Fran Hauser’s Latest…
Twenty Minutes Is the New Hour: The Ambitious Woman’s Guide
to Doing Less and Achieving More
Bedfordite Fran Hauser capped-off her illustrious corporate career working as President of Digital at Time Inc., where she launched People.com. Since then, she’s earned a substantial reputation as an investor and entrepreneurial mentor, having invested in more than forty female-founded companies across technology, media, publishing, wellness, and beauty. She became a bestselling author with the 2018 release of The Myth of the Nice Girl, a book that challenged the long-held belief that women must sacrifice empathy to succeed professionally. She’s a sought-after keynote speaker. And in 2024, Fran opened Bedford Books, an independent bookstore in the red building on Court Road in Bedford Village, which has quickly become one of the community’s most beloved gathering places. More than simply a place to browse shelves, the shop reflects everything Fran has long-championed - connection, curiosity, thoughtful conversation, and supporting others. Through author events, book clubs, and community programming, Bedford Books has become a cultural hub where readers come together to discover new ideas and meaningful stories.
Hauser’s parents immigrated from Italy to Mount Kisco in 1970, bringing with them an entrepreneurial spirit and an unwavering work ethic. As a young girl, Fran became the translator, bookkeeper, marketer, and unofficial business manager for her parents’ landscaping and tailoring businesses. Watching them build successful companies despite language barriers taught her lessons that would shape the rest of her life…not simply about business, but about people. “Watching them, the biggest thing I learned was how they related to other people. They were so kind and charming. I’ll always remember how my dad would really look people in the eye, smile, and laugh with his clients. It was so amazing to watch someone who could barely speak the language manage to communicate in these nonverbal ways, and do it so effectively. I learned that you don’t have to sacrifice who you are to get ahead, and that being your authentic self works best; You don’t have to fake it to make it,” Fran shared in a 2022 interview with Bedford & New Canaan Magazine.
Now Fran has authored Twenty Minutes Is the New Hour: The Ambitious Woman’s Guide to Doing Less and Achieving More, with publisher Penguin Random House Crown Currency. “Rather than offering another productivity system built around squeezing more into every waking hour, I want to reframe people’s relationship with time that has been shaped by unrealistic expectations and deeply ingrained habits,” Fran shares, “I identify the ‘Four P’s’: people-pleasing, perfectionism, procrastination, and time padding. These patterns quietly steal hours from our weeks, whether it’s
saying yes when we don’t have the bandwidth, endlessly revising an email, overpreparing for meetings, or allowing unnecessary work to expand simply because we’ve convinced ourselves it should. Left unchecked, these habits lead not only to inefficiency, but to burnout… and I’m encouraging a shift to what I’m calling a ‘twenty-minute mindset’. I’ve created a practical framework for making meaningful progress without overthinking every decision and of course have tangible tools for streamlining meetings, simplifying projects, preparing for difficult conversations, creating more intentional schedules, and letting go of work that doesn’t truly matter. Just as importantly, it gives women permission to stop striving for perfection and instead focus their energy where it creates the greatest impact.”
“Time is our most valuable resource, and how we choose to spend it ultimately shapes not just our careers, but our lives. I really get joy from helping others, and I know this book will have an impact,” Fran says.
Twenty Minutes Is the New Hour: The Ambitious Woman’s Guide to Doing Less and Achieving More, which officially releases on September 22, will of course be available to purchase at Bedford Books. …And if you’d like to meet Fran in person or hear more about the strategies she outlines, she’ll be doing a talk and book signing on release day at Bedford Books from 6:30-8pm, and she’ll be at the New Canaan Library on September 29 at noon, and a coffee and chat at the Bedford Free Library on 10/14 at 9am.