How I built my business while working 9-5

I don’t have the time…

I have a full-time job, a family, and many other things to focus on; how can I build anything with just 24 hrs and 2400 tasks to complete?

I constantly hear these comments from women I work with or connect with. They are always in awe when they hear that I built my business while working full-time and growing at 9-5.

So how did I build my business while working a full-time job?

Here's how I used my time effectively during the first four years of building my business.?

Below you will find the simplest things I did to move the needle and the hardest things I had to maneuver since starting on this path in November of 2017.

Disclaimer: From 2017-2021, I was not a primary caregiver or a parent, I was blessed with good health, and I was not involved in anything else that needed more of my time. Please know that this method worked for me because of certain privileges I had with my time. This has worked for my clients and me, but it may not work for someone with different life situations or time constraints.

Nov-Dec 2017

I had the idea to launch my first podcast, Her STEM Story, and I was super excited to launch it. The adrenaline drove me for the first two months. I wasn’t focussing on how I will do something; I just had a goal and worked every night after work to make it happen.?

I will be honest here: this idea's power was so strong that I couldn’t even sleep at times. So I worked like it was a sprint and exhausted myself along the way until one of my earliest mentors reminded me to pace myself if I wanted to avoid pod-fading (a phenomenon where most shows fade after the first three episodes)

January - December 2018

Monday-Thursday: 6:30-9:30pm, Sunday: 8-11am?

Mantra - It’s a marathon, not a sprint. So the strategy was to show up for the podcast more sustainably. Plus, accomplish the big goal of getting paid for something in 2018.

Here’s how I found the time to grow the show while securing promotion at my 9-5.?

Yep, I always go to bed before 10:30 pm, and in those early days, I stuck to this boundary because I knew if I was going to do this for the rest of my life, I needed good sleeping habits.?

Since I only had a handful of hours, I had to prioritize effectively and find quicker ways to get things done; one big lesson I learned in those early days was “Decide quickly” and never get stuck in the in-decisive patterns for too long.?

I also secured two paid talks this year and hosted my first online conference. This was the epic year I found the time to reward 61 books. I will share that story in another post..:)

January- October 2019

Monday- Thursday - Noon - 1pm + 7-9:30pm , Sunday - 9-11am + 6-9pm?

In 2019, I was committed to growing faster than I did in 2018. So I decided to invest in getting help to help me grow faster.?

I hired a podcast coach for a strategy session and improved my podcasting skill.?

I also wanted to establish some sort of business in 2019, so I could get paid for all the effort I am putting in..so in Oct, I finally hired a business coach.

Now things moved faster than ever since I had the external force to keep pushing me forward, and my acceleration increased tremendously. I learned new ways of doing things and a more intentional approach to all my actions.

January - December 2020

Monday-Thursday- Noon-1pm +6:30-8:30pm + 6:00-8:00am, Sunday - 10am - 3pm

In 2020, I launched my first paid offering, which meant I needed to make time for client calls. I found this time in the early mornings before going to work.

During the pandemic season, I found an excellent idea to launch my first group coaching program and hosted the calls on Thursday nights but later moved them to Sunday mornings. Two years later, the calls are still held at the same time.

The business was growing, and so was my 9-5 job. But having a balanced routine and strict time boundaries helped me stay focused and productive.

Still working less than 20hrs/week on my side hustle, I accomplished a 6-figure revenue and secured a promotion at my 9-5 job.

July 2021 - I became a full-time entrepreneur.?

All this is to show you that you don’t need 100 hrs/week to build something; you need small time windows consistently and even stronger boundaries that can help you stay away from burnout.?

During this time, I also had to prioritize things like not socializing much and instead use every spare hour to improve myself or my business.

From giving a TEDx to securing two promotions, almost doubling my overall income, and meeting hundreds of women worldwide. The last few years have been epic in every sense of the word.

I want to empower you to remember that YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL if you can define “ALL” with precision, intention, and powerful backing of a strong why.?

For me, the clarity on my goals and accountability from my community & later from my coach led to the best use of my precious time.?

I continue to teach the value of these to all my Academy members. And since these time blocks worked so well for me, I host all my consistency calls during these hours. Focus time on co-working alongside my Academy clients.

Through all my work and content, I am committed to showing you all that’s possible on the other side of small, consistent action.

If you have dreams, goals, and ambitions like mine and struggle to find the time to work on them, or if this email inspired something new, please comment below. I want to hear from you. I want to help you believe in your brilliance more every day!

I hope this detailed outline of my journey inspires you to value your time more because who knows what you might build if you just used your time mindfully in the next five years.

Love, Prasha