It started on a walk, with Tristan half-yelling "what is it with people?"—why won't they get that marketing isn't about selling? But here's the catch Brooke named right back: the only reason most people care about marketing is that they need to get paid. So when we lead with "it's not about selling," we sail right past the thing keeping people up at night. This one's about closing that gap—making peace with the fact that you have to ask people for money, and building a business model that actually lets you do it.

WHAT WE GET INTO

We explore:

"It's not about selling" is only half the truth. Telling people what your work isn't skips the real reason they showed up: they need to get paid, and they need to know how you'll help them do it.

Uncomfortable truth #1—you have to ask for money. And usually from people who already know you, who are more financially strained than ever. Dodging that reality doesn't make it go away; it just shows up sneakier, as hiding your face, hiding your name, or defaulting to "pay what you can."

Transparency beats game-playing. The solo business that says "we" to seem like an agency, the bio with no actual way to work with you. People trust you when they can see who you are, what you've lived, and why the expertise is yours.

What a business model actually is. If the math doesn't work at the unit level, selling more just loses you money faster. For solopreneurs it's the mix of offers, price points, and time that has to add up to a number you can survive on.

Lowering your price is not a strategy. A $5 resource to hit $50k means selling 10,000 of them. Cheap prices aren’t how we make our work accessible. And relying on $5 digital products to reach $50k will quietly put you in the business of marketing instead of the work you actually want to do.

The therapist's dilemma. When the insurance model stops working, most therapists need to raise prices but have no idea to what. Run the scenarios first; you can't solve a money problem without the data.

Raising prices as a relationship, not a rupture. Lay out plainly why the price is what it is and what each offer is for, then let people choose. When someone can't afford it, you rethink the structure, not just the number—and you can drop the price when it genuinely feels reciprocal, because resentment makes for a broken client relationship almost every time.

THE INVITATION

You didn't sign up to fix a broken economy by refusing to get paid. You signed up to do work you care about, for people who need it, inside a system that runs on exchange. The invitation here is to stop squirming out of that — do the math, get honest about what you actually need, and let that clarity make your marketing easier, not grosser. When you understand what each of your offers is really for, asking for money stops feeling like a pitch and starts feeling like the truth.

RELEVANT RESOURCES

Business Modeling & Pricing for Equity — our live workshop on August 7, 2026, 11–2 PT (three hours), sliding-scale registration. Can't make it live? A recording will be available after.

Group coaching program — our small group program for solopreneurs looking for community, support, accountability, and guidance.

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+ EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

This episode is a gut check for solopreneurs navigating marketing, messaging, burnout, and the lies we’ve been sold about how to “do business right.”

Heads up: This is a cannabis-friendly space. You’ll hear us mention it briefly in this convo. We don’t center it, but we also don’t hide it. If that’s not your thing, you’ve got full permission to opt out. Consent and transparency matter.

Okay, now—here’s what we really need to talk about. In this conversation, Tristan and Brooke check-in about this moment and then explore the things Tristan wants every entrepreneur, solopreneur, or online business owner to hear right now:

Marketing is not selling. We need to stop conflating the two—it's keeping us stuck.

Marketing is visibility, storytelling, and building trust in your expertise—not just cranking out content.

Discernment is a skill. Learn the difference between a growth edge and a clear NO in your work.

Stop distracting yourself with tasks that feel easy or comfortable but don’t necessarily move things forward.

You don’t need to “figure out your niche.” Really.

You chose to work for yourself—so do it differently. Unlearn the templates. Break the rules. Make it yours.

This is not your average marketing or business pep talk. It’s an invitation to come back to your truth, clarify your focus, and stop wasting time trying to “get it right” according to someone else’s blueprint.

Call to Action:

Enjoyed this episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know how these insights are helping you in your work, or share this episode with someone who might benefit from it!

+ Episode Transcript

In this episode, Tristan and Brooke unpack a deeply nuanced, often messy conversation about the use of the word women (or womxn) in values-driven marketing—and what it means when that word doesn't fit. We talk about the continued use of gendered language in spiritual, somatic, and entrepreneurial spaces, the harm it can unintentionally cause, and how we might reframe our language to be more aligned, expansive, and inclusive.

This one’s part call-in, part call-out, and 100% rooted in care.

We explore:

- The disconnect between inclusive intentions and exclusive language

- Tristan’s personal journey navigating gender and visibility in business

- Why narrowing your niche around “women” can unintentionally uphold the very systems we’re trying to dismantle

- What it really means to market beyond the binary

- The power of resonance—and who gets left out when we default to gendered branding

Whether you’re a coach, healer, artist, or entrepreneur, this episode invites you to pause and reimagine how you speak to your people—especially if your people are more expansive than the word women can hold.

Relevant Resources:

Tristan’s article, “What to Say Instead of “Womxn” and Why It Matters”

Tristan’s article, “Spiritual Work Shouldn’t Harm: On Gender, Power, and Sacred Practice”

More free resources on gender and trans inclusion work

Call to Action:

Enjoyed this episode? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know how these insights are helping you in your work, or share this episode with someone who might benefit from it!

+ Episode Transcript