Do You Know What Type of Business You Actually Run?

Think of the differences among these statements:

“I make $50,000 each month as a creator.”

“Create your million-dollar framework and wait for the money to roll in while you sleep.”

“How I work: I sit down and write for four hours, spend an hour on LinkedIn engagement, and then my day is over.”

“I make multiple six figures without any social media presence.”

“The kind of clients you would love to work with are only created by having a conversation rather than a sign-up form.”

A major challenge in building sustainable businesses is that advice for founders is lumped together in the same bucket, whether they classify as entrepreneurs, freelancers, creators, influencers, solopreneurs, or small business owners. So while these statements may all seem to describe creator-led businesses, they in fact refer to distinct types, each with differences in how they monetize and spend their time and attention. 

As an operations and business strategist, I’ve worked with a range of businesses, including executive coaching firms, consulting agencies, nonprofits, solo graphic designers, copywriters, and podcasters. Before starting my firm, I spent over 15 years analyzing businesses as a consultant at McKinsey, a Harvard Business School MBA, and an operations strategist at Nike.