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

If you're into email management, this conversation is for you.Prasanth Nair has helped tens of thousands of people manage their inboxes through his email, meeting and time/task transformation trainings. An expert in not only productivity, but work-life balance.We've all struggled with email management at one point in our life, including Prasanth! In this episode, we discuss the difficulties around maintaining inbox zero and how he, with much trial and error, discovered The Stack Method. Links Worth Exploring Connect with Prasanth: Website | LinkedIn Check out Prasanth's Email Video Series here Related Conversation: The Evolution of Getting Things Done with David Allen Related Blog Post: Going Beyond Inbox Zero Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links be

For this vault episode, I'm bringing back Sketchnote creator, Mike Rohde. Mike is not just a friend. He is a sketchnoter, designer, illustrator, self-professed techy, author and speaker who is fond of simple yet impactful design solutions. A sample of such is the Daily Plan Bar which he created to make task management more manageable.Our discussion involves the origins of the Daily Plan Bar, how he came up with it, and the other systems he uses to manage his work tasks and his home life. He has been a huge inspiration to me in helping me bridge the gap between written and visual productivity.This is a really fun conversation and I am excited to bring it back to you as a refresher or maybe you'll be listening to it for the first time. Either way, I hope you enjoy!Links Worth Exploring Connect with Mike: Website | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Flickr Get the The Sketchnote Handbook The Daily Plan Bar See all of Mike's Sketchnote products Check out Sketchnote Workshops here Related Conversation: The Produ

Jake Kelfer is a lifestyle entrepreneur, a life elevator, and a coach to ambitious entrepreneurs, and freedom seekers helping people create incredibly impactful and profitable businesses. Jake is a three-time best-selling author, a high-energy motivational speaker, and the founder of the professional basketball combine that's helped over 70+ NBA Draft prospects turn their dreams of playing pro basketball into reality. He and his work have been featured in Forbes, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and many other major media outlets.In this episode, Jake gives us the inside scoop on his latest book The Elevated Entrepreneur: Unlocking the Secrets of the World's Greatest Coaches, Performers, and Entrepreneurs. He talks about some of his more memorable interviews and the reasoning behind the structuring of the book. And I throw some curve ball questions to really get him thinking.This is a really productive conversation and I think you will get a lot out of it. I'm really happy that I can bring this conversation to you t

On this vault episode of the show, I am delighted to have two guests join me. First up is fellow Canadian, thought leader, and podcast host Dexter Guff, host of Dexter Guff is Smarter Than You (And You Can Be Too) and following his appearance, I speak with his alter ego, comedic performer Peter Oldring.While Dexter and I discuss a lot of the usual lifehackery stuff, Peter and I dive deeper into what makes Dexter tick. We talk about how he and his colleagues Pat Kelly and Chris Kelly (no relation) came up with the idea of doing Dexter’s reaction the show has received so far, how the show is crafted every week, and where the show is headed.This is a different kind of episode – and a little longer than usual – but it’s a fun one.Links Worth Exploring Connect with Dexter: Twitter | Instagram Connect with Peter: Twitter | Wikipedia Listen to Dexter's Podcast: Dexter Guff is Smarter Than You (And You Can Be Too) Hear Peter Oldring on his podcast Dexter is Smarter Than You The Truth About Fake News | Peter Oldr

Penelope Przekop is a corporate quality management expert, entrepreneur, and author of 5-Star Career: Define and Build Yours Using the Science of Quality Management. She has worked with numerous Fortune 100 pharma companies where she has held many leadership positions and is the founder and CEO of PDC Pharma Strategy, where she also serves as the Chief Compliance Officer for Engrail Therapeutics. If you aren't already impressed, Penelope also earned a BS in Biology from Louisiana State University and an MS in Quality Systems Engineering from Kennesaw State University. She is a graduate of the Smith College Program for Women’s Leadership and the Rutgers University Senior Leadership Program for Professional Women. As well as, co-founded Bra in a Box with her daughter in 2018!We dive into her latest book, the science behind quality management, and how to clean your systems so they work for you. Systems don't have to be as scary as they seem and she breaks it all down for us in this episode of A Productive Conver

This conversation is a special one. Not just because it is from the vault, but because this guest is no longer with us. Craig Kulyk and I met at the World Domination Summit and it was an absolute pleasure to have called him my friend. I am attending the WDS while this episode airs, and what better way to honour his memory than to release this great conversation from the vault.Craig was known for his morning routines and his ideas on how to customize your morning to build better habits and be more productive. In this episode, we spoke about intentionality, how routines set the tone for the day, how you can shift and adapt your rituals over time, and more.Links Worth Exploring Hear Craig talk more about his routines on these podcasts Mike Vardy’s Morning Routine | My Morning Routine Mike Vardy’s Evening Routine | Evening Routines Related Blog Post: Why You Shouldn’t Spend Time Journaling in the Morning (And What You Should Do Instead) Related podcast episode: Episode 5: World Domination, Inspiration & Chr

Not only is Shaahin Cheyene the author of Billion: How I Became King of the Thrill Pill Cult but he is also the creator of herbal ecstasy, the nootropic pill that sparked the 100% legal smart drug movement. He's further established himself as an award-winning entrepreneur, Amazon expert, inventor, author, and filmmaker. He's known as the “Willy Wonka of Generation X” and the world’s leading Amazon industry expert.In this episode, Shaahin and I touch on many topics. It's a wild ride, so prepare! We dive into why delegation, discipline, and patience are all integral cogs when running any successful business, what red flags to look out for when hiring in a management position, and the real secret behind making billions. He even provides a sneak-peek into his Amazon Mastery course that has been empowering people to create wealth through Amazon companies around the world.Shaahin is a successful serial entrepreneur, has lived a colourful life, and has some really invigorating insights on leadership. Hear what he ha

This episode has been highly anticipated. Great guest. Great book. And a great conversation.Brad Stulberg is a coach and speaker on sustainable performance and well-being. You may have read one of his many articles in The New York Times, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and many others! He has been helping people reach their full potential as an author and coach, and in this episode, we dive into one of his latest books - The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success that Feeds—Not Crushes—Your Soul With rates of burnout and workplace resignations at an all-time high - Brad and I discuss why sustainable performance, building strong fundamentals, and practicing groundedness are as crucial as ever - and how patience ties it all together.Brad even opens up about why he is never fully grounded. Want to know why? Listen and find out.Links Worth Exploring Connect with Brad: Website | Twitter Brad's latest book: The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success that Feeds—Not Cr

You don't have to be a sports fan to take something from this episode.A globally recognized Performance Coach, Jason Goldsmith emphasizes combining the mental and physical aspects of optimal performance. As founder of Goldsmith Performance, Jason has coached multiple Major champions and top-fifty golfers. His accomplishments in golf include assisting Jason Day and Justin Rose in achieving the number-one world ranking and helping Rose win both the Gold Medal at the 2016 Olympics and the 2018 FedEx Cup Championship. In addition, he is the co-author of the book Take Charge of You: How Self Coaching Can Transform Your Life and CareerSelf-coaching can transform your life and career and this is what Jason and I cover in this week's episode. We get into this idea of self-coaching and how important is it for people to open themselves up to new experiences and break from the norms so that they can perform at a higher level.Take Charge of You, which is co-written with David Novak, is broken up into five elements which

It's always exciting having another productivity coach on the show with me and this episode definitely starts off on the right foot! This was a fun and engaging conversation that I've been eager to release!Neill Williams is a mom, wife, and former overworked cog in the corporate wheel. Until she decided to take control of the life she wanted and unbusy it! She is now a Master Life and Scheduling Coach who is helping overwhelmed entrepreneurs do the same with her online courses and podcast Unbusy your Life with Neill WilliamsBeing busy and in constant "not enough time in the day" mode can stem from a busy mindset. Neill dives into what she calls Mind Hygiene - brain dumping your thoughts and cleaning that out so that your brain can work the way it was designed to. Her goal is to help people understand time but also their mind - how they feel and how they show up in their time.We discuss a variety of topics such as redefining the word productive and removing the stigma that comes with it. Bringing it back to wh

Reimagine yourself, Own who you are, Act on what's next for you, Reassess your relationships. This is a mantra that Michael Clinton lives by. And this conversation with him is one that I've been really excited to release.Michael is a best-selling author and former magazine publisher and president for Hearst magazine. He is a writer-at-large for Esquire as well as a regular columnist for Men's Health. When he is not writing, he is an expert and keynote speaker on life longevity. Michael began really living out his ambitions later in life and is passionate about making this the new norm. He is an avid photographer, world traveler, pilot, and marathon runner and is nowhere close to slowing down.In this episode, we dive into his latest book ROAR: Into the Second Half of Your Life (Before It's Too Late). While his book holds 40 life-changing stories, we only touch on a couple of these role models who reimagined their life and started a whole new chapter. We have an intriguing discussion on the importance of knowin

It’s been nearly 6 years since I first had the pleasure of speaking with Loretta Breuning. This episode has been months in the making and I’m happy to have her back to chat about her book Status Games: Why We Play and How to Stop.Loretta is a Professor Emerita of Management at California State University and the author of many personal development books including Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, and Endorphin Levels and the aforementioned Status Games: Why We Play and How to Stop. She's the founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and has helped thousands of people make peace with their inner mammal.During our conversation, Loretta and I talked about the role happy brain chemicals play in your status and the biology behind it. We discussed the importance of stimulating your serotonin to achieve your highest productivity levels in life and in the workplace and about wiring in new choices towards your best step confidently and navigating a healthy serotonin m

This is a conversation I've been wanting to have for years.Marshall Goldsmith is someone I've been following ever since I got into the productivity space. His book "Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts - Becoming the Person You Want to Be" was especially formative for me and my work. So when I was asked if I'd like to speak with Marshall about his book "The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment" I jumped at the opportunity.He is the only two-time winner of the Thinkers 50 Award for #1 Leadership Thinker in the World. He has been ranked as the #1 Executive Coach in the World, a Top Ten Business Thinker for the past eight years, and the inaugural winner of the Lifetime Award for Leadership by the Harvard Institute of Coaching. Dr. Goldsmith is the author or editor of 43 books, including many New York Times bestsellers (one that hit at #1), that have sold over 2.5 million copies, translated into 32 languages, and been listed bestsellers in 12 countries.(Oh... and his books, "What Got You Here Won’t Get

When I was given the opportunity to speak with Daniel Coyle for A Productive Conversation, I jumped at the opportunity.He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Culture Code, The Talent Code, The Little Book of Talent, The Secret Race, Lance Armstrong’s War, and Hardball: A Season in the Projects. Coyle, who works as an advisor to the Cleveland Guardians, lives in Cleveland, Ohio, during the school year and in Homer, Alaska, during the summer with his wife, Jen, and their four children.During our conversation we talk about where culture comes from, the idea of "belonging cues", the best way for someone to go through The Culture Playbook, and the magic behind the sustainable success of my favourite NBA team.There are certain fundamentals that go into building a strong and cohesive culture. You'll find those within Daniel's work, including The Culture Playbook. And you'll also find some discussed during this conversation I had with him.Links Worth Exploring Connect with Daniel: Website | Twitter | Face

I've always wanted to interview a football player for the podcast.Thanks to Adrienne Smith, I got my chance.As an athlete, Adrienne has won two gold medals and four national championships in the sport of women’s tackle football. Adrienne has also represented the U.S. in the sport of flag football, having won three silver medals in international competition. Whether on the field or off, Adrienne’s personal mission is to “empire” (empower+inspire) others – a concept she strives to incorporate into all of her endeavors.As an entrepreneur, Adrienne, an MBA graduate of Columbia Business School, is the co-founder of Harlem Hip-Hop Tours (a company dedicated to edutainment field trips for schools and youth groups), the founder of Gridiron Queendom (an enterprise dedicated to women and girls around the world who play or are fans of American football), and the creator of Blitz Champz (a super fun, football card game that reinforces math skills for children in grades 3-8).When it comes to media, Adrienne is a multi-hyp

Joshua Becker isn't just one of my favourite people to have a conversation with, he's one of my favourite writers. And his book, Things That Matter: Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life, is a book that I needed to read.I believe it's a book that you need to read as well.Joshua is The Wall Street Journal best-selling author of The More of Less and The Minimalist Home. He's also behind the site Becoming Minimalist and, as mentioned, is one of my favourite people to hang out with.We talked about why writing this book was a big deal for Joshua, falling into the trap of chasing the wrong things, and – wait for it – atychiphobia.Whenever I speak with Joshua, ideas really come to front of mind. You'll hear this coming from me throughout this conversation. Maybe it's that those things matter to me... or maybe I'm auditioning them for that role. Either way, I'm happy that we had a chance to make this conversation happen because it mattered a lot to me to make it happen.I trust after listening to thi

Meetings suck, don't they?Fellow Canadian Cameron Herold wrote a book with that title. But he knows that they don't have to suck.During our discussion, Cameron shares with me why meetings don't have to suck and how to keep them becoming something that sucks. We also talked about a variety of other things during our conversation because Cameron has covered a lot through his body of work.He is the Founder of COO Alliance, a Coach to CEOs and COOs, Keynote Speaker, and author of 5 books. He has coached hundreds of companies in 28 countries, built two 100MM companies, and his Vivid Vision tool is being used globally by thousands of companies.There's a lot to unpack from our conversation – including the concepts of priority management and situational leadership. I trust you'll enjoy this episode and learn a lot from Cameron. I know I did.Show Notes Connect with Cameron: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Cameron's Books: Visit his Amazon Author Page Cameron's podcast: The Second in Command Podcast Camero

The way the world works has been changed forever over the past few years. There's no going back to the way things were. It's all about adapting to the evolved world of work – one that involves remote work no matter which way you slice it.That's why I'm glad to finally have Liam Martin join me on the podcast.Liam is an avid proponent of remote work and has been published in Forbes, Inc, Mashable, TechCrunch, Fast Company, Wired, and The Wall Street Journal (among many other publications) specifically targeting the expansion of remote work. Liam's products and services are defined by the concept of giving workers the flexibility to work wherever they want, whenever they want.That's why I believe he's one of the best people in the world to talk about the future of work and the role remote work will play in it.We talk about many facets of remote work throughout our conversation, including his book on remote work. This is a conversation that is definitely another productive one. I hope you learn a lot from what we

I've been friends with Chris Bailey for years, dating back to our lunch at a diner in Ottawa when I was in his neck of the woods for a speaking engagement. We've had plenty of chats over the years and they've only become more frequent as the years have progressed. (After all, there aren't many Canadians who have dedicated their life's work to the realm of productivity and time management.)Chris is the international bestselling author of The Productivity Project and Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction. Chris writes about productivity at alifeofproductivity.com, and speaks to organizations around the globe on how they can become more productive without hating the process.During this conversation we talk about focus and its effects on productivity, the different types of focus that he has written about, how to get around distraction, and much more.Over time, our stance on productivity and time management has evolved as well. And while I look forward to having Chris on the podcast agai

I've been interested in the Enneagram for a few years now, mainly because of my fascination with frameworks. And while I've had conversations with a lot of people who know about the Enneagram I had long wanted to talk to someone who knew a lot about it.That's why I'm delighted to have had this conversation with Ian Morgan Cron.Ian is a bestselling author, psychotherapist, Enneagram teacher, Episcopal priest, and the host of the wildly popular podcast, "Typology," which has over 17 million downloads. His books include the Enneagram primer The Road Back to You and The Story of You: An Enneagram Journey to Becoming Your True Self.We talked about how the Enneagram views the concept of passion, how to break free of your "broken" story, and much more in such a short timeframe. Ian also helps me figure out my own Enneagram number – a number that I figured I was but through our conversation was confirmed.Now that I know how to fix my own broken story, I can avoid getting in my own way when it comes to giving attentio