I was recently in a group chat with some fab biz ladies spilling our deep and dark secrets about our big dreams and hopes when the topic to "help" came up, and when/how to grow your team, versus making yourself a "true" solopreneur and doing it all yourself forever.

Ha! That latter sounds like an utter nightmare to me, but definitely opened my eyes to some conversations I've had with friends, clients, and local indie/entrepreneurs who seem to have it all in their heads that just because they mentally can do something (like designing/developing their own website, researching printers and prepping files, taking care of order processing) doesn't mean that they physically can (as in time management) or that they should. Not even a little bit.

It's this whole idea of being a "solopreneur" that has us all a little jaded. We see cool online heroes who call themselves solopreneurs, implying that they've made themselves, but that isn't always the case. If ever, I daresay. 

During our little brain session that brought about this topic, an article by Tara Gentile was shared, along with an Alexandra Franzen one I saw recently, that uncovered just how backwards this thinking is, and how these powerhouse "solopreneur" business women have a team of people there that make them as big and successful as they are.

So, in powerhouse woman fashion, I know I'd like to make it very known how it is that I've gotten to where I am, and those who have supported and created me along the way.

I recently had a chat with a local indiepreneur where she stated that I had my shit together. This will be a whole topic in itself soon, but I seriously only look this way because I have had/currently have a team behind me that help me rock my life/biz and get my shit done. I couldn't be the "solopreneur" I am now if I had went at it solo for all this time.

Assistants
In my 3.5 years I have had two assistants. Both were while we lived in the mountains, and both did wonders for my productivity. I hired both while I was working at home and keeping Cute Kid, so days switched between keeping Cute Kid out of my hair and doing research and small tasks around the studio.

I got SO MUCH done, both on the forefront of having someone take care of Cute Kid, and by having someone do the filing, research, etc that I just couldn't find for time for during the day.

Web-helper guy
I have since traded in the assistant role for my web-helper guy Corey. Corey works with me on all my web projects to get sites ready for development. He does tasks like putting in search boxes and contact forms. These are the tasks that are standard on all projects, and allow me to just get in and implement design. He also does a lot of product inputing and client small maintenance handling. He does the small stuff so that I can focus on the big stuff.

Corey also manages the search engine optimization of my website, which has done wonders in the past 2-3 months. I personally hate implementing SEO, so having him on my team has kept me from having to do something I really hate.

David
Apart from doing the laundry and dishes, and making sure the oil in my car is changed - which are all imperative to my ability to focus on my biz as much as I'm allowed to, David also does a lot of tasks around Indie Spaces/my office that allow me to work. For example, he cleans out wallet and sorts through and files away my receipts every two weeks or so. He also brings me lunch on days when I can't allow myself to get out of the groove, for fear the groove won't return. And he's just here to help if I ever need him.

Braid Creative
My love for these ladies is very real. It's no lie, and apart from being inspiration and facilitators and encouragers and sometimes the devil's advocate, they helped me get my shit together in terms of branding and positioning for both Indie Shopography and Indie Spaces. They helped me build my platform.

Kiyuko.com
I often get emails from newbie web designers wanting my opinion on partnering with Adobe Business Catalyst, and how I learned the system. A lot of it was just playing, but most of the fancy how-tos came from fellow BC-partners, and tutorial-guys extraordinaire in the form of Kiyuko.com, a subscription-based site that teaches me all kinds of tricks for making my Business Catalyst sites just a bit more awesome. I always cite them as an invaluable resource for building sites on BC.

BCGurus.com
Whereas Kiyuko taught me to build sites on BC, BCGurus.com taught me to sell sites on BC. A couple of months with a subscription from them and I'm now making constant cash. Also invaluable. (Just wish I had more time to sift through and take in all their info.)

My online-friend support team
Whether it be partnering on projects, being sounding board for ideas, or just venting about business hell, my online support team of fellow female entrepreneurs helps me keep going. These are the ones that I can talk to about business without ever worrying that I'm wearing them out.

My in-person-friend support team
One of my favorite things about my friends is they don't usually ask me about how business is going. I don't have to talk about work. They allow me to quietly process and move on. These are the ones that I don't have to talk about business with, and that makes me grateful. But they also seem to know when to ask me, as if they can sense I need to explode about something fun or something I just need to spill about.

Last, but definitely not least (more like most), my clients
I think that if an entrepreneur truly listens to their clients/customers, they could never be a solopreneur. Not only do my clients first hire me and then tell their friends and collegues to hire me (word of mouth makes up 90% of my marketing), but my clients are the ones that have given me most of the ideas for new offerings and blog topics and general idea-having. They are, on every level, why I am where I am today.

AND OTHERS
Then I have my printers and my stamp-makers and my buddies next door with always a banana waiting for me. My supportive family-members and strangers who recognize me when I'm out (it's totally happened before, and always trips me out). My life is full of people who help make my business-running easier, more efficient, and a million times more fun/pleasurable.

So, I say all that to show you that I'm no solopreneur. Let's just scratch that word from our vocabulary. I'm not "self-made" or really even "independent." Sure, I don't have a staff of 15, but I do have a team. A team that helps me rock my business, a task I couldn't do alone, every single day. And for each of them, I am grateful.

I don't have my shit together, I have people who help me get/keep it together. There's a difference. And coming next month I'm running a 5-day blog series on helping you get your shit together, in both life and work. Follow me on Facebook for more details as they come about.

Want to add me to your team? I'm now open to branding and web design projects for early-Fall. Together, we'll make it happen. Get in touch >>