The RAP Process for Entrepreneurs and CEOS
Timing is Everything
As entrepreneurs and business leaders, we all face moments when the energy that once fueled our success begins to scatter. The focus that built our business—creativity, strategy, relationship-building—quietly gives way to what I call task drift: a slow migration from leading to simply doing.
It doesn’t happen all at once. It creeps in through the well-meaning routines of running a company—emails, compliance, operations, endless “shoulds.” One day you look up and realize the joy that once powered your work has been replaced by a to-do list that never ends.
I remember when it first happened to me. In the early years of my first firm, nearly 80% of my time was spent on the work that lit me up—rainmaking, relationships, vision. The remaining 20% was compliance and operations. Then, after 9/11, those numbers quietly flipped. I didn’t see it at first. I only knew that I was working harder and harder, yet the business felt heavier—and our revenues were shrinking.
It was an inflection point. I could either keep running on empty or find a way to refocus on what mattered most. Out of that moment came a simple framework that changed everything: the RAP Process.
Here’s how it works:
✍ Step 1: For one full week, write down everything you do in your business. Every task, meeting, and activity. Keep a small notebook or open a note on your phone—whatever makes it easiest to track in real time.
✅ Step 2: At week’s end, “RAP” each entry:
R = Revenue-generating
A = Administrative
P = Pipeline-building
👀 Step 3: Review your results. If more than 20% of your time is tied up in A’s, it’s time to delegate or redesign your systems. This single shift often restores not only profitability—but perspective.
The RAP Process is deceptively simple, yet it’s one of the fastest ways to realign effort with impact.
Most entrepreneurs measure their worth by how many plates they can keep spinning.
I challenge you to spin only the plates you love.
Love,
Dani 💛