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You know that feeling when you open your closet and somehow have nothing to wear—even though it's packed full? That's what running your business feels like right now. Not because you lack options, but because you have too many of them.

Fresh off our CEO Retreats, I've been hearing the same thing from small business owners across the country: they're stuck. Not on client work—they're confident there. But on the CEO-level decisions that could make or break their next year. The ones about pricing, team, strategy. The decisions they keep putting off because "what if I'm wrong?"

Here's what nobody talks about: this isn't a confidence problem. It's not an effort problem. It's decision fatigue, and it's eating up your cognitive capacity before you even get to the decisions that matter. Every morning you're starting with a tank of mental fuel, and by the time you need to make the big call, you're running on empty.

In this episode, I'm breaking down why wait-and-see mode is costing you more than you realize, what Steve Jobs and Barack Obama understood about preserving brain power, and the one tool that's going to help you cut through the noise: your CEO decision matrix. If you've been spinning your wheels on a decision you know you need to make, this one's for you.

In This Episode:

• Why small business owners feel economic shifts first—and what that reality means for the decisions sitting on your desk right now that you've been avoiding
• The cognitive capacity trap: I'm breaking down how your morning routine, chronic illness, or last night's sleep actually determines how much decision-making power you have today (and why this changes everything)
• What prolific leaders do differently when it comes to preserving mental energy for strategic decisions—it's not about working harder, and the examples might surprise you
• The real cost of "wait and see" mode—I'm sharing what I've witnessed happen when small business owners delay tough conversations about team, pricing, or strategy, and why your options shrink instead of expand
• How too many options create paralysis—your packed closet explains exactly what's happening in your business, and once you see this pattern, you can't unsee it
• The CEO Decision Matrix framework: I'm walking you through the filtering system that uses your vision and values to help you make tough calls faster and with more confidence

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

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You know that sinking feeling when a client asks for "that document we worked on last month" and you have absolutely no idea where you saved it? Or when you're paying your team to sit idle while you frantically search through folders trying to find the resources they need?

If you've ever felt like the organized, professional front you present to the world is hiding a complete digital disaster behind the scenes, this episode is for you. Tracy Hoth, professional organizer turned business coach, reveals why most entrepreneurs struggle with organization (hint: it's not because you're "naturally messy") and shares her surprisingly simple system that works whether you're a solopreneur or managing a team.

This isn't about buying fancy software or overhauling your entire business overnight. Tracy breaks down the exact five-folder system she uses with clients to eliminate the constant search-and-rescue missions that are quietly draining your productivity and confidence. She also shares the "wonderful one" concept that could save you hours every week and the maintenance habit that takes less than five minutes but keeps everything running smoothly.

Ready to stop being the bottleneck in your own business? Tracy's practical approach might just be the missing piece that transforms your behind-the-scenes chaos into a well-oiled machine.

In This Episode:

• The "Monica's Closet" phenomenon — Why most business owners look perfectly organized on the outside while drowning in digital chaos behind the scenes

• Tracy's five essential business folders — The stupidly simple filing system that works for Google Drive, Canva, email, and every other platform you use daily

• The hidden cost of disorganization — How being unable to find files is masquerading as "bad time management" and costing you money in team productivity

• The "wonderful one" rule — Why choosing a single hub for everything eliminates decision fatigue and stops files from multiplying across devices

• SPASM method revealed — Tracy's 17-year-old organizing process that works for physical spaces, digital files, and even overwhelmed brains

• The maintenance secret — The simple habit-stacking technique that keeps your system running without constant overhauls (spoiler: it ties to something you already do)

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

Send us a text

Ever feel like you're constantly tweaking your business but nothing quite clicks? Like you're a plant that's outgrown its pot but you keep trying to make it work anyway?

You're not alone. And more importantly, there's a reason why all that surface-level fixing isn't working.

In this conversation with Jessica Sato, we dig into why successful entrepreneurs hit this wall—and what actually needs to happen to break through it. Jessica works with impact-driven female entrepreneurs who've built something good, but know there's something bigger calling them forward.

This isn't about another rebrand or website refresh. It's about the deep work that most people skip because it feels too slow, too introspective, or too "nice to have." But here's what Jessica and I both learned the hard way: you can't shortcut this process.

We talk about the moment you realize your current container is too small, why "good enough" can be the enemy of extraordinary, and how to find that through line that connects everything you've built into something cohesive and compelling.

If you've been in business for 5+ years and something feels off—even if you can't put your finger on what—this conversation will give you language for what you're experiencing and a path forward that doesn't involve starting over.

On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:

• The accidental TEDx discovery that shifted Jessica's entire approach to helping entrepreneurs find their big ideas

• Why your "expertise overwhelm" is actually the problem—and the umbrella framework that cuts through the confusion

• The two unmistakable signs you've outgrown your current business model (hint: one involves a lot of frustrated tweaking)

• The root-bound plant analogy that explains why no amount of "window dressing" will fix a foundational misalignment

• Why successful entrepreneurs resist the deep work that would actually solve their problems (spoiler: it's not what you think)

• The difference between copywriters and messaging strategists—and why working with the wrong one keeps you stuck

• Rachel's honest breakdown of her two major business evolutions and what triggered each shift

• The "good enough" trap that keeps mid-stage entrepreneurs from doing the work that would unlock their next level

• How Jessica's Egypt retreat idea emerged from a dream and why discomfort might be exactly what your business needs

Connect with Me:

• Instagram: @racheal.cook
• TikTok: @rachealcookmba
• LinkedIn: @rachealcook
• YouTube: @the_ceo_collective
• Website: The CEO Collective

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!