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In Episode 143 of the CAS Podcast, we take inspiration from Brian Tracy’s productivity classic, Eat That Frog, and apply it to the real world of custom apparel business owners. If you’ve ever caught yourself procrastinating or wasting time on things you dread, this episode is your permission slip to take back control—and grow faster by doing less of what drains you.

🎧 Free resource: Eat That Frog – Full Transcription PDF

What Does “Eat the Frog” Mean?

The phrase comes from a quote often attributed to Mark Twain: “If the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, you can go through the day knowing it’s probably the worst thing that will happen to you.”

In business terms: tackle your hardest, most important task first—and stop wasting time on things that don’t move the needle.

Brian Tracy’s ABCDE Method

This simple, powerful framework helps you sort tasks by importance and impact:

✅ A – Must Do

1. Key tasks with serious consequences if left undone.

2. Examples: Following up on a large quote, ordering time-sensitive materials, renewing a business license.

✅ B – Should Do

1. Important, but not urgent. Mild consequences if delayed.

2. Examples: Posting on social media, calling a low-priority lead, organizing your workspace.

✅ C – Nice to Do

1. No real consequences. They make you feel productive but don’t contribute to real progress.

2. Examples: Checking industry news, rearranging fonts, researching new equipment with no purchase intent.

✅ D – Delegate

1. Needs to get done—but not by you.

2. Examples: Data entry, inventory restocking, routine customer updates.

✅ E – Eliminate

1. These don’t move you forward and shouldn’t be on your list at all.

2. Examples: Double-checking emails five times, browsing competitor websites for hours.

The CAS Approach: Add Two Filters

At CAS, we believe your to-do list should also consider how much you enjoy the task—and how good you are at it.

For each task, ask:

1. How much do I hate this task?

2. Am I even good at this?

Then:

1. Outsource or delegate tasks you dislike and don’t do well.

2. Automate what you can.

3. Focus your energy on what grows your business and plays to your strengths.

“Eating the frog” in the CAS world means identifying your most important growth tasks—and doing the tough stuff first, especially when you don’t want to.

Example for a Custom Apparel Business Owner

Let’s say your to-do list looks like this:

1. Finish client artwork revisions (A)

2. Ship two Etsy orders (B)

3. Design new Instagram post (C)

4. Update website banner (D)

5. Reorganize your file folders (E)

Now ask yourself:

1. Do you hate designing posts? Delegate or use a tool like Canva or a freelancer.

2. Are you bad at updating your website? Hire someone.

3. Do you dread the artwork revision but know it will close a sale? That’s your frog—eat it first.

Final Thought: You Don’t Have to Do It All

Success doesn’t come from doing everything—it comes from doing the right things consistently.

1. Eliminate distractions.

2. Delegate what drains you.

3. Automate where possible.

4. Prioritize what drives revenue.

Then wake up, eat the frog, and get to work on building a business that works for you—not the other way around.