No one is going to give you the job title “Freelance Writer.” And in the same vein, no one is going to give you the title “CEO.”

But until you start acting like you’re the CEO, your business will simply amount to directionless services.

The freelancers who scale and thrive are taking the time to look at the bigger picture in their business, take responsibility for their future, and plan for their goals.

So, since no one else is going to, I’m making you CEO – right now.

Now have a seat in your fancy office chair (or couch) and let’s begin…

What’s a CEO Day?

A CEO day is a day (or chunk of time) that you dedicate to maintaining, tidying, and growing your business. No client work (or only a half day if you’d rather).

Some people plan a whole day (I personally do Mondays), an hour a day, or a few hours once a week! It’s up to you. Experiment to find what works!

Why do I need a CEO Day?

CEO Days can revolutionize your business by providing you with the time to keep your business on the right track.

Time to get the tasks you pushed off done. Time to iterate (evaluate and improve) the way you’re running your business. Time to prevent burnout!

Being CEO for a day or just acting like you've got a CEO schedule makes a massive difference. I went from feeling stuck and overhwlmed, only working on client work and maybe trying to get more clients to proactively making strategic plans.

In my first year implementing CEO days, I just got more done. I was able to stay on top of stuff around the house, taking care of my body, building out my van – personal stuff. But I was also able to do all my networking on that one day of week so I could easily get new clients when I needed them but focus on client work the other days of the week without worrying where my next contract would come from.

In my second year, I started planning ahead more. I strategically started pitching, netowrking, and following up 3-4 weeks before I'd need work so I finally had zero unplanned gaps in my schedule. For the first time ever, I was able to work when I wanted and only 17 hours a week. I went from taking 4-8 weeks to get a new client to just 2 weeks. I felt so on top of my business!! I even did my taxes early.

In my third year, I was able to plan even further ahead, sometimes up to 12 months out. Having a CEO day just really helped me zoom out.

CEO Day Ideas

Whatever you want! Well mostly. Make sure you’re getting important tasks done like bookkeeping, scheduling, and client management. But also make sure you have time to do some self care tasks and continue educating yourself to grow your business.

Here are some CEO Day activities you could try:

• Client Relationship Management
• Invoicing
• Contracts
• Questionnaires (if you use them)
• Making sure anything you need from the client is ready to go for the week
• Research for upcoming projects
• Bookkeeping & Budgeting
• Continuing Education (take a course about a skill you want to improve/offer as a service)
• Scheduling
• Estimating time for tasks
• Giving work designated time slots
• Setting up meetings
• Putting self care on the calendar
• Adding buffer time for procrastination
• Doctor’s appointments
• Planning
• Goal setting & evaluation
• Iterating (making little changes to make your biz better)
• Checking your income & time to make sure you’re on track for your goals
• Lining up new clients if needed
• Planning a rates raise if needed
• Organizing files or project management apps
• Self Care
• Personal development education (books, podcasts, courses, mantras, etc.)
• Errands/Chores
• Exercise
• Meditation/Mindful activities
• Meal prep
• Nap

Try This:

Set up your own CEO Day!

1. Gather a list of tasks throughout the week/weekend
2. Brainstorm a plan to tackle your 3 most important tasks.
3. Schedule your CEO Day & put it on your calendar(either all on one day or spread out over a few days)

Reward yourself at the end of your CEO day, even if you didn’t finish everything, with something special like takeout or a little treat!