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THREE STEPS BETWEEN YOU AND UNLOCKING PRODUCTIVITY
Last week, I stood in front of a room of entrepreneurs and presented on the topic of productivity. One was building a product to stop porch piracy. Another was raising money for an activewear brand. One ran a wastewater construction operation. Another had just launched a fragrance line. The list goes on.
Different industries. Different stages. Similar challenges related to increasing output and optimizing resources.
I didn't walk in with a tool recommendation or a framework to prescribe. Instead, I left the audience with a mental model. Something that can outlast a shiny new piece of software and provide a better foundation for increasing productivity going forward.
The chaotic hustle
Before going too far, there’s something important to name.
I don’t think I’ve met a founder in the past 12 years who hasn’t reached an inflection point (or multiple) during which they’ve managed 3+ roles within the company, handling all the fire drills and trying to grow the business simultaneously. It’s overwhelming. It’s hard. It doesn’t always feel…awesome.
So, if this is you and you feel defeated, it’s important to acknowledge two things:
You’re not alone.
This might actually be a signal of growth.
The processes, tools and habits that got you early traction were built for a different stage. They were scrappy by design. The circumstance outlined above is merely a signal it’s time to adapt and evolve.
Staying in this loop isn’t heroic. Don’t try to run through brick walls with the wrong infrastructure, pushing past the point those early systems were meant to hold.
The chaotic hustle has a shelf life. Recognizing that is the first move.
Don’t knee-jerk to the quick fix or “the tool”
When things feel slow or inefficient, the instinct is to quickly reach for a solution. Usually a tool. Sometimes a framework. Other times, throwing another body at the problem.
Time is precious.
You can’t waste it. You feel the impulse to act.
But most of the time, the tool is the wrong place to start. You’ll inadvertantly address only a symptom; not the root of the challenge.
Here’s how I often see this misdiagnosis surface:
"We need a better project management tool." What the actual problem may be: no one owns the work. 🔥 take: Giving everyone visibility into tasks no one is responsible for doesn't create accountability. It only makes the lack of accountability more organized.
"We need clearer goals." What the actual problem may be: there are too many priorities and no one has been willing to cut the list. 🔥 take: A better goal-setting framework won't help if leadership isn't ready to make the trade-off.
"We need to move faster." What the actual problem may be: the founder is the decision bottleneck. Everything requires their sign-off, explicitly or implicitly. 🔥 take: No tool magically speeds that up.
Does any of this sound familiar? If the answer is yes, stop, take a deep breath.
A quick fix feels like progress. But, you know what’s going to waste more time? Pushing down a solution before the real breakdown is firmly understood.
Read on. I’ll provide a three-step mental model that can help you move the needle more productively.
The three-step model I use instead
During the lunch-and-learn, I told the room the following: “I’ll never stand up in front of a founder or group and say, ‘here's the tool you should use for [use case].’ There’s not enough context.”
I’ve also seen enough over the years to know that one tool, framework or operating system works brilliantly in one organization and fails miserably in another. Instead, I recommended three steps to better understand what’s causing productivity gaps and how to solve for the breakdowns:
Step 1: The Gut Check. Big picture, reaffirm and get honest with yourself. What kind of business are you building? What game are you playing? In concrete terms, what does the business look like 12 months from now? Without this clarity, it will be hard to point in the right direction.
Step 2: The Reality Audit. Now that you’re grounded in the big picture, dig deeper into what’s causing inefficiencies. Where are the workflow choke points? Who owns the work? Where are you slowing down decision-making? What’s consuming time outside your zone of genius? This means getting honest about where time is going, how decisions stall out and when the team is waiting on you. The answers may surprise you. Another reason not to jump to the solution too fast.
Step 3: Uncover the Patterns. Only after the first two steps do we talk about solutions. Now, you have enough information to uncover patterns and pinpoint what needs to be solved. As you analyze solutions, think in three layers. Operating systems structure how you and the business run, frameworks shape thinking and drive decision-making and tools are the scaffolding that support execution (Note: tools are the third, bottom layer here).
Hopefully, you’re starting to see how these three steps become a forcing function to uncover the real challenge to overcome and get you beyond the surface-layer.
Implement. Then, be a good parent.
Once you’ve done the analysis, you’ve researched and put in motion productivity solutions, the message I’ll leave you with is: Be a good parent.
Being a good parent requires driving direction, serving as the role model and delivering constant reinforcement.
The same is true of integrating new systems, frameworks and tools. There’s no set it and forget it.
As the leader, you must:
Be decisive about the path.
Communicate the “why.”
Lead by example and show what good looks like.
Repeat. Reinforce. Repeat.
I used the analogy of potty training in the session. No parent does one day of potty training, and then magically their kid never has another accident.
You repeat the expectation.
You reinforce the habit.
You course-correct when things drift.
Then, one day, it all clicks because you stayed consistent long enough for it to become the new normal.
Where can you start?
If you’re not feeling at peak productivity, here are three actions to take in 30 days:
Run a diagnostic. Examine the workflows, talk to your team and analyze where you’re spending time. Document where things slow down. Be specific.
Stack rank by impact and effort. Which items, if addressed, would unlock the most? Which of those are the lowest-lift to fix? Pick 1-2 as your starting point.
Set the check-in: Mark your calendar for 30 days from now to stay accountable for your progress. Check in on what you did, how it worked and any early shifts you observed.
That is how you stop the spiral. Not by solving everything at once. Not trying tools until you feel restless. But, in taking an honest look at the inside and making consistent small moves that build on each other.
A peek into another entrepreneurial journey. The wins, challenges, pivots and lessons.
MEET HALEY BECKHAM-SHETTY, FOUNDER / PRINCIPAL DESIGNER OF BEX INTERIORS
Q: When did you know you were destined to build a business?
A: “Honestly, I think it was always in me. I grew up watching my dad build businesses. He was constantly pitching the most unhinged business ideas you’ve ever heard… and that energy stuck with me. I also learned pretty quickly that I was not an ideal student or employee. I never loved working for other people, mostly because I always found myself thinking, ‘Wait… I can do that.’ I liked solving problems, taking ownership, and carrying the weight. At the time, that definitely came with a little ego. Now that I run a business, I have a much healthier respect for how hard it actually is. What really confirmed it for me as a working adult was learning that I don’t just love the creative side of design, I love the creativity of business itself. Building systems, shaping an experience, finding smarter ways to solve problems, and making something work that didn’t before. That puzzle is just as energizing to me as the design work. So it wasn’t one big moment. It was more like a slow realization: I don’t just want to do the work, I want to build the thing that makes the work possible.“
Q: What’s the most unexpected thing (+/-) that’s happened along your entrepreneurial journey?
A: “Oh my God, I had my ass handed to me by a client early on. At the time, I thought I had a solid process. I felt confident and organized. But the situation made it very clear to me that I didn’t actually have a process. I had expectations in my head that I was asking clients to follow, without really setting them up for success or clearly defining the path. The expectations were misaligned on both sides. And while their reaction felt a little intense in the moment, it forced me to take a hard look at myself and my business. My instinct when something goes wrong is always to look inward first and ask: ‘What did I do that allowed this outcome?’ And ‘how do I design this differently next time?’ That experience happened about three years ago, and it completely changed how I operate. I rebuilt my entire client journey. Every step is intentional now. Ironically, the moment that felt like my biggest failure ended up becoming the foundation for what I’m most proud of today. I’ve worked at large residential firms, small studios, and on major commercial projects, and the client experience I run now is stronger than any of those I’ve seen. Getting called out was uncomfortable. But it made the business better in a way success never would have.“
Q: When did you hit your first scaling challenge, and how did you overcome it?
A: “One of my first real scaling moments was realizing how much time I was spending on proposals for projects that weren’t the right fit. Early on, I said yes to every opportunity and put a ton of effort into custom proposals, hoping each one would turn into a project. But I started to see how much time and creative energy I was investing before there was any real commitment, and a lot of those projects weren’t aligned in scope, budget, or expectations anyway. The shift was learning to qualify more intentionally and trusting myself to walk away. Now I’m much more selective about what I bid on, and I’ve streamlined my proposal process so it’s efficient without reinventing the wheel every time. That change was huge. It freed up time for the right clients and taught me that scaling isn’t about chasing more opportunities, it’s about focusing on the right ones.“
Q: If you were starting all over, what’s one piece of advice you would give yourself?
A: “I’d tell myself to value my network earlier and to treat every relationship like it matters, because it does. When you’re starting out, it’s easy to think about networking in terms of who seems ‘important’ or relevant to your industry. But the truth is, you never know where an opportunity is going to come from. One of my biggest clients was actually a family I used to nanny for. I didn’t even realize they knew I started a design business. That experience really changed my perspective. Now I see relationships as the foundation of everything I do. Not transactional but intentional. Taking the time to grab coffee, check in, send a handwritten thank-you, or ask how someone’s doing after a tough week. Those small moments build real trust over time. If I could go back, I’d invest in people sooner and more consistently. Because the work grows from relationships. Always.“
Q: Do you have one ask or offer you would like to share with the Empower community?
A: “If you’re building a business or a personal brand, my ask is this: don’t treat your space like an afterthought. Your environment communicates just as much about your brand as your website, your product, or your marketing. If you’re feeling the pressure of having to figure everything out on your own, or you know someone who is, I’d love to be a resource. Let’s talk about how your space can support your story instead of becoming one more thing on your plate.“
Q: A fun one, what’s your all-time favorite restaurant and where is it located?
A: “Rose’s Luxury in D.C. is forever my favorite. Their menu changes constantly, and you order a set number of dishes based on your table size, so bring more people and order more food. My favorite dish was a buttery popcorn soup with lobster. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything there.“
Want to learn more?
Curated reads or listens that piqued my interest and might spark new ideas for you, too.
SINCE LAST EDITION…
McKinsey on the great ownership transfer.
The most cringe corporate jargon.
Perspectives on how it’s never been easier to start a company, but it’s also never been harder to scale one.
AI’s impact on ‘boring businesses.’
The worst acquisition in history.
The new org chart math.
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