Being productive and making headway as a business owner is more challenging than ever this year. Productivity during a pandemic almost seems like an oxymoron—After all, dealing with COVID-19 and a complete upheaval of all of our lives is a lot to take on!
The good news is that you can be productive, even during a pandemic. Alicia is living proof of this! She has three children (in three different schools), so she needed to create a flexible schedule for her 18-month-old business that allowed her to make progress with her professional life, while also taking care of her family and spending quality time with them.
Here’s how she has been able to manage all of it over the past few months… and save 10 hours every week:
The initial struggle: “My biggest concern [this year] was creating a consistent schedule that still had flexibility for me to achieve the work/life balance I wanted.”
That’s when Alicia joined Productivity Powerhouse. She needed a work schedule that was realistic, given the pandemic and juggling work with life. 
Alicia is the owner of Fresh Look Editing: she’s a professional editor and writer who provides copy editing, proofreading, and writing services to clients, with a specialty in the health care and education sector.
(Also, she has a great Twitter account: @FreshLookEdit)
Being a small business owner has its own challenges even when we aren’t also navigating a pandemic, so it was important to her that she was able to prioritize both her family and her business during this time. Alicia joined Productivity Powerhouse toward the end of June. She went through the entire program and began implementing some of the strategies within just a few weeks… and now, a couple months later, she’s generously agreed to share her experience with us!
Read on to find out how Alicia was able to be productive during a pandemic...
“As a sole proprietor, my goal with Productivity Powerhouse was to add to the time management skills I already had, but reignite my motivation to implement those competencies.”
What happened next?
“Productivity Powerhouse enabled me to create a schedule that works for me and my family. I have children who are in school (one for only half days), so being able to productively use my time when they are in school is critical for me. I find that I also feel motivated to adhere to a schedule again, which is particularly important because I completed the program during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Productivity Powerhouse was excellent! I loved that I was able to complete the modules at my own pace, and that I was able to access written and audio materials. Sagan's recordings were very motivating, and I found myself looking forward to each module.
I figure that I've been able to save about 10 hours a week as a result of the tools I've gained from this program.”
What Alicia learned about herself...
“The top things I've learned about myself after taking Productivity Powerhouse are:
- I need a combination of productivity techniques (visual and aural) when I'm learning and want to make habits stick.
- Low energy is a huge barrier to my consistency and success.
- I need to employ creativity and a sense of fun when I'm working to be effective.”
The foundation of Productivity Powerhouse teaches you how to choose systems, tools, and strategies that are right for your personal and professional situation—because there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all. Alicia was able to boost productivity as a direct result of recognizing just that and embracing her unique strengths!
What helped Alicia the most...
“I found the way Productivity Powerhouse was structured was quite useful for my business/life because it encouraged me to look at aspects of my personality that I ordinarily wouldn't have when diving into productivity.
For example, working through the strengths/weaknesses assessment in module 2 was helpful because I had to actively think about how I see myself, how I think others see me, and my attitudes towards tasks. It was a wonderful way to get into a mindset where I was ready to put in the work to complete Productivity Powerhouse.”
>> Join Productivity Powerhouse now <<
How Alicia improved her business during the pandemic...
“Productivity Powerhouse changed my business for the better—I'm very glad I found it at this stage of being a sole proprietor! I noticed that this program helped me figure out what boundaries I need to set with clients (and myself!) in order to have a successful work/life balance. 
I also appreciated that the program encouraged me to revisit my business plan, because doing so reminded me of my goals, which helped me figure out the areas I need to focus on most. (For example, one of my goals is to build my client base, which means I need to do things that specifically support that.) Doing this helped me feel less overwhelmed with my day-to-day tasks because it gave me a clearer focus.
Now, I feel less overwhelmed with the tasks I have to complete to run my business successfully, which helps me spend more time with my family while still putting in productive days at work. Overall, Productivity Powerhouse has helped me realize my business can be successful on my own terms, and doesn't have to be structured the same way someone else's is in order for me to feel fulfilled."
One of Alicia’s favourite things about her new style of working...
“I loved the idea of energy management [that you learn about in Productivity Powerhouse]! So far, applying this to my work life has been successful. I've structured my schedule in a way that takes into account when I have the most energy to work, and schedule the tasks that take the most focus and concentration for then.
Even though I'm not typically a morning person, I've realized that I have more energy if I've had the opportunity to get a good start. For me, that means waking up early, having time for self-care (meditation, light reading, breakfast), taking care of my kids, then putting in a few hours of work (editing, writing, or research/planning) in the morning. My afternoons are typically the time I answer emails and post to social media.”
Energy management is a key element of time management, and you’ll learn exactly how to create the perfect schedule for YOU when you join Productivity Powerhouse. (Spoiler alert: you don’t need to be a morning person to make it work for you!)
Alicia’s final takeaways...
“I recommend Productivity Powerhouse for anyone who is feeling overwhelmed and wants to be more purposeful in the direction they are taking their business. I think anyone who is considering joining the program should be prepared to be honest with themselves and think about what truly works best for them—not emulate what they think "should" work for a successful business owner.
Productivity Powerhouse encourages creativity and reminded me why I started my business and got out of the 9-to-5 to begin with. It was wonderful and highly motivating. It felt really good to celebrate some of my successes and zero in on what my priorities need to be in order to support my goals.
Dive in, you'll feel empowered to find what works best for you and motivated to implement it!”
Thank you so much, Alicia, for sharing your story with all of us!
Connect with her on Twitter, learn more about her on LinkedIn, or hire her as an editor at Fresh Look Editing.
It’s so inspiring to see how Alicia has been productive during a pandemic, and the way she’s made progress with her business while still prioritizing her family, don’t you think?
You can do it, too! It IS possible to be productive during a pandemic. What you need are the right strategies to make it happen. Productivity Powerhouse is your ticket to improving productivity, regardless of what life throws at us.
If you want to save time, improve your energy, spend quality time with your family, and make awesome progress with your business, then you need Productivity Powerhouse in your life.
>> JOIN NOW at SaganMorrow.com/powerhouse <<
