The BEFORE & AFTER of my 3-Day Workweek

I was an entrepreneur for 7 years before I implemented a 3-day workweek. During those years I worked a typical 40ish hour week and made a part-time income, anywhere from $18,000 to $25,000 a year.

Then I found out I was pregnant with our first daughter (surprise!), and I immediately realized that I didn’t want to be working all those hours for so little money...and I honestly questioned whether I wanted to keep running my business at all. 

I remember thinking, “If I can’t figure out a way to make this work better for me and my family, I should just give up and be a full-time mom to our baby girl!”

After taking off a few months after her birth to think things over, I came to decision to give it one final go. I was able to find childcare (thank you Mom and Hannah!) for 3 days -- Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays -- and I liked that I would have 4 non-working days with my family. 

It felt like the right work-life balance, but now the question was…

Could I make the same money I was making before working just 20 hours a week?

3 myths that are keeping you from a 3-day workweek...

Who wouldn’t want a 3-day workweek, right?

It offers you plenty of time for family, friends, travel, self-care and to simply enjoy life! Hello, 4-day weekends, need I say more?!...

But, despite desiring a more fulfilling work-life balance, few women successfully find a way to work LESS, make MORE and live BETTER.

So, that got me wondering...what’s holding us back?

I surveyed my community (you!), and here’s what I found…

Dose of Clarity: Take Things Off Your To-Do List to Leverage Your Power

Dose of Clarity: Take Things Off Your To-Do List to Leverage Your Power

For the last month or so, nearly every day before I start working I make a to-do. 

But, not just any to-do list -- a very unique to-do list.

And, this special to-do list that I’ve taken to creating has brought me some really powerful results in the last few weeks like…

  • Bringing me unexpected cashfrom unexpected places (always fun right?!)
  • Landing me 2 new clients
  • Bringing me several new potential clients effortlessly
  • Connecting me with the right people at the right times for the right opportunities
  • Making me feel completely at ease with everything that’s going on in my life + business
  • And, countless smaller wins :-)

After reading that, I’m sure you’re wondering what kind of hocus pocus to-do list could possibly deliver these results.

Well, in truth, it’s more about what I’m taking OFF of my to-do list that’s bringing in these wins.

As business owners, we are experts at making super loooong to-do lists. 

Lists that are never-ending and completely overwhelming leave us feeling depleted and like we’re never “ahead” of it. It’s exhausting!

So, I’ve taken up a new kind of delegation.

Dose of Clarity: Do you ever think “What did I do all day?!”

Dose of Clarity: Do you ever think “What did I do all day?!”

Do you ever get to the end of the workday and think,

“What did I do all day?”
 

Well, if that’s ever happened to you (it’s happened to me more times than I can count!), I’m really excited to share this teaching with you today.

I want to let you in on a super simple technique that I learned from productivity guru, Todd Herman, the creator of the 90 Day Year. Todd’s a genius when it comes to doing less and making more, and he’s helped Olympians, CEOs and entrepreneurs harness the power of productivity and effective goal-setting for mega-success.

When I started doing this at the end of each of my workdays, I realized that my days naturally became more and more productive, and I was ending my days on a “high note” which left me feeling great and ready to jump into work again the following day.

Confession #044: "I paid off $48k in debt in 6 months with a side hustle" with Adrienne Dorison

 
The Clarity Confessions with Cailen Ascher - Adrienne Dorison - YouTube Thumbnail.jpg
 

Adrienne Dorison is a business consultant + operations expert who helps companies get double the results in half the time. She's obsessed with helping businesses turn effort into real results so that they make more money, get their precious time back and do more good in the world. Businesses all have one thing in common...lots of moving parts, and Adrienne works with clients to tame them all and create true operational excellence.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Adrienne to learn how she started her business back in January 2015 as a side hustle, and as a result has been able to pay off $48K in student loan debt AND donate over $100K to charities over the last two years. Her "pay-it-forward" attitude is truly inspirational.
 

 
 

Check out Adrienne's Clarity Confession to learn…

  • How she was able to quit her corporate job after only six months of running her side hustle
  • The importance of having strong mentors in your professional and personal life
  • Why Adrienne believes it's important to pay-it-forward as entrepreneurs, and some of the charities she supports
  • More about the movement Adrienne is creating around giving and how you can get involved
 
 

Success without Sacrifice [a look inside my 3-day workweek]

 
The Clarity Confessions with Cailen Ascher - Success without Sacrifice
 

I’m here today with a super special Clarity Confessions episode. On today’s show, I took the hot seat and was interviewed!

 
 

I often get asked by my clients and members of my community to dive deeper into...

  • How my 3 day workweek actually works and what it really looks like
  • How I organize my schedule as a mom of 2 little girls
  • The difference in my life and business before my 3 day workweek and after
  • How I’m able to run a successful, 6-figure business working less than 20 hours a week
  • The movement I’m starting and how YOU can be a part of it :-)

So, I shared all of that and more on today’s show!

If you’re curious about any of that (or the laundry list of entrepreneurial endeavors I dipped my toes into prior to the work I do now!), check out today’s episode.

 
 

Confession #035: "I’m revolutionizing the coaching industry..." with Lacey Craig

 
Clarity Confessions with Cailen Ascher - YouTube Promo - Lacey Craig.jpg
 

Get ready to meet Lacey Craig, an awesome gal who has enjoyed massive success during her 1st year of coaching. (I’m talking about 6-figure success!)

Beyond that, Lacey is a business mentor and success coach for high-performing women entrepreneurs. She has her M.S in mental health counseling and her M.B.A. She's been a therapist and the director of a $45 million/year non-profit. She's also the proud owner of two successful online businesses, and the co-host of the Leading Greatly podcast. It’s her mission to help other women build and grow their own service-based business that truly lights them up and gives them the personal and financial freedom and impact they’ve always desired.

 
 

Check out Lacey’s Clarity Confession to learn…

  • How her upbringing impacted her choice to be an entrepreneur
  • The BEST and WORST things she did during her 1st year of business
  • Why she started out coaching clients for FREE (and went on to make 6-figures!) 
  • How she’s revolutionizing coaching industry
  • The Action Step you need to take right now to align your business with your true purpose

After you listen to Lacey’s Clarity Confession, visit her online home, A Lit Up Life, here to learn more about her and the work she does, or join her free Facebook Group here.

 
 

Dose of Clarity: Stop questioning & start trusting...

 
 

Don’t you just love a totally inspired idea? (I do!!) It wakes you up at night, feels totally thrilling, and you can’t help but think about it constantly and talk about it incessantly. You’re in love. Fired up. Ready. In flow.

Then you start questioning its viability. Doubting your ability to make it happen. Wondering if it’s really as good as you originally thought. Probably not...

And suddenly that totally lit-up feeling is replaced with a pit in your stomach. Now it seems too big, too worrisome, too impossible. What happened???!! How could something that felt so freakin’ good just days ago now feel so ughh?

In today’s Dose of Clarity episode I’m exploring this phenomenon and will be sharing why it happens and how you can avoid letting questions kill your dreams in the future.

 
 

P.S. If you’re ready to cultivate more Calm, Confidence and Clarity in your Life + Business, you need a Clarity Cleanse. Starting August 21st, I’m leading a 10-Day totally free Clarity Cleanse to help you strip away the stuff that’s no longer serving you and help you tap into your deep inner knowing so you can move it to the forefront of your life and business. Join here.
 

P.P.S. Don’t worry, The Clarity Confessions aren’t going anywhere! I’ll still be bringing you amazing interviews every other week, but these Dose of Clarity episodes will give you a chance to learn more about my personal (never-ending) journey towards Clarity :-)