The 20% of Tasks That Drive 80% of Business Growth (And How to Find Yours)
Visiting with the Pareto Principle.
The Pareto Principle has been making its rounds in the business world for decades. The idea is simple: in many systems, about 80% of results come from 20% of inputs. That’s often true in business, relationships, even gardening.
But knowing this in theory is one thing - living it is another.
Because if 20% of your efforts drive 80% of your growth, your freedom, your fulfillment - then it’s worth getting very clear on what those few key activities actually are.
This isn’t just a productivity hack. It’s a spiritual alignment practice.
If you’re in your Easeful Empress Era, this is the heart of it.
Not doing nothing, but doing the right things.
Not obsessing over perfection or presence everywhere, but identifying your unique leverage points, and building a life and business around them.
So how do we find them?
There’s no universal checklist. Your 20% is as unique as your nervous system and business model. But I’ve noticed a few recurring patterns - especially in the founders I work with and the journey I’ve walked myself.
Let’s explore.
No. 1: A Clean, Aligned Offer Suite
So many of my clients come to me with brilliant offers, but too many of them. Or they’re stacked on top of each other with unclear pathways for clients to follow. Or worse, they’re almost ready, but keep getting tinkered with behind the scenes while no one hears about them.
Your offer suite is a core part of your 20%. Why? Because offers are the bridge between your brilliance and your income. The more clear and aligned they are, the more everything else gets easier - marketing, messaging, client fulfillment, internal workflows.
This doesn’t mean you need a thousand-dollar funnel or a perfect upsell system. It means taking the time to ask:
- What support do my ideal clients need to be successful?
- What do I really want to be offering?
- What’s the cleanest path from interest to yes?
- Where are people getting stuck or confused?
Refining your offer suite - then optimizing how you deliver those offers - will almost always yield exponential return.
No. 2: Your Backend Systems
I know - it’s not sexy. But systems are spiritual. (If you’ve been around for a bit, you know I could go on about this ad nauseum)
The tools and flows that hold your business behind the scenes are not just operational; they’re energetic containers. They either support your expansion, or subtly suffocate it.
If your systems are clunky, inconsistent, or completely reliant on your memory and availability, you’re leaking energy every day. This isn’t just a “someday I’ll get to it” thing. It’s costing you visibility, capacity, peace.
The 20% here might be:
- Moving to a simpler project management tool that actually gets used
- Documenting one key SOP each week
- Mapping your client onboarding workflow in Canva
- Getting off the all-in-your-head method and into a shared system your future team can use
Every little shift adds up. Backend optimization is a quiet catalyst.
No. 3: Compelling, Consistent Visibility
You do not need to be on five platforms, post three times a day, or turn every conversation into content (I am a living testament to this). But you do need to show up.
Consistently. In a way that honors your energy. On platforms your people are already on.
For many founders, this is another core part of the 20%. Not because more content = more clients, but because when your message is clear and visible, it works on your behalf. It becomes a magnetic field. A filter. An invitation.
Maybe your 20% looks like a weekly newsletter that builds intimacy. Or showing up in one group that’s rich with aligned people. Or a monthly podcast that lets your voice do the talking for you.
The key is to pick something sustainable, and stick to it. Frequency > finesse.
No. 4: Support That’s Actually Supportive
This one is nuanced.
Sometimes we think the 20% is “doing it all better.” But often, the most leveraged decision is letting someone else hold it with you.
Whether that’s hiring a VA to help with email, or bringing on a strategic advisor (hi 👋🏾) to help you map out structure, offers, and operations - support expands capacity.
Not all support is created equal. The wrong help can feel like babysitting. But the right person in the right role? That’s expansion in motion.
And sometimes it’s not even business support. It’s a house cleaner. A therapist. A meal delivery service. Remember, your life is the container your business lives inside. Build accordingly.
No. 5: Reclaiming White Space
We don’t often think of rest, margin, or creativity as “growth-driving tasks.” But for many founders, they absolutely are.
Your next offer idea won’t come through if your calendar is suffocating you. Your best decisions won’t land when you’re constantly rushing. Your nervous system is not built for sustained overload.
What if a nap is your 20%?
Or journaling in the park?
Or taking a week off the feed and letting clarity rise to the surface?
Your expansion doesn’t always look like more output. Sometimes it looks like less input, so your inner knowing has room to speak again.
In Closing
The 20% that moves the needle is rarely the loudest, flashiest thing. It’s often quiet. Under your nose. Whispering for your attention.
When you find it, honor it. Build your business around it. Protect it. Allow it to change with time.
Because when you stop pouring your energy into the 80% that doesn’t actually yield the return you want - ease rushes in. Clarity takes root. And growth becomes a byproduct of alignment.
So… what’s your 20%?
Which piece from this resonated most?
If you want help identifying it - and building a structure that honors it -I’d love to support you. In this season, I am working with 1 -2 founders at a time in deep partnership to refine systems, strategy, and soul-aligned growth. Reach out here if that sounds like you.
Your easeful empire is waiting. Let’s build it with intention.
In service,
If this transmission stirred something in you, there’s more where that came from.
I write love letters for the femme founder wanting to build her business empire with clarity, precision and clarity.
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