Ditching Hourly

Pranav Kale returns for another reverse interview — this time grilling Jonathan about his personal productivity and time management system.Jonathan walks through the system he's refined over two decades and used with his private coaching students: from consolidating all your to-dos in one place, to creating SOPs for recurring tasks, to the "event loop" that drives his day. The core idea: when you have the right things on your list and the right things in your calendar, you can just do whatever you feel like — and your business still moves forward.Topics covered include why your calendar is not a to-do list, how procrastination is actually a useful signal, the "love-hate list" for designing your ideal workday, why batching doesn't work for everyone, and the Segovia principle — why one focused hour beats five mediocre ones.This one's especially relevant for soloists who've tried rigid productivity systems and found they don't stick.Chapters00:00 Introduction01:00 The Three Buckets Every Soloist Needs06:16 Get All Your To-Dos in One Place09:14 SOPs and Checklists: Stop Winging It18:23 The Feast-Famine Trigger20:16 Why Your Calendar Is Not a To-Do List25:40 The Event Loop30:20 Procrastination Is a Signal37:37 When You Hate Part of a Task, Cut It42:06 The Love-Hate List49:15 Batching vs. Gardening Your Business56:22 How the System Came Together59:00 The Segovia Principle67:05 Adapting This to Your Personality70:41 Pranav's TakeawaysPranav Kale helps soloists find their one big idea through his Big Idea Sprint. Learn more at pranavkale.com. ----Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like:Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time?Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space?Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal?Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning.Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full.To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/callI hope to see you there!

Best-selling author, speaker, and management adviser Joe Pine joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss his new book, The Transformation Economy, why it applies especially well to consultants, coaches, and advisors, and gives some tips on how to price transformations.ChaptersJoe's BioB. Joseph Pine II is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management adviser to Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial startups alike, and he is the cofounder of Strategic Horizons LLP. He is the coauthor of the bestselling book The Experience Economy with James H. Gilmore, as well as Infinite Possibility with Kim C. Korn. His other books include Authenticity and Mass Customization. Pine consults with numerous companies around the world. He is a lecturer in the Strategic Technology Leadership program at Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business and a senior fellow with the European Centre for the Experience Economy, which he cofounded.Related LinksJoe's website » strategichorizons.comJoe's previous appearance on Ditching Hourly » podcast.ditchinghourly.com/episodes/joe-pine-on-pricing-experiencesJoe's previous appearance on TBOA » thebusinessofauthority.com/episodes/the-experience-economy-with-guest-joe-pine ----Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like:Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time?Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space?Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal?Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning.Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full.To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/callI hope to see you there!

Jason Staats joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about his progression from being an employee in an accounting firm to running the top accounting community on the planet.LinksJason's websiteJason's YouTubeChapters ----Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like:Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time?Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space?Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal?Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning.Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full.To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/callI hope to see you there!

Rural planning advisor Ben Kettle joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his transition from hourly billing “nonsense” to risk-based project pricing. LinksBen's website » https://areteruralplanning.co.uk/Chapters(00:00) - Ben Kettle (00:20) - Meet the Guest: Ben Kettle (00:36) - Ben's Background and Career Journey (02:57) - Challenges with Hourly Billing (09:01) - Transition to Fixed Fee and Value-Based Pricing (13:23) - Implementing the New Pricing Model (25:48) - Client Reactions and Success Stories (34:08) - Conclusion and Future Plans ----Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like:Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time?Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space?Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal?Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning.Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full.To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/callI hope to see you there!

Co-founder of Conversion Factory, Zach Stevens, rejoined me on Ditching Hourly to give us an update on how he's growing his subscription SaaS marketing agency in year 3. Links We MentionedConversion Factory WebsiteZach's partner Corey, on XThe Superstruct Manifesto by David GuttmanThe "If You're Such An Expert" Ditcherville ComicChapters(00:00) - Introduction and Welcome (00:10) - Zach's Business Journey (01:19) - Conversion Factory's Growth (02:26) - Subscription Model Insights (04:04) - Hiring and Team Expansion (08:32) - Training and Onboarding (20:48) - Client Management Strategies (30:00) - Client Frustrations and Communication Strategies (31:04) - The Inefficiency of Phone Calls (33:19) - Setting Client Expectations (37:05) - AI in Copywriting and Design (45:53) - Subscription Model Benefits (54:49) - Final Thoughts and Future Plans ----Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like:Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time?Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space?Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal?Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning.Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full.To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/callI hope to see you there!