From Solopreneur to Micro Agency and Back Again: The Story Behind My Biggest (and Best) Business Shift

by Kaycee McCoy, Owner of Create/Captivate, Lover of All Things Strategic, and Proudly Back to My Solopreneur Era

Let me tell you a little story. It’s not a rags-to-riches kind of thing. It’s more like: solopreneur to team leader, to burned-out business owner juggling two companies, to back-in-my-zone solopreneur again…and thriving.

This blog is my way of peeling back the curtain and sharing why Create/Captivate looks a little different than it did a year ago. If you’ve been around since the micro agency/boutique studio days (hey, longtime friend 👋), you’ve probably noticed the shift. If you’re new here—welcome! Let’s dive into what this whole journey’s been about.

Act I: The Solopreneur Era

When I first launched Create/Captivate, it was just me, doing what I loved…helping small businesses bring their visions to life through smart, soulful marketing. I was designing, writing, strategizing, cheering people on, and genuinely loving it.

But as demand grew (a beautiful thing, don’t get me wrong), so did the pressure to do more. More clients. More services. More platforms. More everything.

So I did what a lot of business owners do…I started building a team. Being an employer wasn’t just a business move for me; it was actually a massive personal goal. As someone who has worked under toxic management more often than not, I knew what I didn’t want to recreate. I wanted to build a work environment where people felt respected, supported, and genuinely appreciated. Somewhere they could be paid fairly, speak up freely, and actually enjoy coming to work.

And you know what? I did that. I built a small but mighty team full of incredibly talented humans. We worked with awesome clients, launched killer campaigns, and poured so much love into the brands we touched. Create/Captivate grew into a boutique micro-agency with big ideas and even bigger heart.

Act II: The Micro Agency Era

Enter the micro agency model: a handful of incredible creatives, each bringing something special to the table. Social media managers. Designers. Copywriters. Strategists. We were churning out branding packages, managing social accounts, building websites, consulting clients, shooting content… all of it.

And for a while? It worked.

We had powerhouse clients. Our team gelled beautifully. We were booked out, busy as heck, and building something big.

But then reality hit.

The Breaking Point

Here’s the thing most people don’t talk about when they glamorize agency life: scaling comes with its own kind of chaos. And I had chaos times three. I wasn’t just running Create/Captivate. I was also managing Pawsnickety Pets, my fast-growing retail business, and holding down the fort at home while my husband was unexpectedly deployed for 9 months despite the military’s promise the deployment would only last 3 months.

Two businesses. One house. One dog. Two cats. And approximately zero hours of rest.

And then there’s the part nobody posts about on Instagram:

• Clients racking up several thousands in unpaid invoices

• Projects dragging on forever because of unclear scopes or shifting timelines

• A never-ending pressure to keep the team busy while keeping clients happy

• Myself being last on the list every single day

I was proud of the work. Proud of the people. But slowly, I was burning out and the cracks were starting to show.

At the same time Create/Captivate was growing, so was my retail biz, Pawsnickety Pets. And by “growing,” I mean exploding in all directions—storefront, e-comm, events, team, partnerships. I was managing two teams, two businesses, two sets of clients, and trying to have a life in the middle of it all.

Spoiler: I was not thriving.

Then came the invoices that went unpaid for months (sometimes years). The emotional toll of constantly chasing down money I had already earned. The exhaustion of switching hats 47 times a day. And the slow, natural (and honestly very loving) shift in my team as longtime C/C team members moved on to follow their own dreams, grow their careers, or shift their focus. All understandable, all supported by me—but still? That meant big changes were coming.

One day, I looked up and realized: I don’t want to rebuild this thing the same way again.

Act III: The Return to Me

So I made the decision to scale down. Way down. I genuinely thought I was going to shut Create/Captivate down completely, outside of fulfilling one long-term contract I had left…nearly a year’s worth of work still to go, and that was it. One final project. Then curtains.

But here’s the wild part…

Almost a year later, I’ve got six clients I absolutely love. No chaos. No scope creep. No overdue invoices. Just clear communication, fulfilling work, and aligned energy all around.

And the best part? I’ve got zero intention of stopping anytime soon.

Because what I discovered in scaling down was this: the business I’d been chasing didn’t need to be bigger, it needed to be better. Clearer. Simpler. More me.

Here’s what changed:

• No more managing a team

• No more huge client rosters

• No more trying to be everything to everyone

And here’s what stayed:

• Big, bold ideas

• Personalized strategy

• Unshakable passion for small biz success

What I Love About Being Solo Again

✨ Less chaos
✨ Less decision fatigue
✨ Less overhead
✨ Less pressure to grow just for the sake of growing

AND…

💡 More creative freedom
💡 More time to innovate
💡 More space to focus
💡 More energy to pour into the clients and projects that really light me up

I’m still running Pawsnickety (and loving it), but now I’m not pulled in quite as many directions. And honestly? I feel more like me than I have in years.

So… What Does That Mean for You?

If you’re someone who wants support that’s high-touch, deeply personalized, and done with heart—I’m your gal. Here’s what I currently offer through Create/Captivate:

• Social Media Strategy Intensives — 1:1 sessions with real talk, real strategy, and a killer workbook that helps you actually do the dang thing.

• Event Consulting — Planning a vendor market, workshop, or community event? I’ll help you map it out, promote it, and turn it into a true experience.

• Custom Branded AI Assistants (GPTs) — Want to bring AI into your business without losing your brand voice or human feel? I’ll build you a smart, branded assistant that saves time and keeps your audience engaged.

That’s it. Three services. All in my zone of genius. All designed to help you grow your business without burning out or selling your soul to the algorithm. I’m not trying to scale an empire. I’m not trying to be your full-service everything. I’m here to help small business owners market smarter, more soulfully, and with more intention in a world that’s already too loud.

Wrapping It Up

Growth isn’t always about getting bigger. Sometimes it’s about getting clearer. More focused. More aligned. That’s the season I’m in. And it feels really good.

So here’s to the solopreneur life. The intentional life. The do-less-but-do-it-better life. Thanks for riding this rollercoaster with me.

If you’re ready to simplify, strategize, and fall back in love with your business? I’m just a click away.

📲 Let’s work together