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Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business
Are you consistently doing the work that you and only you can do? Or are you burdened by busywork, the bottleneck blocking your company's profit and potential?
Your time is far more precious than money. It is your presence, your memories, your quality of life. As a business owner, you are already paying a risk and pressure tax. For many, growth fueled by added stress is not worth the trade-off. You have an urge to simplify and streamline.
Free Time is not about working as little as possible. Nor is it about creating a lifestyle business purely for one's own gain. It is about creating a life-giving business energizing every single person who is a part of it, from the owner to team members, to clients and community. Free Time is about making small investments now to create greater optionality in the future.
A more joyful business is within reach. Imagine:
Traveling, going off the grid, or handling family emergencies without panicking that everything will fall apart while you are gone.
Working 10- to 20-hour weeks, delegating the rest to a part-time remote team.
Answering questions with relief, knowing you don't have to "own" the next steps.
Empowering your Delightfully Tiny Team™ to answer their own questions before they even have to ask you.
Harnessing your creative energy for the strategic projects that excite you most.
Jenny Blake, author of the award-winning book Pivot and co-creator of Google's acclaimed Career Guru coaching program, is back with her signature blend of heart-based operating principles and practical tools. This book will teach you how to move from friction to flow through smarter systems and the three-stage Free Time Framework.™
Free Time is a playbook to free your mind, time, and team for your best work. This book will teach you and your team to operate efficiently and intuitively while earning abundantly, so you can make your greatest contribution as a business owner.
Your time is far more precious than money. It is your presence, your memories, your quality of life. As a business owner, you are already paying a risk and pressure tax. For many, growth fueled by added stress is not worth the trade-off. You have an urge to simplify and streamline.
Free Time is not about working as little as possible. Nor is it about creating a lifestyle business purely for one's own gain. It is about creating a life-giving business energizing every single person who is a part of it, from the owner to team members, to clients and community. Free Time is about making small investments now to create greater optionality in the future.
A more joyful business is within reach. Imagine:
Traveling, going off the grid, or handling family emergencies without panicking that everything will fall apart while you are gone.
Working 10- to 20-hour weeks, delegating the rest to a part-time remote team.
Answering questions with relief, knowing you don't have to "own" the next steps.
Empowering your Delightfully Tiny Team™ to answer their own questions before they even have to ask you.
Harnessing your creative energy for the strategic projects that excite you most.
Jenny Blake, author of the award-winning book Pivot and co-creator of Google's acclaimed Career Guru coaching program, is back with her signature blend of heart-based operating principles and practical tools. This book will teach you how to move from friction to flow through smarter systems and the three-stage Free Time Framework.™
Free Time is a playbook to free your mind, time, and team for your best work. This book will teach you and your team to operate efficiently and intuitively while earning abundantly, so you can make your greatest contribution as a business owner.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published March 22, 2022
195 people are currently reading
4878 people want to read
About the author
Jenny Blake
14 books412 followersJenny Blake is an author, podcaster, and keynote speaker who loves helping people move from friction to flow through smarter systems, powered by Delightfully Tiny Teams.
Her third book, Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business, launched March 22, 2022 and won seven publishing awards, including the Pencraft Award for Literary Excellence and the New York City Big Book award.
Jenny’s previous bestselling book, Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, won the Axiom award for best business book in the careers category upon its release in 2016.
Jenny hosts two podcasts with over two million downloads combined: Free Time for small business owners, and Pivot with Jenny Blake for navigating change.
After working at a Silicon Valley startup, then at Google for five years in coaching and career development, Jenny moved to New York City in 2011 to launch her own business, where she still lives with her husband (a fine artist) and their angel-in-fur-coat German shepherd. She loves yoga and buys too many books. Learn more at http://jennyblake.nyc
Her third book, Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business, launched March 22, 2022 and won seven publishing awards, including the Pencraft Award for Literary Excellence and the New York City Big Book award.
Jenny’s previous bestselling book, Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, won the Axiom award for best business book in the careers category upon its release in 2016.
Jenny hosts two podcasts with over two million downloads combined: Free Time for small business owners, and Pivot with Jenny Blake for navigating change.
After working at a Silicon Valley startup, then at Google for five years in coaching and career development, Jenny moved to New York City in 2011 to launch her own business, where she still lives with her husband (a fine artist) and their angel-in-fur-coat German shepherd. She loves yoga and buys too many books. Learn more at http://jennyblake.nyc
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
March 1, 2022
A really good entry into the "slow productivity" literature that's becoming so popular now. Right up there with the Michael Hyatts and the Cal Newports of this world. I listened to an early audiobook version of this, and I will read the hardback when it comes out with pleasure. It's giving me a lot of ideas for my business and focusing a lot of my scattered ideas into concrete form.
The biggest a-ha for me is that it really is possible to work half the time, but make those hours so efficient and powerful that you end up getting twice as much done. I've been trying different tips from the book. And let me tell you. It works. I'm looking forward to 2022 being less hectic and more productive, as crazy as that sounds.
The biggest a-ha for me is that it really is possible to work half the time, but make those hours so efficient and powerful that you end up getting twice as much done. I've been trying different tips from the book. And let me tell you. It works. I'm looking forward to 2022 being less hectic and more productive, as crazy as that sounds.
February 11, 2022
A lot of great practical ideas for small business owners to help you to focus on what you do best and brings in the money - but could see this being equally applicable to managers overseeing teams in big companies. Great tools and templates available online to complement the book. Listened the early release audiobook and the author is very engaging to listen to - though because there are so many good ideas here, I will go back to the book and highlight things when it is released in hard copy/kindle. There is a lot of good content here.
March 2, 2023
Excellent and practical book for business owners and leaders
A very Agile value forward and practical approach to leading a business with lots of tips and templates that the author herself uses. Continuous improvement in processes is a delightful theme throughout that allows space for changes in business and also feedback from team members and customers. Loved the digital version so much, had to order the hard copy as this book earned a spot on my desk bookshelf.
A very Agile value forward and practical approach to leading a business with lots of tips and templates that the author herself uses. Continuous improvement in processes is a delightful theme throughout that allows space for changes in business and also feedback from team members and customers. Loved the digital version so much, had to order the hard copy as this book earned a spot on my desk bookshelf.
April 4, 2022
very helpful to this small biz owner! love her wisdom!!
April 8, 2022
This is the first business book I’ve read that actually has helpful, actionable advice. I’m so sick of vague, “just do it, girl boss” nonsense or someone mansplaining how they wake up at 5am to ‘grind’. Jenny Blake actually fucking gets it, and after listening to this book I’m buying hard copies for myself and my business partner.
October 10, 2022
Loved this book! I listened to the audio book version and it was such a treat to spend a little time with Jenny every day! I really love her approach to getting things done without burning yourself out. And also making the best use of your time with systems and creating a delightfully tiny team. I also have a delightfully tiny team and it’s so nice to hear how I can do it even better. I always get such great ideas and systems after reading some thing that Jenny wrote. I highly recommend this and my next stop is to try out Notion.
April 6, 2022
As a new entrepreneur, I've been doing a ton of reading around entreprenuership books and learning from more seasoned enteprenuers. Jenny's story stuck out and resonated with me because it is similar to mine. After doing the corporate thing, we both started side hustle's that morphed into the path of entrepreneurship. Even though Jenny is probably far more successful than I am at this point, her story resonated with me, and I wanted to learn more about the nuts bolts of what has helped her on her own journey, which is why I picked up this book. It did not disappoint.
One of the things that most entrepreneurship know is that even if you are in business for yourself, you cannot do everything. That said, there is always this difficulty with figuring out what to do, what not to do, and how to rely on others for support. Jenny's book gives you a practical framework for figuring out how to make the highest best use of your time in a way that energizes and excites you in your work. Jenny is a huge proponent of systems and automation of tasks, and spending time on setting these up, even if it takes time, effort and resources, can help significantly over the long run
My biggest takeaway from the book is that especially as a newer entrepreneur, spending the time now to setup and automate things even if it takes time is a worthwhile investment. If you're a new entrepreneur, or just an entrepreneur who wants to figure out how to make the best use of their time, this is a great book to read.
One of the things that most entrepreneurship know is that even if you are in business for yourself, you cannot do everything. That said, there is always this difficulty with figuring out what to do, what not to do, and how to rely on others for support. Jenny's book gives you a practical framework for figuring out how to make the highest best use of your time in a way that energizes and excites you in your work. Jenny is a huge proponent of systems and automation of tasks, and spending time on setting these up, even if it takes time, effort and resources, can help significantly over the long run
My biggest takeaway from the book is that especially as a newer entrepreneur, spending the time now to setup and automate things even if it takes time is a worthwhile investment. If you're a new entrepreneur, or just an entrepreneur who wants to figure out how to make the best use of their time, this is a great book to read.
July 23, 2022
I'm not sure I would have picked up this book because I've tried to schedule my life and work in a manner that's not crazy busy, but I read it as part of a NF book group. The front has some jargon, but if you can get past that there are some good takeaways. My favorite chapter was #15: Use Life-Giving Language, which I believe is important. How we think about people, even if we don't use that language publicly, matters. I also believe that process and systems is always interesting, and important, so I always enjoy getting a peek behind the curtain. Jenny makes a good argument for that and if you click over to her Notion dashboard, I found that even more compelling. Jenny is earnest and passionate, which adds to the book.
March 16, 2022
In Free Time, Jenny Blake gives voice and permission to those entrepreneurs and business owners who value time, freedom, and heart as much as they value running successful businesses. She also addresses what many experience when they go out on their own—it’s easy to end up being overwhelmed and under the weight of work you don’t really want to do. As Jenny puts it, you can end up in friction instead of flow and not able to do your best work. That’s where Free Time comes in. In the book, Jenny shares her method to Align, Design, and Assign to free your mind, time, and team. I especially love a couple of Jenny’s mantras: “How can we earn twice as much in half the time, with ease and joy, while serving the highest good?” and “Let it be easy, let it be fun.” If you’re a solopreneur or small business owner looking to get beyond the overwhelm of your business, Free Time offers practical tips and mindsets to make it all more manageable and more joyful.
April 6, 2023
Midway through the book & I have already gleaned so much insights. It’s a book that offers pragmatic & structured methods in which a solopreneur can free up his/her own time through delegation. A must-read for solopreneurs or small businesses.
March 12, 2023
Typical business fare. I picked up a few nuggets, especially as regards documentation, but the book is mostly personal anecdotes, references to other business books, and rehashed cliches.
March 22, 2022
Writing this partway through my second go-round of Free Time in 2 weeks .
First of all, I rarely write reviews. This one makes the cut for a few reasons:
1. It's written superbly well- no filler/fluff, nothing held back. Usually, books in this genre are mostly filler.
2. Every chapter has made me stop, think, and reassess my current approach. By seeing things from a different angle, I am coming up with some ideas of how to make small changes for high impact.
3. I can tell that the author cares about delivering value without forcing me to buy a course, or any other form of upsell. Everything the book promises is in the book. Side note: the book is beautiful- def worth getting the hardcover…as a book snob, I can say the production quality is the best I've seen.
The downside: I would have liked more actionable advice for a B2B professional services firm of my size in post-growth stabilization phase.
More on each positive point:
On the writing, not much needs to be said here. It's obvious that the words in each chapter were curated with care. It was refreshing to have a book that didn't feel like a rush-job money-grab. Feels like private consulting with someone who knows what they are talking about. I have paid tens of thousands for coaches who have delivered less in the way of actionable, tactical advise.
On the value-density, pay special attention to Part 2, Design. Based on these chapters, I held impromptu meetings with each department across two business units, to have them think about what we can do to improve our organizational design. TL;DR, we used the chapters as prompts, had hours of fruitful discussion, and we made substantive changes to more than a handful of processes. If the entire book was this section, I'd give it 5 stars- the rest is icing.
On the author- heard about her from an exec coach friend. Ordered her last book Pivot, and bought this one early. Glad I did. Exceeded my expectations which were already high.
Hope this helps.
First of all, I rarely write reviews. This one makes the cut for a few reasons:
1. It's written superbly well- no filler/fluff, nothing held back. Usually, books in this genre are mostly filler.
2. Every chapter has made me stop, think, and reassess my current approach. By seeing things from a different angle, I am coming up with some ideas of how to make small changes for high impact.
3. I can tell that the author cares about delivering value without forcing me to buy a course, or any other form of upsell. Everything the book promises is in the book. Side note: the book is beautiful- def worth getting the hardcover…as a book snob, I can say the production quality is the best I've seen.
The downside: I would have liked more actionable advice for a B2B professional services firm of my size in post-growth stabilization phase.
More on each positive point:
On the writing, not much needs to be said here. It's obvious that the words in each chapter were curated with care. It was refreshing to have a book that didn't feel like a rush-job money-grab. Feels like private consulting with someone who knows what they are talking about. I have paid tens of thousands for coaches who have delivered less in the way of actionable, tactical advise.
On the value-density, pay special attention to Part 2, Design. Based on these chapters, I held impromptu meetings with each department across two business units, to have them think about what we can do to improve our organizational design. TL;DR, we used the chapters as prompts, had hours of fruitful discussion, and we made substantive changes to more than a handful of processes. If the entire book was this section, I'd give it 5 stars- the rest is icing.
On the author- heard about her from an exec coach friend. Ordered her last book Pivot, and bought this one early. Glad I did. Exceeded my expectations which were already high.
Hope this helps.
March 9, 2022
If the core reasons you launched your own “entrepreneur-ship” have sailed past you…and the business seems to own YOU rather than the other way around, then read Free Time. I’ve steered my own ship for nearly a ¼ century…and this beautiful, insight-rich book gave me instantly actionable ideas, tools, and mindsets to create more white space in my life. In short order, I’m working smarter, and less.
To give you a sense of the power and freshness of Jenny Blake’s insights: Consider how we ask our team for help. For example, Jenny challenges us to examine how much we take on because we’re not letting others fully own their assigned work. Instead, she recommends asking colleagues and vendors: “Have you done everything you need to do? Have you taken this as far as you can take it?” **Voilá: we as business owners have forged more TEAM ownership AND freed up time for what only we can and want to do.**
And isn’t that why we became self-employed in the first place?!
To give you a sense of the power and freshness of Jenny Blake’s insights: Consider how we ask our team for help. For example, Jenny challenges us to examine how much we take on because we’re not letting others fully own their assigned work. Instead, she recommends asking colleagues and vendors: “Have you done everything you need to do? Have you taken this as far as you can take it?” **Voilá: we as business owners have forged more TEAM ownership AND freed up time for what only we can and want to do.**
And isn’t that why we became self-employed in the first place?!
March 10, 2022
This book is a must-read. Fresh, extraordinarily actionable, insightful, practical, inspiring, helpful, and beautifully written.
Most of us run our own businesses so that we can create value we couldn’t create otherwise, and so that we could be our own boss. The rewards can be deep. But so can the pitfalls.
I loved Jenny Blake’s first book, Pivot, so jumped at the chance to read her new book, Free Time. In a world where we are constantly striving on the productivity treadmill, this book provides a profound antidote. Each chapter explores mindsets, strategies and tips for running a business with more joy. As Jenny writes, it really is possible to create twice the revenue, in half the time, with great joy and for the highest good. And this book shows you how. I couldn’t give this a higher recommendation.
Most of us run our own businesses so that we can create value we couldn’t create otherwise, and so that we could be our own boss. The rewards can be deep. But so can the pitfalls.
I loved Jenny Blake’s first book, Pivot, so jumped at the chance to read her new book, Free Time. In a world where we are constantly striving on the productivity treadmill, this book provides a profound antidote. Each chapter explores mindsets, strategies and tips for running a business with more joy. As Jenny writes, it really is possible to create twice the revenue, in half the time, with great joy and for the highest good. And this book shows you how. I couldn’t give this a higher recommendation.
March 22, 2022
I've been following Jenny since her first book, Life After College. It always felt like Jenny just knew the frictions I was encountering in both my personal and professional life, and offer just-in-time frameworks and tips to make life just a little easier and more joyful. This book is no exception.
In this book, Jenny walks readers through the framework "Align, Design, and Assign". After reading the book, what I realized was that in the past, I've often just gone straight to "Assign", delegating tasks whenever I felt burned out and stressed out. The problem is that they didn't stick or I'd kept doubting my decisions. Now I realize what I was missing is taking the time to really examine the whole system, and looking deeper at why certain tasks had to exist in the first place. The audio book came with some bonus chapters with Jenny walking coachees through the Free Time framework, which further clarified things for me and helped me see how I can better apply the framework in my own life.
My favorite takeaway from the book is reframing thought exercises in a more life giving language. Most of us probably have used "what if you get hit by a bus tomorrow" or "what if you get terminally ill and can't run your business anymore" as a way to threat-motivate ourselves into documentation and not being the single point of failure. But Jenny offered a different question - "what if you are whisked to Fiji for a vacation with no notice?" Same thought exercise, but really propelled me to think about how my business can be more energy giving rather than energy draining.
Overall, 5 stars!! Highly recommend for every heart-based small business owner who are tired of the hustle and looking for a more fulfilling way to run their business and live their best lives!
In this book, Jenny walks readers through the framework "Align, Design, and Assign". After reading the book, what I realized was that in the past, I've often just gone straight to "Assign", delegating tasks whenever I felt burned out and stressed out. The problem is that they didn't stick or I'd kept doubting my decisions. Now I realize what I was missing is taking the time to really examine the whole system, and looking deeper at why certain tasks had to exist in the first place. The audio book came with some bonus chapters with Jenny walking coachees through the Free Time framework, which further clarified things for me and helped me see how I can better apply the framework in my own life.
My favorite takeaway from the book is reframing thought exercises in a more life giving language. Most of us probably have used "what if you get hit by a bus tomorrow" or "what if you get terminally ill and can't run your business anymore" as a way to threat-motivate ourselves into documentation and not being the single point of failure. But Jenny offered a different question - "what if you are whisked to Fiji for a vacation with no notice?" Same thought exercise, but really propelled me to think about how my business can be more energy giving rather than energy draining.
Overall, 5 stars!! Highly recommend for every heart-based small business owner who are tired of the hustle and looking for a more fulfilling way to run their business and live their best lives!
April 2, 2022
Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business by Jenny Blake
A joyful, actionable must-read for any small business owner
As a small business owner for the past 14 years, I've had my share of ups and downs, including a few of the BIAD (burn it all down) moments Jenny describes in the book. And I know I'm not alone.
That's why it's so important and valuable to have a book like Free Time. Rather than add to the countless business books extolling the virtues of hustling harder, Jenny makes it clear that another, more sustainable way IS possible.
Free Time offers thoughtful, actionable ideas for working smarter, not harder. And it does so while ensuring our decisions around how we operate our businesses are aligned to our values, strengths and energy (something that's easy to overlook, and rarely talked about).
If you're an aspiring or new entrepreneur, read this book ASAP as it will support you developing a strong, solid foundation. And if you're a seasoned pro, I guarantee you'll take away ideas and insights to reduce friction, streamline your systems and get back valuable time.
I read a LOT of business and leadership books, and this is one of the best (and most useful) ones I've read.
A joyful, actionable must-read for any small business owner
As a small business owner for the past 14 years, I've had my share of ups and downs, including a few of the BIAD (burn it all down) moments Jenny describes in the book. And I know I'm not alone.
That's why it's so important and valuable to have a book like Free Time. Rather than add to the countless business books extolling the virtues of hustling harder, Jenny makes it clear that another, more sustainable way IS possible.
Free Time offers thoughtful, actionable ideas for working smarter, not harder. And it does so while ensuring our decisions around how we operate our businesses are aligned to our values, strengths and energy (something that's easy to overlook, and rarely talked about).
If you're an aspiring or new entrepreneur, read this book ASAP as it will support you developing a strong, solid foundation. And if you're a seasoned pro, I guarantee you'll take away ideas and insights to reduce friction, streamline your systems and get back valuable time.
I read a LOT of business and leadership books, and this is one of the best (and most useful) ones I've read.
March 21, 2022
I don’t typically read business books. Normally, they make me feel like I found a manuscript from a different world, written in a foreign language. Jenny writes not only in a way I understand, but gets me fired up to implement the concepts immediately.
I wish I had this book 10 years ago, when I first started several passion-based businesses. None of my previous endeavors went very far, despite the fact I had a lot of motivation, time and energy to dedicate to each. As an artistically inclined creative person, business strategy has always felt sticky and uncomfortable. From those past experiences, I learned that simply relying on passion for my offering, and expecting it to carry me through the challenges, leads to resentment and burnout. The overwhelm I felt at having to do everything on my own, or hiring help but still directing every step of every move, drained my initial excitement, and eventually lead to the demise of each project. The owner-as-bottleneck metaphor Jenny uses is exactly what happened in those previous attempts. Normal life “distractions” like illness, vacations, or even mental breaks hadn’t been built into the process. The Free Time framework is helping me to reevaluate how to approach my now almost 1-year old business through a healthy, manageable outlook. Creating my life-calling business that *by design* does not require my full-time availability, is a total energetic game changer.
"Free Time" presents what I might otherwise think of as intimidating business strategies in the exact way I love to learn: by demystifying the process through the use of concrete examples coupled with heartening storytelling. We all get to peek behind the curtain, and actually get inspired!
The dozens of examples found in "Free Time", is a collection of Expanders. These are successful leaders and companies implementing the three stages outlined in the Free Time framework (Align, Design, Assign), and their stories help me envision a bigger, more expanded version of who I get to become.
Blake has shown me how to plan for the things I once saw as most daunting. The next steps in my business are now illuminated by the light of exploration, iteration, and learning. This process feels joyful, not stuffy. I started implementing the strategies in this book immediately, by taking aligned action steps and designing both how my important work authentically fuels me, and what it offers to my clients. The next steps involve building my delightfully tiny team, and thanks to "Free Time" I have the blueprint for doing just that.
I wish I had this book 10 years ago, when I first started several passion-based businesses. None of my previous endeavors went very far, despite the fact I had a lot of motivation, time and energy to dedicate to each. As an artistically inclined creative person, business strategy has always felt sticky and uncomfortable. From those past experiences, I learned that simply relying on passion for my offering, and expecting it to carry me through the challenges, leads to resentment and burnout. The overwhelm I felt at having to do everything on my own, or hiring help but still directing every step of every move, drained my initial excitement, and eventually lead to the demise of each project. The owner-as-bottleneck metaphor Jenny uses is exactly what happened in those previous attempts. Normal life “distractions” like illness, vacations, or even mental breaks hadn’t been built into the process. The Free Time framework is helping me to reevaluate how to approach my now almost 1-year old business through a healthy, manageable outlook. Creating my life-calling business that *by design* does not require my full-time availability, is a total energetic game changer.
"Free Time" presents what I might otherwise think of as intimidating business strategies in the exact way I love to learn: by demystifying the process through the use of concrete examples coupled with heartening storytelling. We all get to peek behind the curtain, and actually get inspired!
The dozens of examples found in "Free Time", is a collection of Expanders. These are successful leaders and companies implementing the three stages outlined in the Free Time framework (Align, Design, Assign), and their stories help me envision a bigger, more expanded version of who I get to become.
Blake has shown me how to plan for the things I once saw as most daunting. The next steps in my business are now illuminated by the light of exploration, iteration, and learning. This process feels joyful, not stuffy. I started implementing the strategies in this book immediately, by taking aligned action steps and designing both how my important work authentically fuels me, and what it offers to my clients. The next steps involve building my delightfully tiny team, and thanks to "Free Time" I have the blueprint for doing just that.
March 29, 2022
How do you manage your time?
I have been called an efficient time manager for many decades; people often comment on how you find the time to do all you do?
I have a passion for maximizing time and attention to increase my well-being and those around me. Therefore, I invite you to read Jenny Blake's new book, "free time."
I am awed at how Jenny has created unheard-of systems to maximize her client's and her team's time to increase productivity and well-being through a heart-centered methodology.
As Benjamin Franklin said, "lost time is never found again." Invest in your well-being by reading and applying Jenny's secrets.
I have been called an efficient time manager for many decades; people often comment on how you find the time to do all you do?
I have a passion for maximizing time and attention to increase my well-being and those around me. Therefore, I invite you to read Jenny Blake's new book, "free time."
I am awed at how Jenny has created unheard-of systems to maximize her client's and her team's time to increase productivity and well-being through a heart-centered methodology.
As Benjamin Franklin said, "lost time is never found again." Invest in your well-being by reading and applying Jenny's secrets.
March 5, 2022
A must read for anyone who wants to work smarter and with more joy! The content is excellent and the physical book is stunning. I had the pleasure of reading an early copy and can’t wait to go back and read the whole book again, to focus on implementing more of the ideas piece by piece. This book is great to read cover to cover — and then to go back and revisit, since it is packed with great ideas, strategies, stories, and tips.
March 22, 2022
As a “solopreneuer” turned leader of a small team, the path of least resistance is also the path of burnout, which is— me continuing to wear all the hats, do things manually because setting up systems “takes time I don’t have,” etc.
Free Time was the loving but firm push I needed to actually start taking my systems more seriously. There are so many gems and actionable takeaways in this book, it’s hard to narrow it down— but one thing that’s already been huge for me is to capture the response/solution in our shared manual anytime someone on my team has a question. Then the next time someone has the same question, they know where to look before coming to me!
I also loved learning how to not just identify the values of my business, but *operationalize* them so they are actually showing up consistently in our operating principles and processes.
If you lead a small team (or run solo and know you actually need some support), this is 100% the next business book you should read.
Free Time was the loving but firm push I needed to actually start taking my systems more seriously. There are so many gems and actionable takeaways in this book, it’s hard to narrow it down— but one thing that’s already been huge for me is to capture the response/solution in our shared manual anytime someone on my team has a question. Then the next time someone has the same question, they know where to look before coming to me!
I also loved learning how to not just identify the values of my business, but *operationalize* them so they are actually showing up consistently in our operating principles and processes.
If you lead a small team (or run solo and know you actually need some support), this is 100% the next business book you should read.
March 27, 2022
This is a brilliant book for business owners!
I love the “free time framework” — align, design, assign. Its memorable and jam-packed with actionable insights + practical tools to simplify your business and free your time.
Not to mention, any book that speaks to serendipity, intuition, and energy in business is my kind of book!
Thank you, Jenny, for generously sharing your brilliance 🌟
I love the “free time framework” — align, design, assign. Its memorable and jam-packed with actionable insights + practical tools to simplify your business and free your time.
Not to mention, any book that speaks to serendipity, intuition, and energy in business is my kind of book!
Thank you, Jenny, for generously sharing your brilliance 🌟
March 22, 2022
It's refreshing to finally read a book for entrepreneurs that doesn't tell you how to "hustle more" for success. I am a big fan of systems and Jenny Blake's Align - Design - Assign framework has easy-to-implement strategies that helped me learn how to actually enjoy being an entrepreneur and the flexibility that can come with it versus always chasing the next client account and/or focusing on busywork. The ironic thing is, the more space I've given myself in my business, the more success I've seen just in the last few weeks. Being able to step away, focus on what matters to me and my team and to give myself space to think and be creative obviously worked.
March 22, 2022
This book is fantastic. It covers so much in an easy-to-understand language. My favorite parts were the chapter recaps, allowing me to go back, read the 2 sentences summary, ponder on a question that will move my business forward, give myself (the needed!) permission for something, and know my next step.
I loved Jenny's framework of Align, Design, Assign and the three sub-parts in each. This framework not only lets me review my current processes and procedures, but also calls for the big-picture strategy which will grow my team and revenue.
I cannot recommend this book enough. I just finished the audio version, and I can't wait to dive back into the hard copy.
I loved Jenny's framework of Align, Design, Assign and the three sub-parts in each. This framework not only lets me review my current processes and procedures, but also calls for the big-picture strategy which will grow my team and revenue.
I cannot recommend this book enough. I just finished the audio version, and I can't wait to dive back into the hard copy.
July 25, 2022
I bought this book because Shawn Blanc recommended it.
What the author proposes may work for a lifestyle business run by one person with the help of a small group of part-time assistants, but I find it hard to believe you can apply the concepts in the book to most small businesses. The examples are trivial (like the wifi password story for exemplifying agile operating principles). The tools recommendations are also mostly trivial or specific to the author's circumstances.
If you are looking for a book to streamline your business, Work the System or Revisiting the e-Myth maybe better alternatives.
What the author proposes may work for a lifestyle business run by one person with the help of a small group of part-time assistants, but I find it hard to believe you can apply the concepts in the book to most small businesses. The examples are trivial (like the wifi password story for exemplifying agile operating principles). The tools recommendations are also mostly trivial or specific to the author's circumstances.
If you are looking for a book to streamline your business, Work the System or Revisiting the e-Myth maybe better alternatives.
May 10, 2022
Busy. When did this become the standard for success? In Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business Jenny Blake redefines what it means to have a successful business. In it she walks you step-by-step how to go from a life of busywork to one of joy and ease. The surprisingly simple solution?
Systems + Team = Love Your Business
Systems don't have to be complicated, rigid, or exacting. They are not one-size-fits-all. There is no cookie-cutter, off the shelf system that will magically work for you. The best systems are those that are developed based on your individual preferences, talents, and innate thought processes in mind. Which is why I loved the approach in this book that first starts with finding alignment (of values, energy, and strengths) before moving into designing the systems that will work for you, your business, and your team.
The second and equal part of this equation is teams. There comes a point in a small business where you simply can’t do it all yourself. Trying to do so keeps you from doing the work that will drive your business forward. You inevitably spend more time working in your business than on it. You become your own bottleneck.
Free Time dispels the myth that as a business owner you either need to do it all as “Chief Everything Officer” or you need to hire a big team. Jenny offers a third and more realistic option—the “delightfully tiny team.”
Whether you are just starting out or have been in business for years, this book will deliver on it’s promise: Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business.
Systems + Team = Love Your Business
Systems don't have to be complicated, rigid, or exacting. They are not one-size-fits-all. There is no cookie-cutter, off the shelf system that will magically work for you. The best systems are those that are developed based on your individual preferences, talents, and innate thought processes in mind. Which is why I loved the approach in this book that first starts with finding alignment (of values, energy, and strengths) before moving into designing the systems that will work for you, your business, and your team.
The second and equal part of this equation is teams. There comes a point in a small business where you simply can’t do it all yourself. Trying to do so keeps you from doing the work that will drive your business forward. You inevitably spend more time working in your business than on it. You become your own bottleneck.
Free Time dispels the myth that as a business owner you either need to do it all as “Chief Everything Officer” or you need to hire a big team. Jenny offers a third and more realistic option—the “delightfully tiny team.”
Whether you are just starting out or have been in business for years, this book will deliver on it’s promise: Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business.
January 6, 2023
That's the spirit of this book. How do we all get better and better at freeing our time so we can do more of our best work? Many business books are written by men, so they don't always include a perspective of what's happening at home. This book shows how to create boundary schedules by blocking off chunks of time. Basically, it's about evaluating everything as you do it because the little things add up to become big things. And we are then deciding if they need to be done and if they need to be done by you.
I felt like this book was written for me. It is the ultimate guidebook for busy entrepreneurs and was so helpful. I was just blown away by the actual utility of it. There were so many great concepts and principles that helped me think about my life differently. One thing was about recognizing that business stress is a systems problem. That stress is not necessarily because you're a stressed-out person. But that something fundamentally is not right with the environment you've created.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://www.momsdonthavetimetoreadboo...
I felt like this book was written for me. It is the ultimate guidebook for busy entrepreneurs and was so helpful. I was just blown away by the actual utility of it. There were so many great concepts and principles that helped me think about my life differently. One thing was about recognizing that business stress is a systems problem. That stress is not necessarily because you're a stressed-out person. But that something fundamentally is not right with the environment you've created.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://www.momsdonthavetimetoreadboo...
December 30, 2025
I’ve read several business systemization books e.g. Clockwork, SYSTEMology, The Buisness Playbook etc. This one has some really practical tips beyond the norm, like the 10-80-10 Rule for cloning your product delivery process, the Email GPS system etc. that I found interesting. In
other parts, it tries a bit too hard to be concrete e.g. the CO-A-CH framework which is a bit too shallow to be truly useful for coaching… but still, gotta give Martell credit for trying to go beyond fluff to make each of the concepts tangible.
Definitely a good read for any business owner or entrepreneur who is feeling overwhelmed or preparing to scale the business. Though you will probably need to read this alongside other business strategy books to truly make it work.
Book summary at: https://readingraphics.com/book-summa...
other parts, it tries a bit too hard to be concrete e.g. the CO-A-CH framework which is a bit too shallow to be truly useful for coaching… but still, gotta give Martell credit for trying to go beyond fluff to make each of the concepts tangible.
Definitely a good read for any business owner or entrepreneur who is feeling overwhelmed or preparing to scale the business. Though you will probably need to read this alongside other business strategy books to truly make it work.
Book summary at: https://readingraphics.com/book-summa...
September 19, 2024
Probably wouldn’t have bought it if it wasn’t so cheap, but something about the blurb (or was it some recommendation?) grabbed me.
It was full of little gems for someone who has never worked in a corporate environment or heard of "standard operating procedures" and had to learn about writing things down and not creating over-reliance on key people (i.e. herself) - stuff that any middle manager knows.
It looks to me like the author held a junior role (creating PowerPoint presentations for senior leadership at Google - or something like that), got tired of being a junior, and ventured off on her own.
She created a business, worked hard, and discovered what she would have learned had she stayed a bit longer, I guess. But good on her for persisting.
It was full of little gems for someone who has never worked in a corporate environment or heard of "standard operating procedures" and had to learn about writing things down and not creating over-reliance on key people (i.e. herself) - stuff that any middle manager knows.
It looks to me like the author held a junior role (creating PowerPoint presentations for senior leadership at Google - or something like that), got tired of being a junior, and ventured off on her own.
She created a business, worked hard, and discovered what she would have learned had she stayed a bit longer, I guess. But good on her for persisting.
June 11, 2022
I devoured the print version of Free Time after reading the author’s motivation in the book’s introduction. In her work life, she had been experiencing moments of peak frustration where she wanted to ‘burn it all down’ and start over in an alternate career. That resonated with me — for years, I’ve been feeling the same way about my work but without being able to fully articulate why I feel that way.
After finishing Free Time, I definitely have some new ideas to play around with. The only particular limitation for me personally is that the author’s advice is written for services-oriented businesses (like consulting).
After finishing Free Time, I definitely have some new ideas to play around with. The only particular limitation for me personally is that the author’s advice is written for services-oriented businesses (like consulting).
October 23, 2022
This book arrived in my life at just the right time, as my own business went to the next level and I needed to seriously evaluate my way of doing many things. Free Time is delightful, really easy to read and packed with practical information. Jenny is so generous in sharing insider secrets and a long list of useful resources.
I’ve followed Jenny's work since the early days, and systems are her superpower. She systematizes every possible process in both her work and personal life. This is the primary secret to her ability to free time and supercharge productivity (and what the book is fundamentally about).
I would give this book 6 stars if I could!
I’ve followed Jenny's work since the early days, and systems are her superpower. She systematizes every possible process in both her work and personal life. This is the primary secret to her ability to free time and supercharge productivity (and what the book is fundamentally about).
I would give this book 6 stars if I could!
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