Is the 4 Hour Work Week Really Possible?

Author

Devon Schell
April 14, 2023

Is the 4-Hour Work Week Really Possible?

A lot of you have probably read the 4-Hour Work Week. The name itself carries enough merit to prompt someone to at least open the book and have their questions answered.

The notion of working just four hours a week and achieving success has been the subject of much debate since Tim Ferriss introduced it in his best-selling book. But is it really possible? Can one truly achieve financial freedom and maintain a healthy work-life balance while dedicating such a minimal amount of time to their profession?

Last year, I graduated and landed a job like I was supposed to, quickly realizing that the conventional 9-5 grind might not be sustainable for the rest of my life. It was repetitive, boring, and most importantly, I wasn’t growing.

At first, I thought I just needed a change of scenery. Luckily I work completely remotely (software sales), so I took a spontaneous one-month trip to Portugal. Instead of coming back with a fresh mindset about my job, I returned with a newfound determination to escape the confines of the traditional work routine and carve out a life I enjoy.

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People will choose unhappiness over uncertainty

- Tim Ferris

Motivated by this idea and the ideas within the 4-Hour Work Week, I decided to shoot my shot.

In December 2022, I started my own remote residential cleaning company. The plan was simple. Build a real company, handle all of the marketing, ads, and bookings, and subcontract out all of the work I bring in.

Worst case scenario: I learn a lot

Best case scenario: Financial Freedom

I’m now four months into this venture and I’m starting to think Tim Ferris might be on to something. While cleaning isn’t as glamorous as starting my own brand and automating every piece of it, it is a service that is always needed. On top of that, it is a service built on trust and recurring clients.

Since starting my company, I have gone from $2k in revenue my first month to $12k in revenue last month. With $30k in total revenue so far, I aim to start turning this revenue into recurring, passive profit.

While I still have my W-2, the start of this company has opened me up to the idea that I can live the life I want to live. I have always hustled when it came to making money (More on this later) and this LLC provided me a platform to utilize my skills at a larger level.

As I continue down this experience, I plan to grow in public as I strive towards my goal of traveling the world while being financially free. I invite you to join me on this journey, as we explore the possibilities of living life on our own terms, breaking free from the 9-5, and embracing the potential of the 4-Hour Work Week.

The best business podcasts (IMO)

As a big podcast listener, I figured I’d mention my favorite pods here. I’m a huge podcast guy and you can find me listening to them whether I am working out, driving, or pretty much-doing anything else. Here are the top 3 I’m listening to right now.

  1. My First Million: Hosted by Shaan Puri and Sam Parr, MFM discusses all things entrepreneurship. Both hosts have founded and sold startups and they often have guests on who have done the same. The best part about this podcast is that it’s just two guys shooting the shit. They are honest, funny, and super interesting. I suggest their pod to all of my friends.

  2. The Crazy Ones: This podcast is hosted by the founder of Morning Brew Alex Lieberman. It is very similar to MFM but has a different flavor. It also has great guests and allows listeners to hear all about how Morning Brew went from a college startup to a $75 million buyout.

  3. The Side Hustle Show: This podcast focuses on all things side hustles. The host, Alex Loper, shares stories and strategies for building successful side hustles that can eventually become full-time businesses. The show covers a wide range of topics, from online marketing and e-commerce to freelance writing and real estate investing, and offers actionable advice and insights for anyone looking to start or grow a side business.

3 Lessons the service industry has taught me

  1. Cheap customers are the worst customers: I'm not saying this to be negative, but rather to emphasize the importance of finding customers who value your product or service. It's a hard lesson that many entrepreneurs including myself had to learn early on.

    When you're starting a business, it's natural to want to attract as many customers as possible. You might even be tempted to lower your prices to make your product or service more accessible. But the truth is, when you lower your prices, you're not necessarily attracting the right customers. In fact, you might be attracting customers who are more trouble than they're worth.

    These "cheap" customers are often the ones who demand the most, complain the loudest, and are the least loyal. They don't see the value in your product or service, and they don't appreciate the hard work that goes into creating it. They're looking for a bargain, and they'll move on to the next cheap option as soon as they find it.

    On the other hand, customers who are willing to pay a fair price for your product or service are more likely to appreciate it, use it more frequently, and recommend it to others. They see the value in what you're offering, and they're willing to invest in it. These are the customers you want to attract, and the ones who will help you build a successful business.

  2. Customer service is way more important than I thought: While I thought I would just be on the phone and booking clients, I have found that I actually do much more as an owner/operator. Customers value my ability to have a real conversation with them, understand their personal situations, and always be readily available to speak to them. Through this, I have found that customers are more willing to stick with me then bounce around to a different company every couple of weeks.

  3. Don’t forget about your past customers: It's easy to get caught up in the hustle of acquiring new customers, but it's important not to forget about your past customers. While it took me two months to realize this, these customers are likely to want your service again in the future, and it's up to you to make it easy for them to do so.

    By consistently staying in touch with past customers, whether through informative marketing or occasional follow-up emails, you can remind them of the great experience they had with your business and encourage them to use your service again. Additionally, by providing excellent customer service to past customers, you'll be able to build a loyal customer base that will continue to use your service and recommend it to others.

    So don't forget about your past customers! They're a valuable asset to your business, and by prioritizing them, you'll be well on your way to building a thriving and successful service business.

Thanks!!

Thanks for taking the time to read my first newsletter! The plan moving forward is to release these weekly, discussing a range of topics while always providing updates on my cleaning company and where it is at.

In addition to my newsletter, I'm also almost finished putting together a course on how I built a $0-$30k cleaning company in 3 months while working a full-time job. I'm excited to share more about this course with you soon, so stay tuned!

If you haven't already, I’d really appreciate it if you subscribed. Also, if you have ever had any questions, comments, or concerns, or just want to talk, feel free to email me at [email protected].