#087: White Space Is Not a Luxury. It's a Strategy with Joey Gourdji - Part 1

What this episode covers

Cathy had 38 meetings a week and no open space on her calendar. She couldn't eat lunch without it being scheduled around something else. Her business was growing, she was delegating, and she still couldn't get ahead. Then she started working with Joey Gourdji and got it down to 11 meetings a week. Joey is a coach at Conversion Engineering, the agency she runs with her husband Ross. She spent a decade in online education, finishing as Director of Operations at Mirasee, where she was part of the team that grew the company from $5M to $13M and from 20 to 100+ people. She also grew up watching her mother build a retail store from scratch so she understands this world in a way most coaches don't. In this episode, Cathy and Joey lay out the foundation of how that calendar transformation actually happened, the framework, the hard parts, and the moment Cathy laughed out loud at the idea that any of it was possible. Cathy is also honest that she's partially backsliding, and that's in here too. This is Part 1. Part 2 is coming. What You'll Learn in This Episode What white space actually is, why it's not just free time, and the three ways you should be using it if you want your business and your life to stop feeling like they're fighting each other The water, food, and mushroom coffee framework, the exercise that helps you see what your business genuinely cannot survive without, versus what just fills your week and feels productive Why ambitious, hardworking store owners end up with the most overloaded calendars and why that's not a character flaw, it's a pattern What self-sabotage looks like when you're the one running the show and why most people don't see it until someone else points it out Key Takeaways: [02:18] Why Cathy's calendar had no open space even after she thought she'd been delegating and what Joey saw immediately when she looked at it [09:37] What white space actually means, and why "open space" and "uncommitted time" both miss the point [14:41] The water, food, and mushroom coffee framework and why Cathy put everything in the water column the first time she tried it [23:44] The carrot analogy that explains why pulling good things off your list is what lets the right things grow [32:16] What got you here won't get you there and why the habits that built your business may be exactly what's keeping you stuck now Your Millie Moment Take a piece of paper and write three columns: water, food, mushroom coffee. Water is the two or three things your business genuinely cannot survive without for even a week. For most retailers that's knowing your numbers, staying on top of your inventory, and managing your team. Now look at your calendar for this week. How many of your meetings, tasks, and commitments are actually water? How many are mushroom coffee you've been treating like water? You don't have to fix it today. Just see it clearly first. That's where this starts. Resources & Links  Free Download:Your companion guide to this episode grab it and follow along as you listen Connect with Joey Gourdji and Conversion Engineering Ready to free up cash and finally build wealth from your store? Apply for your free Gameplan Call, where we'll identify your growth opportunities and map out your most profitable next steps. Want a behind-the-scenes look at how our top clients grow profit without burning out? Our free training, Beyond Busy: 3 Shifts to Reclaim Your Time and Boost Store Income, walks you through the exact method we use in our Profit Club focusing on your role as CEO, CIO, and CFO to grow a business that's both profitable and sustainable. Follow us on social media for more updates! Facebook / Instagram 💚Remeber:  If you genuinely cannot carve out thinking time in your week right now, that's not a scheduling problem. It's data. It's telling you something about the state of your business and the state of your mind. Part 2 is coming, and it gets into exactly what to do about it.

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