You come home from a planning day lit up. Six hours of clarity, a wall of Post-its, a quarter that finally makes sense. Then you sit down with your team, and somewhere between your head and their inbox the whole thing flattens into a to-do list nobody has the context for.

Elise Arsenault knows that exact moment. She built The Global Actor into a training program the audiobook industry has come to trust, with ten of her graduates nominated at this year's Audies and several of them winning. And for years she came back from the CEO Retreat® alone, carrying a quarter's worth of decisions she then had to translate, explain, and hope landed. She called it instant overwhelm. She was not wrong.

This episode is the before and after of what changes when the operator is in the room. Priscilla Leonard runs operations for The Global Actor, and she and Elise have built that business together for years without ever meeting in person. When Elise started bringing Priscilla to the retreats, the handoff stopped being a handoff. It became a real conversation about why, not just what.

We get into how the 90 Day CEO Operating System® becomes the bridge between a visionary who sees the whole horizon and the right hand who makes it actually happen, what shifts when your team owns their goals instead of receiving them, and why Elise no longer believes the whole thing could fall apart if she stopped working for a week.

If you have a right hand and you have been carrying the plan alone, this one shows you what the other version looks like.

About Elise Arsenault and Priscilla Leonard

Elise Arsenault is an actor, coach, and the founder of The Global Actor, the training program behind the Great Audiobook Adventure. She has spent the last decade building a body of work the audiobook narration industry has come to trust, with casting directors who recognize her course by name and ten of her graduates earning Audie nominations this year. 

Priscilla Leonard is her right hand and runs operations for the business, a role she grew into after coordinating The Global Actor's first thousand-attendee summit and eventually coming on full time.

Elise has been part of The CEO Collective® for years and plans each quarter at the CEO Retreat®. When the membership added its team tier, she started bringing Priscilla into the retreats with her, and the two of them now run their quarterly planning through the 90 Day CEO Operating System® as a team. They have built The Global Actor together across a virtual team for years, and they have still never met in person.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why coming home from a planning day fired up can quietly create more overwhelm, not less
• What actually changes when your operator sits in the planning room instead of getting the recap afterward
• How the 90 Day CEO Operating System® becomes a translator between a visionary and her right hand
• The shift that lets a CEO stop believing the whole business could collapse if she stepped away for a week
• What it looks like when every person on the team owns their own quarterly goals instead of inheriting a list
• How Elise reclaimed time for her own craft once operations had a clear owner
• Why you do not have to fix everything at once, including the email address that has been wrong for ten years

Key Concepts from the Episode

The Bridge Between Vision and Logistics. The 90 Day CEO Operating System® gives a big-picture CEO and a detail-driven operator a shared language, so the plan stops getting lost in translation between the two of them. A visionary who sees the whole horizon still needs the person who knows where every step actually lands.

The Right Hand Belongs in the Room. When Priscilla started attending retreats instead of receiving the six-hour download afterward, she stopped getting a to-do list and started getting the reasoning behind it. Your team can execute a plan they were handed. They commit to a plan they helped build.

Calm Is Capacity. For years Elise believed the business would fall apart if she stopped working for a single day. With the systems and clear ownership in place, that fear quieted. The proof a system is working is that you can step away from it and nothing falls.

Own the Goal, Don't Inherit It. Every team member now carries their own quarterly goals in Asana, set together in a co-working session rather than assigned from on high. Ownership is not something you delegate. It is something you let people take.

You Don't Have to Fix It All Today. The company rebranded to The Global Actor years ago and still runs on a ten-year-old email address that does not match the name, and that is fine. Permission to leave the small broken thing alone is what lets you finish the big right thing.

Resources Mentioned

The CEO Collective®. The membership where established service-based, relational business owners install the systems and leadership to grow without sacrificing the life the business is supposed to support. The Scaling CEO tier brings your right hand into the room with you. 

CEO Retreat®. The quarterly planning experience where Elise and Priscilla map their next 90 days together. Available in On-Demand, Live Virtual, and Live In-Person Richmond formats.

The Global Actor. Elise's training program for actors and creatives building careers in audiobook narration. 

Connect with Elise Arsenault and Priscilla Leonard

• Website: The Global Actor
• The Great Audiobook Adventure

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Adrienne Loker was certain her group therapy practice needed more marketing. Her numbers said otherwise. Here is what actually turned her business around.

Most therapists believe the path to growth is hiring a team and handing off clients. Adrienne did exactly that, and the plan that looked perfect on paper came apart the moment real people and real life entered the picture. People got licensed and left with their caseloads. The loyalty she thought she had earned was not for sale.

In this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, Adrienne Loker shares how she rebuilt Seeking Depth to Recovery, her trauma-focused group therapy practice in Richmond, Virginia, on clear vision, values, and the kind of systems that hold a business together when everything is testing it at once. 

We get into the team values that ended her churn, the one number that changed how her whole team behaved overnight, and why the slow, unglamorous work of building systems is what kept her doors open through the hardest stretch of her career.

If you are a group practice owner, a private practice owner, or any service-based business owner who keeps being told to "just hire a team," this conversation will change how you think about growth.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:

- Why hiring people to take clients off your plate is the wrong reason to build a group practice
- The three values Adrienne hires, trains, and resolves conflict by
- The single number that shifted her whole team's behavior in one meeting
- The canoe versus cruise ship reframe for how long real change actually takes
- The metric she was not tracking that was quietly telling the real story
- What kept her business standing through eighteen of the hardest months of her career

ABOUT ADRIENNE:

Adrienne Loker, LCSW is the founder of Seeking Depth to Recovery, a trauma-focused group therapy practice in the greater Richmond, Virginia area. She is a national trauma recovery expert and trainer, an EMDRIA Certified Therapist and Consultant, a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, and a psychodrama therapist. She and her team specialize in working with people who have done therapy before and still feel stuck.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Intro
[MM:SS] Meet Adrienne and Seeking Depth to Recovery
[MM:SS] Why she started a group practice
[MM:SS] The hard lessons of building a team
[MM:SS] The ART values that changed everything
[MM:SS] The $65,000 wake-up call
[MM:SS] Standardizing her approach to trauma therapy
[MM:SS] What the 90-Day CEO Operating System changed
[MM:SS] Managing shiny objects and staying focused
[MM:SS] Advice to her younger self
[MM:SS] Systems that hold you through catastrophe

CONNECT WITH ADRIENNE:

Website: https://www.seekingdepthtorecovery.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-loker-lcsw-emdr-sep-016339165/

WORK WITH RACHEAL:

The CEO Collective: https://theceocollective.com
The CEO Retreat: https://theceocollective.com/join

Subscribe to Promote Yourself to CEO for a new episode every week on building a business that supports your life.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Right now, as you hear this, I am probably lounging by a pool in a villa in Tuscany, watching my kids and their cousins splash around while I have my full Under the Tuscan Sun moment. There is a family wedding tomorrow, a welcome dinner tonight, and still another 2 weeks of exploring Florence and Rome ahead.

What I am not doing is refreshing my inbox in a panic, wondering whether everything is quietly falling apart back home. I already know it isn’t.

My business can run without me at the wheel for a month. Clients are cared for, content goes out, sales happen, and none of it depends on me sitting in a chair pressing send. I want to be honest about what that takes, because it is the opposite of luck. A month away like this is not something you cross your fingers and hope for. It is something you design, with the same intentionality I once gave to planning a maternity leave.

This is the finale of the Summer Success Series, the episode where the whole thing comes together. I am walking you through how I planned a full month in Italy using my Client Growth Engine as the map, stage by stage, so every part of the business could keep moving while I am present with my family across an ocean.

If you have ever wanted a sabbatical, an extended vacation, or even one real week off where you are not secretly working the whole time, this is the episode that shows you what a business that runs without you actually looks like from the inside.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why an extended break is a planning decision, not a personality trait or a stroke of luck
• The one stage of the Client Growth Engine I protected first, and why it is not the one most people would guess
• How I covered four weeks of live client calls without canceling a single one or being on a single one
• The enrollment timing shift that meant I could fully onboard new clients before I ever boarded the plane
• What “checking in a couple times a week” actually means when you refuse to run your whole trip from your phone
• The conversation most business owners skip before they leave, and how skipping it quietly damages client trust
• How far ahead I batch my content, and why the buffer is really about protecting a promise

Key Concepts from the Episode

A Month Away Is Designed, Not Winged. Stepping away for a month is not luck or special treatment. It is an outcome you build proactively, with the same intentionality you would give a maternity leave. The business does not run on your stamina. It runs on what you built while you had the stamina to build it.

Start at Delight, Not Attract. When I mapped the month, I started with my existing clients, the place my absence would be felt most, before touching marketing or sales. Protecting the people already paying you comes before protecting the pipeline. Your current clients notice your absence faster than your audience ever will. Plan for them first.

Guest Stars Instead of Canceled Calls. Rather than cancel weeks of live support, I invited seasoned members of The CEO Collective to host calls and bring their own expertise. The members get a perk, not a gap. A canceled call is a hole in the experience. A guest expert is an upgrade to it.

The Buffer Is a Promise, Not a Convenience. Batching content far in advance is not really about this trip. It is a standing commitment so that something useful goes out every week no matter what life does. Life is gonna life. The buffer is how your audience never feels it.

If You Are the System, You Are the Ceiling. The reason the business holds while I am gone is that I spent years building systems instead of being the system. A business built around the owner’s presence can never outgrow the owner’s presence. A business that needs you in the chair every day can never be bigger than your calendar.

Resources Mentioned

On-Demand CEO Retreat + Client Growth Engine bundle. The proactive planning process I use to map a year, paired with the engine that lets your business keep running while you step away. Bundled at $497 through June 30 before the price rises.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

There is a specific kind of quiet that gets under your skin in July, and it has nothing to do with a slow, lazy afternoon. It is the quiet of your bank account. Clients are off on vacation, nobody is starting anything new, and you can feel the revenue dip coming the way you feel a storm before it lands.

I used to brace for that quiet too. Now I don’t, because of one strategic move I make almost every summer. It is the same reason I can spend a month in Italy with my family without watching my revenue flatline while I am gone.

The summer cash-flow dip is not a demand problem. It’s not a sign you are doing something wrong. More often – it is a timing problem. People aren’t wanting to tackle a new project or focus on new goals when they have a trip to the beach coming up in a couple of weeks.

This episode is a smart strategy to help you solve the timing problem. I am walking you through how to pre-sell your fall, get the yes now while it is quiet, and set the work to start in September or October, so the deposit is in, the contract is signed, and you actually get to enjoy your summer knowing revenue is already on its way.

It is the difference between white-knuckling your way to fall and walking into Q4 already booked. Let’s get into it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why the summer cash dip is usually a timing problem, not a demand problem, and what that changes about how you fix it
• The one move Racheal makes almost every summer to keep revenue coming in while she is offline
• What pre-selling your fall actually looks like in practice, from deposit to contract to a locked future start date
• How to position the offer so it lands as care and leadership instead of a pushy pitch
• What the September scramble costs your clients, and how booking them now is the gift
• The onboarding step that decides whether a pre-sell holds together or falls apart
• How to run the whole thing off a curated list and a few personal invitations, no sales page required

Key Concepts from the Episode

The Summer Dip Is a Timing Problem. The cash slowdown most service providers brace for in July is not your audience losing interest. It is your audience postponing, because they are juggling vacations and downtime and do not want to start something they will have to babysit mid-trip. Demand did not disappear. It got rescheduled, and you are allowed to reschedule it back.

Pre-Sell the Fall. Get the yes while it is quiet. The deposit gets paid, the contract gets signed, and the start date gets set for the end of August, September, or October. You are not doing the work now, you are holding the date. A held date with real money behind it is the difference between hoping fall fills up and knowing it already has.

Pushy Is a Story, Not a Fact. If reaching out to book people in advance feels pushy, that usually points to a quiet belief that your offer is an imposition rather than a result your clients want. If the work makes their life easier and gets them what they came for, getting on your calendar now is leadership, not a hard sell.

You Are Protecting Them From the September Scramble. When everyone comes back at once, school starts, routines snap back, and your clients are suddenly racing to get year-end projects done against a calendar that is already full. Booking now spares them that pileup. The pre-sell is not you asking for something. It is you handing your client their fall back before it gets crowded.

The System Is What Makes It Repeatable. One pre-sale stitched together with a scramble of emails and a payment link is doable. A pre-sell you can run every summer without rebuilding it from scratch is a Client Growth Engine™, the repeatable system underneath your marketing, sales, and client experience. Pull it off once and it is a heroic effort. Build the system underneath it and it is just something your business does.

Resources Mentioned

On-Demand CEO Retreat + Client Growth Engine bundle. The strategic thinking behind a proactive quarter, paired with the repeatable system that puts marketing, sales, and client experience on rails so pre-selling becomes something your business does on purpose. The price goes up at the end of June. 

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

I grew up in the river realm of Virginia, where everyone either had a boat or knew someone who did, and summer meant Friday afternoons out on the water before the weekend even started. The reason my family got to do that was simple. My dad ran summer hours in his business, and by noon on Friday the office was empty and everyone was gone.

I didn’t clock it as a business decision back then. I just knew we were a little different. But I’ve run summer hours in my own business every single year since, and every time I bring the idea to another business owner, I hear the same fear underneath it. If I’m less available, I’ll lose clients.

You won’t. Summer hours are not an availability problem. They’re a communication problem, and that’s something you can fix in an afternoon.

This episode is your permission slip, except the permission isn’t coming from me. It’s coming from you. I’ll walk you through how I set my hours, the way I communicate them so nobody panics, and how my model calendar turns the boundaries living in my head into something my team and my family can see and plan around.

Decide your hours. Communicate them everywhere your clients reach you, well before the season starts. That’s the whole move, and by the end of this one you’ll know how to make it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why setting summer hours is a communication problem and not an availability problem, and how that one distinction changes everything about how you handle it
• The exact way my parents announced summer hours every year with no apology and no long explanation
• How to reset client expectations around your response time without losing a single client
• What a summer autoresponder should actually say so it does the heavy lifting before you ever open your inbox
• The difference between summer hours and a true out of office, and how to communicate a longer stretch away
• How a model calendar turns the boundaries in your head into something your family and your team can plan around
• The one standing appointment that stays on your calendar no matter what season you’re in

Key Concepts from the Episode

It’s a Communication Problem, Not an Availability Problem. The fear is that shorter hours will cost you clients. What actually rattles clients is not knowing what to expect, and expectations are something you get to set. Clients don’t bristle at shorter hours. They bristle at not knowing what to expect.

State It Plainly, Skip the Apology. My parents announced summer hours everywhere a client might look, on the website, in email footers, on the voicemail, on a sign at the door, with no apology and no justification. Just the new normal, posted before the season started. You’re not asking permission to take Fridays. You’re telling people how summer works.

The Autoresponder Does the Work. A summer autoresponder sets your response time the second someone emails you, and a short FAQ of your most common requests answers half of them before they reach you. Set the expectation the moment someone hits send, and you stop answering the same question all summer.

The Model Calendar Makes Boundaries Visible. My model calendar maps my ideal week into theme days, CEO day, client day, content day, and CEO Collective day, so nothing gets dropped and my capacity is obvious at a glance. It also lets my family and my team plan around me instead of guessing. A boundary that only lives in your head is one nobody else can honor.

The CEO Date Is the Non-Negotiable. Whatever shifts for the season, the weekly CEO date stays. It’s the standing block where you work on the business, check your 90-day plan, and track your 12-month goals. Summer hours change with the season. The CEO date is the appointment that doesn’t.

The On-Demand CEO Retreat. Build your 90-day plan on your own schedule, around your summer instead of on top of it. Currently bundled with the Client Growth Engine™, the first system we install in every business inside The CEO Collective®.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

My three teenagers are home for the summer, the calendar cleared out the last week of May, and like a lot of business owners I could feel the pull to write the next two months off and call it a season.

I’m not doing that, and I don’t want you to either.

After almost 20 years of running this business, here’s what I’ve watched happen every single year. The women who disappear completely in June and July are the same ones scrambling in September, marketing dried up, no clients in the pipeline, head barely above water. The chaos they feel in the fall isn’t a fall problem. It’s a summer problem.

This is the season I do some of the most strategic work of my entire year, and I still take two full weeks off with my family. Both are true. I’m recording this in early June with most of 2027 already mapped, not because I’ve converted to hustle culture, but because I refuse to spend October panicking while I’m also helping my kids study for the SATs.

What I want to give you today is a way to use a slower summer to build the capacity fall is going to demand, so you walk into your busiest season with more room instead of more dread.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why the version of you who disappears this summer is the same version scrambling in the fall
• The line between a slower season and a stalled-out one, and how to tell which one you’re actually in
• How to read your clients’ seasons the way Target reads a retail calendar
• The one summer capacity project to pick, and why trying to do all of them is the wrong move
• What “hire slow, fire fast” actually asks you to start doing in June, not September
• How to get four to eight weeks ahead of your marketing without running it on willpower
• The quiet planning choice that ends the feast or famine cycle for good

Key Concepts from the Episode

Summer Is a Season With a Job to Do. Slower does not mean stopped. When demand dips and your inbox quiets down, that open space is the whole point. It’s the time to finally work on the business instead of in it. Slower seasons are not the same as stalled out. Don’t check out just because your clients did.

Your Business Has Seasons, and So Do Your Clients. Planning as if every month brings identical demand, energy, and client volume is magical thinking. The fix is knowing your own growth seasons and, just as much, knowing where your clients’ attention actually is. Meet your clients where their attention is, not where you wish it was.

Build the Capacity Before the Demand Shows Up. Q3 has one job, and that’s building the infrastructure for the clients you already know are coming in the fall. Wait until they arrive and you’re onboarding in a panic with your head barely above water. You can’t wait for the demand to show up and then build the capacity. That’s where the scrambling comes from.

Stop Building on Willpower. Willpower is the first thing to go when life gets hard or busy, so marketing that only runs when you can show up week after week is built on the wrong foundation. Batch the assets, map the sales calendar a year out, and let the systems carry the heavy lifting. Willpower is the first thing that goes when life gets hard. Build assets, not motivation.

Feast or Famine Is a Planning Choice. The cycle isn’t a fact of running a business. It smooths out when the work you do in the quiet seasons holds through the loud ones, and your business stops depending on your stamina. Calm is capacity, and you can spend the summer building a little bit of both.

Resources Mentioned

The On-Demand CEO Retreat. Build your 90-day plan on your own schedule, around your summer instead of on top of it. Currently bundled with the Client Growth Engine™, the first system we install in every business inside The CEO Collective®. 

The CEO Mid-Year Review. The episode and workbook for pressing pause, checking your real numbers to date, and looking forward through the next six months. This is the first move of the season. 

Notes to Future Me. The episode on the habit Racheal uses to protect her calendar and her capacity, and to leave herself instructions for the busy weeks ahead. 

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

There is a note blocking off the last week of May in my calendar, and it is yelling at me. Last week of school. Do not plan anything. All caps. Too many exclamation points. When I open it, past me has left the longer version: be nice to yourself, Racheal, there will be concerts and awards and kid stuff, the twins get out by one most days.

I wrote that a year ago, for the version of me who would forget. And she always forgets.

Here is the thing nobody tells you about capacity. The reason you keep overcommitting is not that you lack discipline. Overcommitting is not a discipline problem, it’s a memory problem. We forget the things that repeat, the school years and the flare days and the travel that wrecks you for three days after, and then we plan the next six months as if every week is sitting there waiting for us. It is not.

So I started leaving notes to future me. In my calendar, in the notes app on my phone, no new software and nothing fancy. Present me taking care of future me, before future me is too foggy or too maxed out to think straight.

This one is part of the mid-year series, and it picks up where the mid-year review left off. That episode helps you decide what you want from the back half of the year. This one is about how to protect your capacity so you have the room to pull it off.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why your capacity for the back half of the year is smaller than your plan assumes, and the specific reason your brain hides that from you
• The tiny habit that takes zero new tools, just the calendar and notes app you already have
• What a note to future you says when you are too deep in a flare to remember your own name
• How a single calendar note back in April keeps your kids from missing the whole summer in clothes that fit
• The difference between saying you take Fridays off and having a calendar that protects it from you
• Why summer quietly steals capacity even when the kids are in camp, and what to adjust before it happens
• The monthly reset that turns self-care from a thing you hope happens into a thing already booked

Key Concepts from the Episode

Notes to Future Me. Present you writes down what future you will need, before future you is too tired, too foggy, or too busy to figure it out from scratch. It lives in your calendar and your notes app, and it requires nothing else. Past you is the most underrated member of your support team.

Capacity Is More Than Time. Time is the capacity everyone counts. Mental load and emotional capacity are the two that run out first, especially for a woman carrying an entire household in her head. You can have a free afternoon and still have nothing left to spend.

Protect Yourself From Yourself. The people-pleaser will say yes to a call on your day off. The recovering workaholic will bulldoze the part of you that wants a slower pace. The habit exists because willpower loses that fight every time. Discipline is a decision you made once, written down where you can’t argue with it.

Your Calendar Is a Values Document. You can tell what someone prioritizes by what they have made room for, not by what they say matters. If your health and your relationships are not blocked off, they are not protected. “I don’t have time” almost always means “I didn’t put it on the calendar.”

Plan for Reality, Not Best Case. Twenty-six weeks left in the year does not mean twenty-six working weeks. Once you count the trip to Italy, cousin camp, the girls trip, and the holidays, the real number is closer to twenty-one. A plan built on your best week is a plan that breaks by August.

Resources Mentioned

Mid-Year Review Workbook. The free workbook from the previous episode, walking you through the back half of the year. 

The June CEO Retreats. Three formats are currently open: the Virtual CEO Retreat, the in-person Richmond CEO Retreat, and the On-Demand CEO Retreat. Pick the format that fits where you are right now. 

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

If the plan you wrote down in January no longer matches the year you're actually living, you're not behind. You're just due for a review.

This is the time of year where I see most women entrepreneurs do one of two things. They abandon the plan entirely and start running on default, or they white-knuckle a plan that stopped fitting their reality months ago. Both end the same way: a Q3 where nothing feels like it's working and you can't tell why.

So in this episode I'm walking you through the exact mid-year review I'm running on my own business right now, messy parts included. Facebook disabled my ads account for six weeks and pushed a one-month project into three and a half. Travel patterns shifted enough that we had to restructure how we delivered the March retreat. And I'm being honest about the weeks recently where I haven't had it in me to record at all, and what that's been teaching me about adjusting capacity instead of grinding through it.

By the end of this conversation, you'll have a clearer picture of what's still working in your business and what you need to change before the second half of the year gets away from you.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why most entrepreneurs abandon their plan in June instead of doing the harder work of adjusting it
• How to separate the goals that still serve you from the ones that no longer match the year you're actually in
• Why 80% is the only achievement standard worth holding yourself to right now, and why 100% is silently breaking your business
• The leading metric Racheal tracks every week to predict revenue before it shows up
• What to do when last year's capacity isn't available this year, and how to set goals around the version of you that exists today
• How to "think like a store" when you're deciding what to sell each month for the rest of the year
• What Racheal is changing in her own business right now after running this exact review on herself

Key Concepts from the Episode

Maycember. The collision of end-of-school chaos, exam stress, classroom parties, and final projects that turns May into a second December for working parents. If your operating system doesn't have built-in checkpoints, you'll lose the back half of your year to whatever shows up.

Adapt vs Abandon. When the plan stops matching reality, most entrepreneurs don't update it. They quietly let it go and start running on default instead. A plan you stopped using six months ago isn't a plan. It's a relic.

The 80% Standard. Hitting 80% of what you set out to do is success, not failure. Holding yourself to 100% in a year like this one is how you burn out trying to prove a point that doesn't matter. Perfection is not a business strategy. Capacity is.

Lagging Goals vs Leading Metrics. Revenue is a lagging metric. It tells you what already happened. Leading metrics, like the number of consults booked this month, tell you what's about to happen. If revenue is the only thing you're tracking, you're managing your business through the rearview mirror.

Think Like a Store. Even retailers with a full catalog highlight specific offers each month tied to what's seasonally relevant. The same applies to your business. Selling the same thing every month is not consistency. It's invisibility.

Resources Mentioned

Plan Your Best Year Ever. Racheal's free annual planning challenge to map out your goals, your offers, and your marketing calendar for the year. 

Fired Up and Focused. Free five-day challenge to build the habits and systems that keep you focused on what actually moves your business forward. 

The June CEO Retreats. Three formats are currently open: the Virtual CEO Retreat, the in-person Richmond CEO Retreat, and the On-Demand CEO Retreat. Pick the format that fits where you are right now. 

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Most women don’t realize they’ve built a ceiling around their next opportunity until they’re standing right in front of it.

It looks like turning down a speaking opportunity because you have nothing to wear. It looks like saying no to the podcast interview because your hair needs to be colored. It looks like quietly opting out of visibility because the version of you that needs to show up doesn’t feel like the version of you that exists right now.

In this episode, Racheal sits down with longtime CEO Collective member Angela Foster – the petite style coach and founder of a thriving one-on-one styling practice – to talk about the invisible barriers women build between themselves and the next level of their business. Angela works specifically with high-achieving executives and entrepreneurs who are 5’3 and under, helping them stop wasting time, energy, and confidence on the daily struggle of getting dressed.

But this conversation is about much more than clothes. It’s about what happens when a smart, capable woman tries to figure everything out on her own and what changes when she finally lets someone support her.

About Angela Foster

Angela Foster spent 20 years as a fashion and beauty executive – now she uses that expertise to help high-achieving Petite women feel more confident by creating closets they love – ones that truly represent both their personal style and professional brand.

Through her signature SPARK Petite Style Method, Angela’s clients show up feeling prepared and confident whether they’re heading to brand photoshoots, delivering keynote presentations, or simply navigating everyday life. They love their wardrobes because every piece fits their height, flatters their body shape, and reflects who they are. Angela’s expertise has been featured in Real Simple, PureWow, and People magazines.

Angela has been a CEO Retreat attendee for years and is a long-standing member of The CEO Collective.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why word of mouth is still the gold standard of marketing and what it actually says about your business when clients refer you in rooms you’re not in
• How niching down to a specific audience (women 5’3 and under) expanded Angela’s reach instead of shrinking it
• The “self-imposed ceiling” most women build between themselves and the next opportunity in their career or business
• Why “I’ve taken a bajillion business classes” is a sign you’re being asked to fit into someone else’s framework instead of being supported in building your own
• The exact quarterly numbers moment that finally tipped Angela from CEO Retreat attendee to Collective member
• Why subtracting from your business is harder – and more valuable – than adding to it
• How leaning into your communication strengths beats forcing yourself into trendy marketing tactics every time

Key Concepts from the Episode

The Self-Imposed Ceiling. Visibility opportunities show up unexpectedly – a speaking invitation, a podcast guest spot, a board meeting, a press feature. When women aren’t resourced ahead of time, they quietly turn those opportunities down and tell themselves they’re “too busy.” That’s not a scheduling issue. That’s a capacity issue that’s been disguised as a wardrobe issue.

Get Ready, Don’t Wait Until You’re Ready. Building a sustainable business means preparing for the opportunities you want before they arrive – not scrambling once they do. The women who say yes confidently are the ones who built the systems, the support, and the readiness in advance.

The Framework Should Fit You, Not the Other Way Around. Most business advice tries to squeeze every business into the same template, regardless of fit. For highly relati

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Most women entrepreneurs hit a ceiling in their business somewhere in the $100K–$1M range – and most generic advice will tell them the fix is more revenue, a new funnel, or a mindset shift.

That advice is wrong. Or at best, it’s treating a symptom.

In this live assessment, Racheal walks through the five areas where the real ceiling lives and why most business owners misdiagnose where they’re actually stuck. Capacity isn’t just about time. There are four different kinds, and most women are running low on all four at once.

If you’ve been feeling maxed out, burned out, or stuck at a revenue plateau no amount of hustle seems to move, this is the framework that will name what’s actually going on.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The four types of CEO capacity and why “just manage your time better” is the worst advice most business owners get
• Why hiring more people and throwing money at problems often makes the bottleneck worse, not better
• The five areas of your business where the real ceiling hides: Calendar & Buffer, Cognitive Load, Emotional Capacity, Marketing Stability, and Feedback Loops
• The simple green/yellow/red diagnostic Racheal uses with her clients to identify the one area that’s blocking everything else
• Why “chaos coordinator” and “CEO” are not the same job – and how to tell which one you’re actually doing
• How to start unlocking bottlenecks one at a time, without burning the business down and starting over
• Why the businesses that survive hard seasons (illness, caregiving, grief, burnout) aren’t the ones with the most grit – they’re the ones with the right systems built in advance

Key Concepts from the Episode

If You Are the System, You Are the Ceiling. When everything about how your business runs lives in your head – when every decision runs through you, when nothing can move forward without you – your personal capacity becomes a hard cap on your business’s capacity.

The Four Types of Capacity. Time is only one. The others – physical, cognitive, emotional, strategic – are the ones most business owners never hear named, and they’re where the real drain happens.

The Growth Edge Is Uncomfortable. Moving from Chaos Coordinator to true CEO requires leading yourself first – setting boundaries, making decisions before you feel ready, and building systems that don’t require you to be the engine.

Resources Mentioned

• The CEO Collective® – Racheal’s 12-month operating system and leadership mentorship for service-based women entrepreneurs at $100K–$1M. Enrollment closes Wednesday, April 30th at midnight ET. 

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Ever wake up in the middle of the night with a line that feels like it downloaded straight from the universe?

That happened to me a few weeks ago. I sat straight up, grabbed my phone, and emailed myself these words: If you are the system, you are the ceiling.

The next morning I Googled it. Searched my inbox. Ran it through Claude and ChatGPT. Nothing. It was just… there. And suddenly I couldn’t unsee what it meant.

For months, people have been asking me the same question: How did your business survive a full year of intensive caregiving with you working five hours a week? And my answer has always been simple: My business did exactly what I designed it to do.

But here’s what I realized – I’ve been burying the lead. I’ve been playing it safe with my messaging while the women who need this most weren’t seeing themselves in what I was putting out there.

So I rebuilt my entire website. Rewrote my positioning. Got bolder about what we actually do here. And in this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of that decision and why I think it’s the most important thing I’ve done for my business in years.

Episode Highlights:

• Why the shift from “girl boss” aspirational messaging to safety and stability isn’t just a trend – it’s a response to how the world has changed
• The difference between theory and lived experience (and why mine includes supporting clients through grief, divorce, chronic illness, natural disasters, and wars)
• How “practical magic” became the frame for everything we do at The CEO Collective – aka the unsexy systems that make your business unshakeable
• Why burying the lead keeps you stuck playing small (and what happens when you finally stop softening your edges)
• The one question that triggered deeper conversations everywhere I went: “What do you mean your business survived on five hours a week?”
• What it means to build research-backed, battle-tested methodology instead of one-size-fits-all cookie-cutter advice
• How to know if you’re ready to break through the ceiling in your business (and what the CEO Ceiling Assessment will help you uncover)

Show Links

• New Website: The CEO Collective
• Case Studies: See How Women Built Unshakeable Businesses
• The CEO Ceiling Assessment – Live Event on April 20th
• Learn More About The CEO Collective
• Client Growth Engine
• Racheal on Instagram and TikTok
• Rate and review the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast on Apple Podcasts

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

You know that feeling when your business is growing, but somehow you feel more trapped than ever? More clients, more revenue, more team members… and somehow less freedom than when you started.

Here’s the truth nobody tells you: growth doesn’t automatically create capacity. In fact, if you don’t redesign how you operate, growth will squeeze you harder than startup mode ever did.

Most women entrepreneurs I work with hit a ceiling around the same point. They’ve built something real. They’re making great money. Their offers are selling. But they’ve become the bottleneck in their own business, and they can’t figure out why adding more revenue, more team, or more systems hasn’t given them the freedom they were promised.

The answer isn’t working harder or being more disciplined. It’s not about better time blocking or another productivity hack. The problem is structural, not personal.

In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly why high-achieving entrepreneurs stay stuck in reactive mode, how busyness becomes a comfort zone that keeps you from scaling, and the one shift that separates founders who burn out from CEOs who build sustainable businesses. Plus, I’m sharing the exact percentage you should be designing your business around (hint: it’s not 100%).

Episode Highlights:

• Why exhaustion in a growing business signals a structural flaw, not a character flaw
• The hidden cognitive load that escalates as you scale and why “just outsource it” is terrible advice
• How more revenue amplifies problems instead of solving them (and what to do instead)
• Why designing your business at 100% capacity guarantees burnout
• The 70% Rule: How high-functioning CEOs build buffer into their operations
• The two weekly habits that create feedback loops and keep you proactive instead of reactive
• Why calm feels uncomfortable when you’re calibrated for chaos and how to recalibrate your nervous system

Show Links

• CEO Date Checklist
• Racheal on Instagram and TikTok
• Rate and review the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast on Apple Podcasts

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Here's the thing nobody in the business world wants to admit: you are not going to be at 100% every day. Not this month, not this year, not ever. And if your business only works when you're fully charged and firing on all cylinders, you don't have a sustainable business — you have a liability.

I learned this early, growing up with a disabled parent. You don't plan for the good days. You plan for the hard ones. That lesson has shaped everything about how I've built The CEO Collective — and it's the reason my business kept running when I had to step back for almost a full year to care for my parents, navigate my mother's final months, and sit with grief that doesn't follow a schedule.

In this episode, I'm opening up a conversation I want to keep returning to all month: what it actually means to lead from your real capacity — not the aspirational version of yourself, but the human one. Because growth without buffer isn't impressive. It's volatility. And your business shouldn't require you to sacrifice your worst days on the altar of your best ones.

In This Episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

• Why building your business around peak capacity is one of the most common (and costly) structural mistakes women entrepreneurs make — and the mindset shift required to fix it
• The three types of capacity that actually determine how much you have to give — and why "what's on your calendar" is only part of the picture
• What spoon theory taught Racheal about running a business with chronic illness, and why every CEO needs to understand it
• How her business held when her available hours dropped from 25 to 5 per week — and the surgical decisions that made it possible
• Why grief doesn't flip off like a switch, and what her therapist warned her about using productivity to avoid it
• The structural difference between a business that sways in a storm and one that collapses — and how buffer (not hustle) is what determines which you've built
• The reflection question to sit with this week: what has actually changed about your capacity in the last three years?

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Most Q2 plans are built for a version of you that doesn't exist. The version with unlimited energy, zero personal obligations, and no curveballs. And then April hits, and you're already behind, already overwhelmed, already wondering what went wrong.

Before you open a planning doc or write a single goal for the next quarter, there's one question worth sitting with first: What do I actually have the capacity to sustain right now?

This episode is a bridge into Q2 — and it starts with the two questions I ask every CEO at the beginning of every retreat before we look at a single number. These aren't warmup questions. They're some of the most strategic questions you can ask yourself as a business owner.

I'm also sharing what this looked like for me personally — including the caregiving season I walked through in 2024 and 2025 and how I kept my business running without it depending on me being at 100%. Because the goal isn't a business that works when everything is perfect. It's a business that keeps working when life is life.

If you're stepping into Q2 with a plan in hand, this episode is what goes underneath it.

In This Episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

• Why the question isn't "what should I do more of?" — and what to ask instead before you finalize any Q2 plan
• The two questions I ask at every CEO Retreat before touching a single goal or revenue number
• What "CEO you in this season" actually means — and why it's different from CEO you on your best day
• The three dimensions of capacity that never show up on your calendar (and why ignoring them is magical thinking, not ambition)
• How my business kept running through an intensive caregiving season — and the specific support structures that made that possible
• Why planning without accounting for your real capacity isn't ambitious — it's how you end up behind and burned out by May
• The reflection questions to sit with before you turn the page into April

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

If you set big goals in January and you're already feeling behind, I want to be honest with you: the problem is not your discipline. It's not your motivation. It's not your mindset or your willpower. It's that the goal-setting approach most of us were taught was never designed for the stage of business you're actually in right now.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the real reason so many service-based business owners end up in a cycle of setting goals, falling behind, and starting over. It comes down to one critical shift: moving away from project-based goals and into systems-based goals. Once you understand the difference, the way you plan, prioritize, and measure progress changes completely.

I also walk through how to figure out what's actually driving results in your business right now, and why that answer is more grounding than any new strategy you could add to your plate. If you've been feeling like you need a whole new plan, there's a good chance you don't. You may just need to stop abandoning what's already working.

This episode is for you if you're done with the start-over cycle and ready to build something that actually compounds.

In This Episode:

• Why mid-March is when most business owners start blaming themselves, and why that self-diagnosis is wrong
• The difference between project-based goals and systems-based goals, and which one actually builds momentum over time
• The three stages every new project goes through before it pays off (and the stage most people quit in)
• How shiny objects and instant gratification keep you stuck in startup mode, even after you've outgrown it
• The one question I ask clients to help them identify what's actually driving results in their business
• Why the 90-day planning rhythm works when annual goal-setting doesn't, especially when life gets in the way
• How to build a Q2 plan that tells you what to focus on each week, with built-in space for when things inevitably come up

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

If you've opened the news lately and felt your stomach drop, you already know how hard it is to justify sitting down to work on your business. The guilt is real. The distraction is real. And if you've been quietly wondering whether it's okay to keep going, this episode gives you a completely different way to think about it.

This is not an episode about ignoring what's happening. What I'm making the case for today is that what we are watching unfold is the death throes of a system that was never built for most of us to begin with. And what gets built on the other side? That's on us. Right now. In our businesses.

In this episode:

• Why going quiet right now is one of the most costly things you can do
• The difference between the old model of "power over people" and what a values-driven business actually looks like structurally
• What matriarchy in business really means
• How I personally stay grounded when the world is loud
• Why your plan is not a cage, it's a compass
• How to join me at the live CEO Retreat on March 27th to build your Q2 plan together

Show Links:

• Q2 CEO Retreat on March 27th
• On Demand CEO Retreat

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Most business advice assumes you're operating at full capacity. But what happens when life doesn't cooperate — not for a week, not for a month, but for the better part of an entire year?

In 2025, I went from working 25 hours a week to about five. My parents needed more care than they could safely manage at home. My mom moved into memory care. There were hospital stays, doctor visits, Social Security calls, house sales — and ultimately, her passing in December. It was, without question, the hardest year of my life.

And yet, my business stayed intact. We kept our clients. We kept our revenue. I didn't have to walk away from the livelihood that supports my whole family.

That didn't happen by accident. It happened because I had a system — the Client Growth Engine — that was built to keep running even when I couldn't. In this episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes into the exact decisions my team and I made so the business could work around my life instead of the other way around. If you've ever wondered what your business would look like if you had to step back for a long stretch, this one is worth your time.

In This Episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

• Why making strategic decisions before a crisis hits is the difference between steady revenue and panic mode — and how I did that when I saw what 2025 was going to require
• A breakdown of the Client Growth Engine framework (attract → engage → nurture → invite → delight) and why designing it around your life matters just as much as designing it around your clients
• How 10+ years of one core attract strategy meant I had systems in place that could absorb my stepping back — and what I swapped in when I couldn't keep it up
• The surprisingly simple marketing shift that kept things moving without requiring much from me at all
• Why I stopped creating new sales assets and just repurposed what already worked — and how that made launches actually manageable
• The new direction I'm taking with on-demand offers — what prompted the shift and what it means for how you can access this work

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

From hiding behind NDAs to leading a thriving book writing business, Amanda Edgar's journey proves that embracing visibility can transform your entrepreneurial path. In this candid conversation, the ex-professor shares how she escaped the constraints of third-party platforms, built a strong team, and developed a unique framework for helping others write books. Her story demonstrates how the right business systems and community support can help you scale while staying true to your values. Amanda's evolution from reluctant expert to confident CEO offers a refreshing perspective on building a business that thrives even through personal challenges.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

If you've been wondering whether a marketing framework like Client Growth Engine could actually work for your business, this episode is going to answer that question.

I'm walking through three real client stories — a product-based business, a service provider who was stuck on a third-party platform, and a concierge medical practice — and what they all had in common might surprise you. 

None of them needed more marketing. 

They needed a repeatable system that fit how their businesses actually work. I've watched the feast-or-famine cycle wreck the confidence of brilliant women who are genuinely excellent at what they do. 

These case studies show what shifts when you stop running on inspiration and start running on a plan. 

I'm not promising overnight results — this framework takes three to six months to implement and another three to six to fully integrate. But the women I'm sharing about today are now predicting their revenue within 10%, working the hours they want to work, and building asset libraries they'll use for years. 

If any part of your marketing feels chaotic, exhausting, or like you're always starting from scratch, this episode is worth your time.

In This Episode of Promote Yourself to CEO

• Gabi (Bright Body) went from marketing-by-mood to a 12-month calendar that lets her predict revenue within 10% — and actually support a team
• Why repeating yourself is the point — and how the belief that everything must be new is quietly killing your conversions
• Amanda (Page & Podium Press) broke free from a third-party marketplace that took 20% of her fees and controlled her client relationships, then built a scalable team
• The "learning without implementing" trap that keeps smart entrepreneurs spinning — and how a framework finally gave Amanda a path to run on
• Dr. Libby (Best Life Functional Medicine) redesigned her client experience so she went from 24/7 availability to working 9–4, Monday through Friday
• Why marketing and operations have to grow together — and what happens when you scale sales without the infrastructure to back it up
• How to turn "couch potato content" into a reusable asset library that compounds over time instead of dying in your archives

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

In this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, I invited Gabi Day, CEO and founder of Brightbody, to discuss her entrepreneurial journey. Gabi shares insights on running a non-toxic, refillable personal care line and her new venture, Hype Ma'am, which supports women in product-based businesses. Gabi reflects on her transition from healthcare administration, dealing with chronic health issues, and becoming a mother of twins. She emphasizes the importance of creating flexible systems and structures, including her 90-day operating plan and annual marketing calendar that enable her to balance business growth and personal well-being. Gabi also discusses how implementing these strategies has transformed her role as CEO and improved her team's efficiency and happiness.

10:58 Flexible Work and Parenting

23:40 Adapting to Challenges: Flexibility in Planning

27:37 Building a Reliable Team

33:28 Streamlining Operations with SOPs

42:26 Scaling Your Business with Systems

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

You make yourself available to your clients constantly. They can email or text or call you 24/7, and you make it a priority to respond to them as soon as possible. And you might even be making great money in the process!

From the client's perspective, this sounds great. But while the constant availability works for them, it means your business isn’t really working for you.

Today, I talk with CEO Collective member Dr. Libby Wilson whose functional medicine practice looked great on the surface with successful clients and cash flow. But she had to make shifts so that she could truly have freedom in her business to enjoy life. In this episode, she talks about how she turned things around over the last year to ensure that her practice not only works for her clients but also for herself and her family.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

3:25 - Who is Dr. Libby Wilson, how does she help her clients, and where was she struggling in her business before joining the CEO Collective?

7:55 - Hustle culture created this health issue for Dr. Libby. She had to fix the root cause and talks about how the 90-Day Planner helped.

13:07 - Content creation is a major sticking point for a lot of entrepreneurs. Dr. Libby has a 12-month rinse-and-repeat content calendar, so how does she do it?

16:29 - Dr. Libby reveals something she does for her practice and that every entrepreneur needs to apply in their business. We discuss what it is and why it’s so important.

22:34 - Watching how my business runs behind-the-scenes helped Dr. Libby get away from making herself constantly available to clients. What changes did she make in her practice as a result?

30:04 - Dr. Libby discusses how making the adjustments to her business has improved her life and her mindset.

36:30 - To wrap the show, Dr. Libby reveals what she’d say to anyone thinking of joining The CEO Collective. She also briefly discusses her new book and how she works with clients.

Mentioned in Is Your Business Really Working for You? 

• Best Life Functional Medicine
• The Path of Intention: Five Habits to Optimize Your Health and Create a Life You Love by Dr. Libby Wilson
• 90-Day CEO Planner
• Apply for The CEO Collective
• Racheal on Instagram and TikTok

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

If your marketing strategy feels like it was stitched together from a dozen different experts, programs, and podcasts — it probably was. And that's exactly why it's not working the way you need it to.

I've been in that place, and I know how exhausting it is to keep up with a to-do list that never ends, while still not knowing where your next client is coming from. Here's what I've come to understand: the problem isn't your motivation, and it's not that the advice you've been following is wrong. It's that none of it was designed to work together — for a business like yours.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the difference between tactics and strategy, and why that distinction is the thing most small business owners are missing. I'll walk you through the Client Growth Engine — the five-stage framework I use with every single client at the CEO Collective — and show you how to spot the gaps that are creating friction for your potential clients right now. Whether you've been in business for two years or ten, I think you're going to hear something in this episode that finally makes the whole picture click.

In This Episode of Promote Yourself to CEO

• Why your marketing feels hard — and why it's a systems problem, not a motivation problem
• The real difference between strategy and tactics — and why leading with tactics is multiplying your workload without the results to show for it
• The five stages of the Client Growth Engine — Attract, Engage, Nurture, Invite, and Delight — and what's actually supposed to happen at each one
• The most common point of confusion — why so many business owners are conflating "attract" and "nurture," and what it's costing them
• How to identify the gaps in your own engine — so you stop doing random activities and start fixing what's actually broken
• What it looks like when the system runs without you — including how I kept my business moving during one of the hardest personal seasons of my life

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Here's a question most business owners can't actually answer: Do you know where your next 10 clients are coming from?

Not their names — just the path. The channel. The sequence of events that gets someone from "never heard of you" to handing over their credit card.

If you paused on that, you're not alone. In this episode, Rachel Cook gets into the specific patterns she sees when she pops the hood on a client's business during a strategy review — and why so many smart, hardworking entrepreneurs are stuck in feast-or-famine despite doing more marketing than they probably need to.

The uncomfortable truth she makes here: unpredictable growth isn't a motivation problem. It's a systems problem. And most of the "solutions" people reach for — more content, more platforms, more visibility — are actually making it worse.

If your revenue feels harder to predict than it should be, this episode is worth a listen. Rachel doesn't dress it up, and she doesn't make it complicated. She walks through four mistakes that are almost universally present in stalled businesses, and gives you enough to start diagnosing your own.

In This Episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

• Nurture vs. attract marketing — and why confusing the two quietly shrinks your business. If your marketing is only reaching people who already follow you, you're not growing visibility. You're just talking to a contracting audience.
• The math most business owners are avoiding. Once you know your conversion numbers at each stage of the client journey, you can forecast revenue within 10% — and finally stop guessing at whether your marketing is working.
• Why passive selling is costing you clients who were ready to say yes. The people in your audience aren't tracking your offers as closely as you think. Rachel makes the case for why showing up once — or burying an offer in a P.S. — isn't enough.
• Doing more vs. deciding better. When growth stalls, the instinct is to add: more tactics, more platforms, more content. Rachel explains why that instinct is usually what's keeping you on the hamster wheel.
• What "removing friction" actually looks like in the client journey — and how making it easier for people to understand their next step is often more valuable than any new marketing strategy.
• Why decision fatigue is the real reason your marketing to-do list stops producing results — and what to do instead of continuing to pile on.
• A preview of the Client Growth Engine framework — the strategic system Rachel uses with every client at the CEO Collective, and what's coming in the next episode.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Here's something nobody wants to admit: most marketing advice actually works. The problem? It's just not working for your business. And that disconnect is exactly why everything feels so much harder than it needs to be.

I'm pulling back the curtain on why you keep getting stuck in this exhausting cycle of trying every strategy, tactic, and tip that crosses your feed—only to end up more burned out and no closer to the sustainable business you want. We're talking about the online marketing echo chamber that's lost touch with how real businesses actually work. The advice designed for high-volume, transactional businesses that makes zero sense when you're building something based on trust and long-term relationships.

If you've ever frozen up trying to decide what to post, felt guilty for not doing "all the things," or wondered why client referrals keep your business running while you're stressing about content calendars—this one's for you. I'm sharing the exercise that helps my clients immediately identify what's actually driving results in their business (spoiler: it's usually not what they think). Time to stop forcing strategies that were never built for businesses like ours.

In This Episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

• Why the online marketing world has become an echo chamber – and how it's completely lost touch with regular, everyday small businesses that serve actual humans (not just other entrepreneurs trying to sell courses)

• The massive difference between high-volume transactional businesses and high-trust relational businesses – and why trying to apply the same marketing strategies to both is making you feel like you're failing when you're absolutely not

• The hidden costs of forcing the wrong strategies on your business – from burnout and fragmented client journeys to analysis paralysis that keeps you frozen instead of implementing anything at all

• How my business not only survived but grew during the hardest year of my life – and why having a strategy that actually aligns with your life and business model is what makes "cruise control" possible

• The "last 10 clients" exercise that reveals the truth – this simple diagnostic will show you exactly where your clients are actually coming from (and it's probably not where you're spending 80% of your marketing energy)

• What your hair stylist understands about sustainable business that most online gurus don't – the power of 150-200 loyal clients who come back every three months versus chasing thousands of strangers on social media

• The real goal isn't to stop marketing – it's to build a strategy so clear and aligned that you never run out of ideas, you stop second-guessing every decision, and marketing finally feels manageable instead of overwhelming

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

You're showing up, creating content, following the advice. So why does marketing still feel like pushing a boulder uphill?

Here's what I realized after the hardest year of my life, when I had to step back from my business for months: most marketing advice wasn't designed for the kind of business you're actually building.

The strategies you're following? They're built for high-volume businesses with massive content teams. That influencer playbook? They have five people following them around with cameras. You're trying to make it work solo or with a tiny team, wondering why you can't keep up.

In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the disconnect between what you're being told to do and what actually works for relationship-based businesses. I'm sharing what kept my business running and growing when I couldn't show up, and why you're not broken or behind—you've just been following the wrong roadmap.

This changes everything.

In this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

• The two business models almost no one talks about—and why following advice designed for the wrong one makes everything unnecessarily hard

• What it actually takes to execute "simple" marketing tactics—the behind-the-scenes reality of massive teams that most business experts won't mention

• The autopilot test—what happened when I stepped away during the hardest year of my life, and what it revealed about truly sustainable systems

• Why you don't need to be an influencer—the truth about sharing your life versus building a successful relationship-based business

• The certainty question—one simple filter that reveals whether your marketing strategy is actually working (or just keeping you busy)

• What high-trust businesses need instead of constant content—this will change how you approach marketing forever

• The square peg problem—the real reason you feel behind (and why it has nothing to do with you)

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

As soon as you get up, the dog is already begging to be let outside. The kids don’t want to get ready for school, so you have to practically drag them out of bed. Your partner is wondering where the hell this or that is while you’re trying to get ready yourself for the day. And you’re still just barely awake in all this and haven’t had your coffee yet!

Are your mornings crazy like this? Let’s do something about that! High performance CEOs know how to manage their day and conserve their energy to get the results they want in life and business. So in this last installment of the “Run Your Business Like a CEO” series, I talk about three surprisingly key things to running your day like a CEO, based on my own experience.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

7:54 - A great day truly starts the night before. I used to never be a great sleeper (and even failed at it, according to my FitBit), so here’s how I fixed that.

15:48 - Morning routines can be so different from person to person. As an introvert who likes the quiet, here’s what I do and don’t do.

20:00 - What else can you consider to keep your days running smoothly? Pay attention to these things.

23:00 - I reveal what I do to simplify decision-making regarding my wardrobe, self-care, and home essentials.

26:45 - What’s sucking away your time? I discuss the happy accident that helped me truly relax.

28:27 - I used to feel resistant to morning and nighttime routines. Are you in the same boat?

Mentioned in Run Your Day Like a CEO

• FitBit
• Calm
• Grove Collaborative
• “From Not Ready Yet to Ready for Next Level Visibility with Stylist Nicole Otchy”
• Racheal on Instagram and TikTok
• Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

As a CEO, you’ve got many potential distractions in your business. Answering emails or other ongoing administrative work can keep your attention off the tasks that’ll actually move your company forward. Then by the end of the week, you’ve made little (if any) progress on the tasks that do drive business growth and success. In this episode, I talk about how you can run your week as a CEO with five top strategies that help you skillfully manage your time and energy while prioritizing those higher-value tasks that move the needle.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

5:01 - What is a model calendar, and how do you use one? I talk about how I created my model calendar and really dig into the details of how I use it now.

21:57 - If you have other people on your team, here’s something else you should consider doing to protect your time and energy.

26:33 - What’s the second most important strategy to run your week like a CEO? I do this for my business every Monday morning.

39:46 - I’m pretty ruthless when I implement the third strategy. And it certainly helps with client appointments and business boundaries when I do this.

41:37 - I often get asked why I included these couple of questions in The CEO Planner. What are they, and why did I?

45:03 - The CEO Score comes in handy when it comes to sticking to the weekly plan you just mapped out. Here’s a breakdown of what it’s all about.

57:26 - The last strategy is built right into the planner as this series of questions so you can make better decisions and nip any recurring problems in the bud.

1:02:58 - To wrap up, I quickly recap all five top things to do to run your week like a CEO.

Mentioned in Run Your Week Like a CEO

• The CEO Collective
• The CEO Planner
• Fired Up & Focused Challenge
• “How a model calendar helps me work just 25 hours a week!”
• “What Is Your Role as CEO?”
• CEO Date Checklist
• “How to Track Your Productivity With an Entrepreneur Scorecard”
• Racheal on

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

I go on CEO dates with myself. Once every month (as well as on a weekly basis), I take some time to check in on my business and ensure I’m continuing the progress toward the goals I’ve set. This is how I create business plans that I follow through on and adapt as circumstances arise. And in this episode, I discuss how you too can build in self-accountability so that your plan isn’t just another document you’ll never open again.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

2:59 - I talk about my monthly CEO date and dive into my check-in process.

7:48 - What kinds of questions can you ask yourself as you look back on the previous month?

11:28 - I reveal another reason why I absolutely love working with The CEO Planner.

14:15 - What are the consequences of not tracking and documenting things in your business on a consistent basis?

20:07 - Your business metrics and revenue help you predict your company’s future. I reveal how I check on mine every month without obsessing over them.

27:20 - What if you discover that you’ve fallen behind (even way behind) on your projected goals? Here’s how I handle it.

32:24 - One of the most crucial things you need to do with your team while setting your top business priorities for the next month.

34:10 - What’s the last thing I do at the end of my monthly CEO date?

Mentioned in Run Your Month Like a CEO

• Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge
• The CEO Collective
• The CEO Retreat
• The CEO Planner
• Racheal on Instagram and TikTok
• Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Every new year feels like a new chance to go after the big, audacious goals of your dreams. But as recent years have shown, you need to have adaptable plans for your business so that it can have the flexibility it needs while still getting the results you want. That’s why I love running my quarter through 90-day plans. Today, I talk about how to actually dig in and start creating these plans for your own business.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

3:34 - Why go for 90-day plans? Entrepreneurs love setting big, ambitious goals, but it can be overwhelming.

7:27 - How do you break down big goals into more manageable chunks to fit your time, energy, and resources? You can make your best guess, or do this instead.

11:24 - As an example, I quickly walk through how you can launch a new group program within a year (or sooner).

16:03 - How do you actually create your first 90-day plan? I dig into it and discuss the kind of goals you want to focus on during this process.

19:50 - Start the process by looking over your sales and marketing with this 5-part marketing strategy framework.

27:01 - Most people think of this part of the framework when they think of marketing and can get it confused with the first step. I reveal why it’s different and necessary.

34:08 - What’s next after you have your systems in place? I discuss the difference between process vs. project goals and breaking them down in your 90-day plan.

38:38 - Asking yourself these questions as you work through your plan can really help ensure you avoid major challenges.

42:50 - I talk about fine-tuning your plan throughout the quarter without burning yourself out.

Mentioned in Run Your Quarter Like a CEO

• Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge
• The CEO Collective
• The CEO Retreat
• The CEO Planner
• Get Paid Calculator
• Racheal on Instagram and TikTok

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

I need you to meet Michelle Mercurio. She's one of those rare people who refuses to pick a lane—and that's exactly what makes her brilliant. In this conversation, we dig into why the traditional business advice to "niche down" might actually be killing your ability to show up as yourself. Michelle's built a career that spans branding, community building, teaching, and yes, witchy practices—all tied together by two powerful threads: understanding who we are and how we relate to one another.

What I love most about this episode is how Michelle reframes growth itself. We're so conditioned to think growth means up, up, up—more revenue, bigger team, next level. But what if growth is actually a spiral? What if coming back to familiar patterns isn't regression but evolution? We explore how to shed decades of conditioning that taught us to smooth out our edges and fit in, why elevator pitches actually kill connection, and what it really takes to build authentic community (spoiler: it requires showing up even when it's uncomfortable). If you've ever felt like you're supposed to be further along or you're doing it wrong because you don't fit the mold, this one's for you.

In This Episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

• Why Michelle describes growth as a spiral rather than a ladder—and what that means when you feel like you're revisiting the same challenges you thought you'd already overcome

• The real danger of trying to fit in as a small business owner—how smoothing out your edges to belong actually makes you invisible in the marketplace

• What neuroplasticity research reveals about conditioning—and why it takes intentional effort to break free from the patterns that keep us playing small

• How elevator pitches kill connection instead of creating it—Michelle shares her "Ditch the Pitch" approach that uses questions as hooks instead of titles and credentials

• The truth about successful people that nobody talks about—hint: they're just the ones who didn't quit (but Michelle draws an important line about what you should quit)

• Why you can't just show up once and expect community to happen—what it really takes to find your people and build genuine relationships in business

• The one action you can take today to build authentic community—Michelle's practical suggestion for anyone feeling isolated in their business journey

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

The best entrepreneurial stories rarely start with a grand vision. They start with a rug being pulled out.

That's Ashley's story. A layoff. A pandemic that destroyed her in-person business overnight. So she did what many of us do in crisis—she picked up watercolors and created. A hundred days worth. Except it took two years to finish.

When Ashley came to me, I saw what she couldn't see herself: a hundred pieces of unique, marketable content in a space flooded with generic coaches. She resisted. Hard. Tears and all.

But here's what changed everything: clarity isn't something you force. It's something you create conditions for. Once Ashley stopped waiting for perfection and started building in public, the momentum came fast. Seven months from a wine bar idea to four finished books.

If you've got something incomplete sitting in your files, or you're wondering if your "weird" skill could be your real differentiator—listen in.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

• The accidental entrepreneur — Ashley's family had three generations of business owners. She wanted nothing to do with it until a layoff left her no choice.
• When crisis creates clarity — A pandemic wiped out her revenue overnight. She started painting. Two years later, she had 100 finished watercolors and no plan.
• What I saw that she couldn't — A hundred pieces of unique, ready-made content. Ashley saw uncertainty. I saw her competitive advantage.
• The two-year gap between finishing and knowing — Completed the paintings in 2022, knew her path in 2024. Here's what she learned about waiting for clarity.
• Building in public before you're ready — Ashley announced her journal plan on LinkedIn, tagged 200 people, took pre-orders before writing a word.
• Why smaller commitments actually work — Instead of writing all four at once, she took pre-orders for volume one, wrote it, then repeated. The structure got it done.
• Your market is telling you something — People kept asking about her art, not her coaching. She listened to that signal instead of resisting it.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Your revenue is down. Sales have slowed. And every time you log into social media, you're hit with another wave of news that makes you want to throw your entire business plan out the window and start over.

But here's what most business owners don't realize: when things slow down, the problem is rarely everything. It's usually just one or two key levers that need your attention. The CEOs who come out stronger on the other side? They're the ones who can diagnose the real issue instead of burning it all down in a panic.

In this episode, I'm walking you through the exact framework I use with my CEO Collective clients to figure out what actually needs fixing in your business. We're talking about the four levers that directly impact your revenue, how to identify which one is causing your slowdown, and why changing everything at once is the worst move you can make right now.

This isn't about working harder or doing more. It's about working smarter and focusing your energy where it will actually move the needle. Because sales slowdowns don't mean your business is broken. They mean it's time to make a strategic CEO-level decision.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

• The leaky bucket problem - Why you might be bringing in new clients but still losing revenue (and the one metric that will tell you if this is happening in your business)
  
  
• Product-market fit in uncertain times - The three scenarios where adjusting your offers makes sense, and when a "bite-sized" entry point could be the bridge between hesitant buyers and long-term clients
  
  
• The messaging shift nobody's talking about - Why aspirational content stops converting when the economy gets shaky, and what your audience is actually searching for right now
  
  
• The visibility dilemma - How to stay visible when you're burned out on social media, plus the "Follow-Up Friday" strategy that's working for service-based business owners right now
  
  
• The science experiment approach - Why changing one variable at a time is the only way to actually know what's working (and what's not) in your business
  
  
• Client retention as your secret weapon - The case study of a CEO Collective member whose revenue dropped even though new client numbers stayed the same, and what we discovered when we looked under the hood

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

You know that feeling when you open your closet and somehow have nothing to wear—even though it's packed full? That's what running your business feels like right now. Not because you lack options, but because you have too many of them.

Fresh off our CEO Retreats, I've been hearing the same thing from small business owners across the country: they're stuck. Not on client work—they're confident there. But on the CEO-level decisions that could make or break their next year. The ones about pricing, team, strategy. The decisions they keep putting off because "what if I'm wrong?"

Here's what nobody talks about: this isn't a confidence problem. It's not an effort problem. It's decision fatigue, and it's eating up your cognitive capacity before you even get to the decisions that matter. Every morning you're starting with a tank of mental fuel, and by the time you need to make the big call, you're running on empty.

In this episode, I'm breaking down why wait-and-see mode is costing you more than you realize, what Steve Jobs and Barack Obama understood about preserving brain power, and the one tool that's going to help you cut through the noise: your CEO decision matrix. If you've been spinning your wheels on a decision you know you need to make, this one's for you.

In This Episode:

• Why small business owners feel economic shifts first—and what that reality means for the decisions sitting on your desk right now that you've been avoiding
• The cognitive capacity trap: I'm breaking down how your morning routine, chronic illness, or last night's sleep actually determines how much decision-making power you have today (and why this changes everything)
• What prolific leaders do differently when it comes to preserving mental energy for strategic decisions—it's not about working harder, and the examples might surprise you
• The real cost of "wait and see" mode—I'm sharing what I've witnessed happen when small business owners delay tough conversations about team, pricing, or strategy, and why your options shrink instead of expand
• How too many options create paralysis—your packed closet explains exactly what's happening in your business, and once you see this pattern, you can't unsee it
• The CEO Decision Matrix framework: I'm walking you through the filtering system that uses your vision and values to help you make tough calls faster and with more confidence

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

You know that sinking feeling when a client asks for "that document we worked on last month" and you have absolutely no idea where you saved it? Or when you're paying your team to sit idle while you frantically search through folders trying to find the resources they need?

If you've ever felt like the organized, professional front you present to the world is hiding a complete digital disaster behind the scenes, this episode is for you. Tracy Hoth, professional organizer turned business coach, reveals why most entrepreneurs struggle with organization (hint: it's not because you're "naturally messy") and shares her surprisingly simple system that works whether you're a solopreneur or managing a team.

This isn't about buying fancy software or overhauling your entire business overnight. Tracy breaks down the exact five-folder system she uses with clients to eliminate the constant search-and-rescue missions that are quietly draining your productivity and confidence. She also shares the "wonderful one" concept that could save you hours every week and the maintenance habit that takes less than five minutes but keeps everything running smoothly.

Ready to stop being the bottleneck in your own business? Tracy's practical approach might just be the missing piece that transforms your behind-the-scenes chaos into a well-oiled machine.

In This Episode:

• The "Monica's Closet" phenomenon — Why most business owners look perfectly organized on the outside while drowning in digital chaos behind the scenes

• Tracy's five essential business folders — The stupidly simple filing system that works for Google Drive, Canva, email, and every other platform you use daily

• The hidden cost of disorganization — How being unable to find files is masquerading as "bad time management" and costing you money in team productivity

• The "wonderful one" rule — Why choosing a single hub for everything eliminates decision fatigue and stops files from multiplying across devices

• SPASM method revealed — Tracy's 17-year-old organizing process that works for physical spaces, digital files, and even overwhelmed brains

• The maintenance secret — The simple habit-stacking technique that keeps your system running without constant overhauls (spoiler: it ties to something you already do)

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Ever feel like you're constantly tweaking your business but nothing quite clicks? Like you're a plant that's outgrown its pot but you keep trying to make it work anyway?

You're not alone. And more importantly, there's a reason why all that surface-level fixing isn't working.

In this conversation with Jessica Sato, we dig into why successful entrepreneurs hit this wall—and what actually needs to happen to break through it. Jessica works with impact-driven female entrepreneurs who've built something good, but know there's something bigger calling them forward.

This isn't about another rebrand or website refresh. It's about the deep work that most people skip because it feels too slow, too introspective, or too "nice to have." But here's what Jessica and I both learned the hard way: you can't shortcut this process.

We talk about the moment you realize your current container is too small, why "good enough" can be the enemy of extraordinary, and how to find that through line that connects everything you've built into something cohesive and compelling.

If you've been in business for 5+ years and something feels off—even if you can't put your finger on what—this conversation will give you language for what you're experiencing and a path forward that doesn't involve starting over.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

• The accidental TEDx discovery that shifted Jessica's entire approach to helping entrepreneurs find their big ideas

• Why your "expertise overwhelm" is actually the problem—and the umbrella framework that cuts through the confusion

• The two unmistakable signs you've outgrown your current business model (hint: one involves a lot of frustrated tweaking)

• The root-bound plant analogy that explains why no amount of "window dressing" will fix a foundational misalignment

• Why successful entrepreneurs resist the deep work that would actually solve their problems (spoiler: it's not what you think)

• The difference between copywriters and messaging strategists—and why working with the wrong one keeps you stuck

• Rachel's honest breakdown of her two major business evolutions and what triggered each shift

• The "good enough" trap that keeps mid-stage entrepreneurs from doing the work that would unlock their next level

• How Jessica's Egypt retreat idea emerged from a dream and why discomfort might be exactly what your business needs

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Show Notes: How to Build Premium Services Without the Premium Headaches

What if everything you've been told about raising your rates is backwards?

Amy Hayes, founder of The Global Creator, spent a decade building a design business that runs almost entirely on referrals—and she's never touched social media marketing for her client work. In this conversation, she reveals why most creatives are focusing on all the wrong things when trying to command premium prices.

You'll discover why that expensive camera or fancy software isn't what's keeping you from high-end clients. Amy breaks down the real difference between high-end and high-touch services, and why the latter matters more than you think. She also shares her unconventional approach to client boundaries—one that actually strengthens relationships instead of creating friction.

If you've ever felt trapped in the feast-or-famine cycle, constantly chasing new clients, or wondered why your perfectly polished portfolio isn't attracting the clients you want, this episode will shift how you think about service-based business entirely. Amy's insights on the relationship-first approach might just save you years of spinning your wheels on strategies that don't actually move the needle.

In This Episode:

• Why accumulating more skills and certifications won't fix your client pipeline problems

• The "self-concept" shift that transforms how clients perceive and treat you

• How Amy built a decade-long business without social media marketing (and why referrals don't actually "dry up")

• The counterintuitive approach to client boundaries that creates stronger relationships, not weaker ones

• Why high-end services require high-touch experiences—and what most people get wrong about this

• The real reason clients become demanding (hint: it's not about your pricing)

• How to price projects with built-in margins for creativity and collaboration

• Why saying yes to smaller projects from existing clients can be your most profitable decision

• The energy shift from "creative gun for hire" to strategic partner that changes everything

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Why Your Burnout Isn't a Time Management Problem

I've been thinking a lot about why so many of us are running on empty, and this conversation with Amanda Miller Littlejohn gave me language for something I've been feeling for years. We're not just tired—we're operating from a fundamentally broken blueprint about what makes life worth living.

Amanda's new book, The Rest Revolution, cuts through all the productivity hacks and time management systems to get to the real issue: we've been taught to measure our worth by our output. And frankly, it's killing us. What struck me most about our conversation wasn't just her story of severe burnout after having her third child during the pandemic (while not taking maternity leave), but how she traced this pattern all the way back to childhood.

This isn't another "work-life balance" conversation. Amanda challenges the entire framework of ambition in our post-pandemic world. She's a sought-after executive coach, brand strategist, and now Rosalyn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellow whose work has appeared in the Washington Post and Forbes. But more than that, she's someone who hit the wall hard and found a different way forward.

If you've ever felt like you're supposed to be grateful for being overwhelmed, this episode will shift something in you.

Show Notes

• The childhood origins of overwork - How being rewarded for effort and achievement creates adults who don't know they have limits

• Back-burnering vs. front-burnering - Why we systematically deprioritize health, hobbies, and key relationships for things that "matter" financially

• The breaking point pattern - How burnout manifests when we either get physically sick or lose someone and have no space to grieve

• Machine mindset vs. human needs - Why "I can't afford to take my foot off the gas" is a lie that keeps us trapped

• The village we've lost - How hyper-capitalism destroyed the natural support systems our grandparents had

• Friend-making in your 40s - Amanda's practical approach to "proposing" to potential best friends and showing up consistently

• The three P's of friendship - Proximity, positivity, and frequency (why adult friendships require intentional effort)

• Redefining the measuring stick - Moving from productivity-based worth to relationships, joy, and health as success metrics

• Why this all becomes urgent in your 40s - How decades of bad habits finally catch up and force a reckoning with what actually matters

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

When you’re running a business day to day, your to-do list is full with answering emails, posting on social media, working with clients, etc.

Many women entrepreneurs spend so much time working in their business that they don’t have the time to work on big picture, game-changing stuff like writing the book they’ve thought of for years or creating that next-level program that brings everything together.

In this episode, I share my favorite time management tips to help you build more CEO time into your business so that you can finally open up new revenue streams, reach more people, and work smarter instead of harder.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

4:29 - The answer is, “No.” I discuss how money mindset mentor Denise Duffield-Thomas decided to use tip #1 to stop this time and energy infiltrator.

7:21 - If you’ve been sitting on big dreams for years due to lack of time, I reveal the honest truth in tip #2.

9:33 - What’s my absolute favorite strategy to help you design your week around what matters to you most?

11:54 - You can work on the big picture of your business in 20 hours a week. I discuss how, even if you’re still working a job or taking care of young kids.

16:03 - I talk about this third and final big time management tip all the time! It’s one of my favorite things to do.

Show Links

• Fired Up & Focused Challenge
• “How a Model Calendar Helps Me Work Just 25 Hours a Week!”
• “A Mamapreneur’s Guide to Finding Childcare (Without Breaking the Bank)”
• The CEO Planner
• “How a CEO Date Keeps Me Focused Each Week”
• Racheal on Instagram and TikTok
• Leave a review on iTunes

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

As a new entrepreneur, you feel inclined to say yes to everything. But as your business grows and those yeses pile up, they become overwhelming to the point where they prevent you from doing the necessary CEO level work you need to focus on.

In today’s episode, I share the top three boundaries that’ll give you the confidence to say no so that you can concentrate on the work you’re truly here to do.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

2:59 - Having clear boundaries doesn’t get talked about much in business circles. Why is having clear boundaries in place so crucial as a CEO?

8:07 - I discuss the different types of clear boundaries you need to place in your business, starting with your calendar.

15:31 - What’s one reason why people get drained and feel tired when working with clients? I talk about the most important thing you can do about it.

21:57 - I reveal how I handle emergencies (on both my end and a client’s) and requests for meet-ups to ensure I protect my time and energy.

27:29 - Constant communication can become an energy drain too. What do you need to look at when setting boundaries around people contacting you?

37:28 - While email is my go-to business communication channel, I reveal how I handle questions and messages through other channels.

42:17 - What do you do when people just want to pick your brain? It’s easy to get sucked into this thinking it’ll lead to a client relationship!

45:46 - Having these clear client boundaries in a scheduling policy will nip problems like last-minute cancellations in the bud quickly.

50:45 - This client boundary challenge is something I see a lot in service providers who are good at a lot of things.

Show Links

• Fired Up & Focused Challenge
• Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
• “How a Model Calendar Helps Me Work Just 25 Hours a Week!”
• The CEO Planner
• The CEO Retreat
• Google Voice, Help Scout, and Voxer
• Racheal on Instagram and

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

My entrepreneurial dad taught me that you have to fire yourself from every other position in your business. But when you first start your business, you have to wear so many hats: customer service, bookkeeper, tech person, assistant, and so on. So it can be quite challenging to let go of some of the roles as you grow your business and your team.

Today kicks off a new podcast series that discusses how you can become more productive and focuses as a CEO. And in this episode, I talk about how to redefine your role as CEO of your business so you don’t become the bottleneck that holds everything up.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

3:56 - Why is it so difficult to let go of the other roles and stay in your CEO lane as your business grows?

7:07 - Founder of Spanx, Sara Blakely, gave insight on how she had to learn to get out of her own way.

12:05 - You being the bottleneck in your business has this unintended consequence as well.

13:06 - How can you start redefining your role as CEO? I reveal the first thing I did and some red flags that signal you’re getting in the way.

17:29 - I discuss the role of the traditional CEO in defining their business’s vision. I also share my favorite exercise to get clarity on your business’s vision.

22:00 - CEOs also have a responsibility to set the culture for the company. I talk about one of the values I’ve had for my business since the beginning.

26:36 - What’s the difference between how corporate CEOs go about creating the strategic plan for their business vs. small business CEOs?

28:49 - I discuss how running a small business team contrasts with running a large company team and how that’s reflected in my business.

31:53 - This final role-playing piece for CEOs is one of the most difficult. It’s the one thing you can’t outsource.

38:35 - Where do you need to put your time, energy, and attention so that you can focus on generating business growth and results? To get clear on this, here are some questions to ask yourself.

48:44 - I share how the avenues where I focus my time, energy, and attention on show up in my business every week and month.

56:15 - How do I divide up my time between doing all the things I’m focused on in my business?

Mentioned In This Episode

• Fired Up & Focused Challenge
• Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less by Cameron Herald
• The CEO Retreat
• “How a CEO Date Keeps Me Focused Each Week”

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Are you investing time, energy, and money into your business but not always seeing the return? You're not alone—and it's time we have a real conversation about how to actually get results from those big decisions.

In this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, Racheal Cook breaks down 5 essential strategies to make the most of every investment—whether you're hiring, signing up for a program, attending an event, or investing in a rebrand.

You’ll learn how to:

✅ Make smarter decisions BEFORE you spend a dollar
✅ Follow through (even when life gets in the way)
✅ Avoid ghosting your growth by leaning in and asking for help
✅ Take what works and leave what doesn’t—with confidence
✅ Build your own business ecosystem through real relationships

If you've ever felt disappointed by a course, coaching program, team member, or service provider—or just want to be more intentional with your resources—this episode is packed with honest insights and practical advice to help you stop wasting money and start getting results.

This isn’t just about ROI—it’s about stepping fully into your CEO role.

🎧 Press play now to learn how to turn every investment into real momentum in your business.

 👇 Then DM Racheal on Instagram @racheal.cook and let her know: Which of the five strategies will you be focusing on first?

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

After setting a revenue goal for your business, the next question on your mind might be, “How do I actually reach my goal?” If that’s you, then you’ll love this episode! In it, I dive even deeper into the actual math behind your revenue goal using real numbers to help you determine what to sell, at what price point, and to how many clients or customers.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

3:26 - I explain why figuring out how to hit your revenue goals can get a little tricky, especially if you follow so-called guru advice.

10:11 - You have to understand your sales conversion rate which varies based on what you’re selling, to who, and at what price point.

12:26 - What kind of sales call conversion rate do I see among people, even those without much sales experience?

14:53 - Let’s take a look at conversion rates of some other popular promotional methods.

22:56 - How do I know that the price point advice too many “gurus” give to entrepreneurs isn’t necessarily based on any real data?

27:39 - I discuss the biggest problems I see with offering a one-session service and my minimum price point recommendation for your signature offer.

31:39 - Here’s how building a baseline revenue with a higher-end offer can help you grow your income down the line, without sacrificing your time or salary.

34:55 - Remember this about each product, program, or service you create for your business.

Show Links

• Get Paid Calculator
• Racheal on Instagram
• Leave a review on iTunes

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

There’s a tale that’s rarely told in the business world. It’s a tale of two companies. Both make seven figures annually. But the business owners behind them receive a vastly different amount of money as actual take-home pay.

What happens once money comes into a business? Where does it go from there? The lack of real disclosure on this in online entrepreneurial circles has led to lots of people focusing solely on revenue goals, not their business’ actual profitability.

So in this episode, I break it all down, talk some numbers, and tell you exactly what it means to have a six-figure take home income, not just a six-figure business.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

3:29 - How much time do you have to invest in your business? Here’s how to take a look at your situation to see what works best for you.

7:16 - How much energy do you have available to you? And what do you need to do to maintain it?

9:48 - Instead of pulling a revenue goal out of thin air, ask yourself this question. I reveal the right way to come up with your number and a free resource you can use.

14:28 - I briefly mention why defaulting to your last salary as your revenue goal won’t work.

15:55 - I talk about what goes into running a business, how to use that information to reverse engineer your target, and a super simple way to figure out your revenue goal.

23:46 - Setting aside a little bit of your profits every month really starts to change the game and your perspective. I break down some percentages in detail.

31:08 - I look at the math behind a $100,000 annual revenue goal and how much you really need to earn to make that your take-home pay.

36:27 - How much tax are you going to pay at this point? This is where you’ll want to get yourself a good CPA.

39:10 - Before wrapping up, I go over the biggest piece of misinformation about growing a bigger business. It stops many from setting a higher revenue goal.

Show Links

• Get Paid Calculator
• Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
• Racheal on Instagram
• Leave a review on iTunes

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

  You’ve seen the hype about small business and entrepreneurial success out there. It’s unreal! Not a day goes by when I don’t see photos of fancy cars, vacations, oodles of cash, and the typical success catch phrases that come with them on my social media.

Here’s the conundrum, though: when your business crosses into the territory of making seven or eight figures, it can quickly become less about doing what you love and more about grinding things out as an entrepreneur to meet demand. 

So does bigger actually mean better for you? Or is big enough... enough? In today’s episode, I talk about why I believe in creating a big enough business to create an actual business and life you love.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

5:54 - I discuss what it was like growing up around entrepreneurs, and the surprising information I recently learned from my mother.

8:16 - Why should you beware of creating a business that grows too fast? I tell you what I’ve seen from businesses that experienced hyper growth.

10:02 - I retell a parable about a CEO and a fisherman that illustrates my point.

12:47 - I describe the time I was at a crossroads when I first heard the parable and the realization I came to after some reflection.

15:30 - The big questions I want you to ask about your revenue goals, and defining a Big Enough Business, the kind that loves you back.

17:10 - An early lesson in my business that serves as an example of why NOT to model your version of success after someone else.

20:05 - An example of what my "Big Enough Business" looks like and why it serves me in creating a business and life I love.

23:55 - How being intentional allows me to succeed without sacrificing my life and without causing me to be in a constant state of emergency in my business.

25:20 - How a big enough business allows you to live in your business sweet spot, and stop dreading Monday morning.

27:50 - How a big enough business and building a business and life you love will mean you must know your non-negotiables. 

29:40 - Does focusing on a big enough business, mean you lack ambition?

 34:00 - The questions I want you to ask to define your big enough business.

Show Links

• The CEO Collective
• Racheal on Instagram
• Leave a review on iTunes

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Stop burning out while building your empire. CEO and entrepreneur Rachel Cook reveals why your success is setting you up for a crash—and the three-layer support system that saved her business during family crisis. Learn the exact reset strategies, email scripts, and relationship-building tactics that let you scale sustainably without sacrificing your sanity. This isn't typical self-care advice—it's strategic business infrastructure. Discover how to spot burnout before it hits, build non-transactional support networks, and create recurring systems that keep you resourced through any challenge. Essential listening for ambitious women who refuse to choose between success and wellbeing.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

I'm recording from a completely new space today, and honestly, that feels fitting because everything about my business and personal life has shifted over the past 18 months. What started as managing my parents' care while growing a thriving business has turned into something much more complex.

You might think successful entrepreneurs have it all figured out, but I'm here to tell you that's not how it works. While my business was scaling to a team of 12 and hosting sold-out retreats, I was also getting new medical diagnoses, watching my father relapse into alcoholism for the third time, and spending $16,000 a month on my mother's care. Sometimes life demands that you make hard choices about what you can and can't handle.

This isn't your typical business strategy episode. I'm sharing what it actually looks like when the CEO of your life has to make decisions that nobody prepares you for - from letting go of team members to setting boundaries with family to completely restructuring how you show up in your business. If you're navigating major life changes while trying to keep your business running, you'll want to hear this.

On This Episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

• Major business pivots under pressure - Why I closed my downtown office, scaled back my team from 12 to 2 core members, and what that taught me about sustainable growth

• Managing chronic illness as an entrepreneur - Getting a lupus diagnosis and finding the right medical support while running a business (and why perimenopause is no joke)

• The real cost of family caregiving - How spending $16K monthly on my mom's nursing care led to difficult decisions about boundaries and what "responsibility" actually means

• Navigating addiction in the family - What it looks like to watch a parent go through rehab three times and why I had to learn that you can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved

• Building business resilience for life's curveballs - The systems and mindset shifts that allowed my business to not just survive but thrive during the most challenging 18 months of my life

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

I used to get so frustrated when people told me to "work smarter, not harder." My parents were entrepreneurs who embraced the hustle, and I thought success meant being willing to work 80-100 hour weeks, doing anything and everything to grow your business.

But here's what I learned the hard way: there's a ceiling to how much harder you can work. When you hit it, you become the bottleneck in your own business.

I've built a multiple six-figure business working just 25 hours a week—not through some magical productivity hack, but by fundamentally shifting how I think about work itself. In this episode, I'm sharing the six strategies that allowed me to step out of the grind and into true CEO-level thinking.

This isn't about cramming more tasks into your day or finding the perfect time-blocking system. It's about questioning everything you've been taught about what it takes to succeed and discovering that the entrepreneurs who scale sustainably aren't the ones working the hardest—they're the ones working the smartest.

If you've hit that wall where working harder isn't the answer anymore, these six shifts will change how you approach every aspect of your business.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

• Do less with more focus - I'll show you why having a signature offer and focused marketing strategy delivers exponentially higher returns than trying to be everywhere at once

• CEO doesn't mean Chief Everything Officer - I learned this lesson the hard way about letting go of control and building the support systems that freed me from day-to-day busy work

• What got you here won't get you there - I'll walk you through the critical pivot points every business faces and why your current strategies might be holding you back from the next level

• Embrace rinse and repeat - Find out why I had to overcome my creative nature to build reusable assets that prevent me from constantly recreating the wheel

• Create the money to invest back - How I shifted my mindset from "I can't afford this" to "I can create the money for this" and transformed how I view business investments

• Find mentors and masterminds - Why you can't Google your way to success and how having the right people in my corner accelerated my growth exponentially

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Just because it's a slow down season in your personal life doesn't mean your sales have to follow suit. Summer especially is known (and sometimes feared) as a dead time for business revenue. Unless your product specifically caters to what people purchase during these months, you're probably bracing for that dreaded dip in sales.

But what if I told you the sales gravy train can keep rolling, even while you're enjoying those precious summer moments with family? After realizing I only have a handful of summers left before my twins prefer friends over family time, I knew I needed a solution that wouldn't sacrifice revenue for relaxation.

The truth is, momentum doesn't require constant hustle. In my 15+ years helping women entrepreneurs scale sustainably, I've identified three high-leverage tactics that keep businesses thriving during personal slowdowns. These strategies don't demand more time—quite the opposite. Once implemented, they work automatically in the background while you're at the beach or enjoying summer evenings with loved ones.

In this episode, I'm sharing exactly how to keep generating the sales and revenue you desire (and deserve) when you step back from your business, so you never have to experience the feast-or-famine cycle that plagues most entrepreneurs during summer months.

• Complete your mid-year review first to identify what's actually creating momentum in your business.
• Remove friction from your buying process to make sales effortless even when you're off the clock.
• Discover how pre-selling future projects keeps service providers booked without sacrificing summer freedom. 
• Learn why repurposing content creates more impact with less effort than constant creation. 
• Find out which marketing strategy to double down on when everyone else is scaling back. 
• Implement these three momentum-maintaining tactics for a relaxed summer without revenue drops. 

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Feeling overwhelmed by "Maycember" chaos? Discover my proven mid-year business review process to recalibrate your 2025 strategy before summer disruptions hit. Learn the 80% achievement standard successful CEOs follow, identify your true revenue-driving metrics, and map your next six months with intentional focus instead of panicked reaction. With unpredictable market conditions in 2025, this practical framework helps you adapt your business plan without starting over. Download the free workbook and transform uncertainty into strategic opportunity. Stop running your business on default mode and start leading with clarity.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Struggling with entrepreneur burnout? In this powerful conversation, trauma therapist Shulamit Ber Levtov shares game-changing mental health strategies specifically designed for business owners. Discover why traditional self-care advice falls short, how to implement 30-second regulation techniques during business crises, and why acknowledging difficult emotions actually creates resilience. Learn practical approaches to maintain your wellbeing while navigating the entrepreneurial rollercoaster without succumbing to toxic hustle culture. Perfect for women business owners feeling isolated, overwhelmed, or questioning their capabilities. This episode reframes entrepreneur mental health as an essential business strategy rather than a luxury—empowering you to build both a sustainable business and a fulfilling life.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

I'm revealing why your once-reliable business systems may be failing in today's economy. In this episode, I'll guide you through revitalizing your client growth engine by strategically analyzing your attract, engage, nurture, and invite systems. You'll learn to identify where your best clients actually come from, eliminate friction points in your sales process, and build sustainable relationships instead of chasing marketing trends. Take control of your business growth with my proven, relationship-focused strategies that bring consistent results.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Decision-making during uncertain times can make or break your business. When stress levels rise, our natural decision-making abilities become compromised, pushing us into either reactive choices or complete avoidance—both potentially devastating for long-term success.

The entrepreneurs who navigate turbulent periods most effectively aren't those making the quickest decisions, but those making thoughtful, aligned ones. This episode walks you through creating your own decision-making framework based on the 90-Day CEO Operating System, providing a structured approach to evaluate opportunities and challenges without falling prey to panic-driven reactions.

Your decision-making matrix should start with your vision—what's your core business model, who do you serve, and what impact do you want to create? Even when you can't see years ahead, clarity about your 12-month goals provides essential context. From there, every potential decision should be filtered through alignment questions: Does this fit your existing offers? Does it serve your current clients' evolving needs? Does it leverage your established marketing and sales systems rather than forcing you to build entirely new ones?

During economic uncertainty, clients naturally seek safety and security. Smart entrepreneurs anticipate these shifts by creating risk-reversal options—perhaps offering satisfaction guarantees, bite-sized entry offers, or more flexible payment terms. But these adaptations must still align with your core strengths, brand identity, and team capacity.

Perhaps most vital is filtering decisions through your values. If "life before business" matters to you, will a potential change respect that boundary? Will it move you closer to your personal definition of success, not just financial targets? By creating and consistently using a comprehensive decision matrix, you'll navigate even the most challenging times with greater confidence and clarity.

What decision has been weighing on your mind lately? Try applying this framework and share what insights emerge. Your thoughtful decision-making now will position your business for sustainable success regardless of external circumstances.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

I'm sharing exclusive content from my March 2025 CEO Retreat, including my battle-tested "Oh Shit Kit" framework to help you stabilize your business during uncertainty. In this special episode, you'll experience key moments from the retreat as I provide actionable steps to secure your finances, generate revenue from existing relationships, and adjust your messaging to meet clients' shifting needs. Discover why increasing visibility—not retreating—is crucial during economic downturns, and how transparent leadership builds trust when others hide. These practical retreat strategies will help you make clearheaded decisions from a place of strength rather than fear.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Do you ever feel like you're carrying the weight of your business entirely on your shoulders? 

In this candid episode, I tackle the isolation that many women entrepreneurs experience. Drawing from my personal story of being raised by entrepreneur parents and the life-altering car accident that changed my family forever, I share powerful insights about the critical importance of building multi-layered support systems. I reveal how my father's business survived a crisis that could have destroyed it, thanks to a community of fellow entrepreneurs who stepped up. 

Whether you're struggling with business overwhelm, household management chaos, or simply craving deeper connections, this episode offers practical frameworks for creating the support you need—before you need it. Because the truth is, we all face unexpected challenges, and having systems in place isn't a sign of weakness—it's strategic preparation that allows your business to thrive even when life throws curveballs.

Episode Highlights:

• The Crisis That Shaped My Perspective - How my family's tragedy revealed the power of community support for entrepreneurs
• Your Business Continuity Plan - Creating systems so your business can function without you for weeks if necessary
• Finding Your "Right Hand" Person - The essential team member who buffers between you and clients during emergencies
• Home Systems That Actually Work - Applying business principles to systematize household responsibilities
• Automation Strategies - Simple ways to eliminate recurring mental load at home
• Building Your Personal Support Circle - Why intentionally cultivating friendships is crucial for entrepreneurs
• The Courage to Ask for Connection - How I "propose friendship" to build my support network

Mentioned in this episode:

• Fair Play by Eve Rodsky
• NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners)

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Running a business during political and economic uncertainty requires strategic focus, not panic. In this episode, I share practical strategies to stay grounded when consumer spending tightens and decision fatigue creeps in. Learn how to audit expenses, build a cash cushion, optimize your marketing systems, and implement the "less but better" approach that preserves your capacity. Discover why adjusting tasks based on your energy levels helps maintain productivity without burnout. Rather than waiting to see what happens, these actionable frameworks will help you navigate challenging times while continuing to build your business as an act of resistance.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

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In this episode, I share some helpful strategies for entrepreneurs to stay grounded when things get uncertain. You'll learn about expanding your "window of tolerance" between fight-or-flight and freeze responses, and discover practical tools like creating your own personalized "thrive list" and choosing meaningful "reset buttons" instead of just defaulting to whatever's easiest. We explore seven different types of rest—physical, mental, emotional, sensory, creative, social, and spiritual—and talk about how taking care of yourself intentionally actually builds your capacity to lead effectively. Throughout our conversation, you'll find actionable advice for managing your energy and reducing decision fatigue, helping you stay centered as a leader rather than operating from a place of panic.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

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If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Discover proven strategies to keep your business moving forward amid unpredictability and overwhelm. After 18 years navigating economic ups and downs, I share my framework for creating resilient business plans that don't require perfect circumstances to succeed. Learn how to stop starting over, build reusable assets, implement rinse-and-repeat systems, and focus on what truly matters. Perfect for entrepreneurs feeling drained by current events or disappointed by recent results. Build momentum with less stress by creating adaptable business strategies that can weather any storm.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

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In my latest episode, I'm tackling the elephant in the room: marketing during uncertain times. Drawing from my experience growing up in a small business family and working with countless entrepreneurs, I expose why the polished "perfect" marketing approach is failing and what actually works today. I share practical strategies for building genuine connections with your audience, why community matters more than ever, and how to market authentically when everything feels uncertain. If you're tired of performative marketing and ready for real connection, this episode reveals the path forward.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

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If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Feeling overwhelmed by the chaos of today’s world? In this episode, I dive into why values-driven leadership matters more than ever. Learn how to navigate uncertainty, stand firm in your beliefs, and protect your peace while growing your business. Discover why silence isn’t neutral, how brands are paying the price for ignoring values, and why community is the key to resilience. Tune in for a confidence-boosting conversation on stepping into your role as a leader without burnout.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

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If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Over the past year, I’ve navigated personal and business challenges that tested everything I teach. In this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, I’m pulling back the curtain on how I kept my business thriving while managing family caregiving, my health, and major shifts in my strategy. I’ll share the smart decisions that led to more revenue with less stress, why I’m going video-first, and how you can create a resilient, life-first business. If you’re ready to take control and build a business that works for you, this episode is a must-listen!

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

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If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Discover how former stage actor Elise Arsenault built a 6-figure business teaching audiobook narration to 900+ performers. Learn her proven framework for transitioning from struggling artist to successful creative entrepreneur, including practical strategies for home studio setup, landing high-paying narration work, and building a sustainable creative career. Perfect for actors, voice artists, and creatives seeking stable income without sacrificing their artistic pursuits.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

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What’s the antidote to inconsistent cash flow and clients in your business? Having a solid plan certainly helps, but too many entrepreneurs are just winging it in hopes of finding success. In this episode, I deliver a little tough love and talk about how to figure out the kind of plan you need in place for your business to grow.

1:25 – What do most entrepreneurs do first when wanting to create the freedom and flexibility they desire? I explain why it’s a backward approach and a short-term solution.

5:08 – You find true freedom with a certain level of control in your business. I clarify what I mean by control here, because a lot of people might have mixed feelings on it.

7:39 – What do you need to have in place to get consistent cash flow and clients? I reveal the first of several different components necessary.

10:28 – The second component is one where a lot of people trip up. There’s a common trap entrepreneurs can fall into here as well, and I discuss how to avoid it.

14:23 – Having these two things in your business makes predictable profits so much easier to obtain. I explain how.

18:44 – How can you ensure that your team helps you create sustainable revenue, freedom, and flexibility? Without a plan here, things can become chaotic very quickly.

25:36 – I talk about another key thing to keep in mind as you’re working with your team to grow your business.

Mentioned in Winging It Isn’t a Business Growth Strategy

• The CEO Collective
• The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
• Racheal on Instagram and TikTok
• Leave a review on iTunes

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

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When financial advisor Cris Caruso left her secure corporate position to launch Savoire Financial, she knew exactly who she wanted to serve: women, Gen X, and LGBTQ+ clients who've been historically overlooked by traditional financial services. In this conversation, she shares how she successfully transitioned her practice, brought her clients along, and built a business that combines hospitality with education. Her insights on the coming wealth transfer to women and the power of building genuine relationships reveal why going niche isn't just good business—it's transforming how underserved communities access financial guidance. A must-listen for service professionals ready to make their own bold move.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

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If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

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Ready to stop feeling guilty about your workday? In this practical episode, Rachel Cook dismantles the outdated 8-hour workday model and presents a smarter way to run your business. Based on research showing knowledge workers peak at just 3-4 productive hours daily, she reveals how to leverage these focused periods for maximum impact. Through clear examples from her own successful practice of separating focus days from call days, Rachel demonstrates how you can structure your business around your life—not the other way around. Learn the proven approach that's helping women entrepreneurs get better results while working less, and finally feel confident about how you spend your time.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Were you able to consistently show up and market your business this year... or was marketing and sales an afterthought?

Were you actually able to take time off this year... or did your schedule get so out of control that you are on the verge of burnout?

In the final part of the Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge, we are going month by month to make sure you and your business have a real action plan to achieve your goals in 2025.

Get access to the full Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge Here!

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

You tell yourself This is my YEAR! I'm gonna do the dang thing!

You write down your big business goal. You put in up where you can see it constantly. You're committed to making it happen!

But then life gets in the way and that goal you set is a long gone memory.

When we only set goals once a year, we miss out on the process of going after that goal because we aren't setting ourselves up for success.

In this episode, learn a better way to achieve your overall business goals including increasing revenue, increasing profits, and increasing control in your business.

Get access to the full Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge Here!

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Does it feel like your business is constantly in emergency mode and you're spending your days putting out fires?

You might be running your business by DEFAULT instead of by DESIGN!

In this episode, we are talking about how you can proactively design your business to truly work FOR YOU in 2025.

Get access to the full Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge Here!

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

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For so many small business owners, the non-stop hustle culture has seriously caused an epidemic of burnout. The last few years have only made this worse!

The good news? You don't have to work 60-80 hours weeks to have a successful business. In fact, many of our clients are working less than 30 hours a week with more than enough time to prioritize their health, wellness, family, friends.. you know... actually having a life!

In this episode, we creating a clear vision for all areas of our life in 2025 based on our definition of success.

Get access to the full Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge Here!

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

With the holidays just around the corner, now is the time to look ahead and plan your business for 2025!

So many entrepreneurs set goals only to reach the end of the year and realize that they didn't follow-through. If that's you - no worries! We have you covered with the Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge.

In this episode, we are kicking off our 9th annual Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge beginning with the 2024 Year in Review.

Get access to the full Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge Here!

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

This episode was a little hard to record - I ended up starting and stopping about a dozen times. 

Here at The CEO Collective and on the podcast Promote Yourself to CEO, I've spent a LOT of time talking about building a Life FIRST Business. One that allows you to prioritize enjoying your life - right now - as you grow your business. One that allows you to take time for your health, spend quality time with your family. All the fun parts.

But there is another reason why this approach is so crucially important.

Life doesn't always go as planned. 

And sometimes we don't just need a Life FIRST Business - we need a Life PROOF Business.

One that's going to fully support us as we experience loss, setbacks, and the harder parts of life.

In this episode, I'm sharing more about what I'm currently navigating as I'm experiencing the loss of my dear cousin Holly and how focusing on SYSTEMS are what have allowed me to keep this business running smoothly when I'm not able to show up 100%.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Plan Your Best Year Ever! - Join the free challenge!
• The CEO Collective
• Racheal on Instagram and TikTok
• Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Avoid Common Planning Mistakes for Small Business Success in 2025

With my big-picture plan in order for Q4, in this episode I want to prepare you for  planning for 2025! As we begin that task, I want to offer you advice on course-correcting by detailing 10 major mistakes to avoid when setting business goals. The holiday season will be here before you know it, and I plan to be spending so much time with family and friends. I want to make sure that come January, my business is already in motion and I can take off with momentum. Join us for the 'Plan Your Best Year Ever' challenge to ensure both life and business goals are prioritized for sustainable success.


02:35 Seek specificity in your goal-setting starting with your priorities, and including traceable metrics
05:44 How can you break down your big goals into actionable, check-off-able items
08:17 Reviewing, adapting, and adjusting your plan must be part of the plan
10:47 The importance of tracking cashflow and financial planning in your goal-setting
11:52 Protect yourself from overwork, and how to not overload your plate
13:45 Don't compromise your long-term sustainability when working on short-term goals
16:09 The importance of involving your team in your planning process
18:11 Your Plan B in case of emergencies
19:54 Value-based, life-first considerations when planning your business's year ahead
21:57 Maintaining attention to the process, not just a final end
24:14 Introduction and Invitation to join the Plan Your Best Year Ever! Challenge

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Hey there CEOs, Q4 is here and with the holidays fast approaching, I want to talk to entrepreneurs about effectively managing the final 90 days of 2024. I share my insights on managing business during an election cycle, taking time off for family during holidays, and planting seeds that will fruit in Q1 2025! Join me soon for my 'Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge' to help set sustainable systems for business growth.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

One of the hardest lessons to learn as an entrepreneur?

You can be your own worst enemy.

You know that more visibility is essential to growth, but you overcomplicate it to the point where you do nothing.

You have an incredible idea for a new product, program, or service, but your perfectionism keeps you from ever launching it.

You know that you have completely maxxed out your calendar - you simply don't have time to do more or work harder - but you struggle to bring on more support behind the scenes to free up your time.

And the thing is - we are all aware when we are self-sabotaging!

These mistakes often stem from deeply ingrained beliefs and habits that can be so incredibly difficult to break. 

That's why in this episode, I'm sharing the top 5 mistakes, how they hold our businesses back, and how to start overcoming them so you can get closer to the life-first business you really want!

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Supporting your family as a business owner is an incredible experience. 

Deciding to be your own boss, delivering value to paying clients, and bringing profit home to support your family's needs and wants is just part of the reward.

For me, supporting my family goes so much deeper than paying the bills. It's why I've been so intentional about building a business that allows me to be the best mom I can be, be a present wife, be a daughter who can help her aging parents. And it's meant I've always been able to prioritize the things that matter most to me and the people who matter most to me. 

And I know from experience working with thousands of women entrepreneurs that the biggest reason women start businesses is because they want that flexibility and freedom to take care of their families, to take care of their parents, to take care of their children, to live an actual life.

In this second installment of the series on a life-first approach to business, I run through ten common myths that hinder women entrepreneurs from achieving success both at home and in business, such as the myth that more hours equal more success and the necessity of hustle culture. I stress the importance of prioritizing personal well-being, family, and effective delegation, while debunking the notion that being constantly available or sacrificing personal life is needed for business success.

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

In the first episode of this brand new series on Building a Life First Business!

I wanted to kick things off with my own personal story that has deeply impacted the lens that I see the world through - and is a huge part of why I do the work I do.

My mother was 31yo business owner when a car accident left her in a coma for 3 months and in the hospital for another 2 years before returning home to her family. She experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury that would leaver her permanently disabled for the rest of her life.

She survived but lost her business... and even more, she missed the early days of my and my sisters childhoods.

This episode is deeply personal but if you really want to know why I care so much about building businesses that actually allow you to enjoy your life - my story is a reminder that all we have is today.

00:00 Introduction and Series Kickoff
01:20 A Personal Story: The Accident That Changed Everything
04:10 The Aftermath: Family and Business Struggles
08:41 Building a Life-First Business
13:33 Adapting to Motherhood and Business
24:28 The Importance of Community and Support
28:32 Caring for Aging Parents
35:30 The Life-First Business Philosophy
42:44 Conclusion and Next Steps

Attend the upcoming free training with Racheal - Scaling Your Life-First Business

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Want clients for life? Give your client an experience that goes beyond their expectations.

Think about booking lodgings for a vacation. It’s one thing to book a room for your stay with all the expected accommodations. But you remember the place that goes beyond: the chocolate on the pillow to greet you as a new guest, warm and freshly laundered towels in the bathroom daily, a minifridge already full of goodies you didn’t even have to buy, etc. And the next time you’re ready for a vacation in the area, you want to stay there again.

Now, it’s really easy to think that translating that type of experience into your service-based business is as simple as surprising and delighting with little gifts, like that chocolate on the pillow. But there’s so much more to it, and today I’m excited to have Amber Kinney back on the podcast to talk about it.

In this final episode of our customer experience series on Promote Yourself to CEO, you’ll learn about how you can translate surprising and delighting clients into your business as part of your customer experience plan. We’ll teach you how to put a little more intention and thoughtfulness into the ways you choose to surprise and delight clients so that they’ll trust and connect with you and your company.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

6:44 - What’s one of Amber's favorite ways to surprise and delight clients in her agency?

8:45 - I talk about a recent surprise I received when I started working with someone new. This kind of delight can motivate your clients even more!

13:01 - You can vote with your dollars when delighting your clients, too. Here’s how we do it every year.

16:22 - How do you and your team build connection with your clients in ways that will surprise and delight them?

24:25 - I discuss another way I try to delight all the time. This one goes above and beyond, and it can stick for your clients for years!

Mentioned In How to Include Surprise and Delight for Clients In Your Customer Experience 

• The CEO Collective

• The CEO Retreat

• Amber Kinney’s agency, The AK Collective

• Maven Made Facial Serum

• Racheal on Instagram and TikTok

• Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Sustainably scaling your business isn’t a solo act. It takes a team to pull it off.

Now you’ve probably had some help in the marketing and sales aspect of your business. Or maybe you’ve hired help for the technological or administrative side of things. But are you still holding out on hiring a team to help you work directly with clients to deliver your offer? That’s the last place we as entrepreneurs tend to hire to help us, but it’s necessary if you want a sustainable business.

Building a team for a sustainable business ultimately boils down to one thing. And in today’s installment of our customer experience series, I’ve invited my Director of Operations (and right-hand woman) Amber Kinney onto the show to help me cover it.

Amber and I have worked together for over a decade. And she’s the owner and CEO of her own marketing agency where she works with lots of entrepreneurs behind the scenes. So she knows the dos and don’ts of working with (and within) a business team.

In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn about all the layers that go into hiring people to join your business and how to do it in a way that works for you, your team members, and your clients. We’ll teach you about transfer of trust and why it works so well to set your business up for success.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

6:49 - Why can scaling your team be one of the biggest challenges you face? Here’s the most likely place where you might stumble when hiring help.

12:24 - There’s a necessary shift you need to make to get to the point where clients comfortably deal with your team members.

16:40 - How can you start transferring your clients’ trust from working with you exclusively to working with your team directly?

20:08 - Amber reveals how to approach bringing on someone new onto your team who you don’t have a previous track record with.

23:26 - What if you have no plans or desires to hire anyone (at least right now)? You’ll still want to do this to set yourself up for success.

28:14 - I reveal a red flag that’s a sign of more than just bad hiring practices to your clients.

Mentioned in How Strategically Scaling Your Business Team Sets You Up for Success

• The CEO Collective

• Amber Kinney’s agency, The AK Collective

• Racheal on Instagram and TikTok

• Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

According to American Express, people will pay 86% more if you give them an impeccable customer experience. That’s why providing a great experience after the purchase is one of the best ways to differentiate yourself, your brand, and your business from your competitors.

So how can you improve the customer experience of your company? It’s all in the delivery of whatever you offer, whether you’re selling a product (physical or digital) or a service. Today on the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn about seven ways to upgrade the delivery process of your offer that’ll have your clients or customers loving you and your business.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

4:41 - Clear containers for your offers helps you as well as your clients or customers. How?

8:28 - With so much small business competition, how can you develop relationships with your clients so that they remain loyal to yours?

11:45 - Have a clear vision for your customer experience and create a success path to help buyers get there.

13:20 - Do you follow up after the purchase? I discuss how to create checkpoints and proactively reach out.

17:44 - You’ll need to proactively coach your clients or customers on this as well.

21:05 - What can you use to improve your customer experience on an ongoing basis?

24:57 - The last way to upgrade your customer experience is easier said than done, but it must be done for a sustainable business.

29:22 - To wrap the show, I quickly recap the seven ways to upgrade your customer or client experience.

Mentioned in 7 Ways to Upgrade Your Client or Customer Experience

• The CEO Collective

• 90-Day CEO Operating System

• Racheal on Instagram and TikTok

• Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Most people aren’t talking about customer experience when they think they are. They’re talking about putting out fires, troubleshooting things, solving problems as they arise--all customer service-oriented stuff.

While having good customer service is important, it’s not a thing that’s necessarily going to help your business grow or generate excitement about it from your clients. That’s where having an impeccable customer experience comes in!

But how do you design one for your business? There are three elements (or stages) to this: the first sets the tone for your relationship with each client, the next creates your path to success, and the last one wraps everything up and sets you (and your client) up for continued success.

In this next episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, you’ll learn all about those three elements. I take you through every stage one-by-one and include all of the systems, pieces, considerations, and questions you should implement or think about for each to create an excellent experience for your clients.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

4:11 - I talk about the five systems you need for the first element: client onboarding.

10:50 - How can your clients get the best results? This is all about setting expectations.

12:54 - What’s the third area to shore up in your client onboarding process? (And what is the key to making it work)?

16:32 - The final piece of onboarding is incredibly powerful to make sure that everything starts off on the right foot.

19:37 - Your path to success lies in this next element of your customer experience plan. Here are a couple of areas to think about as you map it out.

28:19 - Too often, entrepreneurs wait to do this. So you’ll need to be proactive in this next step on your success path.

30:39 - How can you keep your clients committed to the process of going through your entire program? I reveal the final piece to your success path.

33:56 - I discuss four steps to think about as you complete the implementation of your customer experience plan for each client.

Mentioned in Designing an Excellent Customer Experience In 3 Stages

• The 3 Essential Systems to Sustainably Scale Your Business (LINK TBA)

• The CEO Collective

• 90-Day CEO Operating System

• The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier

• Racheal on Instagram and TikTok

• Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

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🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!