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The Self-Led CEO: a FREE 5-day Workshop May 18th - 22nd for business founders who think, behave and lead like a CEO.
Go here to enroll: https://www.carozuleta.com/10x
Episode Summary
A mentor once told me that if you are working more than 40 hours a week, you do not have a time problem, you have a leadership problem. In this episode I get into why your calendar is actually a mirror reflecting your current level of leadership, how many decisions still run through you, and how much of your business still depends on your personal capacity.
Drawing from Dan Sullivan's and Benjamin Hardy's ,10X Is Easier Than 2X I explore the difference between a 2X mindset that asks, "How do I do more?" and a 10X mindset that asks, "What can I remove, delegate, or upgrade?" I also introduce the concept of over-functioning, which is the pattern most visionary CEOs fall into without realizing it, and the identity work required to lead at a higher level without giving your business every waking hour.
This episode is the philosophy behind my brand new free mini course, The Self-Led CEO, which starts Monday.
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Episode Summary
I have a theory that may sound a bit harsh... but stick with me. Most of the time, difficult clients are a symptom of bad leadership. Yes, hard people exist in the world. Yes, some clients will push every boundary you have. But when I peek behind the curtain of a business that's drowning in difficult client situations, I almost always find the same three things missing. In this episode, I walk through what those three things are and how to start rebuilding them. If you've been resenting your clients lately, or if you've been tolerating misalignment because you're scared the next client won't come, this one is for you.
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If this episode was helpful, please leave a rating and follow the show. It helps other founders find the podcast and allows us to keep creating this content for free.
Episode Summary
This episode is more personal than most. I sat down to share what I've learned about being a mom while running a business. This episode is a lot about how carefully I've thought about how to design a life where parenting and a career can exist without one constantly losing to the other. If you're a parent who works, or someone trying to build a life where ambition and love for the people closest to you don't have to compete, this one is for you.
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Episode Summary
So many of my conversations with high level executives are about their disdain for their work. One told me he goes to the office every day to breathe toxic air. That's what prompted this episode.
Research from the National Association for the Self-Employed shows employees of smaller businesses report higher satisfaction than those at larger corporations, but only by about 11 points, which tells me there's still a lot of room for smaller businesses to do better. And the biggest lever for that sits with the founder.
In this episode, I move past the usual conversation about "happy employees" and make the case for something more durable, which is engagement. I walk through the three categories of reactive tendencies we all carry into leadership, the ones we developed as kids to keep ourselves safe, and how the overuse of those tendencies quietly erodes trust, culture, and performance inside small businesses. If you've ever wondered why your team isn't following through, why the same patterns keep surfacing no matter who you hire, or why you feel resistance to the harder parts of leading, this episode is for you.
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If you're interested in taking your leadership to the next level, I invite you to book a free hour call with me by going to carozuleta.com/consult.
And if you're enjoying this content, please take two seconds to rate the podcast. It helps other founders find the show and allows us to keep creating this content for free.
Learn more at carozuleta.com
Episode Summary
In part one of this series, I made the case that time management starts with your values and goals. This week, we get into why, when you know exactly what should be on your calendar, your brain fights you when it is time to do the work. In this episode, I break down what I call the mathematical problem of managing your time and the order in which things should land in your calendar. We also cover the emotional side of execution, the inner battle between your amygdala and your prefrontal cortex, and why every productivity system eventually runs into the same wall of discomfort.
I share the framing I learned during one of my coaching certifications, a story about my mother that has stayed with me for decades, and the relationship between following through on your word and the trust you build with yourself. If part one helped you see what to put on your calendar, this episode is about how to execute on what's in there.
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If this episode resonated, please leave a rating and follow the show. It helps other founders find the podcast and allows us to keep creating this content for free.
In this episode, the first of a two-part series, I make the case that the challenge with time management starts with a lack of clarity around your goals, values, zone of genius, and what is actually essential in your business. I walk through the four areas that need to come first, the trade-offs founders avoid making until exhaustion forces their hand, and the common beliefs I see running underneath chaotic calendars. I also share why your calendar is a direct reflection of what you believe about yourself, your team, and your business, and what to start examining if the same patterns keep showing up no matter how many productivity systems you try. Part two will go deeper into the daily prioritization and the emotional side of execution.
Book a free consultation: https://calendly.com/carolinazuleta/1hr-complimentary
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If this episode resonated, please leave a rating and follow the show. It helps other founders find the podcast and allows us to keep creating this content for free.
Coming Next Week
Part two of the time management series, where I get into the daily prioritization tactics and the emotional challenge that makes execution so much harder than planning.
Episode Summary
Years after starting my coaching business, I met a woman who had launched hers around the same time. Her revenue was $10 million a year and mine wasn't even close. My first instinct was to feel like I was failing, especially because on paper, my resume was stronger. In this episode, I walk through the honest assessment I did of our differences, what it revealed about the choices I had made and why I ultimately hired her as my mentor.
If you've ever looked at a competitor, a peer, or even an old friend and felt the weight of being behind, this episode offers a different way to process that feeling without letting it sink your ship.
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Episode Summary
I've wanted to record this episode for a long time. If you and I were sitting at a coffee shop and you asked me what I do and why I love it, this is the conversation we'd have...
I share the full story of how I went from working in private wealth management at Morgan Stanley to discovering coaching through a conversation with my boss in 2008. I break down the differences between therapy, mentorship, and coaching, including what makes each one valuable and when each one applies. We explore the three most common reasons founders resist hiring a coach, why high performers in particular tend to talk themselves out of it, and the cost of staying where you are. I also share client stories that illustrate what coaching looks like in practice. If you've ever been curious about coaching or wondered whether it's worth the investment, this episode is for you.
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Episode Summary
One of my all star clients recently told me that the thought "I'm not good enough" had been floating around a lot in her head lately. It served as another reminder these thoughts are a part of being human. They show up in all of us, especially for those who have big ambitions. In this episode, we explore the inner critic, what it is and how to build a more productive relationship with it.
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Subscribe & Review: If this episode was helpful, please drop a rating and give us a follow. Your support helps other entrepreneurs discover the show and enables us to continue creating this free content.
The Visionary Mindset Group Program for early stage entrepreneurs is open for enrollment!
If your business' growth right now doesn't match what you know you're capable of, you're feeling stuck or plateaued, book a free call with me to see if this program is your ticket to scaling:
https://calendly.com/carolinazuleta/visionary
EPISODE SUMMARY
Most of us have an, I'll say, interesting relationship with money. The beliefs we've adopted over the years determine our thoughts and our thoughts create stories. Those stories then compel how we behave.
With respect to money, our beliefs will influence what we charge, how we spend and whether we even look at the numbers at all.
When was the last time you took a thorough, comprehensive look at every dollar coming in or going out of your business? I'm genuinely curious. If the answer isn't something you're proud to admit, you actually belong to the majority of founders who are reluctant to give their finances a hard look.
It's been my experience that early-stage entrepreneurs, or most of them, prefer to ballpark the figures, delegate them or even turn a blind eye.
I'll give you an example. Anna, a business owner who joined my group program (The Visionary Mindset Program), shared that after she makes payroll, there's was hardly enough left over to pay herself. If you subtracted her own salary, the business had never actually been profitable. In this episode, I share Anna's full transformation through the Visionary Mindset Program, from the moment she realized she hadn't looked at her own numbers in years, to the pricing breakthrough that changed the caliber of clients walking through her door. I also get personal about my own relationship with money, including the investment I put on a credit card years ago that has paid back a thousand times over. If you've been feeling stuck in your business or avoiding your finances, this one will hit close to home. The doors to the Visionary Mindset Program close early next week, with our kickoff on March 19th.
Key Takeaways:
Why Profitable Businesses Still Leave Founders Broke:
Your Relationship with Money Is Running Your Business:
Pricing Is an Emotional Decision:
Why Community Changes Everything:
The Case for Investing Before You're Ready:
Memorable Quotes:
"When you experience shame, that's when you get the most stuck. If you're able to overcome shame by being in a group of people who share your experience, who aren't making a judgment about your character or your capability, that healing is super powerful."
"The most beautiful thing about coaching is that whatever you invest here, you're gonna benefit from what you learned for the rest of your life."
If you're growth doesn't reflect your skillset and ambition, I invite you to consider VMP, book a free one-hour consultation before doors close the week of March 16th! Go here to access my calendar: https://calendly.com/carolinazuleta/visionary
Resources Mentioned:
The Visionary Mindset Program (6-month group coaching program for founders)
Connect with Carolina:
Subscribe & Review:
If this episode was helpful, please drop a rating and give us a follow. Your support helps other entrepreneurs discover the show and enables us to continue creating this free content.
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