Do We Practice What We Preach? A Solopreneur Reality Check

Watch the Episode on YouTube

When someone in our community asked whether we actually practice what we preach, Carly Ries had one answer. Hold my avocado. In this episode of The Life First Solopreneur, Carly and Joe Rando share the real, day-to-day ways they build their businesses around the lives they want.

What is a life-first business?

A life first business is one designed with your ideal life in mind from the start. Instead of letting work dictate your schedule, relationships, and energy, you decide what matters most and build your business to support it. As Joe puts it, the values of the company are simply the values the two of them already live by.

Does a life first business mean working less?

Not necessarily. Joe says he thrives on work and would struggle in a world where he had nothing to do. He even joked that if his only option were bookkeeping eight hours a day, he would take his chances with an AI utopia. The point isn’t to avoid work. It’s to do work you love on terms that fit your life. Some days Joe works nearly twelve hours and is perfectly happy. Other days are much shorter.

How does Joe Rando structure his solopreneur life?

Joe keeps it simple.

• Work ends when his wife calls him to dinner
• Weekends are reserved for life, not work
• He takes time off when he wants to, including a cycling trip through the Netherlands and Belgium and a long weekend in Iceland
• His granddaughter always takes priority when she visits

How does Carly Ries plan her week as a working parent?

Carly’s schedule looks completely different. Every Thursday she maps out the week ahead, starting with workouts and childcare, then existing meetings, and finally her focus blocks. She stays off her computer from three thirty until eight at night so she can be present with her kids. To make that work, she starts her day before 5 a.m. and is happy to work late evenings or weekends when those pockets make more sense.

Is there one right schedule for solopreneurs?

No. Joe and Carly work very differently and still collaborate seamlessly. The common thread is intention. You need a design for how you want to run your business, even if that plan shifts along the way.

How do you stay accountable with flexible hours?

Flexibility doesn’t mean deadlines disappear. Carly points out that their team of contractors still delivers on time, episodes still publish on schedule, and clients still get what they were promised. Each person simply chooses when the work gets done. Systems, automation, AI tools, and the LifeFirst app help keep everything coordinated.

Why should solopreneurs hire people smarter than them?

Joe’s longtime advice is to hire people who know more than you about what they do. When you’re the least knowledgeable person in the room on a contractor’s specialty, you don’t need to micromanage, and micromanaging would only make their work worse. A friend of Joe’s credited this exact advice with helping him build and sell a successful business.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the biggest misconception about life first businesses?
That it means not working. It actually means designing your work so it supports the life you want.

How can I start building a life first business?
Get clear on your nonnegotiables, such as family time, health, or travel, then build your schedule and systems around them.

What tools help solopreneurs run a life first business?
Automation, AI, clear processes, and planning tools like the LifeStarr app all help solopreneurs stay productive without sacrificing their priorities.

Listen to the Full Episode

Hear the full conversation on The Life First Solopreneur wherever you get your podcasts, including YouTube. Then visit [your LifeFirst link] to explore free courses, videos, the community, and the newly released LifeStarr app.