A while back, a highly respected authority asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks:
“How did you do it? How did you build businesses that made eight figures while traveling the world—and without working?”
Without missing a beat, I rattled off my response: “I built systems and strategies. They had to meet specific criteria. I created automated processes and frameworks, then I did this, and then I did that…”
It was the right answer. I gave him everything—the strategies, the tactics, the roadmap.
But even after the conversation ended, that question wouldn’t leave me alone. It lingered, echoing louder in my mind. You know that feeling, when someone asks you something, and you replay it over and over, thinking, Did I miss something?
At first, I thought, No, I told him exactly how I did it. But something about the way the question stuck with me told me that there was more to the story than strategies and systems.
So one day, I sat quietly with that question.
How did I really do it?
More Than Strategies and Systems
Don’t get me wrong—systems and strategies matter. They help you automate, streamline, and reduce the hours spent grinding. You can build year-long nurture sequences or 67-step funnels that do the heavy lifting.
But even those systems can demand a lot of mental bandwidth and ongoing work. They can easily pull you back into busywork, if you’re not careful. And I knew that wasn’t what created my freedom-based business.
Then it hit me.
It Was an Identity Shift
The real key wasn’t just about the frameworks I built—it was about who I became in the process. It started years ago, after an injury to my hands made it impossible for me to work the way others did.
From that moment on, I made a powerful decision:
I became “a woman who can’t work like others.”
This wasn’t just a circumstance—it was an identity shift. I became someone who had to find a way to build thriving businesses without constant hustle. Not just because I wanted freedom, but because I literally had no other choice. And paired with my relentless determination, this identity shaped the way I approached every business decision.
I wasn’t just going to run a business.
I was going to own a business that could add millions in value without me working. I was going to create sustainable, hands-free systems that allowed me to travel the world, live fully, and make an impact—all without the grind.
The Truth About Identity
What I realized is that the true power isn’t in the strategies—it’s in the identity we step into. And the truth is, you can choose your identity at any moment.
You don’t have to wait for circumstances to change or for permission from someone else. You can decide, right now, who you want to be.
• You can become the entrepreneur who builds a 7-figure business with ease.
• You can become the person who creates impact and freedom without sacrifice.
• You can step into the identity of someone who doesn’t have to do it all—but still achieves everything they want.And that’s exactly what I did.
The moment I shifted into this identity, everything else—strategies, systems, automation—started to align. The way I made decisions changed. I began designing businesses from a place of freedom, ease, and impact.
Who Will You Choose to Be?
The most profound lesson I’ve learned on this journey is this: Your identity drives your outcomes. The strategies and tools are secondary. When you decide to become someone who runs a business on your own terms—without compromising your freedom—that’s when real transformation happens.
So here’s my question for you:
Who will you choose to become in this next moment?
Because the power to change your life—and your business—starts with that decision.
Cheering to your inevitable success,
Jeni Hott 🍾🥂
About Jeni Hott
Jeni Hott is globally recognized as an authority blogger and entrepreneur, celebrating 27 years of success, 100 million lives impacted, and 8-figure businesses on autopilot. She is the founder of One Good Page™ and Time Rich™, where she helps entrepreneurs build freedom-based, purpose-driven businesses that allow for work-life harmony and true impact. Visit gettimerich.com to learn more.
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