Becoming Time Rich: Why Busyness is the Enemy of Wealth with Lloyd James Ross
What if the very thing you’ve been chasing—money, status, success—was keeping you trapped in busyness, not freedom?
In this episode of the Crown Yourself Podcast, I sit down with Lloyd J Ross, entrepreneur, investor, and author of Becoming Time Rich, to unravel the ultimate paradox of modern success: how to create true wealth without sacrificing your most precious resource—time.
Lloyd shares his transformational journey from lawyer to investor, revealing how a single paradigm shift shattered the belief that more business means more busyness. Together, we explore the dance between money and time, why partnerships are the secret accelerant for growth, and how letting go of control might just be the key to multiplying both your income and your freedom.
From personal stories of risk, resilience, and rebuilding after loss, to esoteric wisdom about alignment, sovereignty, and purpose, this conversation invites you into a new dimension of wealth creation. Whether you’re scaling a seven-figure empire or just beginning to dream beyond the 9-to-5, this episode will stretch your vision of what’s possible.
Because wealth isn’t just what you bank—it’s who you become when you crown yourself as sovereign over your time.
Enjoy, sovereigns!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or your favorite podcast listening platform. You can also watch the episode on Youtube.
Becoming Time Rich: How to Build Wealth Without Busyness
Featuring Lloyd James Ross on the Crown Yourself Podcast
Introduction
Kimberly Spencer: Welcome to the Crown Yourself Podcast, where together we build your empire and transform your subconscious stories about what’s possible for your business, body, and life.
In this episode, I am honored to welcome Lloyd James Ross—entrepreneur, investor, international speaker, and host of the award-winning podcast Money Grows on Trees. Lloyd is also the author of Becoming Time Rich, a book that cracked open my own perspective on what it means to create true wealth.
[00:54] Meet Lloyd James Ross
Kimberly Spencer: Lloyd has built multiple seven-figure businesses, earned a Two Comma Club Award from Clickfunnels, and holds the Legacy Club Millionaire title with ICI. But beyond the accolades, what truly sets him apart is his philosophy on time.
Lloyd Ross: Thanks for having me on, Kimberly. I’m excited to share this idea that time is more valuable than money. That’s really the core of my work and my book Becoming Time Rich.
[01:57] The Future of Money
Lloyd Ross: The world of money is shifting—Bitcoin, inflation, fiat currency devaluation—it all impacts how people are protecting wealth. For me, I focus less on speculation and more on real assets: productive businesses, stocks, and strategic real estate.
Kimberly Spencer: I see an interesting correlation between time and money. Becoming Time Rich came at such a powerful moment because it asks: what is true wealth?
[04:44] Redefining True Wealth: The Time Rich Mindset
Lloyd Ross: Too many people equate wealth with money or status. But if you’re just chasing money, you’re trapped in an endless game.
For me, real success meant flexibility with my time. Back in 2010, after reading The 4-Hour Workweek, I made a decision: I didn’t want to work until 65 and regret my life. I wanted freedom.
The breakthrough? Realizing I could have both time and money. That was the paradigm shift into the Time Rich Mindset.
[07:14] Breaking the Busyness Paradigm
Kimberly Spencer: Your question in the book—when did you decide that having more businesses meant you had to be busier?—hit me so hard I cried while breastfeeding my daughter.
Lloyd Ross: Exactly. The ego tells us we must do everything ourselves. That belief kept me stuck until I learned to relinquish control.
[09:01] Scaling Through Surrender
Lloyd Ross: One story from the book: we were on a yacht in Mexico for six days, totally offline, while my sales team took over. I was terrified. But when I got back, sales had exploded—without me.
That’s when I realized: I was the bottleneck. Letting go unlocked exponential growth.
[11:22] Partnerships Are the Key to Freedom
Lloyd Ross: You don’t hire for the thinking—you partner for the thinking. Partnerships allow you to multiply wealth and time simultaneously.
In one business, I have a partner in marketing, another in sales, and I focus on delivery. Each of us owns our zone of genius. That’s the Time Rich Mindset in practice.
[13:40] Finding Your Zone of Genius
Lloyd Ross: Your feelings tell you your genius. If the work lights you up, it’s your lane. If it drains you—outsource it.
As Dan Sullivan says: outsource everything but your genius.
[17:24] Who Not How: The Partnership Paradigm
Lloyd Ross: Most entrepreneurs sabotage themselves by asking how they’ll do everything. The right question is who.
Your business accelerates when you bring in the right “whos” to complement your skills, energy, or time.
[20:01] The Busier You Are, The Poorer You Get
Lloyd Ross: Busyness is not wealth—it’s a trap. Worthiness and busyness sit on opposite ends of the wealth scale. The wealthiest people aren’t the busiest.
[24:34] Building Businesses With Your Spouse
Kimberly Spencer: You’ve built businesses with your wife, Alicia. That takes alignment.
Lloyd Ross: Exactly. We discovered our complementary strengths. She thrives in organization and backend systems; I thrive in delivery and teaching. Together, we embody the Time Rich Mindset as a couple.
[25:13] Lessons From Loss
Lloyd Ross: When I was 11, my dad lost a $50 million business. Seeing him rebuild taught me resilience and extreme ownership. I never blamed money—I saw it as a tool for choice.
[29:59] Escaping the 9-to-5
Lloyd Ross: My hardest lesson? Unlearning the 9-to-5 paradigm after becoming a lawyer. Traditional education conditioned me for jobs, not freedom. Entrepreneurship forced me to think differently.
[34:57] AI and the Future of Work
Lloyd Ross: AI is boosting productivity, but it doesn’t guarantee free time. People will still struggle unless they adopt the Time Rich Mindset: prioritize, partner, and leverage systems.
[38:32] Saying No, Choosing Yes
Lloyd Ross: If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no. Protect your time with discernment—but remember, relationships sometimes require reciprocity.
[40:25] Relationships as the Highest Currency
Lloyd Ross: Relationships are the most powerful currency. Success alone looks like a 9-to-5 job. Wealth and sovereignty come through people and partnerships.
[42:35] Why A-Players Matter
Lloyd Ross: To keep A-players, you must pay them well and give them ownership of results. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with B-players and busyness.
[46:57] The Rockefeller Principle: Work Less, Earn More
Lloyd Ross: John D. Rockefeller built empires by delegating, partnering, and avoiding toil. True wealth comes from systems, people, and capital leverage—not grinding.
[53:44] Stop Learning, Start Doing
Lloyd Ross: Learning without action is fake work. Apply what you learn immediately. That’s how you turn knowledge into freedom.
[59:01] Rapid Fire Q&A
- Favorite fictional character? Iron Man & Indiana Jones
- Who would you trade places with for a day? Warren Buffett or John D. Rockefeller
- Daily/weekly money routine? Monthly audits to ensure more money in than out
- How do you define your kingdom? Family
- Principle for the next generation? Time is more valuable than money—you can have both
- How do you crown yourself? By giving far more value than I take
[1:01:50] Where to Find Lloyd James Ross
Lloyd Ross: Connect with me on Instagram @LloydJamesRoss, YouTube, or my podcast Money Grows on Trees. Grab Becoming Time Rich at Chapters bookstores or on Amazon.
Kimberly Spencer: Thank you, Lloyd, for sharing your wisdom. Sovereigns, remember: own your throne, mind your business, because your reign is now.
Final Thoughts
This episode with Lloyd James Ross is a powerful invitation into the Time Rich Mindset. Busyness is not a badge of honor. True sovereignty is measured by how you choose to use your time—and who you choose to build with.
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