September 26, 2024

How to Demystify Customer Ease: a Proven Method to Increase Leads

September 26, 2024/ Maggie Karshner

You can't know what you don't know, and that's true of so much for self-employed folks who are just getting started. You could be missing out on clients that you're not even aware of! That's not clickbait, it's just a fact. People interested in your services might never contact you. You can't completely solve this, but there are things you can do. In this article, I provide clarity for the client's purchasing decisions. Then I illuminate an easy but significant change that will help you to have more client inquiries.

May 29, 2024

Strengthen through Self-Employment: 3 Unique Benefits You're Guaranteed to Get

May 29, 2024/ Maggie Karshner

Anxieties about starting a business abound. Strategic-thinking folks like you seek to distinguish legitimate fears from illegitimate anxieties. What many don't realize is that the outcome of self-employment is not success. Yes, that could be one of the outcomes, but it's not the only or even the most valuable. As I reflect back from my 10th year in business, I share three key outcomes I see all my clients benefit from. I hope my perspective will help reinforce your confidence. And - for those not yet started - encourage you to launch your business!

March 26, 2024

Worried About Your Refund? The Self-Employed Guide to Federal Taxes

March 26, 2024/ Maggie Karshner

Did you just get blind-sided by self-employment taxes? Or maybe you're early in your entrepreneurial journey and you're afraid of all the taxes you'll have to pay when self-employed. Let's clarify what's going on with self-employed taxes. Then we can make a plan that anticipates your tax liability.

This blog article is for progressive self-employed business owners who want to institute business practices throughout the year that will make tax time less stressful. But who also want to (legally) minimize the amount of tax they have to pay. Read on to better understand how to build a successful business with minimal stress at tax time.

August 29, 2023

How to Thrive Through Doing: A Guide for Conquering Challenges

August 29, 2023/ Maggie Karshner

This article delves into the common dilemma where meticulous planning meets the unexpected trials of implementation. Discover how embracing the process and seeking external perspectives can empower entrepreneurs to navigate the uncharted waters between knowledge and action.

June 27, 2023

4 Pitfalls of Toxic Masculinity to Overcome for Business Success

June 27, 2023/ Maggie Karshner

Explore the risks of toxic masculinity in entrepreneurship and discover four traits that can undermine your business dreams. This article delves into the importance of open-mindedness, embracing humanity, active listening, and agility in overcoming these traits. Learn how breaking free from toxic masculinity leads to a thriving and inclusive business environment.

March 24, 2023

Thriving Through Chaos: How to Turn Unexpected Changes into Opportunities for Growth

March 24, 2023/ Maggie Karshner

Do you experience fear in the face of change? Fear is normal but you can still learn to navigate even unexpected changes with serenity. Using my own recent change as a context, I illustrate the steps needed to navigate any change. You can increase your confidence with change by making an informed decision about the best way to move forward. This is such a vital skill in the ever-changing landscape of small businesses!

December 13, 2022

Don't Delay Self-Employment Because of Retirement: How to Seize Saving Now!

December 13, 2022/ Maggie Karshner

It's reasonable to feel intimidated by saving for retirement when you're self-employed. You want to know how to ensure a secure retirement. Here I'll demystify and simplify the process. This will help you to take the first steps toward the retirement you deserve!

November 22, 2022

Want to Have Balance? Here's How to Find Calm and Confidence Now!

November 22, 2022/ Maggie Karshner

Are you struggling with feelings of anxiety or confusion and want to calmly and confidently pilot your life or business toward balance? This blog article is written for mindful, self-employed business owners who want to feel confident and balanced in their businesses. Allow me to illuminate a key element of how balance works, and the relationship between time and money. After reading this article you'll have tools to navigate business and life with more confidence.

September 21, 2022

The Success Myth and the Four Factors You Actually Need to Know About

September 21, 2022/ Maggie Karshner

What would it be like to work at a comfortable pace? What would it be like to work like that while achieving success? In this blog article, I dispel the myth of hard work and share the four factors that actually contribute to success.

July 20, 2022

Caution and Grit: How to persevere through the hard times of self-employment

July 20, 2022/ Maggie Karshner

If you're just here for the train wreck: hear about my hardest day in business. If you're in it for the learning, then you'll find a silver lining that will make you dive into self-employment asap!

April 26, 2022

How to Leverage Your Assets to Work Smarter, not Harder

April 26, 2022/ Maggie Karshner

Our financial system is far from ethical. What's even worse is that most of us don't understand how it works. Knowledge is power and in this article, I demystify how your business is financially an "asset" and uncover how assets function in our weird financial world.

October 29, 2021

3 Lessons to Help You be a Good Self-Employed White Person

October 29, 2021/ Maggie Karshner

For white people, it can be challenging to maintain the momentum of an anti-racist practice. When we think of anti-racism work in our self-employed business we often get even more stuck. Here’s a little update on my own practice and the huge shot in the arm it took over the summer!

September 27, 2021

Exploit Your Own Desire: the Insider's Reason to Ditch that MLM

September 27, 2021/ Maggie Karshner

Multi-level Marketing (MLM) can be a plenty contentious topic. Here I examine the fundamental flaw in the business model that guarantees a rep will be exploited by the company, no matter how amazing the product is.

August 31, 2020

How to Easily Optimize Your Self-Employed Workday

August 31, 2020/ Maggie Karshner

Are you feeling overwhelmed working an 8-hour self-employed day? Maybe you feel like you're working endlessly, but it's never enough? It's time for you to adopt the 5-Unit Day.

August 29, 2019

The Opposite of Your Last Day

August 29, 2019/ Maggie Karshner

In this very unusual-for-me blog post, I share my current reflections from a place of grief.

March 27, 2019

The Story of the Good Used Car Salesman

March 27, 2019/ Maggie Karshner

In this case study, I apply the factors discussed in last month’s blog article to a real world example. Analyzing what goes right, rather than what goes wrong, in sales is a powerful way to better understand your role as salesperson.

June 26, 2018

Unexpected Self-Employment Advice: Fire That Client

June 26, 2018/ Maggie Karshner

It might seem counter-intuitive, but firing a client can be vital to keeping your self-employed business afloat! Read on to learn more about why that is and also how to identify a client you should fire, and how to do the firing.

May 25, 2018

Myth Busting the Gig Economy

May 25, 2018/ Maggie Karshner

The gig economy can be an attractive way to make extra money or start your own thing. But there are a few things to consider before embarking on one of these platforms.

July 19, 2017

Keeping Centered in Your Business: Use Discernment

July 19, 2017/ Maggie Karshner

When we’re in business for ourselves it can be easy to get knocked off center and waste valuable energy trying to get back to center. Here are strategies I use in my business that may help you to stay centered or return to center quickly by using discernment.

April 14, 2017

Business Seasons and Cycles

April 14, 2017/ Maggie Karshner

It's natural to try and find trends in the ebb and flow of your business and summarize them as business seasons. Sometimes these patterns have an industry-wide truth behind them, but often times they're just patterns. Better understand how to use business seasons to your advantage.

Dec 12, 2025

Confused by Contracts? How to Build Clear, Calm, and Confident Agreements

As a self-employed business owner, you know you've got to deal with contracts. But this isn't the fun part of the job. It might even be scary to make something "legal" like that. What you don't know is that a good contract is at the root of making client experiences more ease-ful. Here I'll break it down into three simple principles, making it easy for you to reap the rewards of contracts.

Nov 10, 2025

How to Break Free from the Learning Loop and Start Seeing Results

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking you just need one more class, book, or certificate before you’re ready — this one’s for you. Learning feels productive, but it can also keep you stuck in preparation mode. In this article, I challenge you to break free from the “learning loop” and start taking real, imperfect action. Leave the sidelines and start building your business and confidence for real-world results!

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