From JOB to ALPs: The Jump From Solopreneur to Business Owner
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Megan Preston Meyer awoke to another day in corporate drudgery. Except… her job wasn’t the dream it used to be. Now she was analyzing data more and presenting the stories behind the data less. Stories are what’s exciting. Her super power was in taking complex data and presenting it in such a relatable and clear way that even a kiddo could understand it at bedtime.
It was time for a change. But, she had a family to support and only a kernel of an idea for what she wanted to do next. Still, she had to make a change…
After building her savings and creating enough financial runway that she could safely venture out on her own, Megan left her 9–5 and hung her own shingle. She created her characters, she started writing her books, and she got her website.
Despite the nagging feeling she had that something was missing, she still felt the rush of getting out on her own and starting her own business. She was her own boss now. She finally had control of her time and her destiny! THIS was the entrepreneurial dream that she’d been after!
Except… There was no revenue. Megan was burning through cash and focused on the creative side of the business, writing her books. She was going to need help as this was too much for one person to do on their own.
After finding some freelancer team members online to help with tasks like illustration and formatting, Megan was able to turn her attention back to creating product and building her business.
With that she was able to launch her first book, Fifo Saves the Day, on Amazon. Supply Jane Clears the Way followed soon after.
And people loved them! Every time an order came in, she’d get the shipping notification and have to forward it to her shipper who’d dutifully package up the books and mail them on out.
Now her role was starting to shift from being merely a writer, to being a hiring manager, a team lead, and more. She was managing illustrators, designers, shippers, customers, and more.
When hiring, Megan was intentional about setting clear expectations, defining timelines and SLAs, and setting up contracts as projects — not just forever hires. She got agreement on clear starting points and end…
