How to Run Your Business in One Hour a Week

And why most owners never will

What if the real problem in your business isn’t your team, your market, or your strategy…
…but you being too involved?

In a powerful episode, Brad Sugars challenges one of the most deeply-held beliefs among business owners:

“If I don’t do it, it won’t get done.”

This mindset might have built your business — but it will also cap it.

If you’re serious about scaling, freedom, or building a business that has real capital value, this video is required viewing.

Operator, Owner… or Entrepreneur?

Brad draws a sharp distinction that most business owners have never fully considered:

  • Operators work in the business

  • Owners own a business

  • Entrepreneurs build capital-value assets — often multiple businesses

Most people who call themselves entrepreneurs are still operators in disguise. They’re busy, essential, exhausted… and stuck.

The question Brad poses is confronting:

Are you running the business — or is the business running you?

The $100m CEO Shift: From Doing to Coaching

Brad explains how elite founders eventually remove themselves from day-to-day operations:

  • They install a CEO or Managing Director

  • They stop “doing” and start coaching the CEO

  • The goal?
    One focused, numbers-driven conversation per week

Not abdication.
Not ignorance.
But leadership at a higher altitude.

This is how a business becomes scalable — and sellable.

The Four Hats Every True CEO Must Wear

According to Brad, the job of a CEO building a serious business boils down to four roles:

1. Visionary

Setting direction. Communicating it relentlessly.
Vision is not a one-off exercise — it’s a daily discipline.

2. Builder

Designing and scaling systems:
People systems, tech systems, knowledge systems.

3. Leader

Developing people — especially senior leaders.
Great teams don’t appear by accident. They’re built.

4. Investor

Allocating capital. Raising capital.
Understanding that growth at scale requires investment.

If you’re stuck doing tasks instead of wearing these hats, you’re not leading — you’re limiting.

The 25% Rule That Changes Everything

Brad also breaks down how a CEO should actually spend their time:

  • 25% with customers – staying close to reality

  • 25% with the team – coaching, listening, developing

  • 25% in the numbers – profit, marketing, engagement

  • 25% on the future – hiring, strategy, partnerships

If your diary doesn’t reflect this, your role is misaligned.

What a CEO Must NEVER Delegate

Some things should never leave your hands:

  • Vision

  • Culture

  • Key people & hiring decisions

  • Strategic planning

  • Capital allocation

You can get input — but ownership stays with you.

Warning Signs You’re Still Trapped

Brad is blunt about the signals that you haven’t made the shift yet:

  • You’re working 70–80 hour weeks

  • You’re micromanaging

  • You feel burned out

  • Your family barely sees you

  • You believe “it won’t get done properly without me”

That’s not dedication.
That’s a bottleneck.

The Challenge: Start a “Stop Doing” List

Brad ends with a simple but uncomfortable challenge:

What are the things you must stop doing — so your business can grow without you?

Because every year, 80% of what you do should be handed off, delegated, or eliminated.

That’s how owners become leaders.
That’s how leaders build freedom.
That’s how businesses reach their true potential.

🎥 Watch the Full Video

If you want to:

  • Step out of the day-to-day

  • Build a business that works without you

  • Think like a true entrepreneur, not an exhausted operator

This episode is essential.

👉 Watch the full Brad Sugars video below and rethink what your real job as CEO should be.