In this episode of Aligned for Success, Nikki breaks down why “working harder” and cramming more into your schedule is not the thing that’s going to grow your practice. If you’re always working in your business and never truly on it, you’ve quietly become the bottleneck. Nikki talks about the concept of a CEO day- a protected block of time where you step out of the daily grind, clear the mental load, and make clean, high-level decisions that actually move the business forward. She walks you through exactly what a CEO Day is, what it is not, and a simple six-step flow you can use to make your next CEO Day powerful, not just productive.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why constantly “being in the office” can keep your business stuck, even if you love the hustle
- The difference between working in your business vs. working on your business
- What a true CEO Day is (and why it can’t be squeezed into your lunch break or late-night admin time)
- How to create protected time and space so you’re not interrupted by “quick questions” and fires
- A simple, six-step flow for running a CEO Day without turning it into another rigid to-do list
- How to use CEO Days to identify your biggest constraint instead of chasing the loudest problem
- The one clean decision you need to walk away with so your team can execute and you stay in vision
CEO Day Flow (6 Steps)- Protect the time + space – This is not an admin day in disguise; no quick questions, no team interruptions.
- Start with a brain dump, not a plan – Get everything out of your head so you can see what’s actually going on.
- Let flow lead – Follow the themes that come up instead of forcing a rigid agenda.
- Identify the constraint – Choose the one issue that, if solved, makes everything else easier.
- Make one clean decision – You don’t need a 20-step plan; you need clear direction.
- Add light structure – Before you wrap, define the system/boundary/support you need and what happens next.
Timestamp Guide- 0:00–2:20 – Welcome back + why working harder isn’t the real answer
- 2:20–4:45 – When you become the bottleneck by only working in the business
- 4:45–7:15 – What a CEO Day actually is (and why it can’t happen in your 4-hour lunch break)
- 7:15–8:45 – The mistake of turning CEO Days into super-structured admin days
- 8:45–9:50 – Step 2: Brain dump first, clarity second
- 9:50–10:48 – Step 3 & 4: Let flow lead + find the real constraint
- 10:48–11:23 – Step 5: Make one clean decision
- 11:23–12:25 – Step 6: Light structure + next steps
- 12:25–end – Final challenge: What does your business need from CEO you right now?
Follow Nikki on Instagram:
@drnikkicottis
