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Solo Field Notes, a newsletter to help solopreneurs stand out

I had no idea what I was starting

Published about 15 hours ago • 3 min read

Hey, Reader —

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It was 32 years ago this past week when I walked into a bookstore and saw Working Solo on the shelf for the first time. I can still picture the cover and the quiet thrill of holding a physical idea that had lived in my head for years.

At the time, I thought I was writing a book. What I didn’t know was that I was launching an idea that would ripple far beyond me.

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Back then, self-employment was seen as a fallback, even a failure. It definitely wasn’t a future. Business books assumed teams, hierarchies, and offices (mostly filled with male bosses in gray suits).

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I wanted to write the book I wished I’d had when I started working on my own over a decade earlier. I hoped to guide others on how to build a meaningful, one-person business, and a way to work that fits real lives and creative ambitions.

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I couldn’t have imagined that 30+ years later, “solopreneurship” would be everywhere. That millions would be building companies of one. That we’d finally recognize small as powerful.

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My message for you, my kindred spirit, is this: You don’t know what you’re starting when you follow a hunch. You don’t know which idea will take root or when it will bloom. But if you make the work honest and strong, it finds its moment.

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So if you’re sitting with an idea that feels too small, too early, or too uncertain, make it anyway.

Share it. Shape it. See where it leads. Trust that your hunch might take you farther than you imagine.

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A reflection for the week: What idea keeps tugging at you, and what small step could you take this week to see where it leads?

Tools to make learning stick​
As we consider how ideas grow, remember that reflection itself is a skill. Solo Field Notes reader Katrina Kennedy captures this well in her new book, Learning that Lasts: Reflection Activities for Trainers and Designers.

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Katrina shares 45 reflection activities to help people deepen their learning. It’s a valuable

resource for trainers, coaches, and facilitators who want their teaching to stick.

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Congrats, Katrina!

Which intelligences define you?

Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory reveals the many ways we’re wired for success, from logical problem-solving to deep empathy or creative expression.

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This chart from Dr. Margaret Anderson, Professor Emeritus at the State University of New York Cortland offers a snapshot of Gardner’s eight intelligences (plus a ninth, Existential) and invites you to explore where your own strengths lie. What are your unique gifts that energize you most? What new opportunities might unfold when you discover them?

A creative career built to last​
I just finished listening to Ina Garten’s memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, and it was terrific. Garten’s reflections on decades of reinvention, from her early days of running the Barefoot Contessa shop on Long Island to building a career as a cookbook author and TV chef, remind us of the beauty of long (and winding) creative journeys.

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Garten narrates the audio herself, bringing the warmth and humor you’ve likely seen on TV. It’s a fun listen and an inspiring reminder that great work grows over time, often in unpredictable ways. Plus, I rediscovered the Libby app, which allows free ebook and audio checkouts from your local library. 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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Got this from a friend? Subscribe to get future issues or to check out the archive.

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Authority By Design is a registered trademark, and Content Velocity and Working Solo are trademarks, of Make International LLC. Issue #085.

Solo Field Notes, a newsletter to help solopreneurs stand out

Terri Lonier

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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