5 Key Lessons I've Learned As a New Solopreneur (Q2 Review + Q3 Planning)

Welcome to my first newsletter! Gosh, this took me longer to write than I expected.

Since it’s my first one, I really wanted to get it right.

Do I share more context? But will that overwhelm you? What impression do I want to make?

I’ve been going back and forth with these questions over the past week. And that’s an internal battle I typically face as a new solopreneur and content creator whenever I start something new — like this newsletter.

But I’ve learned a valuable lesson after launching my YouTube channel, relaunching my podcast, building my website, and posting regularly on LinkedIn over the past year.

✅ Lesson #1: Progress beats perfectionism

Every single time.

As an aspiring solopreneur, you won’t get everything perfect at the start. And you can’t let that be an excuse to procrastinate.

So just get started. You’ll improve, get into a rhythm, and figure things out over time.

Your solopreneur journey is a work in progress.

And if you’re a purpose-driven solopreneur… A Work In Purpose!

(Was that too cheesy? Sorry, not sorry 😅)

So following my own advice. Instead of perfecting this first newsletter, I’m just going to keep this one longer than future ones to cover:

• Why I started this newsletter

• My (potential) revenue streams

• PLUS. MINUS. NEXT framework

• My recap of Q2 and plans for Q3

• A surprising news!

• And more goodies…

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below and I may receive commission for purchases made through links in this post, at no additional cost to you.

👋 Why I started this newsletter

Hi again, I’m Wing!

Here’s a super quick version of how I got here:

• I moved to the Bay Area 17 years ago right after college in Boston (grew up in NYC — don’t miss the East Coast winters at all).

• For 8 years, I built a career in tech startup marketing — even reached VP level.

• But I was impacted by the mass tech layoffs in 2023.

Besides my career arc, there’s a whole other side too. 

During the pandemic, I wrestled with questions about my purpose.

I’d reached a high point in my career but couldn’t shake the question:

“Is this it?”

So I launched A Work In Purpose podcast to help myself and others gain clarity about our purpose. I’ve interviewed over 30 guests — coaches, entrepreneurs, and more — about their journeys.

After my layoff, a few career and life coach guests helped me realize something profound:

This time is an opportunity to explore my curiosity and experiment!

Instead of seeing myself as “laid off” or “just a job seeker” (which isn’t very empowering) I decided to build a version of myself I envisioned myself to be.

It was finally time to embody my purpose — and not just think about it. 

My “Big P” Purpose

I’ve come to realize my purpose is to: Help people like you reach your full potential.

But to do that, I too need to reach my own full potential.

That’s why I’m setting out on this solopreneur journey — and sharing my raw, messy progress with you in this newsletter.

Everything I do for my solo business, every decision I make, is intended to connect to that “Big P” Purpose. That’s my WHY.

✅ Lesson #2: Understand Your WHY

Without a clear WHY, you’ll get pulled in too many directions as a solopreneur. If you don’t have a north star or intrinsic motivation that excites you years down the line, you might end up stuck, hating what you’ve built, or burned out.

💰 My potential revenue streams

I set a challenge for myself to earn $10K/month by the end of 2025. And I’ll be sharing my progress in this newsletter.

Here’s a list of all the potential revenue streams I’ve started: