A Productive Conversation

By Mike VardyBusiness Careers Management

A Productive Conversation episodes

December 05, 2018 Becoming Better Everyday with Brett Pinegar
On this episode of the podcast, I’m joined by Brett Pinegar. Brett is the founder of the X Group, where he helps individuals and teams multiply their effectiveness by adopting the techniques and mindsets great leaders use. Brett is a three-time tech CEO, a trail runner, and most importantly, a dad to five great kids.
During our conversation, Brett and I spoke about how to lead with excellence daily, how an aspect of our mind can sabotage our pursuit of excellence, and how to adopt a mindset of excellence. We also discussed the power of routines and reveal a condition that Brett struggles with that could have hindered his mindset – but he refused to let it define him. (And that’s just for starters.)
Relevant Links
Brett Pinegar’s Website
Avoid Perfection – Embrace Excellence by Brett Pinegar
X Notes – Living and Leading with Excellence by Brett Pinegar
Brett Pinegar on Twitter
I enjoyed my time chatting with Brett and I hope you did as well. If so, do me a favour and leave a rating and review wherever you subscribed to the podcast (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, etc.). Not a subscriber yet? Make sure you don’t miss a single episode by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts.
Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.
And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
33 min
November 28, 2018 How to STRIVE with Scott Amyx
Scott Amyx joins me on this episode of the podcast. Scott is the author of Strive: How Doing the Things Most Uncomfortable Leads to Success, which has been endorsed by Tony Robbins, Forbes, Singularity University, Tribeca Film Festival and other influencers.
Relevant Links
About Scott Amyx
Books by Scott Amyx
Scott Amyx Redefines The Roadmap To Success With Six Simple Steps | Forbes
Bitcoiners Take New York, but Wall Street Resists The Lure | MoneyBeat @ Wall Street Journal
STRIVE: How Doing the Things Most Uncomfortable Leads to Success | Amazon
Scott’s Website
Scott Amyx | Twitter
I haven’t explored this area so much in the past – perhaps because I’ve found it uncomfortable – so having this conversation with Scott was quite refreshing. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please share this episode and make sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing to the show.
Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.
And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
36 min
November 21, 2018 Building The Best Planner Ever with Jennifer Dawn
I welcome Jennifer Dawn, creator of the Best Planner Ever, to the podcast this time around. Jennifer is a serial entrepreneur who has grown two multi-million dollar businesses and serves high-achieving entrepreneurs through private business coaching helping to take their companies further, faster.
Since I’ve got a “mild” obsession with paper planners I wanted to talk with Jennifer about what went into building the Best Planner Ever. We discuss how it got its name, the elements that are unique to the planner, and why she thinks it’s important to bring what’s important to you into the planner that you use and how you can do that.
Best Planner Ever
Jennifer Dawn Coaching
Jennifer and I could have kept going for much longer but there’ll (hopefully) be another time for that. Right now it’s time for you to check out her planner (linked above) and check out The Productivityist Playbook as well. You can get The Productivityist Podcast at a discounted price by clicking here.
Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.
And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
38 min
November 14, 2018 Back to Human with Dan Schawbel
On this episode of the show, I speak with New York Times best-selling author Dan Schawbel. Dan is the author of Back to Human: How Great Leaders Create Connection in the Age of Isolation and the host of the 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel podcast. He’s also Partner and Research Director at Future Workplace, and the Founder of both Millennial Branding and WorkplaceTrends.com.
Dan and I have a history back when I was the Managing Editor of Lifehack and while we’ve never spoken prior to this episode, we were able to jump into a lively conversation about using technology as a bridge to more human conversations rather than making it a barrier, how technology can also help deepen relationships, the importance of getting out to events and gatherings that push your comfort zones, and more.
Relevant Links
Back to Human: How Great Leaders Create Connection in the Age of Isolation | Dan Schawbel
The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains | Nicholas Carr
How our 269 billion emails a day have made us miserable | Fast Company
Introduction to Back to Human [FREE DOWNLOAD]
The Back to Human Office Party [Comedy Sketch] | YouTube
“5 Questions with Dan Schawbel” podcast
Dan’s Website
I had a great time chatting with Dan. There’s a lot to unpack in this episode and plenty of things that you can try to get “back to human” and I encourage you to try some of those things today. I also encourage you to share this episode and subscribe to the show. If you’re open to rating and reviewing the podcast, that’s even better.
Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.
And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
34 min
November 07, 2018 Running Down a Dream with Tim Grahl
Tim Grahl joins me on this episode of the podcast to talk about his latest book (and most personal one to date), Running Down a Dream: Your Road Map To Winning Creative Battles.
Tim and I have had several conversations before and we make every effort to get together whenever we’re in the same city. This time I speak to him over Skype (with some microphone issues on my end to start off the show) as we dive into why he wrote this book, how tough it was to write it, the productivity practices he has put in place to aid him in running down his dream, his thoughts on social media, and much more.
Relevant Links
Running Down a Dream | Amazon
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield | Amazon
Story Grid Podcast with Shawn Coyne and Tim Grahl
Free Time is the Enemy of Progress | Medium
The Autofocus System | Mark Forster
World Domination Summit
How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe | Be More with Less
Tim Grahl’s Website
Tim Grahl on Twitter
Thanks for listening to the show and if you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe and rate/review the show. See you next episode!
Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.
And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
50 min
October 31, 2018 The Role of Tech in Productivity with Jay Miller
On this episode of The Productivityist Podcast, I speak with Jay Miller of Productivity in Tech. I’ve known Jay for a few years now and it was a pleasure to have him in my studio to talk about productivity, technology, and the intersection between them.
We cover a wide range of topics during our conversation so prepare to dig in for a lot of productivity neediness for this episode (more than usual).
Relevant Links
Productivity in Tech Blog
Productivity in Tech Podcast
An Interview with Jay Miller | Joe Buhlig
Jay Miller on Twitter
Thanks for popping by to give the show a listen. If you enjoyed the show, I encourage you to subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts or whatever you use to listen to podcasts. Better still, rate and review the show to help more people find it (and help us make the show even better). Take care and keep moving things forward!
Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.
And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27 min
October 24, 2018 The Bullet Journal Method with Ryder Carroll
Have you ever wanted to hear the story of how one of the most popular productivity methodologies came to be? Then you’ll enjoy this episode as I’m joined by the creator of the incredibly popular Bullet Journal, Ryder Carroll. Ryder is also the author of the book – his first – The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future which goes deeper into the Bullet Journal phenomenon (as do we during our discussion).
Ryder and I speak about how his creation took off, the importance of patience, how to deal with one’s own expectations, and more. It’s a fascinating conversation that will go beyond the “how” of The Bullet Journal Method and into the “why.”
Relevant Links
The Bullet Journal Method
The Bullet Journal Method Collector’s Set
The Productivityist Podcast: The Best Kind of Paper Pushing
BulletJournal.com
Ryder Carroll on Twitter
I had an absolute blast chatting with Ryder and am excited to share this episode with you. I hope you enjoy it!
Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.
And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
40 min
October 17, 2018 Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone with Andy Molinsky
On this episode of the show, I speak with Andy Molinksy. Andy is a professor of International Management and Organizational Behavior at Brandeis University, an author of two business books – Global Dexterity and Reach and a columnist at HBR, Psychology Today, and Inc.com. He lectures, teaches, and consults on helping people step outside their personal, professional, and cultural comfort zones.
Talking Points
How Andy helps people get past the mindset shift it takes to reach beyond their comfort zone.
The pain points that keep us in our comfort zone, preventing us from stepping outside of it (and what ones are what Andy calls “The Big Three”).
What Andy learned during a “ride along” that has helped him with his work.
You’ll find out if (and how far) Andy went outside of his comfort zone when writing Reach.
What the 3 Cs approach is and how it helps you reach outside of your comfort zone
How both of us use avatars and triggers to help us do things that are uncomfortable…or things that we may feel as if we’re not ready to challenge.
Relevant Links
Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge and Build Confidence
Why You Need a Clarity Day
Boost Your Productivity with Themes
Couch to 5k
Andy Molinksy’s Website
I hope you enjoy this episode…and if you’re looking for an example of something you can do to step outside of your comfort zone then perhaps sharing this episode might fit the bill. (Better yet – subscribe to the show so you don’t miss a single episode.)
Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.
And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
43 min
October 11, 2018 Hyperfocus with Chris Bailey
On this episode I speak with fellow Canadian and productivity expert Chris Bailey. Chris Bailey 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.
It’s always fun to chat with Chris and in this particular discussion 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. There is so much productivity goodness in this episode!
Relevant Links
Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction
The Productivity Project
The Productivityist Podcast Episode 77: The Productivity Project with Chris Bailey
A Lesson from “About a Boy” on Hyper-Scheduling
The Hyper-Scheduling Experiment | MacSparky
Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
The Productivityist Podcast Episode 201: Willpower Doesn’t Work with Benjamin Hardy
The Productivityist Podcast Episode 73: Deep Work with Cal Newport
A Life of Productivity
I really liked putting this episode together and I hope you got value out of it. If so, please share this episode far and wide – scatter it, if you will. And if you got a lot of value – or “hypervalue” from several episodes of the podcast then please subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode.
Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.
And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
33 min
October 03, 2018 Beating Back Burnout with Clark Gaither
If you’ve ever faced burnout, then this discussion I have with Dr. Clark Gaither is definitely for you. Dr. Gaither is a family physician, author, speaker, blogger, corporate consultant, personal life coach, and an expert on Job Related Burnout. His latest book on this topic, *Reignite*, was released in March 2018.
Talking Points
Why he is so fascinated with job-related burnout.
How burnout nearly led him to leave his thriving medicine practice.
What steps he took to take on his burnout…and beat it back.
What “presenteeism” is and how it can impact burnout.
How to recognize the signs of burnout – even those that are a little more subtle than others.
The relationship between stress and burnout and what the 3 principle hallmarks of burnout are and how to face them so you can reignite your work (and more).
Relevant Links
REIGNITE
Designing Your Mindset with Andy Murphy | The Productivityist Podcast
The REIGNITE Workbook
The 8 Steps to Recognize and Eliminate the Burned Out Mindset
ClarkGaither.com
Dr. Clark Gaither | Twitter
Hopefully, this conversation will help you start down the path of avoiding burnout (or reigniting yourself after burning out). If you found this discussion helpful then I’d love it if you’d share this podcast as well as giving the show a rating and/or review. And if you want to reignite your personal productivity every week then subscribe to this podcast in Apple Podcasts or your podcast app of choice.
Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.
If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.
And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
32 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.