How to Buy Back Your Life with Less Work Hours with George Rivera

What if the key to scaling to $250 million wasn't working harder, but working less?

In this episode, George Rivera, founder of multiple 7- and 8-figure businesses and creator of the Buy Back Time Formula™, shares his 30-year entrepreneurial journey from a high school supplement business to a $250 million empire. Through the devastating loss of his father to cancer and the life-changing deathbed wisdom "don't miss Leo's games, I missed too many of yours," George discovered that the path to freedom wasn't grinding 100-hour weeks but systematically buying back his time. His mission? Helping entrepreneurs escape the "job with overhead" trap so they can scale their businesses while being present for the moments that matter most with their families.

George reflects on how his father's final words arrived at exactly the right moment to transform his entire approach to business, and why buying back your time isn't just about making more money but about reclaiming your life before it's too late.

 

[00:04:19] The 30-Year Journey Begins

• Started first business in 1995 at age 17-18 while still in high school

• Fell for Don Lapre's late-night infomercial (tiny apartment, classified ads, rags to riches)

• Bought the course, took action, made zero dollars, but the entrepreneur seed was planted

• Parents thought it was a scam, but George kept pursuing home-based business opportunities

[00:05:22] The First Real Business: Supplements & The Internet

• Summer 1995: Started supplement business after seeing space ads in small business magazines

• Connected two trends: GNC's explosive growth + the internet's rising adoption

• First online business launched, didn't go well initially

• 2-3 years into college: Making as much as doctors while studying pre-med

[00:06:46] The Weight Loss Empire & Early Lessons

• Dominated the keyword "weight loss" on GoTo.com for just 50 cents per click

• Built and eventually ran the first business into the ground, couldn't keep up with orders

• Lesson #1: Take your time, build infrastructure so you can scale appropriately

• Built Google AdSense business to seven figures by 2005-2006

[00:08:31] The Digital Marketing Agency

• Started agency helping clients with BSLs and one-click upsells in their infancy

• He was the bottleneck, quality controlling everything, no proper org chart

• Built a job with overhead, not a business

[00:10:44] The $250 Million Suppleme