Business Coach: How To Effectively Manage Your Time

In this transcript, Deedra Determan (Founder of three websites visited by 100,000 moms monthly) and Clay Clark (U.S. SBA Entrepreneur of the Year for the State of the Oklahoma and business coach) discuss the importance of learning how to effectively manage time on Thrive15.com, the best sales training program.

Clay:    Okay I am a business coach, help me out. Simplify your life. Deedra, it seems like every successful entrepreneur I meet really keeps this, they really buy into the concept of trying to simplify. It’s like Steve Jobs, it’s always trying to simplify everything. He says simplicity’s the ultimate sophistication. That was Steve Jobs. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” I see a lot of minimalism going on in the stores, the high-end fashion shops. Minimalism, clean lines, the very little stuff. My wife wants me to throw away all the furniture I’ve collected over the years and all the posters and all the things that I, all the … I basically believe that life is one big opportunity to collect material goods before I can’t take them with me. That’s basically my philosophy. I see a lot of successful entrepreneurs simplifying. Do you believe that it’s important to try to simplify your … ?

Deedra:    Yeah, I do.

Clay:    You do.

Deedra:    Yeah, you go to my house, you’re, “Where’s the stuff?” That stresses me out. That’s too much, around and yep, nope. Everything has a place and it’s in its place and it’s useful.

Clay:    I’m pretty sad. Okay. Some entrepreneurs will take this to the extreme and want to basically have a schedule completely absent from any commitments. I’ve seen … There’s one guy, years ago. I’ll change the gender so we don’t get in trouble. A woman, who I’ve been working with and this person used to say, “Yeah, yeah, bro, I’m trying to keep things simple.” I’m, “Bro, you have a paid lease, bro. You got to pay me lease, bro.” “Bro, I’m trying to keep things simple and I’m trying to not get all cluttered.” “Bro, you’ve got to make an outbound call. You have to call some- No one’s waking up today wanting to pay you. They don’t even know you exist.” “Bro, I’m trying to keep things simple, bro.” It’s that whole thing. Can you take it to the extreme of simplifi- where you’re trying to be such … Have you been to the dress stores where they’re got like a dress or a purse? Can you take it to the extreme as an entrepreneur and be oversimplified?

Deedra:    Yeah, I think so.

Clay:    What’s the balance, though for you, in terms of your clutter, to keep yourself with your time management here. What are some rules you have to declutter your daily work area? Tell the business coach and our viewers.

Deedra:    I always have to have everything in a folder, so I have lots of folders with stuff.

Clay:    Okay … You pull out the drawer this way? You pull it out?

Deedra:    Yeah, you can do a drawer.

Clay:    … hang it in there?

Deedra:    Yeah you can do a drawer. Yeah. A drawer, they’re hanging in there, and then those appointments for that day, I go and take the folder because there might be something I need to refer back to, and …

Clay:    As a business coach I know there is a book, and I don’t know if I have this book with me right now. I feel like I should have it, and I don’t have it, and I’m a failure to the Thrive community tonight for not having this. There is a book I bought about how to organize your life. I cannot remember the author. I’m sure there’s many books out there that are great. He gives you systems of how to do it, and those systems have … As a consultant, you’ve got 20 clients you’re working with, different personalities, wives, different concerns, different goals, and I could never … I read this book and it helped me keep track. Is there any book that you’re, any theory that you have towards organization? How should my … If I’m an entrepreneur and I’m struggling to manage my time, walk me through the desk. Sales training on Thrive15.com can help. What is …

Deedra:    The desk is clean.

Clay:    Clean?

Deedra:    … and you have your folders with all the stuff that you need to do, whether it’s a hanging deal or in your file, you pick one up and work on that at that time, and then you put it up.

Clay:    Desk is clean?

Deedra:    Desk is clean. My desk has to be clean or I can’t operate.

Clay:    Like this, this is the desk.

Deedra:    I’ve got my to do lists that I’m checking, looking through, I’ve got my computer. Desk is clean.

Clay:    I feel like a loser because I keep everything I’ve ever owned and things I don’t even own on my desk. I want every-

Deedra:    I think everyone’s different, though. That stresses me out, so I have to have …

Clay:    No, and honestly, it stresses me out too, I just don’t verbalize it very much, but I’m going to get after it tomorrow. I’m going to make some changes. I’m going to get after it. Tomorrow. I’m going to get after it, tomorrow

Deedra, I see an increasingly number of entrepreneurs that are fascinated with this idea, they can take their idea and they’ll come up with the next big app, the next big website, the next big business, and they’re terrible time managers.

Deedra:    Right.

Clay:    Do you believe you can be successful and not be a good time manager?

Deedra:    I really don’t. If you’re not that, you’re going to have to hire that because you have to have that to get anything done.

Clay:    If I’m on the other end of this camera right now, and I feel like I’m struggling with time management, short of watching this tonight and taking notes and taking some actions, is there any final advice you want to give me there?

Deedra:    I think time management is so important because everything, you’ve got to do something every day to get to your end goal, and if you don’t have time management, it’s all going to slip by. Looking to, what do I got to do this week, what do I have to do this month, what am I going to next quarter, keeping it all in line, and time managing is so important to be successful in your business.

Clay:    Boom from a business coach. I appreciate your time. You are awesome, and thank you for allowing me to take some of your time to talk about time management.

Deedra:    Speaking of time.

Clay:    Yeah and even this business coach knows the importance.

Deedra:    Thank you.