How Solopreneurs Operate

Learn from independent pros globally 🌏

We’re documenting solopreneurship one story at a time

How Solopreneurs Operate (HSO) is a Q&A and content series where independent business owners around the world pull back the curtain on what it truly takes to build, sustain, and scale. We’re a global community of solo founders and freelancers across industries.

Series creator and writer Damian Ghigliotty works alongside colleagues Sakirat Idris, Sandeep Rajan, Samuel Offor, and Bendu Corneh to co-host guest Q&As and publish regional trend reports.

Solo entrepreneurs are launching ventures at accelerating rates. In the United States 🇺🇸, new small business applications hit a record 5.6 million in 2025, surpassing 2023’s high of 5.5 million. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 nonemployer firms now generate between $1 million and $2.5 million in annual revenue.

Inside Looks From Solo Pros of All Stripes

We connect with self-employed professionals across a range of fields:

• Media and marketing 📣

• Investing and finance 💰

• Technology and software 📱

• Crypto and web3 🪙

• Fashion and lifestyle 👗

• Events and production 🎤

• Real estate and brokerage 🏠

• Business consulting 💼

• Legal and lobbying ⚖️

• Education and coaching 🎓

• Health and wellness 🧘

• Farming and sustainability 🌱

• Transportation 🚙

• Arts and entertainment 🎭

• Photography and film 📸

Notable Quotes from Our Guests

Wes Wheless of Develop My IP: “I’m grateful for my time in corporate—it was the first 20 years of my career, and in that time I gathered what I call a ‘big bag of experiences’ that laid the foundation for me to design a more custom path for my next 20 years.”

Phumla Mosta of Motsa Occupational Therapy: “Solopreneurship has allowed me to build a business on my terms while balancing my role as a mother.”

Orlando Molina of Boom Bap Across The Map: “Find something different and unique that sticks out. Big corporations will want to compare you to industry standards. Ignore that and build your own thing so the industry copies YOU.”

Jason Allan Scott of J16Z: “It’s not so much about building a brand as it is about building a framework that solves a clear pain problem, runs with minimal overhead, and operates through a repeatable system.”

Yuhan Liu of HAN Media: “Now I’ve learned that nothing is truly irreplaceable. Change is constant, and nothing stays the same forever. So the best strategy is to ride the wave of change and innovation.”

Melissa Zehner of Organic GMT: “The most engaging people I know aren’t trying to create a perception of perfection—in fact, they’re intentionally doing the opposite.”

Hannah Miet of HMC (Hannah Miet Consulting): “Think about the life that you want and backtrack. Where’s the overlap between the things I desire out of life and where I can be most helpful with my current skill set and experiences?”

Jehan Daugherty of Jehan LLC Photography: “I can never say enough about the power of networking and supporting small businesses.”

Solo But Never Alone

HSO is an educational resource offering a wider lens into how independent business owners around the world think, operate, and evolve. We welcome guest recommendations and encourage anyone running a company solo to join us.

Connect with the HSO community on LinkedIn.

For guest inquiries: solopreneurpaths@gmail.com

For business inquiries: ghigliottyco@gmail.com