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.
- AI (44)
- Apps & Software (66)
- CRM (5)
- Scheduling (7)
- Books (23)
- Business Supplies (4)
- CBNation Resources (6)
- DMV CEO (1)
- Community Resources (4)
- Courses (3)
- Event (1)
- Facebook Group (1)
- Financial (7)
- Free / Freemium (56)
- General (1)
- Gig Economy (6)
- Gresh's Favorites (9)
- Habits (7)
- Evening Routine (5)
- Morning Routines (5)
- Health & Wellness (4)
- Meditation (3)
- Human Resources & Human Capital (16)
- Payroll (2)
- Virtual Assistant (10)
- I AM CEO Podcast Guest (2)
- Insurance (1)
- Legal (4)
- Marketing, Advertising, PR (72)
- Mobile (2)
- Other (7)
- Phone (6)
- Podcasting (25)
- Productivity (8)
- Program & Courses (3)
- Sales (13)
- Security (4)
- Technology (3)
- Video (19)
- Website Resources (84)
- Browser Extensions (7)
- Ecommerce (1)
- Stock Photography & Video (8)
Basecamp is a project management app that you can access in your browser and on your phone. It gives you the tools you need to set up to-dos, a schedule, create and upload documents and files, message and chat with your colleagues, and check in regularly with your group—all in one place!
Whether you are working alone and need to get organized with your work or use it to collaborate on a project, with work or something personal, Basecamp makes it easy. It’s quick to set up and if you are consistent in using it it should make communication with your team a lot easier. Especially teams that are virtual.
An additional feature with an upgrade is the ability to deal with clients within Basecamp. You can add them in and give them limited viewing/editing rights, but make them an integral part of your work.
Gusto: Simplify Payroll, HR, and Benefits So You Can Focus on Growing Your Business
Business Website Address : ceohack.co/refer/gusto
What Is Gusto?
Gusto is a cloud-based payroll, HR, and people management platform that helps businesses onboard employees, run payroll, manage benefits, track time, handle tax filings, and support their workforce from a single system. It simplifies people operations so entrepreneurs can spend more time growing their business instead of managing administrative tasks.
Gusto: Build a Better Team Without Building a Bigger HR Department
The Problem
Hiring your first employee is exciting.
Managing your tenth is different.
Payroll has to be accurate.
Taxes have to be filed.
Benefits need administration.
New hires need onboarding.
Time tracking needs organization.
Compliance requirements continue to grow.
As your team expands, people operations become increasingly complex.
Many founders discover they're spending more time managing employees than leading the business.
The challenge isn't hiring great people.
It's creating systems that help them succeed.
What Is Gusto?
Gusto is an all-in-one people platform that combines payroll, HR, benefits administration, onboarding, compliance support, and employee management.
Instead of using separate tools for payroll, HR, and employee records, businesses can manage their workforce from a centralized platform.
For Builders, Gusto simplifies the administrative side of growing a team so leadership can focus on building the business.
Why It Matters for Builders
Builders don't scale businesses alone.
They scale through people.
Great employees deserve great systems.
Late payroll creates frustration.
Complicated onboarding delays productivity.
Disconnected HR processes waste valuable time.
Gusto helps entrepreneurs create a smoother employee experience from the first day of work through ongoing payroll and benefits.
This creates leverage.
Instead of juggling spreadsheets, paperwork, and multiple HR tools, founders gain a streamlined people management system that supports both employees and the business.
The result is improved efficiency, better employee experiences, and more time for strategic leadership.
3 Practical Use Cases
Use Case #1: Running Payroll
Problem
Payroll processing can be time-consuming and prone to costly mistakes.
How Gusto Helps
Payroll, tax calculations, and filings are managed through one platform.
Business Outcome
Accurate payroll, reduced administrative work, and more confidence on payday.
Use Case #2: Onboarding New Employees
Problem
Manual onboarding slows productivity and creates unnecessary paperwork.
How Gusto Helps
Digital onboarding streamlines employee paperwork and setup.
Business Outcome
A faster, more professional onboarding experience.
Use Case #3: Managing Benefits and HR
Problem
Small businesses often struggle to manage benefits and HR processes efficiently.
How Gusto Helps
Benefits administration, employee records, and HR tools are integrated into one platform.
Business Outcome
Better employee support and simplified people management.
CEO Growth Hack
Most entrepreneurs think payroll is about paying employees.
The smartest entrepreneurs know payroll is about building trust.
Every paycheck.
Every onboarding experience.
Every employee interaction.
Shapes company culture.
The mindset shift Gusto encourages is moving from managing employees to supporting people.
Instead of asking:
"How do we process payroll?"
Ask:
"How do we create an employee experience people want to be part of?"
This is how Builders become Architects.
Builders hire people.
Architects build organizations.
Builders manage payroll.
Architects build systems that help people thrive.
The strongest businesses aren't built solely on great products.
They're built on great teams supported by great processes.
Key Benefits
- Automates payroll processing
- Simplifies employee onboarding
- Manages benefits administration
- Supports HR operations
- Handles payroll tax filings
- Improves employee experience
- Centralizes people management
- Reduces administrative workload
Best For
- Entrepreneurs
- Founders
- CEOs
- Small Business Owners
- Startups
- Growing Companies
- HR Managers
- Operations Teams
- Professional Service Firms
- Agency Owners
CEO Nugget
Your business grows when your people grow—and great people deserve great systems.
Ready to Simplify This?
If payroll, HR, and employee administration are taking time away from growing your business, Gusto can help you streamline your people operations so you can spend more time leading your team and less time managing paperwork.
Beaver Builder is a flexible drag and drop page builder that works on the front end of your WordPress website. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, you’re going to love taking control of your website. Stop writing HTML or wrestling with confusing shortcodes. With Beaver Builder, building beautiful, professional WordPress pages is as easy as dragging and dropping.
Work Smarter Digital: Automate Your Business and Scale Without Adding More Manual Work
Business Website Address : ceohack.co/refer/work-smart-digital
What Is Work Smarter Digital?
Work Smarter Digital is a business automation and digital transformation company that helps entrepreneurs and organizations streamline operations through automation, AI, digital workflows, and productivity solutions. Its services are designed to reduce manual work, improve efficiency, and help businesses scale with smarter systems.
Work Smarter Digital: Build Systems That Help Your Business Run Without Constant Supervision
The Problem
Growth creates complexity.
More customers.
More emails.
More invoices.
More meetings.
More follow-ups.
More administrative work.
Many entrepreneurs reach a point where success creates new bottlenecks.
Instead of leading the business...
They're managing repetitive tasks.
Copying data.
Sending reminders.
Updating spreadsheets.
Chasing paperwork.
The business grows.
But so does the workload.
The challenge isn't getting more customers.
It's handling growth without creating chaos.
What Is Work Smarter Digital?
Work Smarter Digital helps businesses improve operational efficiency by implementing digital systems, workflow automation, AI-powered processes, and productivity solutions.
Rather than relying on manual tasks and disconnected software, businesses can create automated workflows that improve consistency, reduce errors, and free up valuable time.
For Builders, Work Smarter Digital focuses on helping businesses replace repetitive work with scalable systems.
Why It Matters for Builders
Builders shouldn't spend their day doing work that software can handle.
Every repetitive task steals time from strategic thinking.
Every manual process increases the chance of mistakes.
Every disconnected workflow slows growth.
Work Smarter Digital helps entrepreneurs identify opportunities for automation and operational improvement.
This creates leverage.
Instead of hiring more people to manage repetitive work, businesses can build systems that handle routine processes automatically.
The result is greater efficiency, lower operational costs, and a business that's better prepared to scale.
3 Practical Use Cases
Use Case #1: Automating Administrative Tasks
Problem
Teams spend hours every week completing repetitive manual work.
How Work Smarter Digital Helps
Automation streamlines routine tasks and reduces manual data entry.
Business Outcome
More productive teams and fewer operational bottlenecks.
Use Case #2: Connecting Business Systems
Problem
Information is scattered across multiple apps that don't communicate with each other.
How Work Smarter Digital Helps
Digital workflows connect business tools and automate the movement of information.
Business Outcome
Better data accuracy and improved operational efficiency.
Use Case #3: Scaling Operations
Problem
Business growth creates more work without increasing efficiency.
How Work Smarter Digital Helps
Automation systems allow businesses to manage increased workloads without dramatically increasing manual effort.
Business Outcome
Smoother growth and improved scalability.
CEO Growth Hack
Most entrepreneurs think growth requires working harder.
The smartest entrepreneurs know growth requires better systems.
Every repetitive task should trigger one question:
"Can this be automated?"
Automation isn't about replacing people.
It's about freeing people to do work that creates real value.
The mindset shift Work Smarter Digital encourages is moving from operating the business to designing the business.
Instead of asking:
"Who should do this task?"
Ask:
"Should this task exist at all?"
This is how Builders become Architects.
Builders complete processes.
Architects improve processes.
Builders add more work.
Architects eliminate unnecessary work.
The businesses that scale successfully don't simply become larger.
They become smarter.
Key Benefits
- Automates repetitive business tasks
- Improves operational efficiency
- Connects business systems
- Reduces manual data entry
- Supports AI-powered workflows
- Improves team productivity
- Creates scalable business processes
- Frees leaders to focus on growth
Best For
- Entrepreneurs
- Founders
- CEOs
- Small Business Owners
- Operations Managers
- Marketing Agencies
- Consultants
- Service-Based Businesses
- Growing Companies
- Digital-First Organizations
CEO Nugget
Every repetitive task is an opportunity to build a system instead of adding more work.
Ready to Simplify This?
If your business is growing but your workload is growing even faster, Work Smarter Digital can help you automate routine processes, connect your business systems, and build workflows that support long-term growth—so you can spend more time leading your business instead of managing repetitive tasks.
Insight Timer is a smartphone app and online community for meditation. The app features guided meditations, music and talks posted by contributing experts.
Hello Bar: Convert More Website Visitors Into Leads, Subscribers, and Customers
Business Website Address : ceohack.co/refer/hello-bar
What Is Hello Bar?
Hello Bar is a website conversion optimization platform that helps businesses capture leads, grow email subscribers, promote offers, and increase conversions using customizable popups, announcement bars, sliders, page takeovers, and call-to-action forms. It enables website owners to engage visitors at the right moment without requiring complex development.
Hello Bar: Turn More Website Visitors Into Customers
The Problem
Most websites have a silent problem.
Visitors arrive.
Browse a page.
Read some content.
Then leave.
No email.
No purchase.
No inquiry.
No return visit.
Every day, businesses lose potential customers simply because they never asked visitors to take the next step.
The challenge isn't getting more traffic.
It's converting the traffic you already have.
What Is Hello Bar?
Hello Bar is a website conversion tool that allows businesses to display targeted banners, popups, sliders, full-page messages, and lead capture forms based on visitor behavior.
Instead of hoping visitors take action on their own, Hello Bar presents relevant calls to action that encourage email signups, purchases, bookings, downloads, or other business goals.
For Builders, it transforms passive website traffic into measurable business opportunities.
Why It Matters for Builders
Builders invest significant time attracting visitors.
SEO.
Advertising.
Social media.
Email marketing.
But traffic alone doesn't generate revenue.
Conversions do.
Hello Bar helps entrepreneurs guide visitors toward meaningful actions before they leave the website.
This creates leverage.
Instead of constantly spending more on acquiring traffic, founders improve the value of existing traffic by increasing conversion opportunities.
The result is more leads, larger email lists, and stronger marketing performance.
3 Practical Use Cases
Use Case #1: Growing an Email List
Problem
Website visitors leave without subscribing.
How Hello Bar Helps
Lead capture forms encourage visitors to join email lists with targeted offers.
Business Outcome
Steady subscriber growth and improved audience ownership.
Use Case #2: Promoting Special Offers
Problem
Important promotions go unnoticed by website visitors.
How Hello Bar Helps
Announcement bars and popups highlight discounts, events, or limited-time campaigns.
Business Outcome
Higher visibility and increased campaign conversions.
Use Case #3: Increasing Website Conversions
Problem
Visitors often browse without taking action.
How Hello Bar Helps
Behavior-based calls to action appear at strategic moments during the visitor journey.
Business Outcome
More inquiries, sales, downloads, and customer engagement.
CEO Growth Hack
Most entrepreneurs focus on getting more visitors.
The smartest entrepreneurs focus on getting more value from every visitor.
If your website receives 10,000 visitors each month…
Increasing conversions by just a few percentage points can create hundreds of additional leads or customers.
Without increasing advertising spend.
The mindset shift Hello Bar encourages is moving from traffic generation to conversion optimization.
Instead of asking:
"How do we get more visitors?"
Ask:
"How do we help more visitors take action?"
This is how Builders become Architects.
Builders chase traffic.
Architects build conversion systems.
Builders count visitors.
Architects create customers.
The businesses that grow efficiently don't always attract the most traffic.
They simply convert more of the traffic they already have.
Key Benefits
- Captures more leads
- Grows email subscriber lists
- Promotes special offers
- Creates customizable popups and banners
- Increases website conversions
- Supports targeted visitor messaging
- Requires little to no coding
- Helps maximize existing website traffic
Best For
- Entrepreneurs
- Founders
- CEOs
- Bloggers
- Ecommerce Businesses
- SaaS Companies
- Marketing Teams
- Digital Agencies
- Content Creators
- Small Business Owners
CEO Nugget
The easiest customer to acquire is often the visitor who's already on your website.
Ready to Simplify This?
If you want to turn more of your website visitors into subscribers, leads, and paying customers, Hello Bar gives you simple, customizable tools to promote offers, capture emails, and optimize conversions—helping every visitor become a bigger opportunity.
OUR MISSION
We innovate and streamline business processes for maximum efficiency. We do this for all forward thinking business owners who understand that the system is the solution. We accomplish this by educating, teaching and inspiring the TaskBullet team to better assist our clients, and by providing our clients with the resources needed to move their company forward.
WE STICK AROUND
When you purchase a bucket from TaskBullet we stick around and manage your account and the VA. We don’t leave you to the vast abyss of the internet, to deal with vanishing VA’s who take your money and your work. We have Project Managers who are in constant contact with the VA’s and we the Management are in constant contact with the Project Managers. If there is ever a problem you can contact us directly here in the U.S. and we will do everything we can to fix the issue. The VA’s who work for us are like family, some of them have been with us since the beginning of TaskBullet. We love our VA’s and we know you will love them as well.
Siteliner: Find Hidden SEO Issues Before They Hurt Your Rankings
Business Website Address : ceohack.co/refer/siteliner
What Is Siteliner?
Siteliner is a website analysis tool that scans websites for duplicate content, broken links, page quality issues, redirects, and other on-site SEO factors. It helps entrepreneurs, marketers, and SEO professionals identify technical issues that may affect search visibility and user experience.
Siteliner: Find Hidden SEO Issues Before They Hurt Your Rankings
The Problem
Many websites don't have an SEO problem.
They have a website quality problem.
Duplicate pages.
Broken links.
Thin content.
Internal errors.
Redirect chains.
Pages competing against each other.
The frustrating part?
Most business owners never realize these issues exist.
They keep publishing more content.
Building more backlinks.
Running more ads.
While hidden technical problems quietly reduce performance.
The challenge isn't creating more pages.
It's making sure your existing pages perform as well as they should.
What Is Siteliner?
Siteliner is a website auditing tool that analyzes websites for common on-site issues, including duplicate content, broken links, redirects, page quality concerns, and internal linking patterns.
Instead of manually checking hundreds of pages, entrepreneurs can quickly identify technical and content-related issues that impact website performance.
For Builders, Siteliner provides a fast way to improve website quality before investing in additional traffic.
Why It Matters for Builders
Builders often focus on growth.
The smartest entrepreneurs also focus on optimization.
A website doesn't always need more pages.
Sometimes it needs better pages.
Every broken link reduces trust.
Every duplicate page creates confusion.
Every technical issue creates friction.
Siteliner helps entrepreneurs uncover these hidden problems before they affect visitors and search performance.
This creates leverage.
Instead of constantly creating new content, founders improve the value of content they've already built.
The result is stronger SEO, better user experiences, and more efficient marketing.
3 Practical Use Cases
Use Case #1: Finding Duplicate Content
Problem
Multiple pages unintentionally compete for the same search visibility.
How Siteliner Helps
The platform identifies duplicate and highly similar content across a website.
Business Outcome
Improved content quality and stronger SEO performance.
Use Case #2: Identifying Broken Links
Problem
Broken links create poor user experiences and weaken website credibility.
How Siteliner Helps
The tool scans websites for broken internal links and related issues.
Business Outcome
Better website usability and improved visitor experience.
Use Case #3: Improving Website Quality
Problem
Entrepreneurs don't know which technical issues deserve attention first.
How Siteliner Helps
A comprehensive site analysis highlights areas that need improvement.
Business Outcome
More informed optimization decisions and stronger website performance.
CEO Growth Hack
Most entrepreneurs think SEO is about adding more.
More pages.
More keywords.
More backlinks.
The smartest entrepreneurs know SEO is often about removing friction.
Fix the problems.
Improve the experience.
Strengthen the foundation.
The mindset shift Siteliner enables is moving from growth-first SEO to quality-first SEO.
Instead of asking:
"How can we publish more content?"
Ask:
"How can we improve the content we already have?"
This is how Builders become Architects.
Builders chase traffic.
Architects optimize systems.
Builders measure output.
Architects improve performance.
The businesses that dominate search aren't always the ones creating the most content.
They're the ones maintaining the highest-quality websites.
Key Benefits
- Detects duplicate content
- Finds broken links
- Identifies on-site SEO issues
- Improves website quality
- Supports technical SEO audits
- Enhances user experience
- Strengthens search visibility
- Helps prioritize optimization efforts
Best For
- Entrepreneurs
- Founders
- CEOs
- SEO Professionals
- Agency Owners
- Digital Marketers
- Bloggers
- Ecommerce Businesses
- Website Owners
- Small Business Owners
CEO Nugget
Before investing in more traffic, make sure your website is giving every visitor the best possible experience.
Ready to Simplify This?
If you're working on SEO but aren't sure what's holding your website back, Siteliner can help uncover hidden issues that impact rankings and user experience so you can spend more time improving performance and less time guessing where the problems are.
Duda is a leading white label responsive website builder for digital marketing agencies, hosting companies, online directories and all web professionals that serve small businesses. With a focus on speeding up the site-building process and providing one-of-a-kind website personalization tools for maximum customer conversions, Duda is dedicated to bringing enterprise-level technology to the masses.
Duda has partnered with some of the biggest players in the tech industry including Host Europe Group, MijnDomein, Yell, ItaliaOnline, and Register.es. Based in Palo Alto, California, the company was ranked 224 in Deloitte’s Fast 500 list for 2016, and is named as one of Google’s Preferred Website Builders. Currently, there are over nine million websites hosted on Duda’s platform.
Jasper: Scale Your Marketing Content Without Scaling Your Workload
Business Website Address : ceohack.co/refer/jasper
What Is Jasper?
Jasper is an AI-powered marketing platform that helps businesses create written content for blogs, emails, websites, advertising, social media, and other marketing channels. It is designed to support marketing teams by accelerating content creation while helping maintain brand consistency across campaigns.
Jasper: Scale Your Marketing Content Without Scaling Your Workload
The Problem
Marketing never stops.
There are blogs to write.
Emails to send.
Landing pages to build.
Social posts to publish.
Ad campaigns to launch.
Product descriptions to update.
Newsletters to create.
The problem isn't coming up with ideas.
The problem is having enough time to execute them.
For most entrepreneurs, marketing becomes reactive.
Content gets published only when there's time.
Campaigns get delayed.
Consistency disappears.
And opportunities are missed because the business simply can't keep up with the demand for content.
The challenge isn't creativity.
It's capacity.
What Is Jasper?
Jasper is an AI-powered content and marketing platform designed to help businesses create marketing copy and written content more efficiently.
The platform supports a wide range of marketing workflows, enabling teams to generate content for multiple channels while maintaining consistency in messaging and brand voice.
For Builders, Jasper helps transform content creation from a constant bottleneck into a repeatable business system.
Why It Matters for Builders
Builders often become the chief marketing officer, copywriter, editor, strategist, and content creator—all at once.
That works for a while.
Until growth demands more content than one person can realistically produce.
Jasper helps entrepreneurs expand their marketing capacity without immediately expanding headcount.
This creates leverage.
Instead of spending hours creating every draft from scratch, founders and marketing teams can focus on refining ideas, improving messaging, and executing campaigns.
The result is greater consistency, faster execution, and more time for strategic work.
3 Practical Use Cases
Use Case #1: Creating Consistent Marketing Campaigns
Problem
Businesses struggle to produce enough content to support ongoing marketing efforts.
How Jasper Helps
AI-assisted writing accelerates content creation across multiple marketing channels.
Business Outcome
More consistent marketing and improved brand visibility.
Use Case #2: Supporting Growing Marketing Teams
Problem
As businesses grow, content demand quickly outpaces internal resources.
How Jasper Helps
Teams can create marketing assets more efficiently while maintaining workflow momentum.
Business Outcome
Higher productivity and improved campaign execution.
Use Case #3: Scaling Business Communications
Problem
Entrepreneurs spend too much time writing emails, landing pages, and promotional copy.
How Jasper Helps
AI assists with drafting and organizing marketing content.
Business Outcome
More time for sales, leadership, and business development.
CEO Growth Hack
Most entrepreneurs think AI replaces writing.
The smartest entrepreneurs know AI accelerates execution.
Your expertise.
Your strategy.
Your customer knowledge.
Those remain your competitive advantage.
AI simply removes the friction between ideas and implementation.
The mindset shift Jasper enables is moving from content production to content operations.
Instead of asking:
"How do I write faster?"
Ask:
"How do I build a marketing system that consistently produces quality content?"
This is how Builders become Architects.
Builders create content one project at a time.
Architects create repeatable content engines.
Builders depend on inspiration.
Architects depend on systems.
The businesses that win with AI aren't publishing the most content.
They're publishing the most consistent, strategically aligned content.
Key Benefits
- Accelerates marketing content creation
- Improves team productivity
- Supports consistent brand messaging
- Reduces content bottlenecks
- Helps scale marketing operations
- Improves campaign execution
- Saves time on repetitive writing
- Creates a more efficient content workflow
Best For
- Entrepreneurs
- Founders
- CEOs
- Marketing Teams
- Content Creators
- Agency Owners
- Consultants
- SaaS Companies
- Ecommerce Brands
- Small Businesses
CEO Nugget
Content doesn't become a growth engine until you build a system that produces it consistently.
Ready to Simplify This?
If your marketing depends on finding extra time to write, Jasper can help create a scalable content workflow so you can spend more time growing your business and less time staring at a blank page.