The CEO Help Desk from Run Like Clockwork

The most important question you need to be thinking about right now:

What is your opportunity?

Continuing to do everything in your business is … EXPENSIVE.

Efficiency is all about understanding how to use your resources (time, money, labor, etc.) more effectively so that you can use LESS and get the SAME or BETTER results.

That's no longer a luxury, that's essential to stay in business over the next 3-12 months.

You need to be looking at your business with a critical eye and clarifying where you can cut back without losing revenue. This will help you increase your profit margins and overtime can increase revenue overall as you divert the resources you ARE using into the right places.

That's efficiency. That's clockworking.

NOW is the time to be fixing the cracks in your foundation so that you can make it through this + be even stronger on the other side of it.

On this week's Run Like Clockwork episode (taken from a live training + Q+A session), I share 5 tips for being EFFICIENT during these uncertain times + market:

1. Use you data/metrics.
2. Create a plan.
3. Trash, trim + transfer things off your plate.
4. Stop multitasking.
5. Take some downtime.

I explained these tips in more depth on this livestream as well as took questions from small business owners just like you.

I answered questions like…

• Should I stop making investments in my business right now?
• What should I do if I have an upcoming promotion? Should we continue to sell?
• Are certain industries seeing more of a "slow-down" than others right now?
• How can I serve my audience + community more?
• I had to send my team home, and can't keep up with business, how do I communicate with my clients?
• Why we're still enrolling for our RLC Accelerator program.
• What's your best advice for a small business owner in danger of shutting down?
• + more!

If you have questions not addressed on this episode, drop your questions over on Instagram @rlclockwork and we will either answer them there or in an upcoming episode.

Reminder: none of us predicted this, and none of us have experienced anything like it, but we get to choose how we're going to react and respond as a business owner to it all. It's our responsibility to keep our businesses' afloat through this challenging time, and I believe you can do it.

Experiences like this form the foundation of our strength.

If you're interested in receiving our support with creating more efficiency in your business right now, we've just opened up an extended 12 part payment plan for our Run Like Clockwork Accelerator program. This is the best way for us to support you in becoming ultra-efficient in this uncertain economy. Our highest priority is to help keep as many small business owners in business through this challenging time. Our April cohort starts Monday, March 30th, 2020!

Guess who's back?! Back again!

Yasssss! I'm back and had a delicious, completely unplugged 4-week Bae-cation (when you take time off to have/take care of your baby ;) ). Not only did I NOT check in even once (often tempting), the Run Like Clockwork team took the business through cart close, onboarding and serving new Accelerator students, and hiring + onboarding a new team member. I guess you could say the business + team ran like clockwork. :D

Today on the Run Like Clockwork Podcast, I'm back along with the entire RLC team to share our biggest takeaways and wins during my 4-week bae-cation as well as ask me questions about how my role will look moving forward as I still nurture a tiny human + lead the Clockwork company.

Get ultra-efficient with us! I'll be hosting a FREE training next Tuesday, March 24th at 4 pm ET: I'll be showing you how to use our ultimate efficiency tool for your business -- your Queen Bee Role -- and if you do nothing else during this uncertain time -- implement THIS for more efficiency! You can sign up here.

DITCH the job titles. I know, it sounds radical and can feel rebellious, but trust us on this one - it's the thing to do!

When you shift from job titles and degree labels and instead focus on strengths - GAME CHANGER.

You've probably had many job titles in your life and likely have a degree (or two). But what do you really do? What are you really great at? What is the common thread between all your titles? THAT is your strength.

It's the same thing when hiring. When you hire for strengths, you get the best of your team member. And major perk? They tend to love working in your company lightyears more because they're working in their zone of genius, doing what they love most. Win win!

In this episode of the Run Like Clockwork Podcast, Emily shares:

• How we write job descriptions and hire based on strengths
• The benefits of "User Manuals" for your team
• Personality tests we use as a team
• How to cultivate team communication around strengths

What do you look for when hiring? Connect with us over on Instagram and let us know any of your best hiring practices! (@rlclockwork)

Pop over here to grab our free Clockwork Quickstart Guide + free training that will help you as you start clockworking your business: runlikeclockwork.com/quickstart

Subscribe, rate + review this podcast so that more entrepreneurs can benefit from the power of clockworking their business!

We often hear that people think clockworking is going to be too hard // too time consuming // too much change // no one else can do it like I can // insert whatever excuse here.

You can either have excuses or you can have success.

In this Team Takeover episode of the Run Like Clockwork Podcast, Emily is here to dispel the most common falsehoods about Clockworking. This is what we wish you knew about Clockwork from the inside of a business that IS clockworked, and WASN'T a year ago.

Clockwork myths dispelled today:

• It's too time consuming
• It's too hard
• It's too much change (my team will rebel)
• It won't work for my business
• No one can do it like me
• I don't want to take a 4 week vacation

I hope that addressing these myths helped clear up some of your own questions. And if any of these questions resonated with you or sparked more, nuanced questions for your business specifically, you may want to consider joining our Run Like Clockwork Accelerator where we can answer all your questions and provide specific feedback to your business. Enrollment for our April cohort closes soon.

What's that saying "straight from the horse's mouth"?

That's what you get in this episode!

You're here because you know the value of designing a business that runs like clockwork and want to start or continue clockworking your business. Today you get to hear straight from the team's mouth 5 Top Tips to apply as you clockwork.

1. Be confident in your clockworking and do not turn your back on this decision.
2. Maintain open connection + conversations within your team.
3. Make it a habit (to dig deeper into habits, check out the Atomic Habits for Clockworking episode)
4. Cultivate a culture of efficiency, being open to creative ideas and having each other's backs.
5. Trust the process

Connect with us over on Instagram and let us know what other benefits you came up with of clockworking from your team members perspective! (@rlclockwork)

Pop over here to grab our free Clockwork Quickstart Guide + free training that will help you as you start clockworking your business: runlikeclockwork.com/quickstart

Subscribe, rate + review this podcast so that more entrepreneurs can benefit from the power of clockworking their business!

What’s that saying “straight from the horse’s mouth”?

That’s what you get in this episode!

You’re here because you know the value of designing a business that runs like clockwork and want to start or continue clockworking your business. Today you get to hear straight from the team’s mouth 5 Top Tips to apply as you clockwork.

1. Be confident in your clockworking and do not turn your back on this decision. 
2. Maintain open connection + conversations within your team.
3. Make it a habit (to dig deeper into habits, check out the Atomic Habits for Clockworking episode)
4. Cultivate a culture of efficiency, being open to creative ideas and having each other’s backs.
5. Trust the process 

Connect with us over on Instagram and let us know what other benefits you came up with of clockworking from your team members perspective! (@rlclockwork) 

Pop over here to grab our free Clockwork Quickstart Guide + free training that will help you as you start clockworking your business: runlikeclockwork.com/quickstart

Subscribe, rate + review this podcast so that more entrepreneurs can benefit from the power of clockworking their business!

We did it! Adrienne had her baby Kit and took her 4 week "vacation"...and Team RLC held down the fort! Phew!

On this special "Team Takeover" episode, Emily, Laurie and Erica share how the 4-week vacation went for the team.

The team shares WINS that happened on the backend:

• Hired Gabbi
• Closed a cart without Adrienne
• Enrolled new students
• Made big decisions on our own
• System Improvements & upgrades - team collaborations

What didn't go so well:

• Nothing major happened that couldn't be dealt with by us! -
• Minor: emailed to wrong list a couple of times but kicked us into gear that there is a system failure here to be fixed.
• Some strategy decisions just had to be made, with the realization that we might have to change things when she came back
• No access to permissions to update Clickup

Each team member shares their biggest learnings. Overall, BIGGEST lesson is that we truly are not creating oxygen, so it is ok to make a decision with the information we have and keep moving forward.

On a 4-week vacation you can expect problems. You're actually looking for problems because it gives you and your team clarity on what needs to be fixed when you return and gives your team a chance to flex their decision making muscles.

Does your 2020 business plan include a 4-week vacation (or do you want it to)? Not sure where to start clockworking your business + team to run itself when you step away? Great! Grab our Clockwork Quickstart Guide + Business Bottleneck training to get moving in the right direction.

We did it! Adrienne had her baby Kit and took her 4 week “vacation”...and Team RLC held down the fort! Phew!

On this special “Team Takeover” episode, Emily, Laurie and Erica share how the 4-week vacation went for the team. 

The team shares WINS that happened on the backend:

• Hired Gabbi
• Closed a cart without Adrienne
• Enrolled new students
• Made big decisions on our own
• System Improvements & upgrades - team collaborations

What didn’t go so well:

• Nothing major happened that couldn’t be dealt with by us! - 
• Minor: emailed to wrong list a couple of times but kicked us into gear that there is a system failure here to be fixed.
• Some strategy decisions just had to be made, with the realization that we might have to change things when she came back
• No access to permissions to update Clickup

Each team member shares their biggest learnings. Overall, BIGGEST lesson is that we truly are not creating oxygen, so it is ok to make a decision with the information we have and keep moving forward.

On a 4-week vacation you can expect problems. You’re actually looking for problems because it gives you and your team clarity on what needs to be fixed when you return and gives your team a chance to flex their decision making muscles.

Does your 2020 business plan include a 4-week vacation (or do you want it to)? Not sure where to start clockworking your business + team to run itself when you step away? Great! Grab our Clockwork Quickstart Guide + Business Bottleneck training to get moving in the right direction. 

The definition of "clockworking" is to design a business + team that runs itself. In order to do that, as the business owner, you need to empower your team to take responsibility for the outcome and anonymity in their decision-making.

On this episode of the Run Like Clockwork Podcast, Erica + Emily discuss 4 things to NOT to do to your team when clockworking your business:

What NOT to do:

1. Insert yourself into things you've already removed yourself from.
2. Believe that you are the only one that's capable of doing the job the best.
3. Don't completely disengage from the team
4. Expect your team to read your mind.

What TO DO:

1. Share the vision for team buy-in.
2. When you communicate the WHY, give context to the what.
3. Know & communicate what a WIN looks like.
4. Get your team input on the process.
5. Delegate the outcome, not the exact process you've always done things.

Ready to get started clockworking your team + business? Your first step is grabbing the Clockwork Quick-Start Guide that includes a bonus "Find Your Bottleneck" training.

The definition of “clockworking” is to design a business + team that runs itself. In order to do that, as the business owner, you need to empower your team to take responsibility for the outcome and anonymity in their decision-making.

On this episode of the Run Like Clockwork Podcast, Erica + Emily discuss 4 things to NOT to do to your team when clockworking your business:

What NOT to do:

1. Insert yourself into things you’ve already removed yourself from.
2. Believe that you are the only one that’s capable of doing the job the best.
3. Don’t completely disengage from the team
4. Expect your team to read your mind. 

What TO DO: 

1. Share the vision for team buy-in. 
2. When you communicate the WHY, give context to the what. 
3. Know & communicate what a WIN looks like. 
4. Get your team input on the process. 
5. Delegate the outcome, not the exact process you’ve always done things.

Ready to get started clockworking your team + business? Your first step is grabbing the Clockwork Quick-Start Guide that includes a bonus “Find Your Bottleneck” training.