Leading with Time as Your Most Valuable Asset: Lessons from Dugout Mugs CEO Kris Dehnert
Kris Dehnert built up a $55 million company from lessons he learned while creating and selling prior companies. During our conversation, he shared those leadership lessons with us, including how time is your most valuable asset. You can watch our interview by clicking on the graphic below or read the highlights beneath it:
Kris Dehnert shared what he’s learned as he’s built up his empire:
*I prioritize time over everything, including money, in business, life and relationships.
*A strong team has members who focus on their core competencies. What are you good at? That’s the job you should have and do. If you don’t spend the majority of your time in your “power zone,” you’re losing time. It can take you twice as long to complete something you’re not good at, and it’s not completed at the high standard it should be.
*Help your team members find their strengths by asking better questions.
*People’s weaknesses are more important than their strengths. Keep them away from their weaknesses.
*If you start your own business, it’s OK to wear all the hats when you start. But eventually you need to delegate those hats if you want to grow and be successful.
*I have work-life balance because I understand my priorities and make decisions based on that.
*Time management is your ability to stay lean so you can take opportunities when they come your way.
*Fail fast. Fall forward. There will be trial and error. Only have one variable at a time so you know exactly what works and what doesn’t. When you’re not doing something right, acknowledge it.
*I give direction, not directions. It frees up my time from micromanaging.
*Taking a psychology class or body language class will help you immensely in reading and communicating with others.
*To prioritize, know what your lane is. You do a disservice to yourself and your team when you move outside of that lane. A hierarchy of importance is also needed – family, money decisions, people decisions…what’s your hierarchy?
*I know that our team doesn’t have the best systems and processes, but what we do have is a dynamic team. We’re open and transparent with each other.
*You can prompt AI to give you simpler versions of systems you’re trying to implement in order to save time and money.
*We use Gorgias, which is like our CRM and has an AI component.
*Understanding what lights people up is important. If you’re talking all the time, you’re not learning about others. Listening is almost more important than talking.
*People fail because of lack of communication.
*There needs to be a reason to meet. Otherwise, think of how much time is lost: 30 minutes per person for the meeting, plus the 15 minutes winding down to move into meeting mode plus another 15 minutes to crank back up after the meeting. That’s 60 minutes per person. Five people? That’s 300 minutes lost.
*I built this company to fit my lifestyle. I didn’t build a lifestyle to fit my company. Find out what works for you. If you’re not productive over and over again, there’s a reason. And that reason is probably you.
*I don’t have social media. I don’t include it in my priorities.
Connect with Kris Dehnert:
- Website http://DugoutMugs.com
- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisdehnert/
- YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@DugoutMugsOfficial
- Instagram http://Instagram.com/itsjustkris of http://Instagram.com/DugoutMugs
- TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dugoutmugs
- X (formerly Twitter) – http://X.com/DugoutMugs
- Facebook http://Facebook.com/DugoutMugs
About Kris Dehnert:
Kris Dehnert is Owner & CEO of Dugout Mugs® – the company behind baseball bat-themed collectible drinkware. Under his leadership, Dugout Mugs® has appeared 3 times (21/22/23) on the coveted INC. 5000 list and been featured on national media, including The Today Show, World News Tonight, Fox and Friends, The View, Good Morning America, CBS, Forbes, and Entrepreneur. Boasting over $55M in sales, Dugout Mugs® proves that creativity and hustle can knock it out of the park!
For other Time Management Revolution podcast episodes, visit:
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For more recommendations on how to harness your most valuable asset of time, check out The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer.
