“Ugh, I cannot believe that I have to work three-and-a-half days next week.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized how ungrateful I sounded.
I was speaking to my mother, who is one of the biggest inspirations and most amazing entrepreneurs in my life. She is a large reason I am an entrepreneur myself. And, to be clear I LOVE what I do. It’s just that I happen to live way out in the country (yes, on purpose), and so in order to stream, attend large video meetings, or record podcasts, I drive almost an hour into town to reach my office. I don’t mind the drive most of the time, but doing it multiple days in a row gets kind of old.
So, most weeks, I’m super strategic. I can usually manage to pack my high-bandwidth meetings and podcasts into about one full day and one half day. I spend one additional half-day with my four, select, individual coaching clients. Those two days are what make up my week. Most weeks, it comes to less than eight hours of work per week. Many have told me I’m lucky to be able to work this schedule, and, despite my comment to my mom, I really am incredibly grateful.
However, I am not fond of the term “lucky” because I didn’t just happen to fall into this workflow. Nope. I much prefer “sexy.” I specifically designed all of my companies, of which I currently have five, from the bottom up in a way that would allow me to keep them going while working less than eight hours a week. Yes, of course I have an incredible team without whom it would not happen. All of them are in their element, doing what they love to do. Because I trust them to do what they do best, I have the freedom to show up and do what I love (mostly speaking and coaching on work-life alignment with business owners). Then, the rest of the time, I engage in a LOT of self-care and enjoy the two miniature humxns that make my world go round.
This level of freedom sounds pretty sexy, doesn’t it? That I can take months off at a time and can come back and pick up right where I left off can feel like a luxury even to me sometimes. But I know it isn’t; it’s essential to my health, my success, and achieving my purpose. Though it certainly takes focus and strategy, working this way is a possibility for literally anyone.
At the end of the day, the reality is there is only one of me, and that one just happens to have a disability. Because of it, I am incredibly careful about how much stress I put on my body and what I commit to long-term. Truly, the most responsible thing I can do for my companies, my clients, and my team is to make sure that I am the least-needed person out of everyone, that my thoughts, processes, teachings, knowledge, experience are all documented, ready to be freely accessed and monetized regardless of where I am or what I’m able to do. The smart thing to do is to make sure my companies can run without me.
The best benefit of all is that instead of trading my life for money, I am investing my most valuable assets – my knowledge and business resources – so they not only outlive me but so I can also expand and add value to my own life. Everyone wins.
Is my schedule sexy? What about my businesses? How about the freedom they deliver and the impact they make? If you want what I have, here’s how you get it: Get strategic, then work your @$$ off upfront to intentionally design companies that provide value without being dependent on you as the founder being there to deliver the product or service.
Call me lucky, or call my businesses and my schedule sexy, if you want. For me, it’s enough to know that when I lay my head down at night, my efforts have made a difference. Whether through my YouTube Channel, my online courses, or just ABP’s private Difference-Makers Facebook group, every connection takes me closer towards my goal of reaching millions with the message of work-life alignment.
So go on with your sexy self. Design a company that works for you, not the other way around. Then go make the world a better place.
