How to Use "Learning Journals" to Fuel Your Solopreneur Journey and Mindset(s)
The Solopreneur Series Free Issue No. 7
Is the term “Solopreneur” — stupid?
When I first started seeing and hearing this term in recent years, I had a bit of an eye-roll reaction.
I was thinking about this over the past week, after seeing someone’s gripe on social media about the term… And, this person suggested they would stop ‘following’ someone as soon as they used the term: Solopreneur.
“Curious!”, I thought to myself. “What an interesting reaction…”
I think I can safely assume this individual is not a subscriber to Box Cutter Co. (And so be it — it’s not for everyone.)
Welcome to The Solopreneur Series Free Issue No. 7
And, welcome to new subscribers and new paying subscribers (thank you 🙌 )
In some earlier issues, we explored some distinctions between the terms Solopreneur and Entrepreneur.
And, here’s a quick summary and why I feel it’s important to distinguish — and relates to why I use the term, used the term in the design of two Free 5-day Educational Email courses, and started this new Solopreneur series within Box Cutter Co.
What is a Solopreneur — and what’s the difference from Entrepreneur?
While the term "Solopreneur" might initially seem like just another BS buzzword— it actually encapsulates a unique and significant approach to entrepreneurship.
The term entrepreneur has been around for quite a long time. It generally refers to folks building a business structure with the intention of scaling, employing staff, and potentially seeking investors.
A Solopreneur operates in a different paradigm.
A Solopreneur operates a business entirely on their own, often juggling multiple roles - from decision-maker to executor to toilet cleaner and bookkeeper.
A Business of One
A Solopreneur is a Business of One. Or, as Canadian author and business builder Paul Jarvis wrote an excellent book by the same title in 2018 “Company of One”.
The sub-title of Jarvis’ book is always what stuck with me: “Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing for Business”.
And this is why calling one’s Self a Solopreneur isn’t simply a buzzword or jumping on the latest bandwagon — it’s a lifestyle decision and choice. It reflects personal values and working preferences.
Or, as a subscriber to Box Cutter Co. recently said to me on social media — it can also be about being a Slow-preneur. Building with intention, purpose, ethics, and guided by personal values.
This isn’t to suggest Entrepreneurs don’t do the same. It’s more the focus on scale, size, and intentions.
Making, apprecaiting, and understanding this distinction is important because it shapes the mindset required for success in each multi-pronged path.
Entrepreneurs are working towards a path that may thrive on delegation, leadership, and team dynamics — focusing on growth and expansion.
Solopreneurs, on the other hand, are steeped in self-reliance, versatility, and a deep personal connection with their/our work.
The Unique Paths of the Solopreneur Journey
The Solopreneur path and journey are not just about financial success but also autonomy, freedom, and the ability to align professional endeavours closely with their personal values, lifestyles and ethos.
It’s why I often share and write — we (my wife Lisa and I) are designing businesses around the lifestyles we are living and want to lead — not the other way around (which is what happens as an employee — and sometimes as a business owner — think retail).
This distinction in approach and values is semantics AND foundational—influencing everything from business strategies to daily routines and long-term goals.
And this is why I designed and named one of my two Free 5-day Educational Emails: The Solopreneur Thinker — The Solopreneur Mindset
Many subscribers have come through those pathways 👉 The Solopreneur Thinker and the other course: The Solopreneur Writer (5 day Intro to Systems and Strategies). The first 5-day course I designed and published on this journey.
There are overlapping tools, strategies, and mindsets between entrepreneurial and Solopreneurial approaches.
And, the spirit and strategies of both of these approaches can also be utilized by an employee in any organization. An entrepreneurial and Solopreneurial mindset and way of thinking — can be immensely valuable in many areas of life.
This is where the concept, practice, and use of "Learning Journals" come into play. These are such immensely valuable tools in life and business (no exaggeration).
Learning Journals serve as pivotal and exemplary tools for introspection, self-reflection, prospection (looking forward), strategic planning, personal growth, learning and unlearning, ideas, mapping, and so much more.
Learning Journals can also be tailored to the distinctive journeys of Solopreneurs.
Learning Journals for the Solopreneur Mindset (and more)
I’ve kept Learning Journals for almost 3 decades (in all sorts of forms and formats).
I’ve also written and talked a lot about them. For example, I created a separate section (or Stack) on this Box cutter page dedicated to Learning Journals — (these are now only available to paid subscribers) —which are based on several stories I published on Medium.
Over the past 12 months, Learning Journals have been a topic that has consistently picked up positive signals in the digital realm. (In many ways, I’m not surprised).
I completed a doctorate (in Education) in early 2021. My research and dissertation were largely based on, and informed by, Learning Journals. In that case, it was using Learning Journals to inform personal self-reflection and professional self-reflection related to deep social challenges.
For example, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in Canada and its many years of work investigating, documenting and recording the impacts of “Indian Residential Schools” on Indigenous peoples in Canada — as well as the work required by all people and organizations in Canada to address those impacts.
94 Calls to Action came from the work of the TRC. Many of these focus on education (specifically), mindset shifts, and work required by non-Indigenous people and organizations to address what’s been called “cultural genocide” by former Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin of the Supreme Court of Canada and: “one of the worst stains on Canada’s human rights record ”
Learning Journals can be powerful tools in that sort of national, organizational and personal learning milieu — and mindset shift.
Thus… taking a powerful tool and process such as Learning Journals … and transferring it to business, and life… could be just as valuable.
(And it most certainly does not require you having any higher education to implement and benefit from keeping them)
52 Weeks of Learning Journals for Building a Digital Business (A Not-So-Secret Advantage for Success)
I just published a story on Medium with this headline above. Here is some of that article. (the link is a ‘friend link’ so anyone can read it, you don’t have to be a Medium member)
There may be no more powerful tool for digital entrepreneurship than a Learning Journal — and maybe no tool with more negative perceptions and stigma.
Learning Journals are a tool as simple as they are powerful. They don’t require any special equipment or training, just a willingness to pause and think about what you’re taking in. And, the ability to jot things down.
Recording things in a Learning Journal can be pen and paper. It can be typing in an app. It can be voice memos, videos, photos, drawings, sketches, maps, and any other list of artifacts, things, doo-hickeys and doo-dads.
In December 2022, I started writing free weekly issues of Box Cutter Co. I started with zero posts and zero subscribers.
52 Free Weekly Issues Later
When I recently hit 51 Free weekly issues of Box Cutter Co. — I was taken aback. I realized
“Wow, a fricking year of free weekly issues — here it is! I did it.”
For Issue №52 I shared some themes, learning, and reflections.
Maybe a bit cliché — but it was important for me to do. By that point, I’d hit 400 Subscribers. I was also taken aback by that too. (And, this included some paying subscribers)
The process of writing free weekly issues was initially far more about documenting, recording and sharing what I was learning — first. And, if that assisted others in their journeys, then Bonus!
This page — Box Cutter Co. — has become a wonderful example of a digital Learning Journal. And, now I’m building and learning in public.
Many of the most satisfying comments and notes I get here on Box Cutter Co. are from those relatively early in the building of digital businesses. Those engaging in digital entrepreneurship — and finding/building their spaces in the vastly and quickly growing Creator Economy.
What can a Learning Journal do?
Starting Box Cutter Co. just over a year ago came with a little anxiety, impostor syndrome, doubt, and more, including:
“Who am I to start sending these out?”
“What the heck do I have to say of any value?”
“WTF is going to read this?” (‘W’ for Who, not What)
But, I forged through and just kept writing them and pressing “publish”. Kept writing them and pressing publish. Kept writing them and pressing publish.
After a few months, I thought “Wow, look at that… I’ve written 14 of these!”
Then it was 25. Then it was 40.
More comments were coming in. More subscribers. I started to promote a bit more on social media. Then more subscribers, and so on.
And Yet… and yet… the greatest value for me as a digital entrepreneur is still the fact that every issue is another entry in my public digital Learning Journals — and another component of my digital learning journey!
The combination of my digital learning journals (public), private digital learning journals (on Notion), and my hard copy (pen & paper) Learning Journals — has created a large and invaluable library.
That library is full of experimenting, learning, unlearning and endless idea generators for future writing (and thinking). Also included in there is how I’m feeling about the process. As well as writing and revisiting things when I feel frustrated or lacking some direction. These become inspiration and motivation down the road.
That’s the critical mindset supporter, driver, and potentially mindset changer.
When I write with pen and paper in my Learning Journals (nearly daily) I often start with (but not always) prompts such as:
What did I learn yesterday? And, how am I feeling about that?
What am I excited about learning in the coming days?
What am I actively working on to Unlearn?
What am I grateful that I’ve learned (or realized) in recent days?
What things can I prioritize learning about in the coming days and weeks?
Over time — just like publishing a Free weekly newsletter — these sorts of entries, observations and ‘thinking about thinking’ will add up.
And, as you record how you feel at the time of writing, you will also notice how feelings and perceptions shift, ebb, and flow over time. Often, like this: 👇
A prime example of this in the digital Solopreneur world — is that diagram above is often how pushing ‘publish’ on certain posts or issues or articles can feel initially….
… and then over time, it levels out.
The more I have posted, the less the fear, concern, or self-sabotage has gotten in my way. That has also come by simply “doing” — but also in the consistent reflection, mixed with introspection, mixed with prospection (looking forward).
This increasing comfort with getting started (with doing) — plus consistent interest in the topic— led to a new initiative we launched on Medium right before Xmas - as part of our Humanity Academy startup.
The (New) Learning Journals Initiative
The Learning Journal Initiative is one of our new writing accounts on Medium.
We launched on December 23 (also my birthday - fitting right?). It’s only been two weeks and we already have almost 400 Followers.
I’ve been leveraging what I’ve learned over the past 12 months of building on Medium to over 6,100 Followers on my personal account. We’ve already published 7 stories (and made about $40).
If you’re on Medium, please stop by for a follow. If you’re not on Medium, I post “Friend Links” on social media. Here’s a ‘friend link’ to a story you might be interested in:
Learning Journals for Creators in the Digital Age (Without Apps or Gadgets)
Harness the power of reflection in the $250 billion “Creator Economy”
On LinkedIn, we post all of our Humanity Academy publication stories, with “Friend Links” (so anyone can read). We’re also on (the cesspool) called Facebook.
I’ve secured a new domain and we’re working on a Learning Journals specific webpage and associated endeavours. Stay tuned for those.
That’s it for this week in The Solopreneur Series.
Do you have any questions about Learning Journals? (If so please leave a comment).
Have you used them, or similar — what’s been your experience?
Thank you to those who have become paid subscribers. It’s a key piece of continuing to support our writing, research, and sharing — as well as building and sharing Freemium products.
Would love to hear your questions - drop a like, a comment, or re-post on channels you navigate.
The next Free issue of Box Cutter Co. will be out later in the week.