The Solo Project

Dave Whorton spent decades in the Silicon Valley, the land of dreams of going public. His grand next act: creating a community of companies building for the next 100 years—and remaining private.

New episode of our Here Comes Everybody podcast. Listen.

Evergreen Journal by Tugboat Institute

Second Acts: Doing Companies Differently — The Solo Project Dave Whorton spent decades in the Silicon Valley, the land of dreams of going public. His grand next act: creating a community of companies building for the next 100 years — and remaining private.

Sure, soloists are on the move. But not everyone is moving halfway across the country. Some of them aren’t moving far away at all. But even these small moves will bring big changes to our cities. And our suburbs. (Oh, and the world.)

Listen to the latest episode of our Middle of Everywhere podcast. Available everywhere.

The Future of Cities Is Flat — The Solo Project Sure Soloists are on the move, but not everyone is moving halfway across the country. Some of them aren’t moving far away at all. But even these small moves will bring big changes to our cities. And our suburbs. (Oh, and the world.)

In an audacious second act, long-time Silicon Valley exec Martin Babinec returned to his tiny upstate New York hometown, determined to reimagine the region’s future.

Listen to this new episode of our Here Comes Everybody podcast.

Second Acts: An Upstate New York Renaissance — The Solo Project In an audacious second act, long-time Silicon Valley exec Martin Babinec retuned to his tiny upstate New York hometown, determined to reimagine the region’s future.

“I’ve always needed to work exactly where I am, whether it’s at my full-time job or at my home — or while traveling. Making my work fit into my daily life is the key to sustainability for me. I never want an opportunity for an excuse.”

M. Moore is a professional art handler by day, but an artist 24/7. She's a rare soloist — the kind with a full-time job.⁠

And you know what? This is what Solo looks like, too.

My Solo-Called Life — The Solo Project “I’ve always needed to work exactly where I am, whether it’s at my full-time job or at my home — or while traveling. Making my work fit into my daily life is the key to sustainability for me. I never want an opportunity for an excuse.”

is a storyteller from the future, obsessed with and choice. An , , , and she and her family left London to move to Valencia, Spain over a decade ago.⁠
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In episode two of Middle of Everywhere, we talked to Middlemiss about living in Spain while working for clients everywhere, what Spain gets wrong about remote work and what it can learn from its neighbor, Portugal, about the psychological barriers to that everyone needs to overcome, the very real of in a , and how the ripple effects of the rise of the Soloist will impact, well, everything.⁠
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Like many ambitious natives of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Aaron Bolzle left home to pursue a career on both coasts of the US, first to Boston and New York and then to Silicon Valley, where he navigated the tech ecosystem at . Fifteen years later he returned to Tulsa with a desire to make a positive impact in the community that raised him.⁠⁠
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He launched Tulsa Remote with George Kaiser Family Foundation, a program to reverse the trend of economic migration by incentivizing talented Soloists to live and work from . The first of its kind, Tulsa Remote remains the reference in a new form of focusing on individuals instead of companies.⁠⁠
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For the premiere episode of Middle of Everywhere, Arjun Basu spoke to Bolzle about the origins of Tulsa Remote, the mobility of the , the power of in , and what Soloists bring to the growing list of cities, states, and countries hoping to attract them.

Good morning! We're up early for the launch of our newest show, Middle of Everywhere, now available wherever you get your .⁠
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Hosted by Arjun Basu, MOE introduces you to the , , and who are pioneering , untethering work from place, sparking new energy in towns and cities, and discovering new ways to live and work ... everywhere. Listen now!

Jennifer Hoppe-House is an award-winning film and tv writer who has written for hit shows like Nurse Jackie, , and . She is currently producing a new series (w/ and ) for .⁠⁠
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In the premiere episode of our new podcast, Never Nine to Five, Hoppe-House talks about her long and winding ascent to the top of a notoriously competitive industry.⁠⁠
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Her 25-year-long solo path hasn't been easy: She's been fired from nearly every traditional job she's ever held, flunked out of college, and battled years of drug and alcohol .⁠⁠
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And yet here she is, more than ever and thriving as an .⁠⁠
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We delve into it all: Hoppe’s best and worst , how the has transformed , and general tips on how to survive a lifetime of .⁠⁠
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Our newest show, Never Nine to Five, is now available wherever you get your podcasts (except maybe Pandora, because who gets their podcasts there?).

NNF gets on the ground and in the spaces of experienced and dynamic soloists to share the paths that led them here and their strategies for succeeding in the new world of work. Listen now!

“One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is to know my value and what I’m willing to do for it. It takes awhile to figure that out. That being said, one of the best negotiating tools is the ability to say ‘no.’ You’ve got to establish your moral/ethical code.”⁠

Sean Alonzo Harris is a commercial, editorial, and fine art photographer. He’s also a soloist.⁠

This is what Solo looks like.

Shooting His Best Shot — The Solo Project “One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is to know my value and what I’m willing to do for it. It takes awhile to figure that out. That being said, one of the best negotiating tools is the ability to say ‘no.’ You’ve got to establish your moral/ethical code.”

“I was determined to find a way to retain my freedom. I did not want an obligation to staff to prevent me from doing what I felt like doing—like going to the beach for a walk, or working in a café all day.”⁠

Christina Force is a photography consultant, portfolio builder, traveler, public speaker, and, well, a force of nature. She's also a soloist.⁠⁠⁠

This is what Solo looks like.

A Force of Nature — The Solo Project “I was determined to find a way to retain my freedom. I did not want an obligation to staff to prevent me from doing what I felt like doing—like going to the beach for a walk, or working in a café all day.”

“People don’t believe I’m an introvert. I am. I have to have a ton of time alone. I do think introversion and soloing dovetail nicely.”⁠

Spike Gillespie is a writer, blogger, teacher, wedding & funeral officiant, baker, rancher, and yogi. (Whew!). She's also a soloist.

This is what Solo looks like.

The Tao of Spike — The Solo Project “People don’t believe I’m an introvert. I am. I have to have a ton of time alone. I do think introversion and soloing dovetail nicely.”

“Soloing has given me the joy of self-mastery and self-discovery. I am free to bring meaning and purpose to each day. I am free to forge that path. It’s exhilarating!”

Demetria Bridges is a voice actor, singer, writer, and proud “Beantown Gurl.” She's also a soloist.⁠

This is what Solo looks like.

Let Her Speak — The Solo Project “Soloing has given me the joy of self-mastery and self-discovery. I am free to bring meaning and purpose to each day. I am free to forge that path. It’s exhilarating!”

We ❤️ a good “I Quit!” story. Erin Bailey's is downright inspiring.⁠⁠
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“I only get paid when I work. I haven’t figured out my . And I’m working at least twice as many hours as I was.⁠⁠
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“But I’ve never felt more . I’ve never felt more . I’ve never felt more ... me.”⁠⁠
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Since sharing her story — in typical fashion — Erin's path has taken many exciting turns. But here's the thing: she's the one in the driver's seat.⁠⁠
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Erin Bailey is a feminist, an athlete, a fitness guru, and a writer. She's also a soloist.⁠⁠⁠
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This is what Solo looks like.⁠ (Read her story. Link in bio).⁠⁠⁠
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Big news: Here's the trailer for our new show!

‘Middle of Everywhere’ is a new podcast from The Solo Project that explores the importance of place — and how, like never before, you can chose *how* you want to work *where* you want to live. Hosted by Arjun Basu. Available wherever you get your podcasts. Listen now!

Middle of Everywhere Podcast: Work Wherever You Want to Live — The Solo Project Introducing our new podcast that explores the importance of place — and how, like never before, you can chose how you want to work, where you want to live.

It started as a way to master Instagram. It ended as a path to a richer, slower, more engaged, and more self-determined life.⁠⁠
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“Every single day, no matter the weather, no matter where I was, I'd go for a walk. I began to understand that I am happiest outdoors. As a creative director there’s so much time spent inside sitting at computers or in meetings or orchestrating things. And then, what became clear, was that it was also the most creative time of my day.”⁠ Recently, she clocked her 25,000th mile — that's once around the world!⁠⁠
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Libby DeLana () is a free-range ECD, cold-water dipper, aspiring pilot, fly fisherman, mom to two kind, tall, smart, young men. She's also a soloist.⁠⁠
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This is what Solo looks like.⁠ (Read her story. Link in bio).⁠⁠
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The first soloist hotel in America?⁠⁠
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In the new age of covering one’s own expenses, is both an oasis in the Manhattan desert and evidence of an industry sensing a new market.⁠⁠
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And that roof deck!⁠⁠
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Got a gig in NYC? Check out The Jane. (Lin in bio)⁠⁠
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“I only get paid when I work. I still haven’t figured out my health insurance. And I’m working at least twice as many hours as I was.

“But I’ve never felt more alive. I’ve never felt more passionate. I’ve never felt more ... me.”

Read Erin Bailey's inspiring “I Quit!” story

The Leap — The Solo Project I only get paid when I work. I haven’t figured out my health insurance. And I’m working twice as many hours. But I’ve never felt more alive. I’ve never felt more passionate. I’ve never felt more ... me.

“We wanted a place that we couldn’t wait to get to in the morning. So we decided to make our own. We bought a space that was big enough to house small teams and soloists. We wanted a diverse, collaborative, healthy ecosystem — not just creatives. And we didn’t want a space that felt exclusive.”

If You Build It, They Will Co-Work — The Solo Project For many soloists, the only kinds of coworking spaces that work are the ones they invent themselves.

“In the new age of covering one’s own expenses, The Jane, NYC is both an oasis in the Manhattan desert and evidence of an industry sensing a market. And every soloist filling its sunlit breakfast café knows it.”

The First Soloist Hotel in America — The Solo Project In the new age of covering one’s own expenses, The Jane is both an oasis in the Manhattan desert and evidence of an industry sensing a market.

“Leave my regular paycheck and health benefits behind and jump into the chaos that ensues from running a smaller, solo attorney law practice and (in my case) a book & video publishing business? Absolutely!”

David Sparks, attorney. And podcaster. And author. And tech geek. Oh, and soloist.

A Civil Action: Quitting — The Solo Project “Despite the occasional anxiety, I find myself with this overwhelming exhilaration that everything in my life thus far has led to this point.”

“Large cities—New York, San Francisco, Boston, Washington, D.C.—have simply become too expensive for even successful independents and young entrepreneurs to carve out a modest and sustainable quality of life,” says Bryan Boyer.

So he moved to Detroit.

Choosing Life — The Solo Project “Large cities have simply become too expensive for even successful independents to carve out a modest and sustainable quality of life.”

We need a system that prepares kids to create their own jobs—and we need it now.

“We have entered a new economic age in this country, in which people have to create their own jobs. You can already see the evidence everywhere you look.”

That new age demands a new kind of educational approach.

Why Schools are Failing Children — The Solo Project We need a system that prepares kids to create their own jobs—and we need it now.

“I don’t think it’s fair for a company to say, ‘Go work from home,’ and not give you options. Or a stipend. Or the right furniture. Or the right resources.” And it doesn't stop there. Hear what else Liz Elam, founder of GCUC Global - Coworking/Flexible Workspace Community, has to say about coworking, remote work, and, well, work, on episode 3 of our new podcast Here Comes Everybody.

It’s the Community, Stupid — The Solo Project “I don’t think it’s fair for a company to say, ‘Go work from home,’ and not give you options, or a stipend, or the right furniture, or the right resources…”

“I think formal education trains us to obey too much. Ultimately, you’re the only one who can make the call on what to work on, who to work with, and how to do it.

“I knew that cross-disciplinary collaboration produced superior client outcomes—especially for innovators—so I kept to that work style. So really, I’ve never had a full-time job, or been an employee anywhere. I’m a solo native.“

“Business” Is Not a Dirty Word — The Solo Project “Formal education trains us to obey too much. Ultimately, you’re the only one who can decide what to work on, who to work with, and how to do it.”

The most essential characteristic in today’s marketplace, and one that will only become more crucial in the future, is — the ability to endure setbacks, recognize and correct mistakes quickly, and learn from failures.⁠
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Unfortunately, some combination of education design (“Now, class — our next standardized test…”) and parenting habits (Participation trophies all around!) virtually guarantees future generations will be, well, gritless.⁠
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Grit, of course, is just a start. Altogether, what are the individual characteristics, capabilities, and habits of mind that will be essential to thrive in an economy that is increasingly disaggregated, provisional, project-oriented, unpredictable, and networked instead of structured?⁠
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What does it take to thrive as a soloist? Here's a checklist: https://bit.ly/36Vvikv⁠
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