Podcast Summary: Next Level Pros
Episode: The ONE Audit That Scales Your Business Fast
Host: Chris Lee
Date: December 4, 2025
Overview
In this focused, high-impact solo episode, host Chris Lee shares an actionable framework for entrepreneurs stuck in the grind: the “Impact Audit.” He asserts that most business owners struggle to scale not because of poor strategy, but because they don’t actually know where their time is going. Chris walks listeners step-by-step through conducting a one-week time audit that reveals which tasks drain energy, which are beneath your pay grade, and what your next hire should actually be doing. The goal: clarify where your hours are “leaking” so you can buy back your time and scale with purpose—not chaos.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Real Obstacle: Lack of Time Awareness
- Problem Framing (00:00)
- Chris opens with a frank observation: most entrepreneurs believe they spend their workday “doing everything,” which is exactly why they're stuck.
- Without visibility into where time is actually spent, growth remains elusive.
- Quote: “Until you see where your time is actually going, you’re never going to be able to scale.”
2. The Five-Step Impact Audit Process
Step 1: Track Everything (00:50)
- For one week, log every 30-minute block with exactly what you did.
- “Don’t overthink it, don’t optimize it, just record it.”
- Be brutally honest—capture your actual week, not your ideal.
Step 2: Assign Energy Levels (01:30)
- For every task, mark it as “High Energy” (what you enjoy, what gives you life) or “Low Energy” (what drains you, you'd pay to avoid).
- Quote: "Low meaning that you absolutely dreaded it, it drained you, you would pay someone so that you never have to do it again."
Step 3: Assign Value (01:57)
- Rate tasks “Low Value” (would pay <25% of your hourly rate for it) or “High Value” (>25%).
- Helps distinguish what is truly worth your personal time.
Step 4: Map to Quadrants (02:15)
- Place each task in one of four efficiency quadrants:
- Low Energy, Low Value
- High Energy, Low Value
- Low Energy, High Value
- High Energy, High Value (the “gold maker” zone)
- These quadrants, Chris states, “run your entire business.”
Step 5: Find Your Leaks (03:17)
- After seven days, tally hours spent in each quadrant—this is your diagnostic.
- Most business owners spend 20+ hours in Quadrant 1 (“the work that they hate and also isn’t worth their time doing”).
- That’s “being busy, not productive,” says Chris.
- Quadrant 1 = Your Next Hire’s Job (03:50)
- Instead of hiring ad hoc, Chris recommends writing your next job description directly from the Quadrant 1 tasks.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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Clarity before Help (04:18):
- “You don’t have a time problem. You have a clarity problem.”
- “Stop saying ‘I need help' and start saying ‘I spend 14 hours a week working in quadrant one and that’s exactly what my next hire is going to own.’”
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Transformative Case Study (03:58):
- Chris shares the story of an electrical contractor who regained 25 hours/week (and newfound energy) by realizing he didn’t need a marketing director—he needed an executive assistant.
Action Steps for Listeners
Assignment (04:55)
- Start the Audit Today:
- “Track every 30 minutes for the next seven days. Mark each task with high or low energy and high or low value. Drop them into one of the four quadrants.”
- Use this audit to inform your next hire—not based on guesswork, but on actual data about where your time and energy are leaking.
Upcoming Episode Tease
- Chris hints at next week’s topic: “the next five hires every real business needs and the simple math to afford them.”
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:00 – 00:50: Why entrepreneurs stay stuck and the need for an Impact Audit
- 00:50 – 02:15: Step-by-step breakdown of the audit (tracking, energy, value)
- 02:15 – 03:17: Quadrants explained; assigning tasks
- 03:17 – 03:50: Diagnosing “time leaks,” most business owners’ common mistakes
- 03:50 – 04:18: Case study of the electrical contractor
- 04:18 – 04:55: Clarity vs. time problems, next hire determination
- 04:55 – End: Listener assignment and preview of next episode
Tone and Delivery
Chris Lee is direct, energetic, and no-nonsense. He uses storytelling, real-life examples, and coaching language to propel listeners to take action immediately, keeping the episode focused and highly practical. The tone is motivating, aiming to “unlock” listeners who feel trapped by their to-do lists.
Bottom Line:
Chris Lee’s Impact Audit is a practical, eye-opening method to regain clarity and scale your business faster—by fixing how you invest your most precious resource: your time.