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Solo Field Notes, a newsletter to help solopreneurs stand out

Cut half. Look twice as strong.

Published about 2 months ago • 2 min read

We often think visibility means doing more: more posts, more projects, more ways to show what we can do. But I believe real visibility comes from selectivity.

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When I taught portfolio prep to art students, this lesson surfaced every semester. They’d bring in thirty images of their work, eager to show everything they’d made. But halfway through, their strongest pieces were lost in the clutter.

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They needed to understand this key principle:
Your portfolio is judged by its weakest component.

So we’d go through the edit together. One by one, we’d remove the weakest pieces that diluted the impact of their best work.

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By the end, their portfolio had half as many images, yet now it looked twice as strong.

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The same principle applies to your solo business. Most of us overload our sites, bios, and decks because we don’t want to leave anything out. But clutter hides your best work.

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Curation creates visibility. When your strongest ideas stand alone, they have space to breathe and be noticed.

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Subtraction isn’t absence. It’s intention. It reveals the shape of your brilliance.

Question for you this week: What’s one thing you could remove from your website, your offer list, or your daily routine to let your best work stand out?

Make Space in Your Digital Life​
If subtraction is a creative act, it applies to our digital lives, too. Cal Newport introduced the idea of Digital Minimalism in 2016 as a way to use technology with intention rather than impulse. It’s a mindset that feels even more relevant today.

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His original essay, On Digital Minimalism, lays out the foundation, while this step-by-step guide from Readability offers practical ways to put it into practice. Small digital edits can create the same clarity as visual ones: more focus, less noise.

AI as a focus filter

Many people think of AI as a tool for making more posts and more noise. But the best use of AI isn’t to flood your feed, it’s to sharpen your focus.

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Try this AI prompt:

Act as my clarity editor. Review the following text or visual concept and identify what could be removed, simplified, or emphasized to make it more focused and effective. Explain why those changes would improve clarity and impact.

When AI becomes your editing partner instead of your megaphone, it helps you see your own ideas more clearly.

A curated box of baked goodies​
​This one’s just between friends. Running a solo business takes fuel, and sometimes that means croissants and fresh bread.

​Wildgrain is an award-winning subscription box filled with artisanal breads, pastries, and pasta, all flash-frozen and ready to bake in your own oven. The croissants are the best I’ve found outside of Paris, and the cranberry walnut loaf is another favorite in our house.

Baking something from Wildgrain is my secret for turning any workday into a small celebration. You can set your own subscription delivery schedule and pause or cancel at any time. This link gets you $20 off your first box. Enjoy!

Until next week: Stay small. Play big.

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Terri

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P.S. When you’re ready for more, here are a few resources from the Solo Business School:

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Want to send a question or comment? Please do — I read (and respond to) my email.

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​Unsubscribe | Update your profile | Make International LLC, West Irving Park, Chicago, IL 60613

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Authority By Design is a registered trademark, and Content Velocity and Working Solo are trademarks, of Make International LLC. Issue #084.

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Solo Field Notes, a newsletter to help solopreneurs stand out

Solo Field Notes is your weekly design and visibility lab — part of the Solo Business School, and dedicated to helping solopreneurs stand out with smart systems, sharp visuals, and AI that unlocks your edge. Each week, you get fresh ideas to help you stay small and play big.

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