The 3 Biggest Time Sucks for Creative Entrepreneurs: A Conversation with Jamie Fisher
Christi Johnson:
Hello, friends. Welcome back to The Dream Biz Podcast—the business podcast that helps you launch, streamline, and grow your business so you can work less, make more money, and flourish beyond what you thought possible. I’m your host, Christi Johnson, a business coach dedicated to helping you make your dream biz a reality through aligned strategy, sustainable systems, and regular self-care.
Every week, I bring you actionable tips to help you build a business and life you love. And today, I’m so thrilled to have Jamie Fisher on the podcast. Jamie is an incredible photographer and educator, and we’re talking about how to fix the time sucks in your business. She is all about building a business that works for you, so I’m excited to dive into this conversation. Jamie, welcome!
Jamie Fisher:
Thank you so much for having me! I’m really excited. I love everything about aligned business.
Christi:
Same here! I love when educators get to chat and learn from each other. Before we dive into time management and time sucks, can you tell us more about what you do, how you got started, and who you help with your education?
Wearing all the hats
Jamie:
Absolutely. I feel like at this point, it’s more like, what don’t I do! I’ve been in business for about 16 and a half years now. I started right out of college, back when it wasn’t as common for people in their early twenties to launch businesses. It was a different world then—many doors were closed, and there was this scarcity mindset where people didn’t want to share anything.
But I’m still here, and I’m grateful to be working in the industry as it is today. I started as a photographer, went full-time after we had our first daughter (because why not, right?). Now, I still photograph families and brands, and I have an associate team for weddings.
Since 2019, I’ve transitioned half of my business into education. I help creative business owners—mainly those in their first five years or moving into full-time—build sustainable businesses. Everything I teach now centers around the idea of legacy. I refer to myself as a legacy builder because, like you said earlier, alignment and intention are everything.
Time Management for Creative Entrepreneurs
Christi:
Yes, I love that focus on legacy. Building a legacy means being intentional with how you spend your time—and time management can be so tricky for creative entrepreneurs. We have so much passion and energy, but we can struggle to manage our time well. Why do you think that is, and how can we improve?
Jamie:
Such a good question. First, creative entrepreneurs just have different brains. It’s not like running a traditional brick-and-mortar business. We tend to be visionaries—we’re deeply passionate and hands-on in the work we do.
For example, photographers love creating—they want to photograph, edit, and deliver. That’s the “employee” role. But if you’re also the CEO, you need to balance that with strategic tasks. And honestly, the CEO tasks aren’t always inspiring to creatives, so they get left behind.
We get stuck in the loop of doing the thing we love—but to run a successful business, you need both.
Stepping into the CEO Role
Christi:
Absolutely. I see that so much. It can be hard to step into the CEO role. But you created a quiz that helps with this, right? Can you share about that and the different types of time sucks people might be experiencing?
Jamie:
Yes! The quiz is called What’s Your Time Suck? I wanted to make it fun—even though we’re addressing a real pain point. It only takes about five minutes, and the feedback has been amazing.
It came out of patterns I kept seeing with my students. The quiz gives you a fun name—like Frantic Firefighter or Strategic Dreamer—and identifies your biggest time suck, plus gives you follow-up emails with action steps to fix it.
Christi:
Perfect! We’ll link to the quiz in the show notes. But let’s dive into the three biggest time sucks. What’s the most common one?
Time Suck #1: The Overwhelmed DIY-er
Jamie:
Definitely the Overwhelmed DIY-er. This person might have some systems in place, but they’re still doing a lot of manual work. And the story they tell themselves is, “It’s quick. It doesn’t take me much time.”
But those quick tasks add up. I recommend using a time-tracking tool like Toggl—even if it’s just for a week. You’ll see where your time is really going.
And if there’s a task you dread doing, remember: someone else might love that task. Hiring help doesn’t have to be a huge overhaul. Start small. You’re not only freeing up your time, but you’re creating opportunities for others to do work they love.
Christi:
That is so true. I remember the first time I hired someone. I wasn’t totally ready financially, but it gave me such energy and momentum. They were excited about my business with me, and that made all the difference.
Time Suck #2: The Frantic Firefighter
Jamie:
The second most common one is the Frantic Firefighter. These folks feel like their inbox or DMs run the show. Their day starts with, “What’s urgent? What do I need to put out first?”
The biggest problem here is reactive work vs. proactive planning. If you’re constantly responding to emergencies or client messages, there’s no space for growth. And often, this leads to burnout.
Poor boundaries and overbooked calendars are huge red flags here. That’s why I always recommend CEO days—even just once a month. It gives you breathing room to work on your business, not just in it.
Christi:
Yes! That used to be me. I was constantly putting out fires and didn’t have good boundaries. Now, I have a no-meetings day each week and a full week blocked off each quarter just for CEO time. It gives my brain space to think creatively—and the results have been amazing.
Time Suck #3: The Strategic Dreamer
Christi:
Alright, tell us about the Strategic Dreamer. I feel like this one is sneaky.
Jamie:
It is! The Strategic Dreamer is someone whose business looks successful on the outside. Revenue is good, clients are happy—but behind the scenes, they’re juggling everything and starting to feel it.
They haven’t dropped any plates yet, but they’re close.
They spend a lot of time in planning mode—creating detailed plans, tweaking them, and maybe even second-guessing them when they see someone else doing something shiny. Implementation gets pushed aside.
The key here is building trust in yourself as a leader and sticking to the plan. Focus on progress, not perfection. Don’t keep pushing your ideas to “next quarter” because something new popped up.
Christi:
I totally relate to that. I always tell my clients: make the plan, test the plan, and collect data. That’s how you grow. Jumping ship too early means you don’t even know if your strategy would’ve worked.
I try to plan quarterly and stick to that direction, even if other fun ideas pop up.
Jamie:
Exactly. We need to create margin in our businesses—room for evolution, for joy, for alignment. And that starts with boundaries, trust, and implementation.
How to Get Out of Your Time Sucks
Christi:
To recap:
- If you’re an Overwhelmed DIY-er, look for ways to automate and delegate.
- If you’re a Frantic Firefighter, set boundaries and carve out CEO time.
- If you’re a Strategic Dreamer, commit to your plans and take action.
Any final advice, Jamie?
Jamie:
Yes—no matter which one you are, start with your life, not your business. Identify what matters most to you—your family, your time, your dreams—and then build a business that supports that.
If your dream is to travel, buy land, or just have more rest, that dream is valid. Let your business be the vehicle that gets you there. And remember, you don’t have to do it all alone.
Christi:
So beautifully said. Where can people go to take the quiz?
Jamie:
You can take it at jamiefishercollective.com/time-suck
Christi:
Perfect! We’ll link that in the show notes. And where can people connect with you online?
Jamie:
I’m always hanging out on Instagram. DM me a voice message or video message—we’ll be instant friends!
Christi:
Love that. Thank you so much for being here, Jamie! We could’ve done a full episode on each of these time sucks, but I’ll let our listeners explore them through your quiz.
Thanks again for sharing your brilliance!
Jamie:
Thank you so much for having me!
Christi:
Alright, friends—make sure you give Jamie a follow and take the quiz. And I’ll see you next week on The Dream Biz Podcast. Bye for now!
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