CEO Hacks: App, Books, Resources & Habits

Be a more effective & efficient CEO, entrepreneur & business owner

During our I AM CEO Podcast, we ask each guest for a CEO Hack that makes them more effective and efficient. We decided to share some of our best hacks.

What are CEO Hacks? They are books, apps, habits, tools, platforms or things that we believe you should incorporate into your business that will make you more efficient, effective, or successful (and maybe save money) as a CEO, entrepreneur or business owner.

Take a look at some of the CEO Hacks that have been recommended below, check out a different CEO Hack on our daily, laser focused I AM CEO Podcast with Gresh and feel free to look through the CEO Hacks by categories or just browse the list. For CBNation members, you will find more “how-to” and deeper tricks and strategy for many of these hacks.

If you need help implementing these CEO Hacks into your organization contact Blue 16 Tech.

Lastly, don't forget to grab your free download.

– Gresh

Please note in the sake of transparency our sites do contain affiliate links that pay us a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our Affiliate Disclaimer.

P.S. If you want to contact us or have any CEO Hacks to recommend, please let us know HERE.

Smartphone screen showing a navigation menu for CEO Hacks. Menu options include Free, Apps, Supplies, Books, Podcast, Web, Video, Deals, Habits, and Marketing.
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Acuity Scheduling is easy-to-use and user friendly scheduling solution using which clients can quickly view real-time availability, and book their appointments accordingly.

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Fiverr Business: Scale Your Business With Trusted Freelance Talent On Demand

Business Website Address : ceohack.co/refer/fiverr-business

What Is Fiverr Business?

Fiverr Business is a freelance talent platform that helps companies hire vetted freelancers, manage projects, collaborate with team members, and streamline the outsourcing process. Businesses can access professionals across design, marketing, writing, development, video production, AI, and hundreds of other specialized services.

Fiverr Business: Scale Your Business With Talent Instead of Payroll

The Problem

Every growing business eventually needs more expertise.

A logo.

A website.

SEO.

Content writing.

Video editing.

Software development.

Advertising.

The problem?

Hiring full-time employees for every skill isn't practical.

Recruiting takes time.

Payroll increases overhead.

Workloads fluctuate.

Many entrepreneurs delay important projects simply because they don't have the right talent available.

The challenge isn't finding skilled professionals.

It's accessing them when you need them.

What Is Fiverr Business?

Fiverr Business is a business-focused version of Fiverr that helps companies source freelance professionals, manage outsourced work, and collaborate with internal teams.

Businesses can hire experts for short-term projects, ongoing support, or specialized work across hundreds of professional categories, all from one centralized platform.

For Builders, Fiverr Business provides flexible access to talent without the long-term commitment of traditional hiring.

Why It Matters for Builders

Builders shouldn't do everything themselves.

Nor should they hire full-time employees for every task.

The smartest entrepreneurs build flexible teams.

Some employees.

Some contractors.

Some freelancers.

The right person for the right project.

Fiverr Business makes that possible.

This creates leverage.

Instead of delaying projects while searching for permanent hires, founders can quickly bring in specialists to solve specific business challenges.

The result is faster execution, lower overhead, and greater operational flexibility.

3 Practical Use Cases

Use Case #1: Hiring Specialized Experts

Problem

Businesses need professional skills that don't justify a full-time position.

How Fiverr Business Helps

Freelancers can be hired for specialized projects across numerous industries.

Business Outcome

Access to expert talent while controlling hiring costs.

Use Case #2: Scaling Marketing Efforts

Problem

Marketing campaigns require multiple creative and technical skills.

How Fiverr Business Helps

Businesses can hire designers, writers, marketers, video editors, and other specialists as needed.

Business Outcome

Faster campaign execution and improved marketing quality.

Use Case #3: Managing Multiple Projects

Problem

Growing businesses struggle to coordinate outsourced work efficiently.

How Fiverr Business Helps

Project management and collaboration features help organize freelance work.

Business Outcome

Improved visibility and smoother project delivery.

CEO Growth Hack

Most entrepreneurs think growth requires hiring more employees.

The smartest entrepreneurs know growth requires building the right team.

Not every role belongs on payroll.

Not every project requires a permanent hire.

The mindset shift Fiverr Business encourages is moving from workforce ownership to workforce flexibility.

Instead of asking:

"Who should we hire?"

Ask:

"Who is the best expert for this project?"

This is how Builders become Architects.

Builders add headcount.

Architects add capability.

Builders hire for availability.

Architects hire for expertise.

The businesses that move fastest aren't always the largest.

They're the ones that can access the right talent at the right time.

Key Benefits

  • Access to skilled freelance professionals
  • Flexible hiring without long-term commitments
  • Supports project-based work
  • Simplifies outsourcing
  • Reduces hiring costs
  • Accelerates project completion
  • Centralizes freelancer management
  • Expands business capabilities on demand

Best For

  • Entrepreneurs
  • Founders
  • CEOs
  • Startups
  • Small Business Owners
  • Marketing Teams
  • Agency Owners
  • Ecommerce Businesses
  • Consultants
  • Growing Companies

CEO Nugget

You don't need to hire everyone—you just need access to the right expertise when it matters most.

Ready to Simplify This?

If your business needs specialized talent without the cost and commitment of full-time hiring, Fiverr Business can help you build a flexible team of experts so you can complete projects faster, control costs, and keep your business moving forward.

Business Tags
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Business Name
Business Genre
Long Business Description

A Self Guru: Build a Business That Supports Your Life Instead of Consuming It

Business Website Address : ceohack.co/refer/a-self-guru

What Is A Self Guru?

A Self Guru is a personal growth and self-improvement platform focused on helping individuals improve mindset, habits, productivity, wellness, and overall life performance. It provides educational resources and guidance designed to help entrepreneurs and professionals become more intentional, disciplined, and effective in both business and life.

A Self Guru: Build a Business That Supports Your Life Instead of Consuming It

The Problem

Many entrepreneurs achieve business success while sacrificing personal success.

Revenue grows.

The business expands.

Clients increase.

Responsibilities multiply.

But energy declines.

Stress rises.

Health suffers.

Relationships become strained.

And life begins revolving entirely around work.

The irony is that most entrepreneurs start businesses seeking freedom.

Yet many eventually create businesses that demand more time, attention, and energy than traditional jobs ever did.

The challenge isn't growing a business.

The challenge is growing a business without losing yourself in the process.

What Is A Self Guru?

A Self Guru is a personal development platform focused on helping individuals improve their mindset, habits, routines, productivity, wellness, and personal effectiveness.

Rather than concentrating solely on business tactics, the platform encourages entrepreneurs to strengthen the foundation that drives every business result: themselves.

For Builders, A Self Guru provides resources and frameworks that support sustainable growth through personal development.

Why It Matters for Builders

Most entrepreneurs spend years improving their businesses.

Few spend equal time improving themselves.

Yet every business outcome is influenced by the person leading it.

Leadership quality affects team performance.

Energy affects productivity.

Mindset affects decision-making.

Discipline affects execution.

Health affects everything.

The reality is that entrepreneurs often become the biggest constraint or the biggest asset within their organizations.

A Self Guru helps business owners invest in the operating system behind the business.

This creates leverage.

When founders improve their habits, focus, resilience, and effectiveness, the positive impact extends throughout the entire organization.

3 Practical Use Cases

Use Case #1: Improving Daily Productivity

Problem

Entrepreneurs often feel busy but struggle to make meaningful progress on important goals.

How A Self Guru Helps

The platform encourages intentional habits and productivity practices that support consistent action.

Business Outcome

Greater focus and improved execution.

Use Case #2: Reducing Burnout Risk

Problem

Many founders operate at unsustainable levels for extended periods.

How A Self Guru Helps

Personal development and wellness-focused principles help create healthier approaches to growth.

Business Outcome

Improved energy, resilience, and long-term performance.

Use Case #3: Strengthening Leadership

Problem

Business growth often requires entrepreneurs to evolve personally as well as professionally.

How A Self Guru Helps

The platform supports self-awareness, mindset development, and personal growth.

Business Outcome

Stronger leadership and better decision-making.

CEO Growth Hack

Most entrepreneurs focus on upgrading their business.

The best entrepreneurs focus on upgrading themselves.

Because every business system eventually reaches the limits of the person leading it.

The mindset shift A Self Guru enables is moving from business growth to personal growth-driven business growth.

Instead of asking:

"How can I grow my company?"

Ask:

"Who do I need to become to lead the company I want?"

This is how Builders become Architects.

Builders focus exclusively on external results.

Architects understand that internal development creates external outcomes.

Better habits create better execution.

Better thinking creates better decisions.

Better leadership creates better organizations.

Your business rarely outgrows you.

It usually grows with you.

Key Benefits

  • Supports personal development
  • Improves productivity and focus
  • Encourages healthier habits
  • Helps reduce burnout risk
  • Strengthens leadership skills
  • Supports long-term performance
  • Improves self-discipline
  • Creates sustainable success systems

Best For

  • Entrepreneurs
  • Founders
  • CEOs
  • Consultants
  • Coaches
  • Agency Owners
  • Business Leaders
  • Professionals
  • High Performers
  • Lifelong Learners

CEO Nugget

The most important business asset you will ever improve is yourself.

Ready to Simplify This?

If you're spending all your energy growing the business while neglecting your own development, A Self Guru can help create a more sustainable path to success so you can spend more time thriving and less time simply surviving.

Business Website Address
Logo featuring a red stylized microphone with a pencil inside and the word "Terkel" in cursive black font.
Business Name
Long Business Description

Featured: Build Authority by Sharing Your Expertise With the Media

Business Website Address : ceohack.co/refer/terkel

What Is Featured?

Featured is an expert insights platform that connects subject matter experts with publishers, journalists, and content creators seeking credible sources. Entrepreneurs can answer relevant questions, contribute their expertise, and earn opportunities to be featured in articles that help build authority and online visibility.

Featured: Turn Your Expertise Into Credibility That Attracts Customers

The Problem

Most entrepreneurs have valuable knowledge.

Very few know how to turn that knowledge into authority.

They publish content.

Post on social media.

Send newsletters.

Launch podcasts.

Yet they struggle to reach people outside their own audience.

Meanwhile, journalists and publishers are actively looking for expert opinions.

The opportunity exists.

But without the right connections, most founders never see it.

The challenge isn't becoming an expert.

The challenge is getting recognized as one.

What Is Featured?

Featured (formerly Terkel) is a platform that connects experts with publishers looking for credible insights and commentary.

Entrepreneurs can respond to questions within their areas of expertise, giving publishers access to knowledgeable sources while creating opportunities for contributors to earn media exposure.

For Builders, Featured provides a scalable way to increase credibility through earned media rather than paid advertising.

Why It Matters for Builders

Builders often spend too much time trying to convince people they're experts.

The smartest entrepreneurs let third parties do it for them.

When your expertise appears in respected publications, your credibility grows naturally.

Customers trust independent validation.

Partners notice industry recognition.

Prospects gain confidence before they ever speak with you.

Featured helps entrepreneurs create those opportunities.

This creates leverage.

One thoughtful response can lead to an article.

One article can generate backlinks.

One media mention can open doors to speaking engagements, podcast invitations, strategic partnerships, and new clients.

Instead of constantly promoting yourself, your expertise starts working for you.

3 Practical Use Cases

Use Case #1: Building Thought Leadership

Problem

Entrepreneurs struggle to stand out in crowded industries.

How Featured Helps

Experts can contribute insights to publishers seeking knowledgeable sources.

Business Outcome

Greater credibility and stronger personal branding.

Use Case #2: Supporting SEO and Brand Visibility

Problem

Businesses want more high-quality mentions across the web.

How Featured Helps

Contributing expert commentary can lead to published articles that reference your expertise.

Business Outcome

Improved online visibility and stronger brand authority.

Use Case #3: Creating Business Opportunities

Problem

Founders need more exposure without relying solely on paid marketing.

How Featured Helps

Expert contributions introduce entrepreneurs to new audiences through publisher networks.

Business Outcome

More inbound opportunities, partnerships, and client inquiries.

CEO Growth Hack

Most entrepreneurs think authority comes from talking about themselves.

The smartest entrepreneurs know authority comes from helping others.

When you consistently answer questions and provide valuable insights, people begin seeking your expertise instead of you chasing attention.

The mindset shift Featured enables is moving from self-promotion to value creation.

Instead of asking:

"How do I get people to notice me?"

Ask:

"How can I become the expert publishers want to quote?"

This is how Builders become Architects.

Builders market themselves.

Architects build reputations.

Builders chase visibility.

Architects earn credibility.

The businesses that become industry leaders are often the ones that contribute the most value before asking for anything in return.

Key Benefits

  • Builds thought leadership
  • Creates media exposure opportunities
  • Increases brand credibility
  • Supports long-term SEO efforts
  • Expands professional visibility
  • Generates networking opportunities
  • Strengthens personal branding
  • Creates long-term authority assets

Best For

  • Entrepreneurs
  • Founders
  • CEOs
  • Consultants
  • Coaches
  • Agency Owners
  • Authors
  • Public Speakers
  • Subject Matter Experts
  • Personal Brands

CEO Nugget

The fastest way to become known isn't to speak louder—it's to become the expert others choose to quote.

Ready to Simplify This?

If you're looking to build authority, earn media mentions, and position yourself as an expert in your industry, Featured can help connect your knowledge with publishers actively seeking credible sources—so you can spend more time growing your reputation and less time chasing attention.

Business Website Address
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Weebly's free website builder makes it easy to create a website, blog, or online store. Find customizable templates, domains, and easy-to-use tools for any type.

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HubSpot logo with the brand name in dark letters and an orange, abstract design resembling a network connected to the letter "O".
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HubSpot offers a full platform of marketing, sales, customer service, and CRM software — plus the methodology, resources, and support — to help businesses.

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Long Business Description

Exemplary AI: Turn Every Recording Into a Library of Business Assets

Business Website Address : ceohack.co/refer/exemplary.ai

What Is Exemplary AI?

Exemplary AI is an AI-powered content repurposing and workflow platform that helps users transform audio and video recordings into transcripts, summaries, articles, clips, social content, and other business assets. It enables entrepreneurs to extract more value from existing content while reducing manual content creation efforts.

Exemplary AI: Turn Every Recording Into a Library of Business Assets

The Problem

Most businesses are creating more content than they realize.

Every sales call.

Every podcast interview.

Every webinar.

Every training session.

Every client meeting.

Every presentation.

Every internal discussion.

These conversations contain valuable insights, customer intelligence, industry expertise, and educational content.

Unfortunately, most of it disappears after the meeting ends.

Entrepreneurs invest significant time creating knowledge but very little time preserving or repurposing it.

As a result, teams repeat conversations.

Content opportunities are missed.

Training resources are lost.

And valuable intellectual property remains trapped inside recordings.

The challenge is not creating information.

The challenge is capturing and scaling it.

What Is Exemplary AI?

Exemplary AI is an AI-powered platform designed to help businesses transform audio and video recordings into usable content and knowledge assets.

Instead of manually reviewing recordings and creating content from scratch, users can generate transcripts, summaries, articles, clips, and other resources from conversations they have already recorded.

For entrepreneurs, this creates a more efficient way to maximize the value of existing business activities.

Why It Matters for Builders

Builders spend much of their day communicating.

They teach.

Sell.

Lead.

Coach.

Train.

Present.

Strategize.

The problem is that these activities typically create value only once.

A meeting serves the people in attendance.

A webinar reaches only those who participate.

A sales conversation benefits a single prospect.

This creates a leverage problem.

Exemplary AI helps transform one-time interactions into reusable business assets.

The same conversation can educate future customers.

Train future employees.

Support future marketing campaigns.

And improve future decision-making.

This creates leverage because entrepreneurs begin generating long-term value from work they are already doing.

3 Practical Use Cases

Use Case #1: Repurposing Podcast and Webinar Content

Problem

Businesses invest significant effort producing long-form content but struggle to maximize its reach.

How Exemplary AI Helps

Recordings can be transformed into multiple content assets that support distribution across various channels.

Business Outcome

Greater content output and stronger marketing efficiency.

Use Case #2: Preserving Organizational Knowledge

Problem

Important information often gets buried inside meetings and conversations.

How Exemplary AI Helps

Recordings can be converted into structured documentation and knowledge resources.

Business Outcome

Improved knowledge retention and better organizational learning.

Use Case #3: Accelerating Content Creation

Problem

Creating original content from scratch requires significant time and effort.

How Exemplary AI Helps

Existing recordings become the foundation for new content assets.

Business Outcome

Reduced content creation workload and improved publishing consistency.

CEO Growth Hack

Most entrepreneurs think content starts with creation.

The smartest entrepreneurs understand content starts with capture.

You're already producing valuable content every day.

The problem is that most of it disappears.

The mindset shift Exemplary AI enables is moving from content production to content extraction.

Instead of asking:

"How do I create more content?"

Ask:

"How do I get more value from the conversations I'm already having?"

This is how Builders become Architects.

Builders create new assets every day.

Architects build systems that continuously extract value from existing assets.

One webinar becomes multiple articles.

One podcast becomes multiple marketing assets.

One meeting becomes future training materials.

One conversation becomes a scalable business resource.

The entrepreneurs who win long-term are often the ones who learn how to turn everyday communication into intellectual property.

Key Benefits

  • Maximizes value from recordings
  • Accelerates content creation
  • Supports content repurposing
  • Preserves organizational knowledge
  • Improves marketing efficiency
  • Reduces manual content production
  • Creates reusable business assets
  • Increases operational leverage

Best For

  • Entrepreneurs
  • Founders
  • CEOs
  • Consultants
  • Coaches
  • Agency Owners
  • Podcasters
  • Content Creators
  • Marketing Teams
  • Educators

CEO Nugget

Every conversation is an asset. The businesses that grow fastest are the ones that know how to capture and reuse it.

Ready to Simplify This?

If you're spending too much time creating content from scratch or letting valuable recordings go unused, Exemplary AI can help create a more efficient content workflow so you can spend more time growing the business and less time rebuilding what already exists.

Business Website Address
Business Tags
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Business Name
Business Genre
Long Business Description

The Most Popular WordPress Themes In The World And The Ultimate Visual Page Builder

The Most Popular WordPress Theme In The World And The Ultimate WordPress Page Builder

Divi is our flagship theme and visual page builder. It's the most widely used premium WordPress theme in the world according to stats from BuiltWith.com. Divi is more than just a theme, it's a website building framework that makes it possible to design beautiful websites without ever touching a single line of code and without installing and configuring dozens of disjointed plugins. We think this is the future of WYSIWYG and it's unlike any WordPress theme you have ever used before.

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The word "Circle" is displayed in bold, blue text on a black background.
Business Name
Business Genre
Long Business Description

Circle: Build a Community That Grows Your Business Without Constant Founder Involvement

Business Website Address : ceohack.co/refer/circle

What Is Circle?

Circle is an online community platform that enables businesses, creators, coaches, and entrepreneurs to bring discussions, memberships, events, courses, and community engagement into a single place. It helps organizations create stronger relationships with their audience while building a centralized community experience.

Circle: Build a Community That Grows Your Business Without Constant Founder Involvement

The Problem

Most entrepreneurs spend enormous amounts of time answering the same questions.

Customers need guidance.

Prospects want advice.

Members seek support.

Clients look for resources.

As a business grows, these interactions become increasingly difficult to manage individually.

Many founders attempt to solve this problem through email, social media groups, messaging apps, webinars, and scattered communication channels. Unfortunately, these solutions often create more complexity than clarity.

Conversations become fragmented.

Knowledge becomes difficult to find.

Engagement becomes inconsistent.

And the founder remains the center of every interaction.

This creates a scalability problem.

If every customer relationship depends on direct founder involvement, growth eventually reaches a ceiling.

The challenge is not attracting people.

The challenge is creating an environment where people can connect, learn, and engage without requiring constant oversight.

What Is Circle?

Circle is an online community platform designed to bring discussions, memberships, events, courses, content, and community interactions into a centralized environment.

Instead of managing conversations across multiple tools, entrepreneurs can create a dedicated space where members, customers, clients, students, or audiences can connect and engage around shared interests and goals.

For Builders, Circle provides the infrastructure needed to transform audiences into communities and communities into long-term business assets.

Why It Matters for Builders

Most businesses focus heavily on customer acquisition.

Far fewer focus on customer connection.

Acquiring a customer is important.

Keeping them engaged is where long-term value is created.

Communities help strengthen relationships between customers, increase engagement, improve retention, and create opportunities for peer-to-peer support that reduce pressure on the founder and team.

Circle enables entrepreneurs to create systems where customers help customers, members share knowledge, and conversations continue even when the founder is focused elsewhere.

This creates leverage.

Instead of personally managing every interaction, business owners can facilitate an ecosystem that delivers ongoing value at scale.

The result is stronger loyalty, deeper engagement, and a more resilient business model.

3 Practical Use Cases

Use Case #1: Building a Membership Community

Problem

Coaches, consultants, and educators often struggle to keep members engaged between sessions and programs.

How Circle Helps

Circle provides a centralized environment where members can connect, share experiences, ask questions, and continue learning together.

Business Outcome

Higher engagement, improved member retention, and stronger recurring revenue opportunities.

Use Case #2: Creating Customer Communities

Problem

Businesses frequently spend excessive time responding to repetitive customer questions.

How Circle Helps

Customers can interact with one another, share insights, and access discussions within a dedicated community space.

Business Outcome

Reduced support burden, stronger customer satisfaction, and increased customer loyalty.

Use Case #3: Hosting Events and Educational Experiences

Problem

Managing events, discussions, and learning experiences across multiple platforms creates friction.

How Circle Helps

Circle allows entrepreneurs to centralize community engagement around educational content, events, and member interaction.

Business Outcome

Improved participation, stronger community engagement, and better customer experiences.

CEO Growth Hack

Most entrepreneurs think they need a bigger audience.

What they actually need is a stronger community.

Audiences consume.

Communities contribute.

Audiences watch.

Communities participate.

Audiences disappear.

Communities stay.

The mindset shift Circle enables is moving from audience building to ecosystem building.

This is how Builders become Architects.

Builders focus on attracting attention.

Architects focus on creating environments where relationships generate value independently.

When customers connect with one another, the business becomes less dependent on the founder.

When knowledge is shared within the community, support becomes more scalable.

When members build relationships, retention improves naturally.

The strongest businesses are often built around communities, not just customers.

Key Benefits

  • Centralizes community engagement
  • Strengthens customer relationships
  • Increases member retention
  • Reduces founder dependency
  • Encourages peer-to-peer support
  • Creates recurring engagement opportunities
  • Supports scalable community growth
  • Builds long-term business assets

Best For

  • Entrepreneurs
  • Founders
  • Coaches
  • Consultants
  • Course Creators
  • Membership Businesses
  • Agency Owners
  • Educators
  • Personal Brands
  • Community Builders

CEO Nugget

An audience helps you grow. A community helps you scale.

Ready to Simplify This?

If you're spending too much time managing scattered conversations, answering repetitive questions, or trying to keep members engaged, Circle can help create a more connected community experience so you can spend more time growing the business and less time managing individual interactions.

Business Website Address
Blue "Vimeo" logo written in cursive on a transparent background.
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Join the world's leading professional video platform and grow your business with easy-to-use, high-quality video creation, hosting, and marketing tools.

Business Website Address
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