The Other Woman

Have you ever felt like you’re working incredibly hard, but you’re sacrificing what matters most? Maybe you’re putting in long hours trying to grow your business, but your family feels like they’re competing with your business. That was me 15 years ago when I started my business. But today I want to share how I discovered the path to actually double my income while working half the time.

How My Business Became “The Other Woman”

I started my consulting business 15 years ago. And what’s ironic is over these 15 years, I’ve taken many different paths with this business. The first four years, I was still at my corporate job while doing consulting on the side. Then back in 2014, I jumped in full-time.

But I made a critical mistake. I put everything into my work, sacrificing my family in the process. I remember one Saturday, my wife and daughters went to the local farmers market. At dinner that night, they were telling me all about the vendors they saw and the people they talked to, and they talked to friends who asked about me. And my wife had to give the response that she was used to giving. “He’s working.” I was always too busy working to actually enjoy time with my family.

It got so bad that my wife told me, “When you talk to me about your business, it’s like you’re talking to me about the other woman.” And that hurt, but she wasn’t wrong. Spending so much time on my business trying to make it work, trying to find that freedom and that fulfillment, I was actually losing what mattered most.

I remember laying awake at night calculating how many more clients I needed, how many more hours I needed to work. I was chasing this idea that one day I would have enough success to focus on my family. But that day never seemed to arrive. There was always another project, another opportunity, or another fire to put out.

But I found something that was pretty surprising. When I started setting firm boundaries around my work hours and putting my family first, I was really scared that I would disappoint my clients and they would leave, my business would collapse. But instead, the opposite happened. Once I put work aside and truly focused first on my family, my business actually started doing really well. It seemed completely counterintuitive, but it was actually proving to be true.

Faith and the First Step

In the book of Joshua in the Bible, in chapter 1, verses 2 and 3, God told Joshua to arise and go even when Joshua didn’t feel prepared. Sometimes faith means taking action without seeing the whole path ahead. Psalms 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” A lamp doesn’t light the entire way. It just shows enough for you to take the next step.

I also found great wisdom in the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon wrote that book. In chapter 4, verse 6, it says, “Better is a handful with quietness than both hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.” The NLT states it this way: “It’s better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.” I felt like I was chasing after the wind, trying to grasp everything at once. What I really needed to do was just have one handful with quietness.

This really hit home during a really stressful week. I was working late every night, and I went up to get some water, and I heard my kids in the other room with my wife. They were just laughing, and I wasn’t part of that moment. I couldn’t join them. I was trapped working. I was missing all this quality time. I was trying to build something for them that was actually taking me away from them.

Three Principles That Changed Everything

So now the question is, how did I actually double my income while working less? Let me share three principles that changed everything for me.

Focus on Your Top 20%

First, I stopped working for everyone and focused on the top 20% of clients that I truly enjoyed working with. I analyzed who I got the best results for, who was easiest to work with, and where I was able to provide the biggest value.

To do this, I literally made a spreadsheet listing all my clients, and I rated them on factors like how much I enjoyed the work, how much they valued my input, how smoothly the projects went, and how profitable they were. The patterns were clear. There were certain types of clients that consistently scored higher in these categories, and they often shared similar characteristics and needs.

Instead of trying to serve everyone, I became a specialist for these specific clients. By focusing my marketing and my services specifically for them, I became much more effective at attracting the right clients and then helping those clients.

Double Your Prices

Second, I doubled my prices. I had all the work I could handle, but I still had people asking for my services. So I kept increasing my prices, hoping to deter them. But they kept saying yes.

I remember the first time I quoted a price that was twice my normal rate. My heart was pounding and I was sure the prospect would laugh or gasp, but instead there was just a brief pause and then they asked some follow-up questions. Then they agreed to move forward. I was shocked.

I learned that if you can become the person that people want to say yes to, you can basically name your price. There’s no strategic advantage to being the second cheapest option, but there are plenty of advantages to being the most expensive. When I charged more, clients actually respected my time more and followed my advice more closely. And this led to them getting better results. People who pay, pay attention. People who pay the most, pay the most attention.

Take Action Before You’re Ready

Third, I realized that taking action is what helps bring clarity. I stopped waiting for the perfect conditions. I learned that waiting on God isn’t about sitting still. Instead, it’s about trusting him. It’s about trusting his timing by doing what he already told you to do.

My business coach once told me something that transformed my thinking. He said, “You’re never waiting on God to take your action. You’re waiting on God to do His thing.” The way we wait on God is by trusting in His timing while we do the things that He commanded us to do as immediately and completely as we possibly can.

That helped me realize that I was using “waiting on the Lord” as an excuse to avoid taking action. But God’s not going to do what I can do. And of course, I can’t do what only he can do.

In 2016, Jeff Bezos said, “Most decisions should probably be made with only about 70% of the information that you wish you had. If you wait for 90%, 100%, you’re going to miss opportunities.”

The Deep Dive Discovery

What does that look like in practice? As a consultant, I implemented something I called the Deep Dive Discovery. Instead of spending 40 to 80 hours on unpaid proposals, I charged $7,000 for a multi-week discovery process where I’d meet with clients twice a week to fully understand their needs.

Here’s exactly how that worked. After an initial free consultation, I’d explain that my process required this deep dive before I could provide an accurate estimate for their project. The discovery phase included six to eight hours of meetings over two to four weeks. In these sessions, I’d ask questions that they hadn’t considered, explore the real problems beneath their stated needs, and identify potential roadblocks.

For example, one client came to me wanting an order management system for their business. During our discovery process, I learned that what they really needed was a better internal workflow. Their desire for an order management system was just a band-aid that was trying to cover up their real issue of their internal processes being flawed. By identifying the real issue, I saved them from investing in a solution that wouldn’t have fixed their fundamental problem. They were able to utilize their current systems with new processes and then actually create an entirely different system they weren’t even considering.

This approach accomplished three things. I got paid for work I was previously doing for free. I built trust through multiple interactions with the client. And I was able to create a full project plan that delivered genuine value whether they continued to work with me or not.

What I found is that almost every client who paid for the Deep Dive Discovery went on to become a full client. One client even told me, “After seeing how thoroughly you approached the discovery phase, I couldn’t imagine working with anyone else.” The discovery process allowed them to see my expertise in action, building both trust and perceived value. My revenue increased dramatically within the first three weeks of implementing this approach, and I was working fewer hours because I was no longer creating elaborate, unpaid proposals.

Addressing Your Doubts

You might be thinking, “Well, that sounds great, Chad, but my situation is different. If I double my prices, all my clients would leave.” Of course, I had the exact same fear. I was convinced that if I raised my rates, no one would hire me. But what I discovered is that when you position yourself as the premium option and you can clearly communicate the value that you provide, then the right clients will stay.

Or maybe you’re worried that focusing on just 20% of your client base will leave you with too little work. I was worried about that as well. But what happened was that by becoming more specialized, my marketing became much more effective and I actually started attracting more of my ideal clients because my message resonated strongly with them.

The hardest part is that when you’re already overworked, finding 5 to 10 hours to step back and to work on your business instead of working in your business, it feels impossible. But that’s exactly what you need to do. You need to pull your head up long enough to start working smarter. And working smarter happens by thinking harder.

Life Isn’t a Straight Line

Life is not a straight line. You don’t simply go from point A to point B. You zigzag. And where you think you’ll end up probably isn’t where you’ll actually end up. That’s why perfectionism doesn’t work.

Action is what brings clarity.

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