lot of people, you're trying to build something meaningful, and you want to do it on your terms.

But it’s been harder and it's taking longer than you thought it would to get out of survival mode.

And for most people who do make it out and start earning good money, they end up working 60-70-even 80-hour weeks to manage their “success.”

No one I know calls that success.

I speak with dozens of solopreneurs every single week and have heard some version of this story over and over again.

And I believe it’s because our social feeds have us convinced that if you don’t burn out trying to follow the route the loudest people have paved, you’ll go broke.

Turns out this is not even a little bit true.

There are thousands of solopreneurs out there right now cutting their own routes, building in silence, and making progress without fanfare.

This is what we need more of and who we need to hear from.

So that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

Join me every week as I explore the stories, learn the lessons, and track the uncommon routes that common Solopreneurs take to get more clients, earn more money, and plant their flag.

I'm Nick Bennett, and this is 1000 Routes.