How CEO Week Can Help You Attract Clients and Save Time
Aug 02, 2024
If you're new around here, our CEO Week Framework is the secret sauce that helped me build a 7-figure business model in just 8 hours a week while working full-time. This strategy for entrepreneurship became a 5-day challenge in 2021, where I teach you how to create and implement it. To date, over 3,000 people have taken the challenge!
If you haven't taken the original version, I recommend that you do! But keep reading because this blog series is dedicated to designing your dream schedule.
The Three Shifts to Bring Your Dream to Life
Each week on the blog, I'll walk you through three shifts you can make to bring your dream to life. Once you make these shifts, you will be able to:
1. Know exactly what to work on in your business to move the needle forward and make an impact and an income.
2. Attract the right customers through channels that make sense for you (posting on IG is not a business strategy).
3. Have a schedule where you can prioritize what is most important, whether it's business, family, or life.
The goal is to create a long-term plan that supports your vision so you aren't burning out at the end of every day, and have the energy to grow and scale the way you have always dreamed of.
Shift #1: Find Your Focus
In last week's blog post, we covered how to find your focus by implementing a CEO Day that actually works, not a fluffy get-your-nails-done and massage day (although you can do that too!). This CEO Day is the cornerstone of our business growth strategy framework.
Shift #2: Instagram Is Not a Business Strategy
You knew this was going to be a topic, right? Here's what most people do when they try to scale their business:
- Spend a lot of time scrolling, looking for answers (guilty of this one!).
- Base their entire business on their next post or story (but wait, no one purchased. I only got five likes).
- Have no other way to build authority (feel overwhelmed and don't know where else to go. Everyone else is posting, so should I). Maybe I should just boost a post and it will work (then you spend more money).
- All free time goes to social media (instant time suck).
The first step to busting this myth is knowing that not every week is the same in your business. In the previous blog post, we chatted about what "phase" your business is in. Are you working on attracting new potential clients? Are you working on sales? Are you nurturing current clients? The CEO Week Framework focuses on picking ONE goal for the week, and then your strategy follows.
As a small business strategist, I emphasize the importance of understanding the distinction between business strategy vs brand strategy. While both are crucial, our focus here is on creating actionable business strategies that drive results.
When you think about your strategy to ultimately attract new clients and make more sales, ask yourself these questions:
- Look at metrics and re-use what worked well.
- Ask for feedback; what do your testimonials say?
- What do you enjoy sharing?
- What are your CTAs? What are you eventually going to ask for?
The goal is to have data to support what is working and what you like to do, and then create a strategic plan based on your goal. We are setting the goal and then working backward on how to do it.
Implementing Theme Days
If you are still with me, you might be asking, well, how do I actually implement it? Introducing THEME DAYS.
We chatted last week about your CEO Day, which is theme day #1. (Remember, a theme day can simply be one hour of focus, not an entire day).
Use CEO Day to plan it and dream it.
Then we create additional theme days to actually do it.
Introducing a new private podcast series that’s just for you if you’re sick of all the Instagram BS! (or insert social channel of your choice). You can build a business without being a slave to the social engine. Grab the free series.
Content Day: Make Your Message Clear + Copy Repurposing
In most cases, I usually have two content days in a week. A writing day (which again could be an hour or two, not an entire day) and then an implementation day, which is where we add in the tech, scheduling, graphics, etc. I have found when you do them both at the same time, it can be overwhelming.
But in this very simple example, you can see how theme days can save you SO much time and focus. We have very strategically laid out how to plan your strategy and time to actually work on your content.
Ideas for Content Day Include:
- Repurpose: How can your content be shared in more than one place?
- Visibility: Podcast. Press. Live events. Guest speaker.
- Community: Remember that 80/20 rule? How can you engage with your community more? Be an active member of the groups you are a part of.
- Accountability: Repeat this schedule every week. Consistency trumps talent. I guarantee that by following this schedule for just one week, you feel so much more accomplished and see results (remember, we have over 3,000 case studies!).
This blog post and this one go through our entire content strategy and what I do on these days. But your homework is to create your content day for this week (or two) and stick to it.
Another View of the Impact of This Theme Day Method
I will not tell you that this before and after did not take work because I have mentioned before that I have not missed a CEO Week in four years. This means every single day, I have a theme for what I am working on in my business.
Some days I work an hour; other days I work more, but the base is always the same.
Because the themes are strategic in building a business, they work to help you grow and scale on your terms.
My monthly income currently is 2X my corporate salary. That's a 22-year career. I am not sharing the number to brag but to show it works because you are focused and consistent. And if someone told me themes would change my life, I am not sure I would believe it could be that simple.
I am following the same themes today, just on a larger scale, so the method grows with you. While the focus today was content and content planning, think about the themes that make sense for your week (hint, that is what we will be covering next week) and how having a simple focus can create your dream schedule.
The Power of CEO Week
Imagine waking up on Monday with a clear plan, knowing exactly what to work on to move the needle in your business, all while prioritizing family and personal time. That's the power of CEO Week.
But let's be honest, implementing a new framework can be daunting. That's why I created the Crush the Rush Club. It's a supportive community where we don't just talk about CEO Week, we actually do it together. We share struggles, celebrate wins, and hold each other accountable. Plus, you get access to me and my team to answer your questions every step of the way.
This is your chance to finally design that dream schedule and build a business that fits your life, not the other way around.
Don't miss out – join us! It's the perfect season to prioritize both your CEO goals and your family. See you inside! And make sure to pop back next week for Part 3 of our CEO Week Live Series.
By embracing a strategic approach to your business, you can leave the hustle behind and focus on what truly matters. This method not only boosts productivity but also ensures you enjoy the journey of entrepreneurship. Whether you're exploring strategy and entrepreneurship or seeking a small business strategist's insights, the CEO Week Framework provides a clear path to achieving your goals.
If you want more detailed steps and examples, check out our marketing strategies for small businesses. This guide complements the strategies discussed here, offering actionable tips to enhance your business growth strategy framework.
Stay tuned for next week's post, where we'll dive into more themes that are fun to implement and help you scale efficiently!
Looking for more tips? Check out our Crush the Rush Club!
About the author
Holly Haynes is a business strategist who loves a good plan and flow chart. She is crazy passionate about teaching women like you how to build your dream job and scale to 6-figures without sacrificing your weekends or priorities.
Connect With Holly:
