A solopreneur is a person who runs their own business, in which they typically work alone or with a small team of contractors but no employees.
The terms “solopreneur” and “entrepreneur” are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are different.
Do you think you fit into the solopreneur category but are struggling to establish your business?
In this article, you will learn about 7 successful solopreneurs examples in the last few years. Our list features professionals from different industries that have achieved a great living and a strong personal brand in several unique ways.
These people are the living proof that you can achieve recognition in your industry, earn good money, work solo, and not necessarily plan to start a big company.
You will learn about their stories, what they do, how they scaled their business, and more!
Bonus: See what is possible when you leverage your personal brand as a solopreneur.
Contents
Top Solopreneurs Examples to Get Inspiration From
Solopreneurs come from all kinds of industries and work in different ways.
In this list, you will find from business consultants that have built their own company, to freelancers with great reputations that work on their own.
The goal is to give you an overview of all the ways being a successful solopreneur can look like, and that you don’t always have to be a “public figure” or an “extrovert” to stand out in your field.
Justin Welsh – Business Consultant
Justin Welsh is an entrepreneur and business consultant who has gained a reputation for his expertise in sales, marketing, and leadership. He also helps solopreneurs build their own business and earn money from the knowledge and expertise they already have.
He has a background in sales and has worked for several successful startups, including PatientPop and ZocDoc.
In 2019, Welsh decided to leave his corporate job and start his own business. He started working on his personal brand online and therefore helping people craft their own one-person businesses.
As a solopreneur, Welsh has built his business on the foundation of his personal brand. He is an active user of social media platforms such as LinkedIn, X, and Instagram, where he shares his insights on entrepreneurship, leadership, and sales.
Justin has amassed a large following on these platforms, which has helped him to attract new clients and build his reputation as a thought leader in the industry.
Welsh’s business model centered on providing his clients with personalized, one-on-one coaching and consulting services.
He used to work closely with each client to understand their unique needs and goals, and then developed a customized plan to help them achieve success.
He now focuses on online courses to help entrepreneurs and business owners improve their sales and marketing skills.
In addition to his consulting work, Welsh is also an investor and advisor to several startups, such as Kit, Spekit, acquire.com, Gumroad, and more. He has a keen eye for identifying emerging trends and disruptive technologies, and uses his expertise to help these companies grow and succeed.
Overall, Justin Welsh’s journey as a solopreneur is a testament to the power of personal branding and the value of building strong relationships with clients. His focus on providing customized, high-quality services has helped him to establish a thriving business and become a respected leader in the industry.
Farnoosh Torabi – Financial Advisor
Farnoosh Torabi is a financial expert, journalist, and author, whose goal is to inspire young adults to seek financial independence.
When she was 22 years old, she had a debt of over $30,000. She lived in New York City and made $18 per hour.
During this dark time in her life, she understood that there was a lack of financial education and decided to target the audience that had the same struggles as her.
She has worked with important brands such as T-Mobile, Macy’s, Airbnb, Chase, and many more.
Torabi has experience as a magazine editor and owns her own podcast, So Money, in which she gives financial advice. She is also a television personality and has written four books on her life experiences and advice.
By 2022, her estimated net worth was $2 million.
Charmaine Pocek – Career Consultant
Charmaine Pocek is a certified resume writer, career consultant, and experienced recruiter based in Houston, TX, started working on Fiverr in 2011 optimizing resumes and cover letters.
She started charging around $5 per work. Nowadays, she has more than 24,000 reviews on Fiverr and is the Only Master Resume Writer in the platform.
In 2013 she started working full-time on her commissions. By 2016, she was making between $38,000 and $48,000 each month. By now, she has worked with more than 76,000 clients and helped tens of thousands of people hired.
She has worked for Tesla, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft employees.
Some of the services she offers are:
- Resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn revamps for entry, mid, and senior-level professionals
- LinkedIn profile optimization
- Thank you notes
- Customized reference letters
- Resume design
- And more!
Even though she usually has a 50-55 hour workweek, she is also able to work from wherever she wants and on her own time.
This work method has allowed Pocek to spend more time with her family, build her own schedule, and have control over the type of jobs she takes.
One of her main tips to succeed in this type of work is to offer excellent customer service and be as close as you can to your customers.
Dan Koe – Digital Marketing Expert
Dan Koe is an online entrepreneur and digital marketing expert who helps individuals and businesses grow their online presence and revenue through e-commerce and digital marketing strategies.
Koe started his career in e-commerce as an Amazon seller and later transitioned to digital marketing, where he gained experience in search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and social media marketing. He has worked with various businesses, from startups to established brands, to improve their online marketing efforts and generate more sales.
As a solopreneur, Koe has built his business on a range of digital marketing services, including website development, SEO, PPC advertising, and social media management. He also provides coaching and consulting services to help entrepreneurs and business owners improve their digital marketing skills and grow their businesses.
Koe’s business model is centered around providing customized solutions to his clients, based on their unique needs and goals. He works closely with each client to understand their business and target audience, and then develops a tailored strategy to drive traffic and conversions.
In addition to his client work, Koe is also an educator and content creator. He provides free resources, such as blog posts and videos, to help entrepreneurs and marketers learn about digital marketing and e-commerce.
He also offers paid courses and coaching programs to provide more in-depth training and support.
For a couple years now, he has been focused on building and launching Kortex, an AI tool that helps creators write and streamline their processes.
Overall, Dan Koe’s journey as a solopreneur demonstrates the importance of staying adaptable and continuously learning in the fast-paced world of digital marketing and technology
His focus on providing customized solutions and educational resources has helped him to establish a successful business and become a trusted authority in his industry, particularly among creatives.
Jackie Aina – Beauty Influencer
Jackie Aina started posting beauty content on YouTube around 2009. Since then, she has gathered an audience of more than 3,5 million people and impacted the industry.
She is a Nigerian-American woman and advocates for women of color in the beauty industry. She has worked with important brands such as Anastacia Beverly Hills, Sephora, e.l.f. Cosmetics, and more.
While the field of beauty influencers is broad, she stands out thanks to its authenticity and deeply engaged audience.
Nowadays, her estimated net worth is over $10 million. She is one of the most famous YouTubers in her industry and continues to be relevant when talking about beauty and diversity.
Mark Anastasi – Author
Back in 2004, Mark Anastasi was homeless and with a $12,000 debt. He was trying to find a way to make money and get back on track.
However, he was very interested in the Internet and how it could be used to make money and build connections.
He started learning about online marketing and started trying strategies. When he had some experience, he wrote “The Laptop Millionaire”, and uploaded it.
This book explains ways to make money online and strategies to build a workflow that allows you to escape the 9 to 5.
Anastasi started charging $67 per download and made some extra revenue from Google Ads.
He kept writing ebooks and transforming them into streams of passive income. In 2007, he made $462,000 just in ebook sales.
In the beginning, he didn’t have much money to invest, and his main strategies were:
- Pay-per-click advertising
- Social media ads
- Email marketing
- Buying leads
However, his main attraction has always been to offer valuable content for his clients.
His advice is to trust the process and don’t give up. No self-made millionaire becomes rich overnight, but everyone has the potential to own a successful business.
For those thinking about writing a book or creating a course that expresses your experience in a certain area, this is a great example of the revenue and growth you can achieve with the right strategy.
Levi Newman – Brand Marketing Writer
Levi Newman is a professional ghostwriter, copywriter, and developer based in Columbia, Missouri, who has been on Fiverr since 2014.
He offers website, ad, and sales copywriting and professional Amazon product listings.
Levi spent ten years in the Army, and after some other years working in a real estate agency focused on veterans, he decided to try freelancing.
During his eight years on Fiverr, he has written for around 52% of countries worldwide.
He has had broad experience writing all kinds of products: from ads to personal emails, including website copy and more.
There are busier days, and Newman describes it as a “rollercoaster”. However, he also states that prefers working by himself. He doesn’t have to deal with bosses, has authority over the jobs he accepts, and is able to arrange his own schedule.
He started only doing $5 gigs, and a little over a year later, he was making as much as $15,000 per month.
His main advice is to be constant, start small, and slowly build a reputation. Making a living from working through Fiverr is possible but requires patience and trust.
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Solopreneurs Examples vs. Entrepreneurs
These two terms have been gaining recognition over the last few years. Sometimes, they are used interchangeably.
However, they aren’t the same.
Here are some key differences:
- Solopreneurs intend to maintain their business small: of course, growth is always the goal, but solopreneurs are comfortable working by themselves and not building a big team.
- Solopreneurs have a focused business: since they work independently, a solopreneur must have a well-defined service package and target.
- Solopreneurs usually have more freedom: solopreneurs tend to work alone and manage their own schedules. They answer to themselves and to their clients.
There are many more differences, but those can help you establish the main ones.
Hopefully, the examples we presented in this article inspire you to start your path as a solopreneur.
As you can see, there are successful solopreneurs in various industries and demographics.
It’s a matter of creativity and consistency.
Do you like how this sounds but are still doubtful about taking this challenge?
You can check out our blog about challenges solopreneurs face and learn how to solve them.
Get ready to take the next step.
