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And How to Break Free!

Hey there, CEO—If you’ve ever said, “It’s just my time,” or “I can handle this faster than training someone else,” then this episode blog of the Wedding CEO Podcast is 1000% for you.

At the 2025 Wedding Pro CEO Summit, I delivered a keynote that lit a fire under so many of you, and today I’m bringing those insights straight to the blog. If your business has been hovering around that $100K mark for what feels like forever, you’re not broken—but you are likely stuck in the cycle of under-valuing your time, overworking, and under-delegating.

Let’s break that cycle.

Skip all the FOMO join the Waitlist for the 2026 Wedding Pro CEO Summit today https://weddingproceo.com/waitlist

1. You’re Saying “Yes” Without Knowing the Cost

“If you don’t know what your hour is worth, then every time you say yes to something, you don’t know what it’s costing you.” — Brandee Gaar

Raise your hand if you’ve ever said, “It’s just my time.” Guilty as charged? I was too. But here’s the truth: your time has a price. Every. Single. Hour.

Think about it: you’d never walk into a store and say, “I don’t care what it costs, just ring it up.” Yet we do this constantly with our schedules—saying yes to tasks without calculating the cost.

If you don’t know what your hour is worth, you’re probably giving it away for free… and that’s exactly why you’re stuck.

2. You Haven’t Calculated Your Hourly Value

“Your revenue divided by 2,000 hours. That’s your hourly value. That’s the number that should be driving every decision in your business.” — Brandee Gaar

The average working year has about 2,000 hours. If you want to hit $100K? That’s $50/hour. Want to hit $300K? You better be working like your time is worth $150/hour.

Knowing this number helps you make smart, CEO-level decisions. It becomes your filter for everything: what you say yes to, what you delegate, and what gets a big fat no.

3. You’re Stuck in Client Work (AKA Busy Work)

“Every time you say yes to a five-minute client text that’s not included in your package, you’ve cost your company money.” — Brandee Gaar

Let’s be real: “I’m stuck in client work” might be the most common phrase I heard at the summit. It feels productive, right? But being busy doesn’t mean you’re being profitable.

When you’re caught up doing admin, sending proposals, or answering late-night texts, you’re not focused on strategy, growth, or sales—the stuff that actually moves the needle.

4. You Haven’t Bought Back Your Time

“You can delegate a $25/hour task so you can spend that hour doing $250/hour CEO work.” — Brandee Gaar

This concept changed everything for me. Inspired by Dan Martell’s Buy Back Your Time, I started asking myself, “Is this task worth my time?” If not, it gets delegated, automated, or eliminated.

Your buyback rate is your hourly value divided by four. That’s the max you should spend outsourcing tasks so you still get an ROI. If your time is worth $100/hour, you can pay someone $25/hour to take admin off your plate—and come out ahead.

✨ Need help delegating or calculating your CEO hourly rate? Check out Dan Martell’s book “Buy Back Your Time” — it’s required reading around here.

5. You’re Treating High-Value Tasks Like Low Priorities

“You can’t scale a 7-figure business doing 4-figure tasks.” — Brandee Gaar

What are your high-value tasks? Sales. Marketing. Networking. These are the things only you can do to grow your business.

But too often, they’re the first things we ignore. We wake up, check our email, and boom—we’re sucked into other people’s priorities. The solution? Set clear boundaries and protect your high-value hours like gold.

✅ Block out your CEO time.

✅ Do sales + marketing before checking email.

✅ Say “no” to distractions that don’t match your hourly value.

6. You’re Not Delegating Enough (Or At All)

“If you’re doing something that someone else can do for $15/hour… why are you doing it?” — Brandee Gaar

I get it. Delegating feels hard. Especially when your business is your baby. But holding on too tight only slows you down.

One attendee, Caitlyn, shared how outsourcing the first draft of her vow writing freed up HOURS each week—without compromising quality. Why? Because she stayed involved in the final polish, maintaining her brand voice while reclaiming her time.

Start small:

• Hire a VA to manage your inbox.
• Use scheduling tools to book consults.
• Train a team member to send proposals.

Every hour you buy back is one you can reinvest in growth.

7. You’re Riding the Sales Roller Coaster

“When I outsourced sales, I finally broke the feast-and-famine cycle.” — Brandee Gaar

Here’s what used to happen in my wedding business: we’d get busy during booking season, I’d stop doing sales follow-ups, and then… crickets. Six months later, we’d hit a dry spell and panic into marketing mode again.

Sound familiar?

Outsourcing sales was the LAST thing I let go of. But when I finally did? It created consistent revenue. No more roller coaster. Just smart systems and a team trained to keep leads warm while I focused on strategy.

BONUS: What You Can Do This Week

Let’s not just talk about it—let’s do something. Right now, write this down:

“This week, I will stop doing __________ and spend that time doing __________.”

Example:

“This week, I will stop managing my inbox and spend that time following up with leads.”

Commit to one change. Just one. Then build from there.

Before We Go

CEO, the reason you’re stuck at $100K isn’t lack of talent—it’s how you’re using your time. You’re capable of so much more, but you’ve gotta stop treating your hours like they’re free.

Start calculating your hourly rate. Buy back your time. Say yes to tasks that grow your business and no to the ones that drain it.

Your $300K or $500K year? It’s not a dream. It’s a decision.

Let’s go build it.

FAQ

Q: What if I don’t have money to hire help yet?

Start by automating. Use tools like HoneyBook, Calendly, or Zapier to reclaim hours without hiring a soul. Then delegate one task at a time as revenue grows.

Q: Should I base my hourly rate on what I pay myself?

No. This isn’t about your salary—it’s about your value to the business. Your CEO rate reflects what your time is worth if you’re focused on growth, not execution.

Q: How do I stop doing tasks I’ve always done?

Ask yourself: Is this task really necessary? If yes, delegate or automate. If no one knows why it exists… eliminate it. Your business won’t implode. Promise.

Q: How do I calculate my buyback rate again?

Take your hourly value (your annual revenue ÷ 2000 hours) and divide it by four. That’s your buyback rate—the max you should pay someone to take work off your plate while still making a profit.

Q: What if my team doesn’t work at the same rate?

That’s fine! Your team has their own roles and pay structures. The CEO rate is for YOU—the decision-maker, strategist, and growth driver.

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Heads up, CEO! Some of the links I share may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase—at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and love, and that I believe will help you grow a profitable, sustainable business you’re obsessed with.