Maria

Can you walk us through how your solopreneur journey began?

Maria:
I started as a freelance brand strategist, working with small creators and startup founders to help them find their voice online. I was constantly overbooked and underpaid — I’d hit a ceiling with client work. One day, a friend asked if I’d ever thought about creating a course. I brushed it off, thinking no one would buy it. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I looked back at my DMs and realized people kept asking the same 4–5 questions: How do I find my voice? How do I tell my story? How do I build a personal brand that feels honest? That’s when the idea hit me. I didn’t need to reinvent the wheel — just organize what I already knew.

So you created a course. How did you choose a platform and get started?

Maria:
I chose Teachable because it was beginner-friendly, allowed for easy video uploads, and had solid email integrations. I outlined my course into five modules, recorded everything on Loom and my iPhone, edited with Descript, and launched with a basic sales page.

The course was called “Your Story, Your Brand” and I priced it at $97. I made 14 sales the first week — mostly from Instagram followers and old clients. Not life-changing, but validating.

When did it start gaining serious traction?

Maria:
Everything changed when I started posting on TikTok. I didn’t even know what I was doing — I just made raw, unfiltered videos about my journey. One video where I talked about how I used to hide my immigrant background in job interviews hit 2.3 million views. That one post alone led to 412 course sales in a single week.

The key was storytelling. I wasn’t selling — I was sharing. No fancy equipment, just my phone and real emotions.

What’s your strategy for creating viral content on TikTok?

Maria:
Here’s the basic formula I use:

Hook (0–3 sec): A bold statement, question, or relatable pain point.
→ “No one talks about how branding feels when you’re broke.”

Story (3–25 sec): A real moment from my journey.
→ “I used to edit my accent out of videos because I thought I wasn’t ‘professional’ enough…”

Payoff or takeaway (25–45 sec): A shift, insight, or mindset reframe.
→ “Owning my background was the brand. That’s when I finally stood out.”

Then I let the content do the work. I always include a subtle CTA like “DM me ‘story’ for the free workbook,” or “Full course link in bio.”

How do you convert TikTok views into revenue?

Maria:
I use a free storytelling workbook as my lead magnet. People opt in via a link-in-bio page I built on Carrd, which sends them to my ConvertKit funnel. I’ve automated most of it now — they get 5 emails over 7 days that build trust, deliver value, and pitch the course.

Here’s the breakdown of my funnel:

Lead magnet opt-in rate: ~31%

Email open rate: ~54%

Course conversion rate: ~6.4% from email
That might seem small, but from a viral video with 500K+ views, even 1% of viewers clicking through turns into real income.

What are your current revenue streams?

Maria:
I now make around $10,000/month consistently. Here's the breakdown:

70% — Online Course on Teachable
$97 standard / $149 premium version with live workshop replays

20% — 1:1 Coaching
I offer a limited number of 60-minute calls for $297

10% — Digital Templates & Affiliate Revenue
I sell a “Personal Brand Audit” Notion template and use affiliate links for tools like ConvertKit and Canva

The key is stacking income streams without burning out. Everything is tied to my core expertise: storytelling and brand clarity.

What tools do you rely on as a one-person business?

Maria:
Here’s my everyday toolkit:

Teachable — Course hosting

ConvertKit — Email marketing + automations

Canva — Design lead magnets, sales pages, and TikTok thumbnails

CapCut — Quick edits for TikTok/Instagram

Carrd — Lightweight landing pages

Notion — Content calendar and client CRM

Stripe — Handles all payments

I keep it lean. I only pay for tools if they directly impact revenue or save hours.

What’s one strategy that worked better than you expected?

Maria:
DM automation on Instagram. I set up a ManyChat flow that replies when someone DMs me a keyword like “story” or “brand.” It sends the workbook automatically and tags them in ConvertKit. The whole thing feels personal, but it’s running 24/7.

It helped me go from 10–20 new subscribers a week to over 200 during big video weeks — without lifting a finger.

Biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?

Maria:
Imposter syndrome — 100%. When a video would blow up, I’d get hundreds of comments and DMs, and not all were kind. I had to learn to separate content performance from self-worth. I still struggle with it, but I remind myself: I’m helping real people, and that’s enough.

What’s your advice to aspiring solopreneurs?

Maria:
Start before you feel ready. Talk in public. Build your audience before you try to sell anything. If you can get 1,000 people to care about your ideas, you’ll never be broke again. The money follows momentum.

And don’t be afraid to be seen — flaws, accent, messy background and all. That’s where the magic is.

Takeaways from Maria’s Strategy
✔ Start by solving recurring questions from your own audience
✔ Use storytelling, not selling, on TikTok
✔ Convert viral traffic with lead magnets + email funnels
✔ Keep your tool stack lean and ROI-focused
✔ Stack revenue streams around one clear skill set