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What No One Tells You About Being a CEO: A Deep Dive

Stepping into the role of a CEO is often seen as the pinnacle of business success. However, the journey is laden with unexpected challenges and insights that are seldom discussed in public forums or traditional business narratives. Here’s a comprehensive exploration based on the points from a particular social media post.

1. Mastery Before Leadership

Before you can lead, you must excel. As a CEO, your past performance sets the stage for your leadership credibility. If you’re not the top performer in your current role, how can you convincingly steer a company? This principle underscores the importance of competence over ambition alone.

2. Leadership vs. Popularity

One of the hardest pills to swallow is that effective leadership often conflicts with being liked by everyone. A CEO must make tough decisions that might not please all stakeholders, focusing on the company’s vision and health rather than individual satisfaction.

3. The Evolution of Your Role

As a startup grows, the CEO’s role must evolve rapidly. Every few months, you should be handing off responsibilities to others, ensuring you’re not the bottleneck to growth. This constant self-replacement is crucial for scaling operations.

4. Sales Above All

In the early stages, the CEO must often be the primary salesperson. Ensuring cash flow is not just a priority; it’s the lifeline of the business. Without it, no vision or strategy can be executed.

5. Duty Over Desire

CEOs frequently must choose the path of duty over what might be more desirable or comfortable. This means making strategic decisions that align with the company’s long-term goals, even if they are unpopular or challenging.

6. Building Autonomy

The ultimate aim for any CEO should be to create a company that can function independently of them. This involves setting up systems, culture, and a leadership team that can operate the company effectively without constant oversight.

7. Understanding Human Dynamics

A significant part of being a CEO is understanding what motivates people. Like a psychologist, you need to know when to offer incentives (carrots) or when to apply discipline (sticks) to guide your team towards the company’s objectives.

8. Recruitment as a Core Function

Much of a CEO’s day-to-day might not involve glamorous tasks but rather the continuous process of finding, hiring, and retaining the right talent. Your company’s success often hinges on the people you bring on board.

9. From Doing to Leading

The transition from being a doer to a leader is profound. CEOs are paid to envision, strategize, and inspire, not to perform the tasks they once might have. They recruit those who can do these tasks better.

10. Speed and Action

In the startup world, speed in product development and market entry can be a predictor of success. CEOs need to foster an environment where action is prioritized over perfection, learning from each iteration.

11. Simplifying Complexity

As your business grows, complexity naturally increases. The true test of leadership is in simplifying this complexity, making strategic decisions that keep the business agile and focused.

12. Ownership vs. Being Owned

The title of CEO can be misleading; true ownership comes from controlling your business’s direction without it controlling your life. This involves delegating to specialists who are experts in their areas.

13. Vision Attracts Talent

A compelling, grand vision is what attracts top talent. Your ability to sell this dream is crucial in convincing smart, capable individuals that your venture is where they should invest their career.

14. Communication is Repetition

A CEO must often repeat the same message to ensure it permeates through all levels of the organization. This repetition is not redundancy but reinforcement of the mission.

15. Problem-Solving Through People

Owners focus on hiring those smarter than themselves to tackle known problems while personally addressing those unforeseen issues that slip through.

16. Decisiveness in Crisis

Like a surgeon, a CEO must be quick to excise what’s harmful – be it underperforming employees or detrimental business deals. Swift, decisive action can prevent minor issues from becoming major crises.

17. The Human Factor

Ultimately, every issue in business boils down to people. The right hires can scale your company exponentially, while the wrong ones can lead to its downfall.

The Dual Nature of Business Ownership

Being a CEO is a paradoxical journey – a gift for those who thrive on autonomy and challenge, yet a hell for those unprepared for its demands. This workshop invitation at the end of the post isn’t just about buying a business; it’s about understanding what it truly means to own one. Whether you’re an aspiring owner, a CEO in title only, or an empire builder, this knowledge is crucial for navigating the complex landscape of leadership.


Ever wondered what it’s really like to sit in the CEO’s chair? Here’s the raw truth you won’t find in any glossy business magazine.

Imagine you’ve climbed the corporate ladder, you’re at the top, but the view is not what you expected. As a CEO, you’re not just the boss; you’re the top performer, the chief salesperson, and sometimes, the company’s psychologist. You learn quickly that leadership isn’t about pleasing everyone – it’s about making tough calls, setting the pace for product delivery, and simplifying an increasingly complex business landscape. It’s about building a vision so compelling that it attracts the brightest minds, all while ensuring the company can thrive without your constant oversight. But here’s the catch: every problem, from cash flow to employee morale, boils down to one thing – people. The wrong hires can be your downfall, while the right ones can catapult you to success.

Codie Sanchez knows this game inside out. She’s walked the path from employee to entrepreneur, understanding not only how to lead but how to own your destiny in business. She’s faced these realities and emerged with a strategy to turn the grueling journey of CEO into a roadmap for success.

Want to bypass the pitfalls and learn from someone who’s mastered the art of business ownership? Join Codie Sanchez for an exclusive, free 60-minute workshop where she’ll reveal the secrets to acquiring and running a business that not only survives but thrives. Whether you’re an employee dreaming of ownership, a CEO without equity, or an entrepreneur aiming for an empire, this is your chance to learn directly from Codie.


Main Street Millionaire: Building Ethical Wealth through Ordinary Businesses

by Codie Sanchez

There’s a hidden path to wealth that doesn’t involve the high-risk, high-burnout lifestyle often associated with modern entrepreneurship. In “Main Street Millionaire,” Codie Sanchez, a former Wall Street investor turned small business advocate, shares an ethical blueprint for wealth creation that benefits not just the individual but the community at large.

A Different Approach to Business and Wealth

While many chase after the latest tech startup or engage in high-stakes investment, Sanchez invites you to reconsider the value of traditional, local businesses. These “unsexy” industries—plumbing, construction, cleaning, electrical—offer not just stability and profitability but also the chance to make a tangible impact on local economies.

Ethical Business Acquisition:

  • Sustainable Wealth: Sanchez emphasizes acquiring businesses that are already successful and cash-flow positive, reducing the risk for both the buyer and the community that depends on these businesses.
  • Community Building: By focusing on Main Street businesses, you’re not just investing in a financial asset; you’re investing in the livelihood of employees, the development of local skills, and the sustainability of local commerce.
  • Ethical Deal-Making: Learn how to finance deals creatively and ethically, ensuring that the transition of business ownership is beneficial for all parties involved, including employees and customers.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Market Opportunities: Understand why now is an opportune time for creating generational wealth through small business ownership.
  • Strategic Acquisition: Techniques for identifying and closing deals in a way that respects all stakeholders.
  • Growth Strategies: How to grow these businesses sustainably, ensuring they continue to thrive and support the community.
  • Avoiding Pitfalls: The seven types of businesses to steer clear of, to make wise investment choices.
  • Portfolio Management: Insights on owning and managing multiple businesses without compromising your personal life or the integrity of the businesses.

Main Street Millionaire” isn’t just about making money; it’s about making a difference. Sanchez’s approach encourages you to seek meaning and fulfillment through business ownership that resonates with your values. This book is for those ready to challenge the status quo of wealth creation, focusing on building a life and a community where everyone can prosper.

In essence, “Main Street Millionaire” offers a pathway to wealth that aligns with ethical business practices, community enhancement, and personal fulfillment. Your journey to meaningful wealth starts on Main Street.