23. Managers v. Makers (And What It Means For Your Schedule)

When I first read about the manager v. maker distinction and what it means for each person's work schedule, it was a big lightbulb moment for me. Let's discuss how you can use this framework for your schedule and ensure you're not imposing, e.g., a manager's schedule on a maker to the detriment of their ability to do their maker job.

In this episode, I dive into the powerful distinction between managers and makers—a concept originally explored by Paul Graham and shared by Farnam Street. Makers are the deep-focus workers who need uninterrupted time to create, draft, research, and produce. Managers, on the other hand, are tasked with team communication, meetings, and moving projects forward—often through collaborative work.

And here’s the kicker: many of us are expected to do both without adjusting our schedules or workload to reflect those dual demands.

We’ll explore:

• How these roles require entirely different schedules

• Why maker-heavy roles suffer when buried in meetings

• The challenge of being a new manager while still expected to “make” at a full-time level

• How to use this framework to advocate for focused time (with real examples!)

• How managers unintentionally undercut their maker teams by imposing collaborative schedules

• Why clarifying which “hat” you’re wearing—manager or maker—even at separate times if you're in a dual role, can help you reclaim control of your time

I’ll also walk through how The Bright Method helps you see these patterns more clearly, so you can plan smarter, make the case for support, and stop feeling like you’re constantly failing in both roles.

Whether you’re purely a maker, a manager, or wearing both hats, this episode will help you get real about what your time is currently spent on—and how to shift it toward where you add the most value, all without burning out.

Referenced articles:

• The Farnam Street article on this topic: https://fs.blog/maker-vs-manager/ 
• Paul Graham's original article on this topic: http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html

Links you might enjoy:

• 🌿 Free 5-Day Time Management Program Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm.

• 📱 Follow me on Instagram Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time.

• ✨ The full Bright Method™️ program If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind.