The SLOW CEO Strategy for Small Business Success
Aug 14, 2024
This blog post wasn’t planned, this title isn’t SEO friendly, but I wanted to share this as it develops in real time.
Last week, I had on my calendar to write our Friday newsletter. If you're part of any of our communities, you know I call this your “personal” email strategy update. Every Friday, I share a personal story, updates from our community, and things I love. As I was writing it, I kept thinking about how different my life is now compared to four years ago. How do I even start to share what I’m going through right now? I do try to make it super personal.
When I worked in corporate, I had a good friend I worked closely with, and we had matching pillows with the saying “Everyday I’m Hustlin’.” It was a playful way to say, “I’m busy, but also super proud of it.” I was raised on the mantra, "work hard and it will work out." The more work you do, the more successful you will be, and your worth is tied up in what you do for a living.
Today, I couldn’t be further from this.
Part of this realization struck me when we were in Europe. People there introduce themselves and start conversations without mentioning what they do for a living. In America, we are so wrapped up in titles and what we do every day. I still joke that our neighbors look at my husband and me like we’re crazy because we’re both home. When we have our retreat here in a few months, they’ll probably wonder what actually happens in our house!
Shifting to a SLOW CEO Mindset
I got to thinking, what if “slow” was a good word? Now, granted, at the time I was writing this, July is typically a slow season for most businesses, but what if that wasn’t a bad thing?
Instead of jumping into the mindset of working more, I decided to be more mindful of my time. This summer, I averaged about 4-6 hours of work per week. Going into the fall season, it will go back up to 8-15 hours, BUT here’s what I have in place:
- One week a month with no meetings.
- One week a quarter, I take a full vacation.
- Every weekend, I log off social media.
- Every day, I do something for myself for at least one hour.
To be honest, it sounds awesome on paper, but when it really happens, it’s everything from magical to weird and awkward. It really forces you to be comfortable with asking yourself the question, what do you REALLY want to create? What do you REALLY want to be doing?
Rediscovering Joy and Prioritizing Fun
This summer was about rediscovering joy and bringing it back to my business. We took vacations, had movie nights, and enjoyed endless naps. We read, chilled, and embraced the SLOW CEO Era. Here’s the crazy part: the work didn’t stop; it just got reprioritized. Here’s what happened behind the scenes:
- Revamped our membership with a fun makeover (thanks to a client survey!).
- Planned Q3 launches and content so the fun continues (planning = goals and dates, not a finished product).
- Poured our hearts into amazing mastermind and 1:1 clients (my favorite!).
- Launched a Christmas in July campaign (those emails were a blast!).
- Embraced my #antisocial plan (think: speaking engagements, networking, and community building).
- Booked two more vacations (my love language!).
- In between, there was basement cleaning, recipe testing, dahlia growing, chalk masterpieces, finally putting my health first, walking a lot, therapy, and endless friend connections.
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The Power of Slow for Business Growth
I wrote an email about this a few weeks ago, but I felt it important to share. My biggest business moves don’t come from more work. They come from more fun, more creativity, and more slowness. Slow is a good word, and I had to change my guilt around using it.
It’s OK to be SLOW and just consistently do what you truly enjoy. As a small business strategist, embracing a slower pace can help you focus on the essential aspects of your business growth strategy framework. Instead of hustling non-stop, prioritize activities that genuinely bring joy and fulfillment, which in turn will enhance your overall productivity and creativity.
Embracing the SLOW CEO Era
I am curious. How does this concept of a SLOW CEO resonate with you? Need help figuring out what this is for your business? Shoot me a DM, and let’s chat. Trust me, I didn’t think this was possible either!
You can have both. Let’s redefine what being a CEO means, shall we? Embrace the SLOW CEO Era and see how it can transform your approach to strategy and entrepreneurship.
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.
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