Buy Back Your Time (Part 2): Scale with Systems

Hey founders!

A few weeks ago, we dove into part 1 of Dan Martell’s Buy Back Your Time. It was all about how to reclaim your freedom by delegating and focusing on what drives growth. 

This week, we’re diving into part 2 with more actionable strategies to help you build a business that serves your life—not the other way around.

Today: three concepts designed to help you streamline your operations, empower your team, and plan your year around what really matters.

1. Building Playbooks

As your business grows, one of the biggest challenges is getting consistency across tasks without burning out. That’s where playbooks come in.

Dan Martell emphasizes the importance of creating playbooks—detailed guides for how different parts of your business operate. Now, these aren’t just Google Docs… they’re living systems that empower your team to take on tasks without needing constant oversight.

Here’s how you can build a strong playbook using Dan’s 4 C’s framework:

• Camcorder: Record videos of yourself performing tasks so your team can see exactly how you do things.

• Course: Break down the steps of each process into digestible chunks.

• Cadence: Define how often each task needs to be completed (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.)

• Checklist: Provide a high-level checklist to ensure nothing gets missed.

Building playbooks allows your team to operate more independently, reduces errors, and – most importantly – frees up your time to focus on high-level strategy. 

The more predictable your systems, the more scalable your business becomes.

2. The 1:3:1 Rule

If you’re tired of always being the one to solve every issue, this simple rule can change how your team brings problems to you. The 1:3:1 Rule empowers your team to come up with solutions instead of just highlighting problems.

Here’s how it works:

• 1 problem: Your team presents a problem that needs to be solved.

• 3 solutions: They also present three viable solutions they’ve thought through.

• 1 recommendation: They offer their best recommendation out of the three options.

This rule shifts the responsibility for problem-solving from you → your team. 

This rule builds a culture of ownership and encourages independent thinking. This is a powerful framework for early-stage founders who feel like they need to be involved in every single decision. 

By teaching your team to think critically and bring solutions, you’re buying back your time and empowering your employees to grow.

3. The Preloaded Year

It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind and miss out on life’s important moments. Dan talks about the Preloaded Year—a strategy for planning your year in advance so you don’t miss out on what really matters, both personally and professionally.

Here’s how to structure your year:

• Define Your Big Rocks: Identify the non-negotiable personal and business milestones (like vacations, key business events, or family time).

• Work Backwards: Create checkpoints to ensure you’re on track to meet your goals.

• Score Your Tactics with ICE: Prioritize tasks based on Impact, Confidence, and Ease, so you know what’s worth focusing on.

By creating a clear vision for the year ahead, you have more flexibility and peace of mind. No more reactive scrambling or feeling like you’re constantly putting out fires.

The Big Takeaway: Empower Your Business to Run Itself

The big takeaway this week is simple: build systems that run without you. 

Whether it’s creating playbooks, teaching your team to work independently, or planning your year in advance, the goal is the same—buying back your time so you can focus on what truly matters.

Your business should serve your life, not the other way around.

Questions for the Road

1. What process in your business can you start building a playbook for this week? 

2. How can you implement the 1:3:1 Rule to encourage problem-solving within your team?

3. Take 15 minutes to map out your “Big Rocks” for the next year. What are you going to prioritize?

That’s it for this week! Keep pushing forward, and don’t forget—your time is your most valuable asset.

— The Tribe Team