FCB #012: Reclaim Your Time

This is the most important post I'll ever write.

Please read this carefully, to the very end.

You should actually read it two times.

This could very well change your life.

First, ...the Cashflow Quadrant.

Next, ...what to do with it.....

How to reclaim your time!

First: Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant

In this book, Robert Kiyosaki introduces the concept of the Cashflow Quadrant, which categorizes people into four different quadrants based on how they generate income.

If you truly desire financial and time freedom, you would be wise to learn and apply this concept in your work life.

Here are the four quadrants and their key takeaways:

Employee (E):

This quadrant represents individuals who work for someone else and receive a paycheck in return for their time and effort. Key takeaways from this quadrant include:

• Job Security: Employees often value the stability and predictability of a regular paycheck, but they may be more susceptible to economic downturns or layoffs.
• Limited Control: Employees have limited control over their income, promotions, and working conditions, as they are subject to the decisions and policies of their employers.
• Active Income: Employees typically earn active income, where their income is directly tied to their time and effort.

Self-Employed (S):

This quadrant represents individuals who own and operate their own businesses. They may be sole proprietors, freelancers, or professionals providing specialized services. Key takeaways from this quadrant include:

• Independence: Self-employed individuals have more control over their work, schedule, and business decisions compared to employees.
• Risk & Responsibility: Self-employed individuals carry the burden of managing their businesses, finding clients or customers, and ensuring the success of their ventures.
• Active Income: Like employees, self-employed individuals often earn active income, where their income is directly tied to their own efforts.

Business Owner (B):

This quadrant represents individuals who own and operate businesses that can operate independently of their personal involvement. Key takeaways from this quadrant include:

• Leveraging Systems & People: Business owners focus on building systems and teams to run their businesses, enabling them to generate income without being directly involved in day-to-day operations.
• Passive & Leveraged Income: Successful business owners can create passive income streams by having their businesses generate income even when they are not actively working.
• Asset Building: Business owners aim to build valuable and scalable assets that can generate long-term wealth and financial freedom.

Investor (I):

This quadrant represents individuals who use their money to invest in assets that generate income. Key takeaways from this quadrant include:

• Making Money Work For You: Investors focus on growing their wealth through strategic investments, such as stocks, real estate, or businesses.
• Passive Income & Capital Appreciation: Investors aim to generate passive income from their investments and benefit from the potential appreciation of their assets over time.
• Financial Intelligence: Successful investors develop a strong understanding of different investment vehicles and strategies to make informed decisions and mitigate risks.

The key message of the Cashflow Quadrant is that transitioning from the left side (E and S) to the right side (B and I) can offer greater financial freedom, time freedom, and wealth-building opportunities.

The author emphasizes the importance of acquiring financial education, developing business and investment skills, and actively seeking opportunities to generate passive income in order to achieve financial independence.

Next: What to Do With It

Here's where it gets a bit tricky.

E Quadrant

Society trains us to go to school, get a good job, and retire after 40 years.

That's the E Quadrant, and it just doesn't work very good anymore.

It's almost impossible to gain financial freedom working a J.O.B.

S Quadrant

So, a lot of people jump ship and go into business for themselves.

That's S Quadrant, and it's usually worse than the E Quadrant.

Self-employeds work horendous hours with still no money!

B Quadrant

Done wrong, the B Quadrant can be even worse than E and S Quadrants.

That's when the owner tries to do all the jobs in the business themself.

Done right, the business provides time and financial freedsom.

But there's a catch! The owner has to think like a CEO.

Like an entrepreneur. Like Gates, or Jobs, or Musk.

[Note: If you don't get the B Quadrant right, you'll never get to the I Quadrant, so we'll save our discussion of the Investor Quadrant for another article!]

So, what do you need to do about it?

Build Systems & Teams to Run Them

The Problem

Society trains the masses to think like either Employees or Self-Employeds.

Working for someone else or working for themselves.

Society doesn't teach people how to be entrepreneurs.

Society doesn't teach you how to build a True Business.

A True Business is systemized with people that operate the systems.

Society doesn't teach you how to build and leverage systems and teams.

Business owners in denial try to wear all the hats and never build any systems.

They can't quite figure out how they got on this hamster wheel or how to get off it.

The Solution

• Content Creators: Stop trying to do everything yourself. Writing content, making connections, building websites & landing pages. STOP IT! Figure out a way to document these processes and figure out a way to hire someone else who is better than you to do these things for you!
• Business Owners: Stop trying to do everything yourself. Writing appraisal reports, bidding on RFPs, doing email marketing & banking. STOP IT! Figure out a way to document these processes and figure out a way to hire someone else who is better than you to do these things for you!
• Entrepreneurs: You're fine. Keep doing what you're doing. You know all this stuff and are doing it out of the gate. That's why you raised venture capital in the first place. So you could hire people who are better than you to do all this business stuff.

Conclusion

You see me write and talk about this topic repeatedly. Why?

Because it's so important for you to really "get this!"

I've started a new business in the B Quadrant.

I've hired a website designer and developer.

I'm hiring a ghost writer and copy editor.

I'm hiring an email marketing expert.

I'm hiring an online course guru.

I'm hiring a virtual assistant.

Read this post two times.

It can change your life.

Call me for help.

I truly care.

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Founder Coaching Program - If you’re looking for individual coaching, I’d recommend my 1:1 Founder Coaching Program: ten 60- to 90-minute Zoom meetings to be used within 6 months of starting with me. We'll teach you how to systemize, hire A Players, and delegate so you don't have to keep doing all this sh*t yourself!

2. Strategic Planning Facilitation - If you’re looking for group coaching, I’d suggest you first bring me in to facilitate a 2-plus-day Strategic Planning Retreat, with post-retreat help for you and your Leadership Team on implementing our proven Founder Operating System (FOS) into your business.

3. Weekly Founder Coffee Break Newsletter - If you or your people want to learn how to build and leverage systems and teams to run them, consider subscribing to my weekly LinkedIn newsletter. I share practical guidance to help you systemize, improve, and grow your business.