Stop Buying Marketing Sh*t You Don’t Need
Let me paint you a picture.
You've got a Dropbox folder labeled "Courses" with 47 unfinished modules. You've paid for three different email marketing platforms in the last year (and barely sent any emails). There's a $297 "signature system" gathering digital dust. An SEO agency promised you "page one rankings in 60 days" six months ago—spoiler alert: you're not on page one. And you just got another pitch for a social media scheduling tool that will "revolutionize your content strategy."
Your bank account is lighter. Your to-do list is longer. And you're still not booking enough clients to make any of this worth it.
Sound familiar?
Here's what nobody in the marketing industry wants you to know: most of what they're selling you is designed to make them money, not to help your solo business succeed.
I'm not here to sell you another course or convince you that you need my "proprietary framework." I'm here to tell you the truth about where your marketing dollars are actually going and what you should do instead.
The Marketing Graveyard: A Tour
Let's take inventory of all the shit you've been sold that didn't work. I bet you recognize at least three of these.
The SEO Agency That Overpromised and Under-Delivered
You got a cold email (or a DM, or saw an ad) promising to "get you ranked on page one of Google" or "drive 10x more organic traffic to your site."
They had a slick pitch deck. They threw around terms like "keyword optimization," "backlink strategy," and "domain authority." They made it sound so easy. So you signed a contract, probably an expensive one costing thousands of dollars.
What they actually did:
Changed some meta descriptions
Added keywords to your existing pages (badly)
Built a few low-quality backlinks from sketchy directories
Sent you monthly reports with charts you didn't understand
What they didn't tell you:
SEO takes 6-12 months minimum to show real results
Good SEO requires actual content (which you have to create or pay extra for)
Without a strategy that fits your business, rankings don't mean bookings
They're doing the same cookie-cutter approach for 50 other clients
You paid thousands of dollars and saw zero increase in actual client inquiries. When you asked questions, they blamed "algorithm changes" or said you need to "give it more time" (translation: keep paying us).
The Course Collection You Never Finished
Oh, the courses. SO many courses.
"Six-Figure Sales Funnels"
"Instagram Growth Secrets"
"How to Scale Your Coaching Business"
"30 Days to 10K with LinkedIn"
"The Ultimate Sales Page Formula"
You bought them all. Or at least, you bought a lot of them. They were on sale! They promised transformation! The testimonials were so convincing! Yes, they cost a fortune, but they were supposed to pay for themselves in just a month or so.
And now they're just... sitting there. Modules 1 and 2 are complete. Maybe module 3. The workbooks are downloaded but unopened. The Facebook group is full of other people who also aren't finishing the course.
Here's the dirty secret about most courses:
They're designed to make money from the sale, not from your success. The creator got paid when you clicked "buy now." Whether you finish it? Whether it actually helps your business? That's not their problem.
And here's the other thing: many course creators are teaching you their business model—which is usually "sell courses about how I built my business." It's a pyramid scheme dressed up as education.
Are there good courses out there? Sure. It’s the law of averages. But you almost certainly don’t need them. Reading blogs and watching YouTube videos for free will almost always serve you better, because it’s education you’ve actively sought out to serve your own business need, not something that was pushed on you as the ultimate solution.
The Guru's "Proven System"… That Only Works for the Guru
A friend of mine paid thousands to buy into a program that was supposed to make her rich. All she had to do was use the program’s AI software to outline and write a book, and then sell that book on Amazon. Bonus points for making it an audiobook, because damn, those puppies sell like hotcakes!
As you might have guessed, she’s out thousands of dollars. And her book (let alone an audiobook) is not, in fact, selling like hotcakes on Amazon. She never made it past the outline.
You've seen these “guru” grifters. They're all over YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn, sometimes posing in front of rented Lamborghinis or luxury hotel pools.
They promise you their "exact system" for building a six-figure business. They have a free masterclass (that's actually a 90-minute sales pitch). They talk about "abundance mindset" and "quantum leaps" and other phrases that sound profound but mean nothing.
You sign up. Maybe it's $997. Maybe it's $2,997. Maybe it's $10,000 for their "high-level mastermind."
But the thing is, the system worked for them because they had:
An existing audience of thousands
A marketing budget you don't have
A team doing the actual work
A business model built on selling the system itself
When you try to replicate it as a solo service business owner, it falls apart. Because their system isn't designed for your business—it's designed to sell you their system.
And when it doesn't work? They'll tell you that you "didn't implement it correctly" or you "aren't committed enough." Classic gaslighting. Or they just say “individual results may vary.” The classic Get Out of Jail Free card.
The Social Media Trap
"You NEED to be posting daily!"
"If you're not on TikTok, you're invisible!"
"Reels are the ONLY way to grow right now!"
"You should be on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, AND TikTok!"
Bullshit. All of it.
Here's what actually happens when you try to be everywhere at once:
You spend 20 hours a week creating content. You're exhausted. You resent your business. You have no time for actual client work. And you're still not booking clients because your scattered presence on seven platforms is less effective than a focused presence on one.
The social media "experts" selling you this advice are making money from:
Their courses on "Instagram growth hacks"
Affiliate links to scheduling tools
Sponsored content from social media platforms
Selling their own consulting services
They're not making money from the strategy they're teaching you. They're making money from you paying them to teach you strategies that probably won’t work.
The Tech Stack That's Bleeding You Dry
Let's add up your monthly subscriptions:
Website hosting: $25+
Email marketing platform: $50
Scheduling tool: $15
Social media scheduler: $25
Design tool: $15
Project management app: $12
CRM: $40
Course platform "just in case": $79
That AI tool everyone said you needed: $20
That's $281 a month. Over $3,300 a year. For tools you barely use. And these are just starting prices.
Stop and think about what you really need.
Yes, you absolutely need web hosting. And sure, you probably need a scheduling tool if you’re going to book consultations. (Psst! I use and love TidyCal. You can get it for an affordable one-time cost, no subscriptions necessary.) Even a CRM (that’s a Customer Relationship Management tool, like Honeybook or Dubsado) can be useful if you like your client experience to feel super profesh.
But are you really into that course platform or just phoning it in? And do you truly love social media or is it something you feel you have to do. (You don’t, by the way.) That CRM is fancy, but if your process is straightforward, Google Sheets may not be glamorous, but it’s free.
Take a good hard look at the tech you’re using and cut what you don’t need. Your budget will thank you.
Why This Keeps Happening to Solo Business Owners
You're not stupid. You're not gullible. You're just trying to build a business in an industry designed to exploit your fears.
Here's how they hook you:
Fear of missing out: "Everyone else is doing this! You'll get left behind!"
Complexity as credibility: "It has to be complicated to work, right?"
The promise of a shortcut: "Skip the hard work! Use my system!"
Social proof manipulation: "10,000 people can't be wrong!" (Yes they can. And also, are they even real?)
Preying on imposter syndrome: "You don't know enough to do this yourself—you need ME."
And here's why it doesn't work for solopreneurs specifically:
You're not their real customer.
The SEO agency's real customer is the VC-backed startup with a $50K marketing budget.
The course creator's real customer is anyone with a credit card and FOMO.
The guru's real customer is often just people who want to BE gurus. It’s a pyramid scheme in the making.
The social media expert makes money teaching social media—so they have every incentive to convince you it's essential.
You're just collateral revenue. They'll take your money, but their strategies were never designed for someone running a solo service business.
But I do have to admit one important thing: Not every person out there trying to sell a course or share a system that works is out to rip you off. There are people out there (I’m one of them!) who truly want to help and charge you a fair price for what they deliver.
But when you start seeing them promote stuff that sounds too good to be true (“Make $10K this month with my proven system!”)… run. The only person making real money off that system is the person selling it.
What Solo Business Owners Actually Need
Ready for the truth? It's going to sound too simple. You might even be disappointed.
Here's what you actually need to book more clients:
1. A Clear Message About Who You Help and How
Not a "brand story." Not a "signature framework."
Just clear, simple language that makes your ideal client think, "Oh shit, that's exactly what I need."
2. A Website That Works
You can have a beautiful, trendy website, but it’s nothing if it’s not also functional. It needs:
A clear homepage that explains what you do
A services page with actual details and pricing
An About page that builds trust
An easy way to contact you or book a call
That's it. You don't need animations, you don't need a custom illustration of yourself as a cartoon character, you don't need a quiz funnel. You certainly could do those things, but first, focus on the basics. If you don’t have the basics in place, all the fun little quizzes in the world won’t get you booked.
3. ONE Way to Stay Visible
Pick one platform where your ideal clients actually hang out and show up there consistently.
Local therapist? Google Business Profile + occasional local networking.
B2B consultant? LinkedIn, once or twice a week.
Life coach? Maybe Facebook and/or Instagram. Maybe a simple email newsletter.
You don’t need to be on seven different platforms, just one or two done well. And pick the ones you vibe with most. Hating social media but trying to build a huge following anyway is a recipe for burnout. (And only a small percentage of that “huge following” is likely to interact with you and your business anyway.)
4. A Simple Follow-Up System
Most people don't book on the first visit to your website. So you need a way to stay in touch.
This could be:
A monthly email newsletter (not complicated, just helpful)
A really good Google Business Profile that you update occasionally
Strategic networking that leads to referrals
You don't need a 17-email automated funnel. You need to stay on people's radar in a way that doesn't exhaust you.
5. Patience and Consistency
I know. Boring. Unglamorous. Not "10x your revenue in 90 days."
But here's the thing: sustainable business growth comes from doing a few things well, repeatedly, over time.
The therapist who shows up on Google with good reviews and a clear website books clients.
The coach who sends a monthly newsletter with genuinely useful advice builds trust.
The consultant who stays active in one professional community gets referrals.
None of that is sexy. But also, none of it costs thousands of dollars. And all of it works better than the shit you've been buying.
What I Do Differently
Look, I'm a marketer. I'm asking for your money too. So let me be transparent about what I'm selling and why it's different.
I don't sell:
Monthly retainers you can't afford
Complicated strategies that require a team to implement
"Secrets" or "hacks" or "systems"
Tools you don't need
False promises about quick results
What I do sell:
Website design and messaging for solo service providers who need a clear, working online presence, not a glitzy showpiece that doesn't convert.
A $99 marketing consultation where I audit what you're currently doing and tell you what's actually broken and how you can fix it, not list a bunch of things to upsell you on.
Straight talk about what will work for your specific business and budget.
I'm not here to sell you the dream of being a seven-figure business owner. I'm here to help you build a sustainable solo practice that books clients without burning you out or draining your bank account.
If you've been throwing money at marketing solutions that don't work, I get it. I've been the scrappy solopreneur too. (I’m that right now, actually.) I know what it's like to feel like everyone else has the secret and you're just missing something.
But you're not missing anything. You're being sold something you don't need.
Your Next Steps (The Real Ones)
Stop:
Buying courses you won't finish
Paying for tools you don't use
Following "gurus" who've never run a business like yours
Trying to be everywhere on social media
Start:
Getting clear on your message (who you help and how)
Building a simple website that actually books calls
Showing up consistently in ONE place
Talking to actual humans (yes, really—referrals still work)
If you want help:
Book a Rebel Huddle session. For $99, I'll tell you exactly what's working, what's not, and what you should focus on. No upsell. No guru BS. Just honest advice from someone who's seen it from both sides.
Or join The Rebel Collective newsletter for weekly marketing advice that won't make you want to throw your laptop out a window.
Bottom line: Stop buying marketing shit you don't need. Start focusing on what actually books clients. And stop letting people with seven-figure budgets tell you how to run your solo business.
You've got this. You just need to stop listening to them and start listening to yourself.
Now go cancel some subscriptions. Your bank account will thank you.
