The Surprising Way CEOs Boost Profits With Less Effort
There’s a new way to run a business where success doesn’t mean losing sleep, health, or peace of mind. Some CEOs grow profits by flipping old methods on their head: they start with their goals, make “stop-doing” lists, follow their natural rhythm, and use ease as a competitive edge. This approach focuses on flow rather than constant hustle.
If your customers aren’t eager to buy, or if your work feels draining, something isn’t right. There’s a mix of your skills and passions that could make you easy money—but struggling through unnecessary tasks only keeps you from finding it. Most calendars are full of distractions, hiding what you’re really meant to do.
The old way of doing business is broken. I call the new approach the Vibe Method. Go with your flow, picture success, and stop thinking great results require sacrificing your health or sleep—they don’t.
The CEOs quietly tripling their profits are doing the opposite of traditional advice. Here’s how it works:
Work Backwards
Instead of starting with problems, start with the result you want. Reverse-engineer your path to success.
Joe Davy, cofounder of Banzai, aimed for an IPO long before going public. “With the goal in mind, the daily steps were clear: get funding, build the team, and secure big contracts,” he said. Ringing the NYSE bell proved that planning backward worked.
Wandering toward vague goals wastes time. Pause, figure out your destination, and design your own version of success.
Make a Stop-Doing List
This is even more important than your to-do list. Every unnecessary task drains energy from what truly matters.
Richard Harpin, who started HomeServe with £50,000 and sold it for £4.2 billion, calls this a “not-to-do list.” He says, “List the things you won’t pursue because they take you away from your core business. Display it so everyone sees it.” By doing less, he focused on the tasks that mattered most, like expanding internationally, which led to his huge success.
Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Stop doing what doesn’t serve you and focus on what does.
Work with your natural energy
Stop forcing yourself to be productive at the “wrong” times. Work when your energy is high. If your best ideas happen late at night, forcing a 9-to-5 schedule could be holding you back.
Jeremy Walker, CEO of Exercism, has always been a night owl. “Mornings were torture, even at school. My brain works best in the evening,” he says. When he started his business, he tried to follow a regular office schedule, but it didn’t work. Now, he works when he’s most productive and lets his team do the same. “We work when it suits us. I follow my own energy, not someone else’s.”
When building your business, the exact time of day doesn’t matter. Weekdays and weekends can blend—and that’s fine.
Let some things go
Not everything needs your attention. Let some problems solve themselves. Learning what to ignore keeps you sane and helps your business grow.
Chris Do, founder of The Futur, doesn’t control every decision. He hires talented people, sets the goal, and then steps back. “You can control either the input or the output, not both,” he says. Mistakes will happen, but the team knows how to handle them.
As your business grows, focus on solving new challenges and let your team handle existing ones. You’ve earned the right to step back.
Make ease your advantage
Hard work isn’t always the key. Doing things smoothly often leads to better results. If you think success is impossible, you’ll never reach it.
Sophie Devonshire, CEO of The Marketing Society, says, “On the surface, I look calm, and often I really am.” If you’re constantly busy and stressed, it’s harder to make smart decisions. She plans her week carefully, moving or postponing anything that isn’t urgent.
You don’t have to work frantically. Follow your energy, focus on the right things, and soon you’ll be ahead of those trying to do everything.
The smarter path to profit
Forget the idea that constant grinding is the only way to succeed. These CEOs follow a different approach:
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Start with your goal and work backward.
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Make a “stop-doing” list bigger than your to-do list.
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Work with your natural rhythms.
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Learn to let some things go.
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Make ease your advantage.
Profit comes easier when you stop fighting against your strengths. When you’re in tune with your energy, it should feel natural, not forced.
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