1380: Nobody ever taught us how to get OUT of the weeds!
Sun Feb 08 2026
We’ve all heard the cliché: “You need to work ON your business, not just IN it.” But what does that actually mean? It’s easy to get trapped in the day-to-day grind of client work, emails, and sales calls, feeling busy but not necessarily productive. This cycle creates a growth ceiling that keeps so many entrepreneurs stuck. In this Solo Sunday episode, Brian demystifies this classic advice and gives you a tangible, actionable framework to shift from being a busy operator to a strategic visionary. He breaks down the critical difference between tactics and strategy using a brilliant chess analogy and introduces his powerful 7-pillar OPERATE framework. This is your guide to carving out the strategic time your business desperately needs to scale.
✨ Why This Matters for You
Understanding how to work ON your business is the key to unlocking real growth:
It’s how you break free from the "Finisher's Trap," where you’re so busy fulfilling orders that you have no time to grow.It gives you a clear roadmap for what to focus on, turning vague growth goals into specific, actionable projects.It forces you to build the systems and processes that will allow you to scale beyond yourself and eventually hire a team.It shifts your mindset from reacting to daily fires to proactively building the future of your company.It's not a luxury for when you're "big enough"—it's the very thing you must do to get big enough.📝 Key Takeaways
"In" vs. "On" the Business: Working in the business is doing the client work, the sales, and the admin—the tasks an employee would do. Working on the business is zooming out to focus on strategy, systems, and long-term growth—the work of an executive.Strategy vs. Tactics: Tactics are knowing what to do when there's an obvious next step (like responding to a client email). Strategy is knowing what to do when there isn’t an obvious move—it's about charting the long-term course for growth.The OPERATE Framework: Brian provides a 7-pillar system to guide your strategic thinking: Outreach, Pipeline, Execution, Retention, Automation, Telemetry, and Enablement. This is your checklist for working ON the business.Create Time to Scale: You don't get to work on your business only after you have a team. You build a team and achieve scale because you prioritize working on your business from the start.Manufacture Urgency: Unlike client deadlines, there’s no external urgency to work on your business. You have to create it for yourself by scheduling and committing to strategic thinking time.🚀 Put It Into Action
This week, schedule your first "ON the Business" strategy session:
Block out 60-90 minutes in your calendar where you will not be disturbed. No emails, no client work.Go through each of the 7 pillars of the OPERATE framework (Outreach, Pipeline, Execution, Retention, Automation, Telemetry, Enablement).For each pillar, ask yourself: "On a scale of 1-10, how strong is this area of my business?" and "What is one thing I could do to improve it?"Identify the single biggest opportunity for growth from your audit and make it a priority project for the next month.🔗 Stay Connected
Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode of daily value.Want to go deeper? Brian is offering to send you a FREE copy of his book, "OPERATE." Just email your address to hello@imetbrian.com. Or, grab it instantly on Amazon!Connect with Brian on Instagram @imetbrianShare this episode with a fellow entrepreneur who is stuck in the weeds and needs a clear path forward.
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We’ve all heard the cliché: “You need to work ON your business, not just IN it.” But what does that actually mean? It’s easy to get trapped in the day-to-day grind of client work, emails, and sales calls, feeling busy but not necessarily productive. This cycle creates a growth ceiling that keeps so many entrepreneurs stuck. In this Solo Sunday episode, Brian demystifies this classic advice and gives you a tangible, actionable framework to shift from being a busy operator to a strategic visionary. He breaks down the critical difference between tactics and strategy using a brilliant chess analogy and introduces his powerful 7-pillar OPERATE framework. This is your guide to carving out the strategic time your business desperately needs to scale. ✨ Why This Matters for You Understanding how to work ON your business is the key to unlocking real growth: It’s how you break free from the "Finisher's Trap," where you’re so busy fulfilling orders that you have no time to grow.It gives you a clear roadmap for what to focus on, turning vague growth goals into specific, actionable projects.It forces you to build the systems and processes that will allow you to scale beyond yourself and eventually hire a team.It shifts your mindset from reacting to daily fires to proactively building the future of your company.It's not a luxury for when you're "big enough"—it's the very thing you must do to get big enough.📝 Key Takeaways "In" vs. "On" the Business: Working in the business is doing the client work, the sales, and the admin—the tasks an employee would do. Working on the business is zooming out to focus on strategy, systems, and long-term growth—the work of an executive.Strategy vs. Tactics: Tactics are knowing what to do when there's an obvious next step (like responding to a client email). Strategy is knowing what to do when there isn’t an obvious move—it's about charting the long-term course for growth.The OPERATE Framework: Brian provides a 7-pillar system to guide your strategic thinking: Outreach, Pipeline, Execution, Retention, Automation, Telemetry, and Enablement. This is your checklist for working ON the business.Create Time to Scale: You don't get to work on your business only after you have a team. You build a team and achieve scale because you prioritize working on your business from the start.Manufacture Urgency: Unlike client deadlines, there’s no external urgency to work on your business. You have to create it for yourself by scheduling and committing to strategic thinking time.🚀 Put It Into Action This week, schedule your first "ON the Business" strategy session: Block out 60-90 minutes in your calendar where you will not be disturbed. No emails, no client work.Go through each of the 7 pillars of the OPERATE framework (Outreach, Pipeline, Execution, Retention, Automation, Telemetry, Enablement).For each pillar, ask yourself: "On a scale of 1-10, how strong is this area of my business?" and "What is one thing I could do to improve it?"Identify the single biggest opportunity for growth from your audit and make it a priority project for the next month.🔗 Stay Connected Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode of daily value.Want to go deeper? Brian is offering to send you a FREE copy of his book, "OPERATE." Just email your address to hello@imetbrian.com. Or, grab it instantly on Amazon!Connect with Brian on Instagram @imetbrianShare this episode with a fellow entrepreneur who is stuck in the weeds and needs a clear path forward.