INTERVIEW | Make Money by Building Systems That Actually Work with Ben Meer
Ben Meer is a writer, speaker, coach, and the “Systems Guy.” His weekly newsletter, System Sunday, reaches more than 250,000 subscribers, and his social media following has grown to more than two million people. He also coaches founders and CEOs on productivity, systems thinking, and intentional living. A former management consultant with an MBA from Cornell University, Ben is the author of How to Be Good at Life: Simple Systems to Achieve More and Stress Less, where he explores how simple, repeatable systems can help people make meaningful progress without relying on motivation alone.
On this episode we talk about:
How selling Pokémon stickers in first grade sparked Ben's entrepreneurial streak
Why Ben's first business failed and how systems thinking helped him transform his life
The difference between motivation and systems—and why motivation isn't reliable enough to build your life around
How to create a weekly planning system that prioritizes high-leverage work and income-producing activities
Why systems should create more freedom, connection, and joy rather than turning your life into an optimization project
Top 3 Takeaways
Don't rely on motivation when you can build a system. Motivation fades, but a well-designed system can turn good intentions into consistent action.
Protect your highest-leverage time. Use a weekly planning session to identify the activities that actually move your income, career, and life forward, then schedule and protect time for them.
Build systems for the life you actually want. Systems aren't the goal—they're the infrastructure. Whether it's saving money, getting healthier, doing focused work, or spending quality time with someone you love, the right system should make the desired behavior easier and more consistent.
Notable Quotes
"You don't need more inspiration. You really need better life infrastructure."
"When the game is rigged, you don't want to be relying on willpower or motivation. You need better design."
"It's not really about the system, it's about the life on the other side of it."
Connect with Ben Meer:
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/benmeer/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benmeer/
Book: How to Be Good at Life
Other: BenMeer.com/SystemSunday — Ben's System Sunday newsletter
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