Hey, Reader —

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One of my favorite parts of this summer was wandering through Muir Woods in Northern California, among those ancient redwoods. Have you been? Here’s a photo I snapped. Yes, that tiny figure in the lower R corner is a grown woman — these trees are enormous.

The park map had two kinds of trails: solid lines and dotted lines. The solid ones were official and well-marked. (I made it to Bridge #4.) The dotted ones? Unpaved paths you could follow, but at your own risk.

It struck me that solopreneurs are always somewhere between those two kinds of lines. Some things are clear: deliver the work, send the invoice, pay taxes.

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But the dotted-line trails are where we try new tools, experiment, and figure things out as we go.

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That’s the spirit of this new version of SOLO, now called SOLO Field Notes. From time to time there might be more polished essays or structured lessons. For now, I’m thinking of these weekly emails as marks on the map, observations from the dotted-line paths, and an ongoing conversation with you.

Other things I’ve noticed this week: I joined a 30-day Social Growth Challenge hosted by Chenell Basilio (of Growth in Reverse) and I’m posting daily on LinkedIn. I’m usually a fairly regular poster, but daily is a stretch. Having more than 100 other creators with me is a strong motivator. (Nothing like a group to make you think: I gotta keep up.)

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If you want to see the insights I’ve been sharing, stop by, check it out, and leave a comment or follow. For me, it’s always surprising what creativity pops up when you know you must deliver.

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Do you have tricks you play on yourself to get stuff done? I'd love to hear them.​

Scott Galloway and his team at Section have put together a collection of points of view on AI from 100 global experts. Use them to gain insight on where we’re heading, as fire starters for your own thinking, or as quotes in your presentations or content. Although I'm not sure about calling my clients cows (see #71).

A research study recently burst a bubble. The editors of Encyclopedia Brittanica say that the idea of Right-Brained and Left-Brained people is a myth. They say that while we do know the two sides of the brain specialize in different tasks, “the real division of labor is much more complex than creativity on the right and logic on the left.”

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Both sides of my brain are still mulling this one over. I’m not sure I’m giving up this mental model so easily.

And here’s a tool you might like: Linkly. It’s a free URL shortener that lets you create links that expire after a set time. A lot of possible uses, and perfect for when you offer a limited freebie or a temporary replay page. Their free plan covers up to 1,000 clicks a month.

That’s it for this week. I hope you enjoy this new informal format. If so, share it with a friend.

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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:

• Download the free Solo Business Canvas
• Explore Content Velocity, my course on creating quality content with AI support
• Browse the Resource Hub for tools I recommend

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

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Authority By Design is a registered trademark, and Content Velocity and Working Solo are trademarks, of Make International LLC. Issue #079.