CEO: I've helped thousands of people start successful businesses—here's exactly how they spend their time

When people ask me what separates successful business owners from those who struggle, I almost always start with one thing: They are better at managing their time.

In my executive coaching work, I have clients put a dollar on every hour of their day. I want them to understand that time is money, so I introduce the concept of “time robbers,” or the meaningless tasks and distractions that pull you away from your most important work.

I also give them the framework I use to organize my day: My Time (morning edition), Prime Time, Down Time, and then My Time (evening edition). I assign the highest monetary value to the Prime Time hours, followed by the morning My Time, Down Time and then evening My Time.

This formula isn’t a one-size-fits-all, or even strictly 9-to-5. It’s about figuring out what is best for you. If you’re starting a business, or already running one, you must treat your time like the valuable resource that it is.

This is the time you spend on yourself — before emails, meetings, or fires to put out. It’s for preparation, clarity, and grounding.