Interview

George Rivera built his career over more than three decades as a serial entrepreneur, much of it in the supplement and direct response space.

On paper, the business worked. Revenue was strong, teams were in place, and growth was steady.

But behind that success sat a familiar reality for many founders: the business consumed everything, and family life came second.

That tension became the foundation of his current work.

In this conversation, Rivera breaks down the system he now teaches, designed to help founders step out of the daily grind without breaking the business.

What starts as a conversation about delegation quickly turns into something more personal: identity, control, and the cost of being the bottleneck in your own company.

Q: Walk me through your background. What were you doing before this?

This is my 31st year as an entrepreneur. I started in the supplement space in the mid-90s and moved across different businesses over time. About 12 or 13 years ago, I came back into supplements, which has been the core of my career, mostly in direct response.

I was what I now call cash-rich, time-poor. The business looked successful, but it was taking everything from me. I was doing it for the family, but they never asked for that.

I had built what I call a founder prison.

Q: What are you offering now? What’s the core product?

At a high level, I help founders get to the point where they can take a two-week vacation without the business falling apart. Most people can’t even take an afternoon off. The issue isn’t that they’re doing too much.

It’s that too many things depend on them. So we put systems and frameworks in place to remove that dependency.

Q: How do you actually do that?

We start with what I call a freedom audit. For two weeks, you track everything you do. You treat it like there’s a camera on you at all times.

When I did it, I realized more than half of what I was doing shouldn’t have been on my plate. I value my time between $1,000 and $10,000 an hour, and I was spending 40 hours a week on $50-an-hour tasks. For a $20 million business, that’s completely misaligned.

Q: If people know that, why do they keep doing it?

Habit is a big part of it. Identity too. A lot of us feel like if we’re not grinding, we’re not providing. There’s also fear around delegation. People think no one will do it as well as they can. So they hold on, even when it doesn’t make sense.

“You eliminate anything that doesn’t move the needle. You automate anything repetitive. And you delegate, but not just tasks.”

Q: After the audit, what happens next?

I call it the time liberation trifecta. You either eliminate, automate, or delegate. You eliminate anything that doesn’t move the needle. You automate anything repetitive. And you delegate, but not just tasks. You delegate with ownership. You transfer authority and define what the finished outcome looks like. That’s where most people get it wrong.

They delegate halfway, and everything comes back to them.

Q: So the goal isn’t just time off. It’s something bigger.

Exactly. The two-week vacation is the benchmark, but it’s not the end goal. The business has to grow without you. We build toward that with what I call absence rehearsal tests. You start small. An afternoon off, then a couple of days, then a long weekend. You identify what breaks, fix it, and build confidence.

By the time you get to two weeks, nothing falling apart shouldn’t be a surprise.

Q: Is the challenge operational or mental?

It’s both, but the internal side is huge. A lot of people have capable teams. The problem is letting go. They’re used to checking everything, putting out fires, staying involved in everything. That takes time to unlearn.

I had to go through that myself.

Q: What makes your approach different from other business frameworks?

I’ve lived it. I went from being the bottleneck to rebuilding my life outside the business. The goal isn’t just freeing up time. It’s reconnecting with your family. I talk about installing what I call a season pass, where you commit to what matters at home and treat it as non-negotiable. If it’s on the calendar, you don’t miss it.

In the same way, you wouldn’t miss a business meeting.

Q: Where do founders struggle the most when trying to let go?

Money-related decisions are a big one. In my case, I held on to anything involving large payments. I’d been burned before, so I didn’t trust anyone else to handle it. That kind of thinking keeps you stuck.

People want growth, but holding on too tightly is often what prevents it.

The gap between interest and purchase is imagination. People don’t buy because they can’t see themselves with the product. We closed that gap.

Q: How do people usually find you? What are they experiencing at that point?

They hear my story and recognize themselves in it. Waking up in the middle of the night, thinking something’s on fire. Stepping away from the dinner table for a quick call that turns into an hour. Missing moments at home. The one that hits hardest is when I say my family was planning a life without me.

That’s when people realize something has to change.

Q: What do you need most right now to grow this?

Getting in front of the right people. I’ve recently formalized this into a dedicated advisory offer. Coming from direct response, I’m used to fast results. This is different. It’s relationship-driven. Podcasts, speaking, and connecting with the right audience.

It’s about consistency and visibility.

Q: Who is your ideal client?

The version of me from ten years ago. High net worth, successful on paper, but feeling the cost at home. Most people won’t say it out loud.

But a large percentage of founders are somewhere on that spectrum.

Q: What does the next three to five years look like for you?

I’d like to work closely with 10 to 15 clients at a high level. I also lead curated founder groups and plan to expand that. Beyond business, I want to focus on family impact. Retreats, father-son experiences, helping men reconnect at home.

That’s the bigger picture.

Q: Why is that focus so important to you?

I spent a long time chasing success. I know how to build and scale businesses. But I believe I’m here for more than that. This is about helping other men show up for their families and create something that lasts beyond business. My son is a big part of that. Being present changed everything.

That’s the difference.

Q: Where can people find you?

buybacktimeformula.com

From there, they can find my book, the 18 Summers Roundtable, and Founder Dad Dinners, which I host in Austin.

Small groups, six to eight people, just real conversations.