Have you ever wondered why an eight-hour workday is standard for most workers? It's not because of productivity or circadian rhythms. The eight-hour workday was another innovation by Henry Ford. During the industrial revolution, most workers worked 12 to 16 hours a day, six days a week. Ford reduced hours and doubled pay, creating a safer environment and a customer base for his products.
Stephan Aarstol is another innovative leader. In 2015, he reduced the working hours at his company to five-hour days. He thought the gift of time would be an excellent perk to attract the best and the brightest team members and help his brand live up to the surfer lifestyle. Stephan is the founder of Tower Paddle Boards, a direct-to-consumer SUP company. Keeping up with his surf brand, he has now added Tower Electric Bikes.
Stephan was also on Shark Tank and landed a deal with Mark Cuban. He is the author of The Five-Hour Workday: Live Differently, Unlock Productivity, and Find Happiness. He's an entrepreneur, speaker, and author. He's been featured on multiple national publications and news programs. Today, we talk about his five-hour workday experiment and what went right and what didn't go right. We dive into his story and talk about maximizing productivity, valuing time, direct-to-consumer brands, and so much more.
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Stephan Aarstol thank you so much for being here!
Remember, you might be in business FOR yourself but you are not in business BY yourself.
Be your best self. Be proud and keep changing the world.
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Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.