The search for Yoo-Solo

Did you know Han Solo had a brother? Not many people do.

He goes by the name of Yoo-Solo. He lives off the grid. He flies under the radar. Some say he got lost in the jungian wastelands fighting the battle against the evil empire. Some say he was seduced by the power of the dark side and turned against the allies. Others say he works in a start up hub in surrey hills, armed only with an apple mac to save the world.

The truth is that Yoo-Solo is not a person. He is not in Star Wars. It is an idea that lives inside all of us about becoming a solopreneur. Yoo-Solo is the calling to live and work in a different way than a traditional career offers. Yoo-Solo is the desire to set up something which can be the vessel for more autonomy. And Yoo-Solo is the hope that we can get to an old age and look back and say I gave it a shot to get my own business off the ground.

Yoo-Solo is a part of you already. For some it spends a lifetime dormant. For others it might show up as emotional dissonance that nudges you to seek a new pathway. And for those who’ve connected with their Yoo-Solo, the journey is about strengthening and conditioning it for success.

I connected with my Yoo-Solo in 2002 and on March 9th I’ll be sharing my 15 year journey to help budding and wannabee solopreneurs do the same. In keeping with the Star Wars theme, the workshop brings the wisdom of the Jedi together with the mindset and skills needed to be a successful solopreneur. Together, interactively, we’ll explore these topics:

‘I can help them’ – know your solo purpose
‘Someone has to save our skins’ – be great at solving client problems
‘Fly yourself or hitch a ride on the Millenium Falcon’ – DIY or outsource?
‘Help me Obi-wan you’re my only hope’ – Marketing is about right message, right time, right person
The LightSaber – why you should design a product and not just sell your time
‘You must unlearn what you have learned’ – being Yoo-Solo helps you grow
‘Do or do not there is no try’ – use intentionality to land yourself a TED talk

The workshop is part of the Sydney launch of NewCo, which is a choose-your-own adventure business festival that identifies and connects the city’s agents of positive change. Attendees hear stories of inspiration from the founders of businesses from inside their offices. My talk is at 3pm on Thursday March 9th at UTS, Sydney.

You can begin the journey of getting to know your Yoo-Solo here, using my free values profile (self knowledge is the first step in the game of uncovering your purpose).

Oh, and get your tickets here. There’s only 30 seats, so be quick!