The Remote CEO Show

Why do you want to do everything yourself?

One of the things I find myself repeating most often to my coaching clients is the fact that they don't need to do everything themselves.

Why is it so hard to remember??? Well... I know why. It's because most of us still believe that being busy = being productive.

I can't stress this enough. If you spent 10 hours working on a spreadsheet when you could have delegated that task to a VA, you are the opposite of productive!!!

Some people will tell me, "Deniero, I have no money to hire a VA."

My answer to that point is, "you can always make more money, but you can't get your time back."

If you really can't afford a couple of hundred dollars a month to hire a part-time VA at this moment, at least start with mastering all the automation software that's out there!

Most tools out there have entry-level free plans, and they will save you hours every week!

These will really change your life in 3 months. There are a ton of different habits you can start, but if you start with these, everything else will fall into place. Before I started journaling, I was on autopilot, but I didn't have a clear direction. I was just reacting to what was happening to me. When I picked up the pen for the first time, I started writing about my goals and aspirations, but also about the things that were slowing me down (small addictions and other bad habits). Within a few months, I was able to organize my thoughts and aspirations. I decided to relocate to Europe and start a new life there with my wife (and we made it happen!) Planning your weeks and days is a natural extension of journaling because you kinda have to take your big picture goals and plans and break them down into bite-sized actions you can complete. Then networking is a game-changing activity that most people forget about because we tend to think that we can do everything on our own. The reality is that the more you bounce ideas off like-minded people, the more you will see yourself as a successful person. Your plans will be clear, and you will feel more confident. Also, all millionaires know the importance of protecting their time. Every time they can automate or delegate something, they will do it. That means that every time you do something more than once, you should be at least asking yourself: "can anything else or anyone else do this instead.

In this episode of The Remote CEO Show, I had the pleasure to interview Michael Chabala. Michael is a former Major League Soccer Player. He’s played with teams like Portland Timbers, D.C. United and Houston Dynamo. After his MLS career, he became an entrepreneur and he founded Sphere, which is a soccer-inspired fitness club.

1. If you want to quickly set yourself apart in life, you should make it your first priority to read lots of really good books. If you spend 1–2 hours per morning reading, you’d read 50–100 books per year. Do this for 5–10 years, and as they say, you’ll become an ‘overnight success. Start with just 15 minutes a day and build up from there. You won't regret it!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀2. Meditation is about becoming one with your mind and learning something about yourself that you may not have known before you undertook the practice of meditation. Your practice can be as long or as short as you would like, but try to take the time to meditate every day.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀3. Set up a Pomodoro timer and test your concentration levels. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀4. Don’t multitask. Work on one task at a time. Multitasking is a myth and trying to do it only splits your focus.

News flash: reporters are people too...⠀⠀I know it seems obvious, but a ton of people have no idea how to get press coverage for their business.⠀⠀If that is you... think about a few different ways you can "repackage" your business with an inspiring story that readers would like.⠀⠀Once you have that covered, it's time to do some research and find out who's writing awesome content in your niche.⠀⠀If you're in business, you may be looking at Forbes, Adweek, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, etc. If you are in other niches, do your research and single out a series of publications.⠀⠀Now it's time to build relationships... Yes!!! Stop being "comfortable" and get out of your bubble!!! Talk to people, comment on their articles, add value in any way you can...⠀⠀This is going to help you when you are ready to pitch your story!!!⠀⠀That's it!!! Don't overthink it!

I sounded like a robot...⠀⠀Yes, I had a script I had to read from, but still. I really wonder why some people never hung up the phone on me.⠀⠀I was in inside sales, cold calling about 75 people a day. It was a stressful job, but if I only knew what I know now, I would have made money a lot faster.⠀⠀Sales is about finding your voice. That excited voice that can't wait to help the prospect. When you find it, you'll sound like your product is the only solution to your client's problems.⠀You gotta practice a lot, though... This is not something that happens overnight. You have to make a ton of mistakes and yes... Sometimes you will sound stupid... but that happens every time that you try to master a new craft... Can you imagine if a surfer didn't want to fall during practice???⠀⠀Roleplay every single day with your team (or join our role playgroup on Facebook). Have an open mind and be open to constructive feedback.⠀Once you get good, sales will actually be fun!

Do you respect your time?

If you do, you'd realize how much time you're likely wasting on menial tasks that can be easily executed by software.⠀ ⠀

A study showed that 72% of workers (it includes business owners) feel like they work too much. But one of the first things I do with my clients when we start our coaching program is to automate all the repetitive and dull tasks.⠀ ⠀

One of my clients was spending about 50 minutes a day cleaning their email inbox, 30 minutes posting on social media, and just as much copying and pasting data from emails to spreadsheets.⠀ ⠀

After a week of implementing the automation, we were able to shave off over almost two full hours off his workday. That's 9 hours a week!!!⠀ ⠀

When you feel overwhelmed, take a step back and ask yourself, can anyone else or anything else do this job for me?⠀ ⠀

This simple question can save you time and stress!

A few years ago, I was future blind. I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. Then I came across a few books that changed my life, and I was able to visualize almost everything that I wanted. Sure enough, within months, I started experiencing some of the things I had planned for myself.⠀ ⠀

Can you imagine yourself in a few years? How do you look like? Where do you live? What do you do? Who's beside you?⠀ ⠀

The more detailed your visualizations are, the more your mind will shift to accommodate the new version of yourself. I know it sounds crazy... but if you think about it, everything that humankind has created came from a thought first.⠀ ⠀

Don't underestimate the power of visualization. Even if you don't believe in it now, why don't you just give it a try for a couple of months?⠀ ⠀

You have nothing to lose and the life of your dreams to gain...

In this episode of The Remote CEO Show, I had the pleasure to interview Susan Hamilton Meier. Susan is a brand strategist and visual artist and the founder of Susan Meier Studio. Susan has designed a set of processes and tools that get teams to problem-solve more creatively. Today we’ll be talking about creativity, how to unlock creativity, how to use it to thrive in the business world.

Why do I get twice as much done when I finish work at 2 pm instead of 8 pm?⠀ I asked myself this question a lot, and the reason is simple.⠀ ⠀

 

When I am done work at 2, it means that I wake up much earlier than usual, and I can work on the hardest tasks when my mental focus is at its peak.⠀ ⠀

 

The funny thing is that the night before waking up early, I spend time planning my day and cleaning my workstation.⠀ ⠀ All these things seem to be so insignificant, but they are the basis for your best work.⠀

 

My clients hate me when I "force them" to wake up before 5 am, but after a few days, they come back, and they thank me for giving them that push.⠀ ⠀

 

The hard question to answer is: "Would you rather wake up at five am and work 6 hours a day, or wake up at seven and work 10 hours a day?"