You're Already a Solopreneur (You Just Don't Know It Yet)

Greetings!

Just a quick reminder: You're getting this because you downloaded something from The Corporate Escapee at some point (and it could have been months ago).

If this isn't your thing anymore, no hard feelings, just hit unsubscribe at the bottom. I only want to send this to people who actually want it.

I appreciate it! Let's dive in.

— Brett

Here's something most people don't get: If you work in corporate, you're not really an employee.

You're a business owner. A solopreneur.

You just have one client.

And honestly? That client probably sucks.

Let me explain.

Think about it:

Every month, you provide a service. Your client pays you for it.

You negotiate scope (your job description—which always grows).

You manage their expectations (your boss's constantly shifting priorities).

You deal with scope creep ("Can you just handle this real quick?" becomes your entire Tuesday).

You absorb hidden costs they don't pay for—commute time, unpaid overtime, therapy to deal with the stress.

And the kicker? Your client can fire you anytime. Without cause. Over Zoom.

So here's my question: If this were any other client, would you keep them?

Probably not, right?

Okay, let's actually do this.

I want you to audit your employer like they're a client. Because they are.

Score them 1-5 on each of these (1 = awful, 5 = great):

1. Payment Terms
Do they pay on time? Are bonuses reliable? Or are you constantly worried about "budget adjustments" and "market conditions"?

2. Scope Clarity
Do they know what they want? Or is it just chaos—priorities changing weekly, vague expectations, no real direction?

3. Respect for Your Time
Do they respect your boundaries? Or are you on Slack at 9 PM, answering emails on vacation, missing dinner because of "just one more thing"?

4. Hidden Costs
What is this client actually costing you?
Your commute (donated for free). Unpaid overtime (20+ hours a month?). Work clothes. Stress. Declining health. Therapy bills.

5. Future Growth
Is this account growing? Or are they cutting budgets, freezing raises, doing layoffs, and calling it "organizational efficiency"?

6. Energy
Do they energize you? Or do you get Sunday scaries every single week?

Add it up. Out of 30.

Under 12: Fire this client immediately. Seriously. They're toxic and they're killing you.

12-22: This is a bad client. But you can manage them while you find better ones. Use their money to fund your exit.

Above 22: Okay, this is a decent client. Keep them as your anchor while you build other income streams and reduce your dependency.

Once you see yourself as a business owner instead of an employee, everything shifts.

You're not stuck. You have three business decisions:

You stop asking for permission and start making decisions about your time, your energy, your future.

Because here's the reality: You're already running a business. You're just running it poorly.

You have one client. They control your schedule, your location, your income, your entire life.

What if you had 3-5 clients instead?

THAT would be security.

One client can fire you and you're screwed.

Five clients? One fires you and you still have four. You're fine.

That's the difference.

Look, I'm Not Telling You to Quit Tomorrow

I'm telling you to stop thinking like an employee and start thinking like a business owner.

Because once you see it—once you realize you're already doing this—everything changes.

You stop waiting for corporate to give you permission.

You start building leverage.

You start preparing for what comes next.

Worst case this is your insurance policy or ideally this becomes your future.

If you want to go deeper on this stuff, here are the two most recent episodes:

"Keep It Small. Keep It All." (Live Workshop on Escapee Taxes + Business Setup)
This is the practical stuff people overthink: Do I need an LLC? How do taxes work? What do I actually need to set up?

I did a live workshop with Diane Kennedy an Escapee CPA walking through all of it. No fluff, just the stuff you actually need to know.

→ [Listen Here]

"Your Corporate Escape Plan: Insurance Policy, Not Leap of Faith"
Your escape plan isn't about quitting your job.

In this solo episode I went deeper on why (and how) folks in corporate need to look at solorpeneurship not only as an exit strategy to a better life but also an insurance policy. Check it out below

→ [Listen Here]

Okay, shameless plug time. This is for the DIYers or folks just looking to establish a baseline. The Starter Kit is something I developed after the fact. I wish I had gone through this seven step process (one being the One Client Audit) before I corporate quit on me. It will help you determine if solopreneurship is right for you and if not will give you a new sense of direction and confidence in corporate.

I also decided to bundle in the Escapee Solopreneur Playbook (I guide you through each framework and give you suggestions) as a bonus.

The Escapee Starter Kit + Playbook Bundle ($97) gives you the complete system so you don't have to reinvent the wheel:

✅ The Starter Kit - 7-step assessment to figure out if escape is even your path
✅ The Playbook - All the frameworks I use (ADD, PSM, CES—normally $249 on its own)
✅ All the worksheets, templates, video lessons
✅ Self-paced. Lifetime access. Do it at your speed.

Only: $97

I will take all of the risk because I believe in these tools so much. 100% money back guarantee if you don’t see value!

→ [Get the Bundle]

P.S. If you actually took the audit and scored your employer, reply and tell me what you got. I'm genuinely curious. (And I read every reply.)

— Brett