A Productive Conversation

A Productive Conversation

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A Productive Conversation episodes

  • Britt Frank talks about The Science of Stuck

    It's never fun to feel as if you're stuck. But there might be some advantages to getting stuck that you may not see, especially when you're actually in that state.

    That's where Britt Frank comes in.

    Britt Frank is the author of The Science of Stuck. She is a therapist, teacher, speaker, and trauma specialist who is committed to dismantling the mental health myths that keep us feeling STUCK and SICK.

    On this episode, she joined me for a discussion about dealing with "stuckness". We also chat about the hidden benefits of staying stuck, Energy Management, and more about her work focusing on empowering people to understand the inner mechanisms of their brains and bodies.

    Links Worth Exploring

    • Connect with Britt: Website | Instagram
    • Buy Britt's Book: The Science of Stuck
    • Check out Daniel Coyle's book: The Culture Playbook: 60 Highly Effective Actions to Help Your Group Succeed
    • Related Conversation: Episode 420: Daniel Coyle talks about The Culture Playbook
    • Related Blog Post: How to Get Unstuck: The Big Paper Exercise

    • 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

      32 min
    • FROM THE VAULT: A Mindful Conversation with Patrick Rhone

      On this vault episode of the podcast, I bring back Patrick Rhone. He is an author and speaker who helps guide people to the balance and peace that comes through mindfulness, introspection, and truth. Patrick and I have lots of great conversations, and not all of them are recorded - so this was a treat to revisit.

      This time around we focus on reading more (and better), mindfulness (and Patrick’s book “Mindfulness for Mere Mortals), and much more.

      I always have a blast talking with Patrick. I hope you enjoy the show as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

      Links Worth Exploring

      • Connect with Patrick: Website | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn
      • Buy Patrick's book: Mindfulness for Mere Mortals
      • Listen to David Wallace speech: This is Water
      • Related Conversation: Intentions, Time, and Saying No with Patrick Rhone
      • Related Blog Post: Doing Productive vs. Being Productive

      • 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

        48 min
      • Jake Kahana talks about Caveday

        The more specific we get about something, the more we pay attention to it - and that's what we did with this episode.

        Jake Kahana is a designer and entrepreneur. He is a co-founder of Caveday, a company founded to maximize focus for individuals and corporations through facilitated focus sessions training. Their global community has participated in over 50,000 hours of deep work “In The Cave.” As a US faculty member with The School of Life, Jake teaches workshops in emotional intelligence for corporate teams.

        In this episode, Jake tells us how Caveday came to be with a couple of like-minded friends who wanted to focus on their tasks and build a community - together. We talk about the power of asking the right questions and how being open and vulnerable as an entrepreneur can be life-changing.

        Links Worth Exploring

        • Connect with Jake: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn
        • Get a 1-month FREE trial of Caveday 
        • Watch Jimmy Kimmel & Jimmy Fallon's April Fool's prank
        • Related Conversation: Episode 420: Daniel Coyle talks about The Culture Playbook
        • Related Blog Post: The Value of Imperfect Focus

        • 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
        • FROM THE VAULT: What Goes Into a Task App with Amir Salihefendic

          Mike is back once again with an episode from the vault. If you're a Todoist user or you just love To-do list apps, then you're going to love this episode.

          Amir Salihefendic is the founder and CEO of Doist (the makers of Todoist). We discuss what prompted him to create Todoist, what system he uses to complete his tasks, and dive deeper into what it’s like to work on developing a task management application in today’s age.

          Links Worth Exploring

          • Connect with Amir: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn
          • Check out Todoist
          • Systemist: A modern productivity workflow | Todoist Blog
          • How to create sub-tasks? | Todoist
          • Todoist Business
          • Related Conversation: All Things Productive with Carl Pullein
          • Related Blog Post: Why I Switched To Todoist

          • 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

            41 min
          • Prasanth Nair talks about The Stack Method

            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 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

              40 min
            • FROM THE VAULT: The Daily Plan Bar with Mike Rohde

              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 Productivityist Podcast: The Staying Power of Sketchnotes with Deborah LeFrank
              • 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

                30 min
              • FROM THE VAULT: The Daily Plan Bar with Mike Rohde
                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 Productivityist Podcast: The Staying Power of Sketchnotes with Deborah LeFrank
                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.
                31 min
              • Jake Kelfer talks about The Elevated Entrepreneur

                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 today. Enjoy!

                Links Worth Exploring

                • Connect with Jake: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
                • Buy Jake's Book: The Elevated Entrepreneur: Unlocking the Secrets of the World's Greatest Coaches, Performers, and Entrepreneurs
                • Related Conversation: Episode 359: The Common Path to Uncommon Success with John Lee Dumas
                • Related Blog Post: How to Build an Achievement Structure: Getting the Front End Work Done

                • 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

                  30 min
                • Jake Kelfer talks about The Elevated Entrepreneur
                  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 today. Enjoy!
                  Links Worth Exploring
                  Connect with Jake: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
                  Buy Jake's Book: The Elevated Entrepreneur: Unlocking the Secrets of the World's Greatest Coaches, Performers, and Entrepreneurs
                  Related Conversation: Episode 359: The Common Path to Uncommon Success with John Lee Dumas
                  Related Blog Post: How to Build an Achievement Structure: Getting the Front End Work Done
                  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.
                  33 min
                • FROM THE VAULT: Behind the Scenes with Dexter Guff and Peter Oldring

                  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 Oldring | TEDxYYC | Youtube
                  • This is That with Pat Kelly and Peter Oldring | CBC Radio
                  • Related Conversation: Episode 274: Humor That Works with Andrew Tarvin
                  • Related Blog Post: How To Stop The Urgent Stuff From Overwhelming You

                  • 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 3 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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