How Advertising Guru Igor Kheifets Found His Perfect Day
Igor Kheifets has an inspiring success story. Born and raised in Ukraine, his family moved to Israel when he was 12 so that his father could pursue better job opportunities. But an excruciating mix of bad luck and poor health plagued the family.
“It was like 10 years of eating s*** every day,” he recalls. “In the first year, my dad needed open heart surgery. Two years into our move, he still couldn’t find a job.”
Igor was no stranger to poverty. And as an immigrant who couldn’t speak the native language, he was doubly disadvantaged. “All I knew,” he recalls, “was that I wanted to be respected. I wanted to be someone. I wanted to be rich.”
Shortly after graduating high school, Igor had a revelation: Almost none of his peers were finding financial or professional success. In an effort to ignite inspiration, his friend shared a book with him: “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” He read it and realized that “being rich” is less an attainable status, and more a mindset. He wanted to be rich, so he thought rich.
This newfound approach to both his personal and professional lives led him to a multi-level marketing (MLM) firm, where his potential earnings relied entirely on references. It didn’t last. But he did discover that the world of online marketing and web development needed more and better tools—specifically, advertising tools.
Now, Igor is enjoying moneyed (and storied) success with his own company, Igor Solo Ads. Recently, however, he took his life—and business—to an entirely new level with the help of “The Perfect Day Formula” (PDF) and Early to Rise (ETR). We caught up with him in a moment of relative calm to chat about how ETR content has helped improve his productivity and effectively manage a chaotic schedule.
How did you discover the PDF?
Last year, I went to the Underground Online Seminar—a marketing event in Denver. Craig spoke there and gave out a free copy of the book. From that point on, I started following Early to Rise.
To be honest, though, the book sat on my shelf until about a month ago when I finally read it.
What motivated you to finally pick up the book?
While I’ve enjoyed tremendous success, one of my problems has been time management—getting more done in less time while keeping my sanity.
Like many entrepreneurs, I didn’t have work/life balance. It was all tilted toward work. And sure, I was selling my life as a model for others—an example of how you can have the freedom to make your own success. But it was an illusion. In truth, I never had the freedom to pull back because the business would have fallen behind. I needed guidance.
Why choose this book over others? Were there other resources you were looking at?
Absolutely—I was reading three books a month at the time. But they were all about the hustle, and it wasn’t working. While I did benefit from books like “Deep Work”—a guidebook that outlines some of the principles in PDF—Craig really brought it full circle.
Was there something specific in the book the resonated with you?
PDF—and ETR content—really helped me take ownership of the morning. I now really understand that the first two to three hours of my day is when my magic happens. It is one of the most powerful productivity concepts I have ever known.
Get your own FREE copy of The Perfect Day Formula!
What did your mornings look like before PDF?
What you would expect—I used to check Facebook and e-mail right away, then make a list and quickly get overwhelmed by everything I needed to accomplish. By 11am, I was frustrated with my lack of productivity and daunted by the tasks ahead of me.
I consider myself very productive—and many people agree. But my productivity wasn’t redounding to much progress. I always had to fight to move ahead.
Tell us about your routine now.
The first thing I do for my morning happens the day before—the PDF brain dump. I outline my priorities before I go to bed so I know exactly what activities I can dive into the next morning.
I also wake up earlier. I used to wake up at 7:10am, but I started pulling back the alarm little by little. Now, I wake up at 6am sharp—without an alarm clock.
Was there a moment when you realized your productivity and progress were improving?
Yes. For a long time, I planned to produce the Ultimate Guide to Igor Solo Ads for my company. But it was constantly pushed back while I focused on other things.
After reading PDF and retuning my daily routine, I decided to devote an hour every morning to writing the guide. The rest of the day would be open to scheduled tasks.
A week later, I realized I had written 7,000 words. Today—20-some days since I implemented the PDF morning routine—I have written 20,000 words, all while launching a series of new ad campaigns for the company and taking care of the day-to-day requirements of running a business.
And leaving time for your family, right?
Of course. I now get all of my important work done before noon. After lunch, I work on tasks that are less labor and energy-intensive. By about 5pm every day, I leave work knowing I have been sufficiently productive. That leaves me all evening to focus on my family.
With this kind of rejuvenated productivity, what do you see as the next steps to personal and professional development?
To be able to take action without second-guessing myself. That’s huge for me because I used to live life full of doubt. I would check things off my list, but always wonder: “Is this the best use of my time?”
Honestly, Craig is a model for self-discipline and that’s a constant goal for me—improving my time management and taking control of my life instead of letting external events direct me. Craig often quotes the Stoic Epictetus, so I have recently started reading his work as an additional source of inspiration. It’s helps keep me in check.
For more information on Igor Kheifets and his thriving company, Igor Solo Ads, visit igorsoloads.com.
