How to Build a Six-Figure Coaching Business in 20 Hours/Week

Most coaches think the only path to six figures is grinding through 12-hour days, posting nonstop on every platform, and sacrificing any chance of a real vacation.

 

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

 

I run a six-figure coaching business working just 4-5 hours a day. 

 

And in this video, I’m going to show you:

• How I structure my days so I don’t burn out
  
  
• The exact tools and systems I use to grow my business without being glued to my laptop
  
  
• How you can copy this strategy to grow your own coaching business, even if you’re just getting started

 

How I structure my days

 

When people hear I run a six-figure coaching business in just 20 hours a week, they assume I only started working less after I was successful.

 

But that’s not true.

 

I definitely had my fair share of late nights, working until dawn, and grinding myself to a pulp just to feel ‘productive.’ 

 

But I hated it. 

 

I didn’t leave one exhausting job just to create another.

 

So I made the decision early on that I was going to build my business inside a 20-hour workweek and

figure out how to earn more in that time frame.

 

Yes, I could’ve worked 80 hours a week to hit six figures. But then I’d only know how to run a business that

required 80 hours a week.

 

You see, most people design their business around their work. 

 

I flipped it. 

 

I designed my work around my life.

 

And that’s the key thing I want you to think about. 

 

The number of hours you give your business determines the kind of business it becomes. 

 

If you give it 80 hours, it’ll eat 80 hours. 

 

If you give it 20, you can learn to thrive in 20.

 

That’s why my calendar is my greatest tool.

 

It isn’t just my schedule, it’s the blueprint for the life I want to live.

 

Here’s what it looks like:

• From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., I’m in focused work mode. That’s where the deep work and growth happen.
  
  
• From 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., my time is wide open for family and friends.
  
  
• From 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., I’m winding down and sleeping.
  
  
• And from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., I’m at the gym, getting ready, and fueling up for the day.

 

While my calendar looks crazy to most people, this rhythm protects me from burnout and ensures I’m always spending my limited work hours on the tasks that actually matter.

 

And honestly, that’s been one of the biggest reasons I’ve been able to scale without sacrificing my life.

 

If you want a business that doesn’t take over your life, you have to design it that way. And it starts with how intentional you are about your days.

 

Now, working fewer hours sounds great, but that alone isn’t going to grow a successful coaching business.

 

If you don’t have the right systems in place, your business will stop working the second you step away.

 

So, let me show you the exact tools and systems I use that let my business keep working around the clock - even when I’m not.

 

The tools and systems I use

 

Most coaches and online educators are stuck in this loop of trading their time for money. 

 

The second they stop working, their income stops too.

 

If you want a coaching business that constantly grows every day without you working around the clock, you have to build it that way.

 

Every YouTube video, podcast episode, Instagram story, every email you create should work as a “digital employee” who’s out there having conversations with people, building trust, and pointing them to your offers.

 

This happens to me all the time with my YouTube channel.

 

Someone finds one of my videos, likes my style, then binges through 10 more. 

 

By the time they book a call or join a program, they’ll often say, “I feel like I already know you.”

 

That’s the power of systems: your business keeps running, even when you stop working.

 

So here’s the simple weekly flow I followed to hit my first six-figure year as a coach - and it’s the same one

I still use today.

 

First, I use Kajabi to run my entire coaching business. 

 

Kajabi sells my online courses and coaching programs, hosts my website and landing pages, handles my

email marketing, and a ton more.

 

If you’ve been thinking about using Kajabi, I can get you an extended 30-day free trial instead of the usual 14.

 

Plus, when you use my link, I’ll give you my exclusive Kajabi course which shows you exactly how I run my 6-figure coaching business behind the scenes and how to set yours up the same way.

 

You’ll also get a private coaching call with me to map out your strategy and answer any questions you have about Kajabi or growing your knowledge business.

 

If you want to take advantage of that, click the first link in the description.

 

Every week I publish a YouTube video which gets me discovered by the people I can help. 

 

They join my email list by grabbing a free guide or resource I offer.

 

And when they sign up, they automatically get a series of emails that deepen the relationship and introduce them to my programs.

 

All of this is done inside Kajabi and I walk you through exactly how to set it up inside my course.

 

This is how I make money around the clock without working more hours.

 

I also host a podcast called The Profit Your Knowledge Podcast, which has over 500 episodes and is now a top 2.5% global show.

 

I interview other coaches, entrepreneurs, and business owners and those conversations create a ton of opportunities.

 

I’ll get invited to speak at summits and guest on bigger podcasts, which funnels more people into my offers.

 

And sometimes, even my guests become private clients.

 

The beauty of this system is that my business keeps working even when I step away.

 

Every video I publish, every interview I do, every connection I make compounds over time.

 

With the right tools and systems in place, your business should never stop working for you, even when you’re off the clock.

 

Systems don’t just save you time, they multiply your effort. 

 

They let you be everywhere at once while you work from anywhere you want in the world.

 

And that’s how you scale your business while working fewer hours.

 

Now, you might be thinking, “Okay James, this all sounds great, but how do I actually do this so I can start working less and earning more?”

 

How you can work less

and earn more

 

It all boils down to one word: FOCUS. 

 

You don’t need more hours, you need to spend the hours you do have on the things that actually move your business forward.

 

Obviously, there is nuance here because I’m not actually working with you right now.

 

But here are three steps you can start applying right away:

 

Step 1: Design your work around your life.

 

Don’t wait until you’re “successful” to cut back your hours. By then, you’ll probably have already built a beast that you’d have to fully restructure anyway. 

 

Decide right now how many hours you want to work each week, then design your calendar around that.

 

One of my private clients came to me drowning in her business. 

 

She thought she had to do more to succeed, but what she really wanted was something so simple: regular dinners with her family, like she had growing up.

 

After we restructured her business around her life instead of the other way around, she finally got those dinners back. 

 

And while it wasn’t “groundbreaking,” she felt more in control of her time, her business, and her life.

 

Remember, you are in control of your business, not the other way around.

 

Step 2: Identify your needle-movers.

 

Just because you work for 8 hours a day, doesn’t mean you’re productive for 8 hours a day.

 

That’s why I focus on one key thing at a time for 4-5 hours. 

 

After that, my brain slows down, my work quality drops, and if I try to push through, I risk burning out.

 

History shows us this too. 

 

In 1913, Henry Ford didn’t tell his workers to hustle harder or put in longer shifts. Instead, he made one smart change: the moving assembly line. 

 

That single shift cut production time from 12 hours per car down to about 90 minutes. 

 

He didn’t work harder, he worked smarter, and the result transformed not just his company, but the entire auto industry.

 

The same rule applies to your coaching business. 

 

Let’s say your goal is to get more clients…

 

Checking social media, tweaking your website, or playing with Canva might feel productive, but it’s not going to get you a full client list.

 

Instead, you need to focus on the 20% of activities that bring in 80% of your results. 

 

Typically, that means:

• Creating content
  
  
• Building your email list
  
  
• Talking to potential clients
  
  
• Making real offers to work with you
  
  

To find your needle-mover, ask Gary Kellers Focusing Question:

 

“What is the ONE thing I can do that, by doing it, will make everything else easier or totally unnecessary?”

 

What’s that one task that works like the big domino, knocking over all of the others with one blow?

 

Don’t just rush into the first thing that comes to mind. Really think about it, and if one idea keeps coming up, act on it.

 

Step 3: Put systems in place early.

 

Don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed to delegate work or automate repetitive tasks. 

 

How can you make every piece of content you put out work like a digital employee that’s attracting new people, building trust, and pointing them to your offers?

 

Can you hire a VA to offload your video editing, scheduling, or tedious tasks that don’t actually require you?

 

And how can you use tools like Kajabi to automate your business so you’re not constantly chasing clients?

 

You don’t need to sacrifice your life to build a six-figure coaching business. You just need to be more intentional. 

 

You can work fewer hours by focusing on what moves the needle, delegating and automating what doesn’t need your face or voice, and having systems that make this run smoothly.

 

Think about Henry Ford again. 

 

He didn’t build every car himself. He designed the system. 

 

The line kept moving, the cars kept rolling off, and he could step back knowing it worked without him working more.

 

That’s exactly how your coaching business should feel.

 

You don’t need more hours—you need a better design. Decide the life you want, build your work to fit inside it, then let systems do the heavy lifting.

 

Pick one needle-mover, give it your best 4–5 hours, and ship a simple system that keeps working when you stop. That’s how you scale without sacrificing your sanity.

 

If you want the exact blueprint I use—tools, automations, and the weekly flow—grab my extended 30-day Kajabi trial.

 

You’ll get my behind-the-scenes setup course and a private strategy call so we can map your 20-hour workweek together.

 

Tap the button below and let’s build the business that serves your life, not the other way around.