A Productive Conversation

A Productive Conversation

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A Productive Conversation episodes

  • Marie Poulin talks about Notion

    Marie Poulin is the creator of Notion Mastery and co-founder of Oki Doki. Diagnosed with ADHD, she believes that Notion is especially powerful for neurodivergent folks who have long struggled to adhere to traditional or rigid project management processes, and may need a little extra customization and flexibility. Because of this, she is passionate about helping others customize their workflows and workspaces to meet their unique needs and preferences. 

    In this episode, Marie suggests how to use Notion to its best potential. We discuss the idea of journaling, the importance of systems, tracking your habits, and so much more. I can't believe it took me this long to get Marie to be on the show and it was a delightful conversation with a fellow Canadian!

    Links Worth Exploring

    • Connect with Marie: Website | Twitter 
    • Visit the Notion Mastery website
    • Listen to Why You Need Atomic Habits with James Clear
    • Related Conversation: Tiago Forte talks about Building a Second Brain
    • Related Blog Post: Taking Journaling to Another Level

    • 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 below to make that happen.

      Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

      You can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.

      Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

      51 min
    • FROM THE VAULT: Body Talk with James Hamblin

      What if our bodies could talk? What if they could tell us that what we're doing to them and for them is either good or bad?

      On this vault episode, Dr. James Hamblin, Senior Editor at The Atlantic and the host of "If Our Bodies Could Talk" joins me on the show to talk about the things we can do to help ourselves and our bodies be more effective and efficient and the things we sometimes do that make them function at less than optimum levels.

      He's a funny guy. He's insightful. He's smart. We have a little bit in common. I'm no doctor. But I'm glad I got to speak to one here on this vault episode of A Productive Conversation with Mike Vardy.

      Links Worth Exploring

      • Connect with James: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
      • Check out The Atlantic: If Our Bodies Could Talk
      • Learn more about James Hamblin's work here
      • Sad Desk Lunch: Is This How You Want to Die? - The Atlantic
      • Single-Tasking Is the New Multitasking - The Atlantic
      • Email Is Ruining Us: A Brilliant Solution - The Atlantic
      • Related Conversation: The Free-Time Formula with Jeff Sanders
      • Related Blog Post: Good Health and Productivity Go Together

      • 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 below to make that happen.

        Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

        You can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.

        Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

        Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

        20 min
      • Michelle Segar talks about habits and The Joy Choice

        Michelle Segar is the author of No Sweat, she is a lifestyle coach and an award-winning NIH-funded sustainable behavior change researcher at the University of Michigan. She's got nearly three decades under her belt, and she's pioneered methods to create sustainable, healthy behavior changes, those changes are being used to boost patient health, employee well-being and gym member retention.

        In this episode, we talk about behaviour change and habits, we talk about the concept of P.O.P., and of course, her latest book, The Joy Choice. I really think that this is a book worth your time and attention - and so is this episode!

        Links Worth Exploring

        • Connect with Michelle: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn
        • What Are Your Hidden Eating and Exercise TRAPs? Take the Quiz here!
        • Buy Michelle's book: The Joy Choice
        • Buy Michelle's book: No Sweat
        • Related Conversation: The Four Tendencies with Gretchen Rubin
        • Related Blog Post: A Productive Life: Integrating Habits

        • 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 below to make that happen.

          Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

          You can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.

          Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

          Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

          35 min
        • Matthew Dicks talks about actionable ways to propel your creative life

          "Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone". 

          That quote from Pablo Picasso are the first words I read in Matthew Dicks book Someday is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel your Creative Life. 

          He is the author of nine other books beyond the one I just mentioned. He's a best-selling novelist, nationally recognized storyteller, and award-winning elementary school teacher. Matthew teaches storytelling and communications at universities, corporate workplaces, and community organizations.

          He's won multiple math Grand Slam story competitions, and together with his wife, they created the organization Speak Up to help others share their stories. They also co-host the Speak Up Storytelling Podcasts.

          I really enjoyed this conversation. We dive into the person who inspired me to do the work that I do now and quit my job. We also dig into this idea of perfectionism, we talk about performative productivity. And we talk about what he calls his 100-year-old plan, and lastly - we talk about oatmeal.

          Links Worth Exploring

          • Connect with Matthew: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter 
          • Buy Matthew's book: Someday is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel your Creative Life. 
          • Listen to the Speak Up Storytelling Podcast
          • Related Conversation: Strategic Storytelling with Jordan Bower
          • Related Blog Post: JoCo: A Thank You Letter to Jonathan Coulton

          • 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 below to make that happen.

            Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

            You can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.

            Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

            Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

            31 min
          • Jennifer Smith talks about why process matters

            If Jennifer Smith is right, the way anyone shares how-to knowledge is about to change forever. A former VC and McKinsey consultant turned accidental CEO, she interviewed more than 1,200 business leaders on a quest to understand everything there is to know about processes, best practices, and productivity. Now with her startup Scribe, she’s empowering people to own their processes by building the world’s first operating system for know-how.

            In this episode, we talk about all things Scribe. I mentioned how I discovered it, we chat about inbox zero, we geek out about quantitative and qualitative productivity, and so much more!

            Links Worth Exploring

            • Connect with Jennifer: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn
            • Get Scribe for FREE
            • Mike talks about the Great Overwhelm
            • Scott Friesen shows you how to use Scribe to create professional step-by-step guides 
            • Related Conversation: Overcoming Overwhelm with Dr. Samantha Brody
            • Related Blog Post: How to Start Pacing Your Productivity

            • 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 below to make that happen.

              Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

              You can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.

              Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

              Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

              39 min
            • Mike Rohde talks about the 10th Anniversary of “The Sketchnote Handbook

              He's been a frequent guest not only on this podcast, but every podcast I've done in the past. This one is extra special because it's the 10th anniversary of the Sketchnote Handbook!

              Mike Rohde is a designer, teacher, and author of The Sketchnote Handbook and The Sketchnote Workbook, co-creator of The Sketchnote Ideabook, founder of Sketchnote Army, and Illustrator of REWORK, REMOTE, and The $100 Startup. 

              In this episode, we have a delightful conversation talking about everything Sketchnote and allude to some of Mike's other successes over the past decade. We chat about where the Sketchnoting community has gone, what's happened with him, what he expected, what surprised him, and all things in between. 

              This episode was originally released as a live stream for Premium members of TimeCrafting Trust. Want to take partake in future live streams and much more? Sign up here!

              Links Worth Exploring

              • Connect with Mike: Website | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Flickr
              • Get The Sketchnote Handbook
              • Get half-off two books with the code: HAPPY10 
              • The Daily Plan Bar
              • See all of Mike’s Sketchnote products
              • Check out Sketchnote Workshops here
              • Related Conversation: The Bullet Journal Method with Ryder Carroll
              • Related Blog Post: Why Paper Works

              • 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 below to make that happen.

                Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

                You can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.

                Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

                Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

                42 min
              • Mike Williams talks about Doing to Done

                There's a better way to be the best. 

                That's what Mike Williams shares in his book, Doing to Done: Productivity Made Simple and what we talk about in this episode of A Productive Conversation with Mike Vardy.

                He is a speaker, author, executive, and coach who helps leaders obtain small wins with a big impact on their lives and businesses. Today, Mike assists clients using an effective coaching methodology that’s far from complicated. He also used what works to create Doing to Done.

                He's not the only one that's involved in this book, because it's illustrated for busy people like us! We talk about why he decided to put illustrations in this book, we dive into things like small wins the power of verbs, reflection, and its important clarity maps, as well as how to get email out of the way, so that you can make the work beats that you want to have last as short (or as long) as you want without having to worry about the external pings that are going on in your life. 

                This episode was originally released as a live stream for Premium members of TimeCrafting Trust. Want to take partake in future live streams and much more? Sign up here!

                Links Worth Exploring

                • Connect with Mike: Website | LinkedIn
                • Register for Mike's FREE webinar here
                • Buy Mike's book: Doing to Done: Productivity Made Simple
                • Visit Rick Beato's YouTube channel
                • Related Conversation: Episode 204: Getting Things Done for Teens with Mike Williams
                • Related Blog Post: Getting Things Done in Tough Places

                • 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 below to make that happen.

                  Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

                  You can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.

                  Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

                  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

                  55 min
                • Anna Tsui talks about Shadow Magic

                  Anna Tsui, is the creator of The Genius Method. She is a genius coach, international writer, speaker, and serial entrepreneur. Her bestselling book, “Shadow Magic: Turn your Fear Into Fuel and Create a Prosperous Coaching Business” shows readers how to overcome their personal self-sabotage and build a thriving career and business.

                  In this episode, I tell the story about my shadow self that infiltrated my world not too long ago. We talk about some other elements of Anna's work, a bit of parenting, and there may be a few Star Wars references, too.

                  There's a lot of great stuff in this episode, we had what we like to call a "badass" conversation, but it was productive!

                  Links Worth Exploring

                  • Connect with Anna: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn
                  • Download half of Anna's bestselling book for free
                  • Buy Shadow Magic: Turn your Fear Into Fuel and Create a Prosperous Coaching Business
                  • Sign up for The Procrastination Course
                  • Related Conversation: Episode 332: Getting Productive With Astrology with Jill Blumenstock
                  • Related Blog Post: 6 Reasons Why You Fail to Reach Your Goals

                  • 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 below to make that happen.

                    Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

                    You can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.

                    Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

                    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

                    34 min
                  • Tiago Forte talks about Building a Second Brain

                    On this episode, I'm joined by Tiago Forte. 

                    He is the author of Building a Second Brain, a Proven Method to Organize your Digital Life and Unlock your Creative Potential. He is one of the world's foremost experts on productivity and has taught thousands of people around the world how timeless principles and the latest technology can revolutionize their productivity, creativity, and personal effectiveness. 

                    We get into the depths of PKM productivity and what it really means to build a second brain.

                    This conversation was truly productive and we could have covered so much more!

                    This episode was originally released as a live stream for Premium Members of TimeCrafting Trust. Want to take partake in future live streams and much more? Sign up here!

                    Links Worth Exploring

                    • Connect with Tiago : Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
                    • Listen to Tiago's Podcast
                    • Get the Second Brain Quickstart Guide
                    • Buy Tiago's book Building a Second Brain
                    • Join the TimeCrafting Trust Membership
                    • Related Conversation: The Evolution of Getting Things Done with David Allen
                    • Related Blog Post: Everything in Evernote

                    • 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 below to make that happen.

                      Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

                      You can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.

                      Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

                      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

                      1 hr 2 min
                    • John Baird & Edward Sullivan talk about Leading with Heart

                      This week I am delighted to not bring you just one guest this week, but two!

                      I am joined by John Baird and Edward Sullivan to discuss their new book Leading with Heart: 5 Conversations that Unlock Creativity, Purpose, and Results.

                      This episode feels like a couple of friends having a conversation over coffee. We chat about the idea of the "lights on, lights off experiment", how fear and Maslow's hierarchy of needs play a part in why they constructed the book the way they did, and we go over how to read it!

                      John Baird has been considered one of the premier executive coaches in Silicon Valley for over 25 years. He built his career coaching in the C-Suite at companies ranging from Apple and Nike to start-ups like DoorDash and MasterClass. He earned a PhD in Organizational Leadership from Purdue University. He is currently Founder & Chairman of the renowned executive coaching consultancy Velocity.

                      Edward Sullivan has been coaching and advising start-up founders, Fortune 10 executives, and heads of state for over 15 years. His clients include executives from Google, Salesforce, Slack, and dozens of other fast-growth companies. He holds an MBA from Wharton and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. Edward is CEO & President of the renowned executive coaching consultancy Velocity.

                      Links Worth Exploring

                      • Connect with John: Twitter | LinkedIn
                      • Connect with Edward: Twitter | LinkedIn
                      • Pre-order Leading with Heart: 5 Conversations that Unlock Creativity, Purpose, and Results.
                      • Visit their Velocity Coaching website
                      • Related Conversation: Episode 413: Mohammad Anwar and Chris Pitre talk about Love as a Business Strategy
                      • Related Blog Post: Failing Forward: A 5 Step Process to Fight the Fear of Failure


                        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 below to make that happen.

                        Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher

                        You can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.

                        Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

                        Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

                        38 min

                      About A Productive Conversation

                      From the publisher's feed

                      Hosted by productivity strategist Mike Vardy, A Productive Conversation offers insightful discussions on how to craft a life that aligns with your intentions. Each episode dives into the art of time devotion, productiveness, and refining your approach to daily living. Mike invites guests who are thinkers, doers, and creators to share their strategies for working smarter and living more intentionally. From practical tips to deep dives on mindset shifts, this podcast will help you reframe your relationship with time and find balance in a busy world.

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