How I Actually Manage My Time to Run 6 Businesses

(No, I Don’t Have a Clone)

Jun 02, 2025

Every week, someone asks me:“How do you find the time to do everything?”

You run events, host podcasts, write newsletters, manage multiple brands, post daily on socials, run a members club, produce content for YouTube…

You must be working 20 hours a day, right?

Absolutely not. In fact, I’m pretty obsessive about protecting my time. And I’m not one of those productivity influencers who wakes up at 4am, does a cold plunge before breakfast and takes “focus pills” either.

However, I am strategic with how I spend my hours. And more importantly: I track my time like a CFO tracks cashflow - not because I want to optimise every second, but because I want clarity over where my energy is going.

So I want to show you how I really do it - with transparency, not fluff.

What are my 6 businesses?

First of all, I thought you might like to get some context on the “6 businesses” comment. While not all of them are separate legal entities, they’re all run independently of each other as individual businesses.

So, the different businesses are:

N0BS: my entrepreneur members club
N0BS Agency: my creative agency
TEDxShoreditch: running monthly Salons and a yearly big event
Chess for Children: my chess coaching business
Write Right: my writing services, including authoring my own books
Me: I run strategy days and work as a fraction CMO

So each of these “businesses” require separate strategies, branding, marketing etc. and so naturally, I have to be really strategic with my time in order to not get overwhelmed.

The Myth: "You Just Need to Work Harder"

Let’s get this out of the way first.

Hard work matters - but it’s not the reason I’m able to run six businesses and still have a life.

Most people are already working hard. What they’re missing is:

Clarity on what actually is required
Systems that reduce decision fatigue
Time boundaries that protect deep work

Working harder without those things is just efficient exhaustion.

What My Time Roughly Looks Like Each Week

Here’s a simplified breakdown of how I spend my time across a typical week. These will vary slightly depending on what I’m working on, but it’s roughly consistent:

Content Creation:

YouTube, LinkedIn, Podcasts, Blogs
- Script writing, filming, recording, writing

7 hours

Strategy & Planning:

Across all businesses, differentiating and merging
- High-leverage, CEO-level thinking

2 hours

Client Delivery:

Agency work and consulting
- Strategy days, meetings, content delivery

6 hours

Team Management:

Delegation and logistics
- Check-ins, direction, approvals

4 hours

Events:

Planning & Attending
- N0BS Dinners/Lunches, TEDx, Partner Events

10 hours

Admin:

Email, Calendar Management, Finance etc.
- Kept to a minimum and largely delegated

2.5 hours

Networking:

Events, coffees, zooms etc.
- External events, nurturing relationships

8 hours

Chess Stuff:

Lessons, events, prep
- School teaching, private lessons, workshops, chess & wine events

15 hours

Total: About 54.5 hours a week

This probably seems a lot more than you’d like to do, but I’m in the startup phase of my main business and that’s naturally going to take up a lot of time.

Plus, I’m trying to build things the hard way - slowly and in person.

There are probably lots of things I can cut back on, but I’m really enjoying this process right now.

But considering I technically have 6 businesses, each of which many people do as a full-time job, I’m essentially working more than 4x quicker!

My Productivity Rules (That Actually Work)

1. I Timebox Ruthlessly

Everything that matters gets a slot. If it’s not in my calendar, it doesn’t happen.

Science says: Timeboxing beats to-do lists. A study by the University of Illinois showed that time-blocked schedules result in 46% more completed tasks compared to traditional to-do methods.

2. I Delegate Like a Business Owner, Not a Martyr

I’m not a hero for doing everything myself. I know it’s a control thing with business owners, but delegation is a skill.

I still struggle with it, because I have such high standards and very few people can raise to those standards.

But I’m getting better at it and it’s really helping me get more productive.

For example, I now have people helping me edit my videos (thank goodness!), I have people doing research for me, answering hello@ inboxes, repurposing my content on social media and managing some of the brand accounts.

However, I still have a long way to go. I need GOOD people. The aim is:

If I can be replaced in a task, I will be!

3. I Focus on High-Leverage Work

There are things that only I can do. That’s where I focus.Everything else is either:

Systemised
Delegated
Or done less frequently

This includes:

Strategic direction across all businesses
High-trust relationships and partnerships
Keynotes, thought leadership, and personal brand content

4. I Work With My Energy, Not Against It

I’m not productive every hour of the day - but I know when I am.

I’m a little different to most people, so those who want to “Eat That Frog” or do their productive morning routines followed by Deep Work, will not like my schedule.

I am NOT a morning person. I am crap before I’ve had three cups of coffee.

So, I plan my day, answer emails and engage with some social media posts as my first set of tasks.

I often schedule some calls for late morning, so I pick up some energy, have some lunch and then feel pumped about 1.5 hours after lunch.

That mid-afternoon slot is my most productive slot.

I try not to book meetings then and instead do deep work, record content, write or strategise.

This is supported by chronobiology research - your body has natural peaks in focus, creativity, and decision-making. The most productive people build around it instead of forcing it.

Why Transparency Matters

So many people feel behind because they’re comparing their real life to someone else’s edited one.

I want to show you the reality. Not because I’m perfect at time management - but because I’m intentional about it. I make choices, I protect focus, and I know what I’m building toward.

If you want to run multiple projects, build your brand, and have a life - it’s not about hustle… it’s about clarity. And boundaries. And saying no more than you say yes. (Again, something I’m still working on!)

ZERO TO SOMETHING

This is Zero to Something - the space where we get better every day.

Today’s something is this: you don’t need more hours - you need better habits and higher standards for your time.

Productivity isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters - and protecting it like your business depends on it. Because it does.

Zero to Something