The Productivityist Podcast: Ideas And Tools For Personal Productivity | Time Management | Goals | Habits | Working Better

In the following bonus episode, I've combined all of the episodes from the March 2018 run of my now-concluded 3 Minutes of TimeCrafting podcast. The topics I discuss include: Using small but effective boundaries The leap forward to Daylight Savings Time and how to ward off its effects on your productivity Why Mondays might not be the best day to kick off your week Why one question I get asked a lot is a very challenging one to answer I hope you enjoy this bonus episode of the podcast. I'm going to be publishing the archives of 30 Days of TimeCrafting as bonus content over the next several weeks here as well as a bit of an experiment. If you like this episode, please consider leaving a rating and/or review in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you are listening to the show. Thanks for listening. See you later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the podcast I’m joined by J. Elise Keith, co-founder of Lucid Meetings and author of Where The Action Is: The Meetings That Make or Break Your Organization. We dive into an area of our work lives that can have a direct impact on our overall productivity both individually and organizationally. That area is… meetings. Meetings can be a real productivity killer. But they don’t need to be. I was grateful to have the opportunity to talk with Elise about her comprehensive book – which is a “must read” if you’re looking to make better meetings happen. We talked about designing meetings that matter, how to break the bias that meetings aren’t productive, and much more. Meetings are going to happen, so why not make them happen in a way that works? This discussion is just the thing to help you turn your meetings from interruptions to productivity to instrumental for purposeful productivity. Enjoy! Talking Points This is what Elise has to say to people who are hesitant when going into meetings becaus

I’m excited that my friend Courtney Carver returns for this episode of the program. We focus our conversation around her book Project 333: The Minimalist Fashion Challenge That Proves Less Really is So Much More, which is a project I’ve undertaken and am still committed to several years later! Courtney is always a delight to chat with and this episode is no exception. We delve into the core elements of Project 333, some of the things that can hold people back from taking on this challenge, how the challenge affects more than just what’s taking up space in your closet, and more. I hope after listening to this episode that you’ll pick up Courtney’s book and give Project 333 a try. It’s been working for me and I know it can work for you. Talking Points What is Project 333? While it appears geared towards women, is this something men can do as well? These are some of the benefits that Project 333 offers beyond having just a clean closet Courtney talks about decision fatigue What are some of the ways you can

I’m happy to welcome to Chris Krimitsos as the guest for this episode. Chris is a father, husband, community builder and ever-evolving innovator. He loves people and their stories and has leveraged his gifts of connecting others to build communities around entrepreneurship, podcasting, and multimedia. Chris was profoundly affected at 16 years of age when he watched his father lose a restaurant he had bought with sweat equity and eventually put the keys in for the last time giving it back to the bank. He vowed then that he would make it his mission to help business owners the world over to avoid that terrible fate. His book, Start Ugly: A Timeless Tale About Innovation & Change is an extension of that promise and a story that can be understood by all who read it. Talking Points Chris shares the premise of Start Ugly and why it’s been such a powerful thing for him Why did Chris decide to write the book as a parable of sorts? Does starting ugly help with the ability to deal with change? If so, how? This is

On this episode of the program I’m joined by Grant Baldwin. Grant is the founder of The Speaker Lab, a training company that helps public speakers learn how to find and book speaking gigs. He’s also the author of the book The Successful Speaker: Five Steps for Booking Gigs, Getting Paid, and Building Your Platform. Through his popular podcast The Speaker Lab and flagship coaching program Booked and Paid to Speak, Grant has coached and worked with thousands of speakers. As a keynote speaker, Grant has delivered nearly one thousand presentations to over 500,000 people in 47 states and has keynoted events for audiences as large as 13,000. Grant has also been featured in national media including Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and Huffington Post. He now lives near Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Sheila, and their three daughters. I’m happy to have Grant return to the podcast to share some of the ideas and insights he presents in his new book. I look to Grant as someone who knows his stuff about being a successf

On this episode, I’m joined by my good friend Mike Pacchione. Mike is a speaking expert who helps presenters find their voice on stage. (Hint: putting yourself in your speech, while scary, is a bit of a secret weapon for making your speech memorable.) Mike has worked with more than 10,000 speakers from companies all over the world, including giants like Google, Nike, Microsoft, Starbucks and the NSA. I’ve known make for several years now and I look to him whenever I’m putting a talk or presentation together. I wanted to bring him to the program to not only share with you some of his best tactics and tips that will help you present your ideas and insights well, but also to remind me of what I need to do in order to do the same. After listening to this episode you’ll be able to take Mike’s knowledge and experience and apply it to your presentations so you’ll be able to confidently deliver them in a way that leaves your audience wanting more. Talking Points Why is making the assumption that because you have im

On this episode, I’m joined “in studio” by Adam Kreek. A two-time Olympian, Adam holds 60 international medals, including Olympic Gold, and multiple hall of fame inductions. Adam’s new book, The Responsibility Ethic, teaches us the how of self-leadership, driving personal and professional results in individuals and organizations. Adam has a slew of additional accolades to his name, one of which is that in 2013, Adam made the first ever attempt to row unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to America, the subject of the NBC Dateline Documentary, Capsized. It was great to have Adam in the studio to talk about his new book, the idea of providence and patience, what he believes the evolution of SMART goals is, and much more. Talking Points How does failure and Adam’s knowledge on that play into his book? What does Adam think responsibility means? Adam shares with me the idea of providence This is what Adam uses instead of SMART goals How important is it to truly understand your values and how tha

On this episode I chat with Mridu Parikh, founder of Life Is Organized and author of Accomplish It: 7 Simple Actions to Get the Right Things Done and Achieve Your Goals. Mridu helps ambitious people get control of their time, energy, and habits, even when they are overwhelmed by demands and distractions. As a productivity coach, keynote speaker, and best-selling author she teaches people how to focus, overcome procrastination, and squash anxiety. I had a great time talking with Mridu about her journaling habits (that is, if she has them), her thoughts on capturing ideas and thoughts and how she does that, and we specifically dive into the seven simple actions that she describers in her book. Talking Points Mridu and I talk about why people stay in a “state of stuckness”? Does Mridu journal? If so, how does she journal? How does Mridu get people to take their energy levels into account when making to do lists and accomplishing goals? We discuss how to balance recurring simple tasks with bigger, harder tas

On this episode of the podcast, I welcome Dr. Wayne Baker as my guest. Focusing on social capital, social networks, generosity, and positive organizations, Dr. Baker has published six books and contributed to such outlets as Harvard Business Review, Chief Executive Magazine, and Sloan Management Review. A frequent guest speaker and management consultant, Dr. Baker is a cofounder and board member of Give and Take Inc., developers of the collaboration technologies based on principles in his book All You Have to Do Is Ask. Asking for help can be a real challenge – and it keep us from reaching our full potential. The conversation we have on this episode should help you get better at asking. Dr. Baker and I discuss why we need help from others to be more productive, why generosity within a company isn’t the issue when it comes to developing a culture where asking is fostered, and how leaders can use certain techniques and tools to build a habit of asking in themselves and their colleagues. Talking Points This is

On this episode of the program I’m joined by Zvi Band. Zvi is the cofounder and CEO of Contactually, a leading CRM platform for relationship-oriented businesses, and author of “Success is in Your Sphere.” An engineer, developer, entrepreneur, and startup advisor, Zvi has been named a Washingtonian Tech Titan four times. Zvi and I talk about the acronym he uses as his CAPITAL strategy, why you need to aggregate all of your relationships (both personal and professional) in a database, and the need for purpose and process when forging and fostering relationships. Considering that my Monthly Theme for February is Relationships this was the perfect conversation to prime me for the month ahead. I trust you’ll get a lot of value out of it as well. Talking Points Zvi shares his origin story We talk about the role of consistency when it comes to achieving success in your sphere – and the role of the calendar in that This is one of the things Zvi did to execute consistently to help himself over both the short and l

This week on the program I’m joined by a guest I’ve been looking to chat with for a long time. Francesco D’Alessio runs Keep Productive, a YouTube show dedicated to helping people find the most suitable productivity software for their work and life needs. From helping decision making to curbing switching, Keep Productive is passionate about helping you make long-term decisions about your software. I remember the days of keeping up with all the latest and greatest productivity news and app updates. There came a time when I decided that wasn’t going to be in my long-term plans, so I moved away from that kind of content (for the most part). Francesco, however, is another story. He loves doing exactly that: sharing all the productivity news and app-related content as possible, as evidenced by his extremely popular YouTube channel. During our discussion we get into why he enjoys producing content around apps and productivity news, how he maps out his content plan, and so much more. Talking Points Francesco share

On this episode of the podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Samantha Brody. Dr. Samantha is a licensed naturopathic physician and acupuncturist, and the founder of Evergreen Natural Health Center in Portland, Oregon. For decades in her private practice and virtual consulting business Dr. Samantha has helped thousands of people transform their lives with her innovative, personalized approach. She is the author of Overcoming Overwhelm: Dismantle Your Stress from the Inside Out. I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Samantha when we both spoke at Marc and Angel Chernoff’s event Think Better, Live Better. After seeing her speak, I found that there was plenty of alignment with our work and asked her to come on the show. During this conversation we talk about her book, what she means by overwhelm, the steps she believes can help you overcome overwhelm, and the idea of resolutions. There is a lot that we cover in our discussion and I’m pleased to be able to finally bring it to you after many months of trying to make it happen. En

On this episode of the podcast, I’m joined by Cliff Ravenscraft. For more than a decade, Cliff had been known as the Podcast Answer Man. He’s trained tens of thousands of individuals how to successfully launch an audio podcast. Today, Cliff is a business and life coach. He mentors coaches, consultants and thought leaders through the transition from their unfulfilling day job to their own responsible and profitable online business so that they can live the life of their dreams and do the work they feel most called to do in this world. This is a longer episode than usual but it is jam-packed with inspiration – which is the perfect way to wrap up one decade and starting another. Cliff’s energy is palpable throughout as he shares with me his online business story, what the transition from one business brand to another has been like, and his evolving views on productivity over the course of the years. There’s a lot to unpack and you’ll want to just sit back and absorb everything Cliff dishes out over the hour-long

On this episode of the podcast, I chat with Richie Norton. Riche is the award-winning, bestselling author of the book The Power of Starting Something Stupid (in 10+ languages) and Résumés Are Dead & What to Do About It. In 2019, Richie was ranked one of the world’s top 100 business coaches by Dr. Marshall Goldsmith. He is an international speaker (including TEDx & Google Startup Grind) and serial entrepreneur.  I didn’t know what to expect when speaking with Richie but I can tell you that I didn’t expect the conversation to be so personal. We talk about why he loves bringing products to life, the axiom he uses as a guiding principle for his life, and solid advice when it comes starting something stupid. Talking Points We talk about the origins of his company name What led Richie to want to bring products that they are proud of to life Richie explains the origins and the meaning behind Gavin’s Law This is far more powerful than any New Year’s Resolution These are the two songs I have on nearly every mont

On this episode of The Productivityist Podcast, I’m joined by Andrew (Drew) Tarvin. Drew is the world’s first Humor Engineer teaching people how to get better results while having more fun. He has worked with 35,000+ people at 250+ organizations, including Microsoft, the FBI, and the International Association of Canine Professionals. He is a best-selling author, has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and FastCompany, and his TEDx talk has been viewed over 4 million times. Drew and I talk about his book Humor That Works: The Missing Skill for Success and Happiness at Work. We discuss the ways you. can infuse humour into the workplace, why it’s important to bring hummer into the workplace, how you can overcome those who think adding humour to the mix is a waste of time, and more. As someone who has been immersed in humour in my previous life I was happy to have Drew on the program to talk have a comedic conversation that can take productivity to greater heights. Talking Points Drew shares why i

On this episode I speak with Kris Ward. Kris is the director of a marketing and branding company and it was through her work there that she learned a great deal about productivity versus being busy. Her work with other small business professionals lead to the creation of Win The Hour Win The Day. Kris Ward helps entrepreneurs grow their business so they can get more work done faster and focus on what’s really important in life – and we touch on that throughout our conversation. We discuss the aspects of what she calls the “Freedom Formula” and a slew of other productivity-related topics. There’s a lot to absorb in this episode and I’m glad that us two Canadians finally had a chance to connect in podcast form. Talking Points What does productivity mean to Kris? Kris has had several moments that have incited change in Kris’s life. Here’s one of them. Here’s another one of those moments – a very different moment at that Why winning the hour is vital to winning the day We dive deeper into the idea of the ca

On this episode of the program I speak with J.H. Bunting about the life of a writer and the making of his ambitious new book, Crowdsourcing Paris: Memoirs of a Travel Adventure. J.H. Bunting (or “Joe” as I know him) is a bestselling writer, novelist, and a dad. He leads The Write Practice community, an award-winning community of creative writers. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife Talia and three kids and enjoys coffee and corpse reviver no. 2s. Joe and I talk about the evolution of his book, the challenge of doing something different or outside of the usual path, how panic and desperation can fuel productivity, and much more. I had a great time learning about Joe’s process when building this book and I am happy to be able share our conversation with you. Talking Points Who is J.H. (Joe) Bunting? This is how he got his start What Joe discovered about the book while in Paris How important was it for Joe to take on this book – something that was different than what he’d done before Mark Twain play

On this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Chris Norton. Chris is a speaker, author, adoptive & foster parent. He suffered a severe spinal cord injury playing college football. However, seven years later joyfully conquered the challenge of walking his wife, Emily, down the aisle of his wedding. Chris spoke about his journey, chronicled in The Seven Longest Yards, a book he co-wrote with his wife. We also talked about being fathers, what productivity means to him, and so much more. Chris has overcome a lot and yet is incredibly productive and has an inspiring story to share. I’m pleased to be able to bring it to you on this episode of the program. Talking Points Chris shares a bit about who he is and why he no longer plays football What did it take for Chris to show resilience in the face of tragedy? This is the one thing that helps Chris stay so positive Chris tells the story of the first time he tried to take steps since the accident What primary lesson does Chris take from his football days

On this episode, I’m joined by Brian Dixon, the author of Start with Your People: The Daily Decision that Changes Everything. As a podcaster, conference speaker, and business coach, Brian is passionate about helping high potential leaders and teams thrive in a world of overwhelming options. Some of the things we discuss during our conversation include what people can do to make sure they are starting on the right foot with others, why putting people first plays a role in your productivity, and the things you can do so that you can start with people first. Talking Points Brian speaks about the idea of “deciding” and the concept of the daily decision The nuanced approach to creating harmony between the needs of your people and your own needs This is The One Hour Exchange… and how you make it happen in a way that works for you What steps should someone take if they want to start off on the right foot when “starting with their people” Brian loves personality tests. Here are the four he likes the best. Bria

On this episode of the podcast, I have the pleasure of being joined by the author of The Book of Awesome Series, Neil Pasricha. Neil thinks, writes, and speaks about intentional living and on this episode he’s going to share with me some of his insights from the book You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life. Neil is a New York Times best-selling author of 5(!) books, selling well over a million copies of his books in the process. He also hosts the award-winning podcast – and foamier Productivityist Podcast Pick of the Week – 3 Books. He’s an in-demand international speaker and, like me, is a Canadian. Unlike me, he lives in Toronto with his wife and three sons. We spend time during our discussion talking about his latest book and a wide variety of productivity-related topics for just over an hour, making this one of the longer episodes I’ve ever produced. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this conversation I have with Neil on the program. It’s, in a word… awesome