Executive Coach ᐧ Follow me for leadership and career advice | Marketing Exec and Consultant ᐧ Founder @ Solle Solutions

Global Marketing & Growth Leader | Author of Career Break Compass  | Marketing Consultant | Helping Companies & Leaders Grow Sustainably

With 20 years of experience leading marketing and digital transformations, I’ve scaled multi-billion-dollar businesses, driven double-digit revenue growth, and built high-performing teams across Fortune 500, private equity, and high-growth companies.

In addition to my corporate leadership roles, I’m the Founder of Solle Solutions, where I've provided fractional CMO and marketing advisory services to companies seeking sustainable growth. I’m also the author of Career Break Compass, a guide to navigating resilience and intentional career transitions.

Whether partnering with executive teams to accelerate EBITDA growth, or helping individuals and organizations embrace resilience, my work focuses on aligning strategy, technology, and people to achieve sustainable success. Let’s connect if you’re seeking marketing leadership, growth consulting, or insights on building resilient careers and organizations.

Laura Nguyen

Imagine replacing your corporate salary in under 6 months; then doubling and trippling it. All whilst working half the hours you used to! 

THAT'S the business I built.

AND it’s the business I help expert corporate leavers create every. single. day.

In 2016, I walked away from my high-flying career  to raise my three boys. Then everything changed; my husband had a life-altering stroke.
Overnight, I became sole breadwinner, full-time caregiver, and single parent. With zero safety net.

I had to make money. Fast.
And I was determined to do it MY way.

Today?

I run a multiple six-figure coaching business working 3 days a week, 40 weeks a year; debt-free, by the ocean, and completely on MY terms.

And I help brilliant corporate leavers do the same.

If you’re an expert who’s ready to turn what you know into a high-ticket coaching.

If you’re craving time freedom, income that reflects your worth, and a business that aligns with your values…

Then I’m your coach.

Because your ambition isn’t “too much.”

It’s a preview of what’s possible.

You bring the expertise.

I’ll bring the strategy, the psychology, and just the right amount of woo.

Together, we’ll blow your own damn mind.

✨ Watch my free Masterclass From the Link in my bio. Your six-month salary replacement plan starts now.

Jo Knight Dutkewich ⭐

I told a friend the other day,

“I'm going to be worth $5m in five years.”

They laughed.

Not in a nasty way.
Just in a… oh Jo way.

What bothered me wasn’t the laughter.

It was how quickly big ambition gets filed under fantasy.

As if saying it out loud is the embarrassing bit.

And I see this with solopreneurs constantly.

They’ll tell me privately:

“I want $30k months.”
“I want real wealth.”
“I don’t ever want to worry about money again.”

But then they dilute it.

They price cautiously.
They set “sensible” targets.

They pretend they’d be happy with less.

Not because they lack ability.
Because big ambition feels exposing.

Big goals don’t feel powerful in the beginning.

They feel delusional.

They make us squirm.
They make other people squirm.

They make us question ourselves.

They demand we operate at a different standard.

Different decisions.
Different pricing.
Different conversations.
Different level of self-trust.

“Be realistic” is almost always code for
“Don’t make me uncomfortable.”

But realistic has never built wealth.

Or freedom.

Or anything interesting.

So yes.
$5m in five years.

How about you?

If people haven't laughed at your dreams, then you aren't dreaming big enough.

Jo Knight Dutkewich (Business Coach)

Helping Smart Coaches Hit Consistent $30K Months | Positioning, Pricing & Sales | Ex-Rolls-Royce | Introvert AF | Boy Mom

Unpopular opinion..

Not every awkward DM needs a public execution.

This week my feed is FULL of people putting well-meaning but slightly clumsy messages on blast.

Screenshot.
Moral outrage.
“Can you believe this?”
Cue 400 comments of shared indignation.

Yes, some messages are lazy.
Yes, some are tone deaf.
Yes, some are outright spam.

And most of them are just humans TRYING.

Trying to start a conversation.
Trying to grow a business.
Trying to put themselves out there — imperfectly.

If you don’t like it..
Ignore it.
Delete it.
Say no.
Block.

(And yes, I appreciate the irony of posting about it.)

We all started somewhere.

We’ve all sent something we’d write differently now.

So maybe instead of turning clumsy into content,

WE model better.
WE do better outreach.
WE have better boundaries.
WE lead better.

THAT'S how the standard rises.

Not through humiliation.
Through example.

90% of what’s written about introverts is B.S.

And honestly… it drives me mad.

Not because people misunderstand introverts.

But because when they do, 2 things happen;

1st -the world underestimates us.
Our ambition.
Our potential.
Our impact.

But the bigger problem?

When we misunderstand introversion, we underestimate ourselves.

For the record - I’m a massive introvert.
On paper I’m about 90% introverted.

And;
I like people.
I love coaching groups
I’m not remotely shy.
I’m not “quiet”.
I’m wildly ambitious.

Introversion isn’t about being timid.
It’s about energy.

Introverts start the day with a full battery.
Social interaction, noise, stimulation -it drains it.

Extroverts start with less battery.
Social interaction charges them.

We’re wired differently.

We process dopamine differently.

And yes; introverts also have more grey matter in key areas of the brain linked to decision-making and problem solving.

Don’t come for me.
It’s a fact.

So where are my ambitious introverts at?

And if I read one more AI-written post about quiet power or quiet achievers I might actually lose my sh!t...

I left corporate…
And accidentally recreated it.

I:
• Overdelivered
 • Took every call
 • Customised everything
 • Depended on referrals
 • Felt busy but financially exposed

It looked like freedom.
It was just employment with better branding.

I’d swapped one boss for 5 clients.

Swapped a salary for unpredictability.
Rebuilt a job — just with more risk.

And that model capped me at $6k–$12k months.

If you’re exhausted…
If you can’t switch off…
 If your income dips the second you slow down…

You haven’t built a business.

You’ve built a high-stress job you own.

The breakthrough for me wasn’t more effort.

It was designing a model that didn’t require me to be available, flexible, and custom at all times.

Freedom isn’t leaving corporate.
It’s refusing to recreate it.

If you’re stuck at $6k–$12k and working harder than you ever did in corporate…

It’s not an effort problem.
It’s a structural one.

And you can fix it.
DM me “MODEL” if you want to see how.

Helping Smart Coaches Build Consistent $30K Months | You Get Results. Let’s Get You Paid Like It | Positioning, Pricing & Sales | Ex-Rolls-Royce

There’s a shocking reality LinkedIn influencers won’t tell you.

The strategies they’re teaching coaches are designed to grow audiences, not profitable coaching businesses.

Which is why so many smart coaches end up stuck at $2K–$8K months despite doing “all the right things”.

I wrote a newsletter breaking down exactly what’s happening.

If you're a smart coach using LinkedIn to grow your business, you should read it.

And if it resonates, you’ll probably want to come to my free masterclass next week too.

View newsletter: The Profitable Coaches Club

For most of my career, the rules of success had been fairly simple. If you were intelligent, worked hard, delivered excellent work and added real valu

Open article: The Brutal LinkedIn Truth Influencers Don’t Want Coaches to Know by Jo Knight Dutkewich (Business Coach) • 6 min read

The Brutal LinkedIn Truth Influencers Don’t Want Coaches to Know

If you’re not making enough money as a coach..
It’s not because the algorithm hates you.

And it’s not because “the market is saturated.”

It’s because intelligence is not a business model.

I said what I said.

For two years I woke up at 3am asking:
“If I’m so smart… why can’t I make money?”

I had the corporate track record.
The qualifications.
The experience.

It didn't bring in any money.

If you’re hovering around inconsistent income and quietly resenting coaches with half your experience making twice your revenue…

This will either annoy you or set you free.

For a solid two years following the start of my coaching business I would be woken up at 3am with the same question buzzing my brain like a mosquito t

Open article: If I’m So Smart… Why Can’t I Make Money?
The uncomfortable truth about why smart coaches struggle to build a profitable coaching business
 by Jo Knight Dutkewich (Business Coach) • 8 min read

If I’m So Smart… Why Can’t I Make Money?
The uncomfortable truth about why smart coaches struggle to build a profitable coaching business

5 years ago I was commuting for 2 hours a day.
Today I’m writing this looking out at the ocean.

Back then, I was in a job I was grateful for… 
but drained my soul.

Overdraft maxed.
Waking up at 3am in a cold panic about money.

Smiling in meetings.
Crying in the car.

Today I run a multi 6-figure coaching business.
I work 20 hours a week.
I choose my clients.

I close my laptop at 3pm.

Here’s what I didn’t do to get here:

❌ I didn’t build a big audience before I started selling.
❌I didn’t post on five platforms because someone said I “should.”
❌I didn’t work weekends to prove I was serious.
❌I didn’t drop my prices when someone said no.
❌I didn’t stack bonuses to convince people.

Everyone told me I needed to do MORE.

More content.
More networking.
More free calls.
More funnels.
More “value.”

Most of it just made me tired.
So I stopped.

Instead of chasing every lead, I got selective.
Instead of posting daily, I focused on conversion.
Instead of competing on price, I positioned on results.
Instead of adding complexity, I simplified the offer.

Revenue became predictable when my strategy did.

Now I work with coaches who are:
Smart.
Highly trained.
Certified to the eyeballs.
Have bought all the courses.
And still under-earning.

Not because they’re bad coaches.
Because they’re drowning in tactics and missing strategy.

You don’t need another course.
You don’t need another template.
You don’t need to “show up more.”

You need positioning that makes selling easier.
An offer that actually converts.
And the confidence to hold your price.

I’m taking on 2 smart-but-underearning coaches right now.
If you’ve done all the things and it’s still not working —
DM me SHOW ME THE MONEY.

Let’s fix what’s actually broken
And get you earning what you deserve.

The next 5 years will create more entrepreneurs than the last 100.

Half of them won’t make it past two years.

Not because they’re lazy.

Not because they “lost passion.”

They simply never learned the skill that actually pays the bills:
Selling.

So they stay busy:

• Perfecting their offer
 • Creating content
 • Networking
 • Learning more
 • Tweaking their brand

Busy but still broke.

The solopreneurs who make it do something different.

They focus on the things that drive revenue:
✔ Clear positioning
 ✔ Confident pricing
 ✔ Direct conversations
 ✔ Asking for the sale

Because revenue isn’t accidental. It’s built.

If you’re a coach and want to learn how to build $30K months, tomorrow I’m running a workshop showing exactly how.

I spent over $120,000 in one year trying to scale my business.
It looked impressive.

It felt like pressure.

Pressure to cover salaries.
Pressure to manage performance.
Pressure to keep increasing turnover.

Revenue did go up.
So did costs.

Profitability went down.

Here’s what that $120k taught me:

❌ It didn’t matter how strong my mindset was.
❌ It didn’t matter how many leads I had.
❌ It didn’t matter how hard I worked.

The problem was structural.

I was trying to scale a business that wasn’t designed properly in the first place.

❌ You can’t hire your way out of unclear positioning.
❌ You can’t “CEO” your way past a weak offer.
❌ You can’t outwork broken foundations.

When I fixed the structure: offer, pricing, positioning,  sales — scaling stopped feeling heavy.

It became clean. Predictable. Profitable.

If you’re working hard but your income is stuck, it’s probably not motivation.
It’s architecture.

In my masterclass, I’m breaking down how coaches can finally unlock consistent $30K months without burning six figures trying to scale.

Comment $30K and I’ll send you the details.

Smart coaches don’t struggle because they lack skill.

They struggle because the behaviours that built $5K–$10K months won’t build $30K months.

If you’ve been hovering at the same revenue for the last 6–12 months, that’s not bad luck...

That’s your current operating system.

You’re experienced.
You’ve sold.
You know how to coach.

And yet your numbers look… familiar.

Most smart coaches plateau because they:
– Price in a way that feels safe
 – Keep their positioning broad to avoid excluding anyone
 – Avoid direct, high-stakes sales conversations
 – Stay busy instead of driving revenue

It works...until it doesn’t.

And if you’re honest, watching other coaches scale past you while you refine your offer again is getting uncomfortable.

Good.

It should be.

I’m running a live masterclass:
Smart Coaches: From $5K–$10K to Consistent $30K Months.

If you’re already generating revenue but know you’re underperforming your capability, this is for you.

Not for brand-new coaches.
Not for people who’ve never sold.
Not for anyone hoping next month fixes itself.

If you’re done tolerating mid-level revenue, sign up.

Because staying at $5K–$10K months isn’t a mystery.
It’s a decision.

Karen Malloy, ACC, Matt Cowan and 68 other attendees

View event: How Smart But Under-Earning Coaches Finally Hit $30K Months

How Smart But Under-Earning Coaches Finally Hit $30K Months

I've coached 50+ solopreneurs in the last year.

The difference between those stuck under $5K months and those who create multiple six-figure businesses isn’t what most people think.

The difference isn’t talent.

It isn’t hustle.

It’s how they think, structure their business, and make decisions.

After working closely with dozens of founders, I’ve noticed 15 traits the ones who scale all share.

The stuck founders sell services.
The scaling founders sell transformation.

The stuck founders chase perfection.
The scaling founders ship B-minus work and iterate.

The stuck founders work harder.
The scaling founders work systematically.

The stuck founders avoid bold takes.
The scaling founders combine fundamentals with spicy opinions.

I've mapped out all 15 differences in the infographic below.

These aren't theories. They're the exact patterns I've observed in founders who've gone from struggling to consistently hitting multiple six-figures.

The gap between plateau and scale isn't effort.

It's systems, mindset, and smart habits repeated daily.

Which trait hits hardest for you?

After 30 years with the same company…
my neighbour was let go with a 6-line email.

No goodbye.
No thank you.
No acknowledgement.

Just a cardboard box.

For three decades he showed up every day.

Early mornings.
Late evenings.

Never complained.

Reliable.
Loyal.
Hard-working.

He gave a huge part of his life to that place.
And when it ended…

Nothing.

That moment taught me something most people misunderstand about value.

It’s rarely about your worth.
It’s about your location.

The exact same effort can be invisible in one environment
and priceless in another.

A bottle of water can cost:
$1 at the supermarket
 $4 at the gym
 $5 at the movies
 $7 at a concert
Same water.
The only thing that changed was the location.
So the next time you feel undervalued…
Don’t question your worth.
Question your location.

LinkedIn made coaches rich in 2016.
It’s making them busy but broke in 2026.

WHAT WORKED IN 2016:
 – Post inspirational quotes daily
 – Connect with everyone with a pulse
 – Share your “why” story on repeat
 – Give your frameworks away for free
 – Be vulnerable and “authentic”
 – Network constantly
 – Help “anyone who needs it”
 – Post and pray
 – Wait for warm referrals
 – Be the nice, helpful coach

WHAT WORKS IN 2026:
 – Say the uncomfortable thing your market is avoiding
 – Connect only with decision-makers
 – Share what others are too scared to say
 – Charge £7K+ for actual transformation
 – Be ruthless about who you serve
 – Have direct sales conversations
 – Solve ONE expensive problem
 – Write content that books calls
 – Proactively fill your pipeline
 – Be the coach they can’t afford not to hire

The platform evolved.
Buyers got sharper.
The market got noisy.

But most coaches are still playing the 2016 game then wondering why coaches with half their experience are making twice their money.

I’m breaking down exactly how to fix it in my free masterclass:
How Smart But Under-Earning Coaches Finally Hit $30K Months

If you’re done being busy and ready to be paid —
Comment MASTERCLASS and I’ll send you the link.

Most coaches don’t make enough money for one simple reason:

They’re doing 50 things that don’t make money.

More content.
More courses.
More tweaking their niche.
More “perfecting” their website.

But very little that actually brings in clients.

If I had to start my business again tomorrow from zero…

This is the exact roadmap I’d follow to hit $25K months fast.

First, I’d focus on one painful problem.

Not a vague aspiration. A problem people will happily pay to solve.

Then I’d create one irresistible offer that delivers a clear result.

Next, I’d work on belief.
Because if you don’t believe your work is valuable, no strategy will save you.

After that I’d simplify marketing.

One platform (LinkedIn)
One message.

Consistency over perfection.

Then I’d accept something many coaches avoid:
YOU ARE IN SALES.

The difference between struggling and thriving isn’t your content.
It’s your conversion.

I’d also track the numbers.
Leads.
Calls.
Clients.

Because grown-up businesses make decisions based on data, not drama.

Then I’d act like a CEO, not an admin assistant.
Systems. Structure. Focus.

And finally, I’d play the long game.

Most people quit right before things start working.

This simple approach is how I built a business that hit $40K months working 24 hours a week without a massive audience.

If you're ready to stop overthinking and start building a business that actually pays you…

I’m teaching the full framework inside my free masterclass:
How Smart Coaches Hit Consistent $30K Months
Comment MASTERCLASS and I’ll send you the link.

The exact roadmap I’d follow to hit $25K months fast.

I’ve seen brilliant coaches stay broke for years.
And it’s almost always for the same 8 reasons.

If I was starting again tomorrow this the roadmap I would use to get to consistent $25k months quickly. 

1. Focus on ONE PAINFUL problem

Don’t chase your passion.
Solve a painful, expensive problem people will pay to fix.

If 250,000+ people worldwide struggle with it; you’ve got a market.

2. Create ONE irresistible offer

One simple, clear offer that solves a massive problem.
One price that reflects the results you deliver.

Clients don’t buy “confidence.”
They buy results clients, cash, clarity, peace of mind.

3. Build belief before strategy

If you don’t believe it’ll work, no strategy will.
Train your brain to back your goal before the world does.
Mindset is your true marketing engine.

4. Simplify your marketing

Pick ONE platform. ONE message.
Post to connect, not to impress.
Consistency > Perfection.
 Depth > Virality.

5. Make peace with the fact you are in sales

You are in sales.
Every coach, consultant, and creator is.
The difference between struggle and success isn’t your content; it’s your conversion.
Sales isn’t manipulation.
It’s transformation with a price tag.

6. Choose data over drama

Stop guessing. Start knowing.
How many leads?
How many calls?
How many converted?
That’s how grown-up businesses make decisions.

7. Be the CEO, not the admin assistant

If you do it more than twice, automate it.
Stop wasting hours on admin, Canva, and chaos.
Build systems that save your energy and scale your income.
Freedom is built on structure.

8. Play the long game

Most coaches quit right before it clicks.
Refine what works.
Ditch what doesn’t.
Keep showing up when no one’s watching; that’s where mastery is made.
Consistency compounds faster than talent ever will.

The $25K Month Framework

One painful problem
One irresistible offer
Unshakeable belief
Simple marketing
Sales conversations every week
Track the numbers
Systems that scale you
Play the long game

This is how I hit $40K months working 24 hours a week without a massive audience.

I break this entire framework down in my masterclass:
How Smart Coaches Hit Consistent $30K Months.

If you want the replay, just DM me REPLAY and I’ll send it to you.

Be honest.

Did you get paid this week —
or just stay busy?

You’re smart.

You’ve left corporate (or you’re desperate to).

You’ve got the experience, the brain, the credentials.

And yet…

You’re not making the money you should be making.

Not because you’re incapable.
Not because the market is saturated.
Not because “people can’t afford it.”

But because the SAME script is running your business.

You know the one..

“You’re not ready.”
“Tweak it one more time.”
“Wait until it’s perfect.”
“What if no one buys?”

So instead of selling, you polish.

Instead of inviting, you overthink.

Instead of leading, you lurk.

And then Friday rolls around and you tell yourself: “Next week I’ll go all in.”

No you won’t.

Not unless you learn how to:

Make offers before you feel ready
Sell without feeling sleazy
Build demand instead of waiting for confidence

That’s exactly what I’m teaching in my How Smart Coaches Finally Hit $30k Months masterclass.

If you’re done being clever but underpaid…
and ready to actually get paid…

Comment READY I’ll send you the details.

Hard truth: 

I can’t compete with the big-name business coaches on LinkedIn.

They have:

• huge audiences
• big teams
• WhatsApp pods boosting engagement
• automated funnels jumping on every lead
• $10–50k a month on ads

I have none of that.

It’s just me and my VA.

Working from home.

Coach.
Salesperson.
Content writer.
Email marketer.
Course builder.
Website fixer.
Tech support.

Mom of three.
Daughter of ageing parents.
Wife.
Cook.
Cleaner.
Laundry doer.

Real life.

And that’s exactly why they can’t compete with me either.

Because they can’t relate to:
Low post views.
The awkwardness of sending DMs.
Looking at your numbers and wondering…
Am I going to make enough this month?
Building a business while figuring it out in real time.

I can.

Around 80% of my clients have already paid the big-name coaches.

They bought the courses.
They joined the programmes.
They followed the funnels.

But their bottom line didn’t change.

So they come to me.
And now it does.

Because we fix the things that actually make a difference:

Positioning.
Pricing.
Sales.

Real businesses.
Real revenue.

I support clients across three continents.
Seven or eight time zones.

Hands-on support.
No big team.

Just someone who has actually lived it.

THAT'S my competitive advantage.

And if you’re a coach trying to build a real business — without a huge team, big ad budget, or complicated funnels…

I’m teaching exactly how in my free masterclass:

How Coaches Hit Consistent $30K Months.

Comment MASTERCLASS and I’ll send you the link.

This is not the newsletter I planned to write.

But if you’re ambitious AF, slightly overwhelmed, and still showing up anyway…

This one’s for you.

This isn’t the newsletter I planned to write. From a business perspective, it’s probably not the right one to write either. It’s not SEO-optimised. It

Open article: Confessions of a Forty-Something Female Founder by Jo Knight Dutkewich (Business Coach) • 7 min read

Confessions of a Forty-Something Female Founder

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Laura Nguyen

Jo Knight Dutkewich ⭐

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Jo Knight Dutkewich ⭐

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