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A Productive Conversation
A Productive Conversation episodes
- The Inner Game of Productivity with Alan BrownMy guest this week is Alan Brown – a productivity coach, best-selling author of the book Zen and the Art of Productivity, and the host of Crusher TV. Alan helps people get more things done in less time and with less stress through smart productivity and brain hacks.We chatted about his experience in overcoming a learning disability and addiction, how he catapulted himself from an average ad executive to a successful entrepreneur, and how brain hacks played an important part in all these.This week, he shares some techniques to get you from planning to execution. Join us as we discuss:Alan's interesting background which involved dealing with ADHD and turning it into an advantage that accelerated his career.What motivated him to create the ADD Crusher and eventually the Crusher TV community.What a brain hack is according to Alan and his thoughts about it.Alan's thoughts on different coaching approaches and what works.What an inner game is and the role it plays in one's own productivity.Alan's views on setting boundaries, awareness, deep work, and how these all affect one's inner game.The importance of well-being to fuel the body and brain.Alan’s low-bandwidth but high-impact sampling of brain hacks that will help you maximize your productivity.Relevant Links:Crusher TVThe Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance by W. Timothy Gallwey | AmazonThe Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Pocketbook Guide to Fulfilling Your by Deepak Chopra | AmazonMind Hacking: How to Change Your Mind for Good in 21 Days Hardcover by John Hargrave | AmazonDeep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World Hardcover by Cal Newport | AmazonCrusher TV (@realcrusherTV) | TwitterThanks for tuning in! Until next time, remember to stop guessing...and start going.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.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. 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.
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35 min - The Inner Game of Productivity with Alan BrownI would like to introduce you all to Alan Brown – he is a productivity coach, brain hacker, host of Crusher TV, and a best-selling author of the book Zen and the Art of Productivity – and he is my guest on this episode. In a nutshell, Alan helps people through productivity and brain hacks get more done in less time and with less stress.34 min
- The Productive Kitchen with Allison SchaafIn this week's episode, my guest is Allison Schaaf - a food, nutrition and culinary expert, and founder of meal-planning website PrepDish. It offers gluten-free, dairy-free and paleo meal plans to help people save time preparing healthy, homecooked meals.Allison was a guest on a previous bonus episode where we chatted about her approach in productivity which got its roots from the kitchen. She’s back this week and talked about something that's off the beaten path for me: cooking!If you’re interested in having a more productive kitchen, I highly suggest paying attention to this episode as we discussed:Her background in culinary arts and nutrition, her stint as a personal chef, and a personal pain point that led her to create a meal plan system which is now known as Prep Dish.The importance of nourishment and well-being, and why people should invest time planning their meals instead of going for the convenience of fast, commerically-prepared food.How to create meal plans that cater to people with different diet preferences and restrictions.How the PrepDish meal plan works – what's in it, how tos, and the strategies that will help you master food preparation and healthy cooking.Allison’s food preparation hacks like prioritization, doing double-duty tasks, grouping and batching, and how it's parallel to my own productivity system.How learning the PrepDish system can help you enjoy the reward of healthy cooking in your family.Allison’s kitchen essentials and why you shouldn't skimp on the right tools.Allison's advice that will make a difference in your life.Relevant Links:PrepDish.comThree Must Have Knives for Your Kitchen | PrepDish.comThree Essential Cutting Boards You Need in Your Kitchen | PrepDish.comPrepping Ahead & Storing | PrepDish.comFood Processor vs. Blender? My Recommendation. | PrepDish.comPrep Dish (@PrepDish) | TwitterAnova Culinary PCB-120US-K1 Bluetooth Precision Cooker | AmazonInstant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker | AmazonThanks for listening! Until next time, remember to stop guessing...and start going.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.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. 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.
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34 min - The Productive Kitchen with Allison SchaafOn this episode, my guest is Allison Schaaf. She is a food, nutrition and culinary expert, and the founder of meal-planning website PrepDish, which offers gluten-free, dairy-free and paleo meal plans. PrepDish aims to save people time preparing and cooking healthy, homecooked meals.33 min
- Automating, Growing, and Selling with Joshua LatimerIn this week's podcast episode, my guest is Joshua Latimer – the man behind Send Jim and Automate Grow Sell, which help small businesses tap the power of relationship marketing.A few years back, Joshua left his job as a banker at JP Morgan Chase and decided to open a cleaning business in Michigan, which he eventually sold in 2015. He is now based with his family in Costa Rica managing a company that creates more freedom for businesses through automation and systems.Joshua and I chatted about planning, systemizing, theming, and automation among many others. Topics we’ve discussed are:Joshua’s business background, the different business models that inspired him, his motivation to create Send Jim, and it’s 4-year run as a business.The importance of relationship marketing in businesses and how Send Jim can help entrepreneurs harness its power.How he applies theming in his personal life and even created themed days for each of his family member.Joshua’s task management approach to the multiple projects he is running.His fascination with different beliefs, points of view, and economic and business principles across cultures.Books that captivated his interest and shaped the core paradigms he is currently applying in his business and life.Why he turned down an offer to co-author a book and a lesson about saying no. This resonated with me a lot.Other methods he has put into place like breaking his days into sprints, delegating, and turning things off.What Send Jim does, its market, and why it's called Send Jim instead of Send Josh.Relevant Links:Features | Sendjim.ioSend Jim | App StoreAutomate Grow Sell | Joshua LatimerBeyond the E-Myth with Michael E. Gerber | ProductivityistAutomate Grow Sell | Joshua LatimerProductivity Planner: Get More Done and Beat Procrastination by Intelligent Change | KickstarterThe ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan | AmazonEssentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown | AmazonThanks for listening! Until next time, remember to stop guessing...and start going.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.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. 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 - Automating, Growing, and Selling with Joshua LatimerOn this episode, my guest is Joshua Latimer – the man behind SendJim and AutomateGrowSell – both are initiatives that aid small local service businesses to get better in their niche.33 min
- Say Hello to David Knapp-FisherMy guest on this episode is one of my good friends, David Knapp-Fisher. We met at the World Domination Summit where we found out that we live 4 blocks apart, and have been constantly connecting ever since.David is a father, speaker, and writer who loves connecting with people – especially the passionate and inspiring ones who lead remarkable lives. He describes himself as a guy who bumbled through school but always knew that he was smart outside of the standard school setting. He worked as a chef for some time until he realized that his passion is connecting with people.We chatted (with David right in my home office) about keeping connections alive, his routine, and the power of saying hello. Some specific topics we talked about are:How we met and first said hello to each other at the World Domination Summit.The importance of having the right knowledge to be productive. And in cases when you don’t how you can tap into gaining more knowledge by finding and saying hello to someone who does have it.David’s method to foster and maintain authentic connections through priority, productivity, and doing the right things, and a morning coffee-and-email-routine he’s been doing to ensure that this aspect is covered in the first hour of his day.Why it is important to always ask ‘How can I help you?’ which according to him may even be more important than saying hello.My takeaway on his point of view translated into productivity practice - such as going into his email app with missions rather than questions, and being deliberate in maintaining connections.The idea that by going into "self-serving mode" that we can wind up serving others. On that note, David shared the story of how merely introducing two people served a larger purpose.People’s tendency to perceive arrogance due to systems we put in place. An example of which is illustrated in my story involving scheduling podcast interviews via Acuity, and David’s experience managing Inspired Victoria and how he was able to resolve this through fairness and honesty.The process he uses if he wants to reach out to people or include people more closely in his life.An interesting rule he enforces in the Inspired Victoria community so people get to connect based on their passions, and a related story during my theater days about connecting through passions, and how we often miss opportunities like these when we only see things at face value.A story of saying hello that took so long to happen – maybe brought by fear of rejection – that ultimately led to a friendship.David's take on processing rejection, and his final words of advice.Relevant Links:Inspiration for Awesome Lifestyles | David Knapp-FisherDiscipline or Regret - A Father's Decision | David Knapp-Fisher | TEDxStanleyPark | YouTubeInspired VictoriaWorld Domination SummitAcuity SchedulingRejection Proof: How I Beat Fear and Became Invincible Through 100 Days of Rejection by Jia Jiang | AmazonThe Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book) by Don Miguel Ruiz | AmazonThis episode was definitely special because we were actually sitting face-to-face, and our conversation was more insightful as we fed off each other's energy. Thanks for listening!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.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. 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
37 min - Say Hello to David Knapp-FisherMy guest on this episode is one of my good friends, David Knapp-Fisher. We met at the World Domination Summit where we found out that we live 4 blocks apart, and have been constantly connecting ever since.35 min
- Controlling the Clutter with Claire TompkinsThis episode's guest is Claire Tompkins (a.k.a. the Clutter Coach). Claire works with clients to organize and declutter their homes and offices, to manage their time, and get things done better. She works with artists, writers, entrepreneurs, and more as a professional organizer by creating simple, practical systems for real people.If you’ve been following the podcast and my other work, you’d know how big a fan of simple I am. That's something that Claire also promotes. Claire and I chatted on this episode about clutter - from physical to digital, workflows, apps, clients, books, and influencers.Some of the specific areas we discussed were:Her perception of what clutter is – from the physical ones occupying our spaces, those hidden behind drawers and cupboards, to the ones that occupy our minds and our devices.An epiphany that motivated her to start decluttering her.How she starts the process of decluttering, and dealing with clients who identify and define clutter very differently.One of the methods she uses in task management – to make your tasks into a card game.Books she is interested in that deal with resistance, willpower, habit-creation, and procrastination.The process of she uses when working with her clients, including identifying pain points and urgency, sorting clutter and items, and dealing with resistance and the return of clutter.Getting people to step back and recognize the need to re-organize and declutter, and a very interesting story of how one client did not recognize their own living space immediately after taking a photo of it.Her preference for paper to-do lists, and the influencers that have inspired her to fit her to-do list within the larger context of how she intends her life to be.How she observes her clients’ productivity and organization techniques, asking them the logic behind their habits and practices to help them personalize their workflow so they can create a sense of ownership and accountability.The reason for her shift from productivity to zero in on clutter, the lack of women working in productivity and why she thinks that is the case.We also discussed how we want to introduce workflows so it becomes easier for people to absorb the importance of productivity practices, the problems we’ve experienced with systems and clients, and the integration of online and offline task management.Relevant LinksClutter Coach | Less Overwhelm = More JoyPodcast 029: Make your tasks into a card game | Clutter CoachThe War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield | AmazonThe Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It by Kelly McGonigal | AmazonThe Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg | AmazonIt's About Time!: The Six Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them by Linda Sapadin and Jack Maguire | Amazon43 Folderszen habitsGetting Things Done with David Allen | The Productivityist PodcastThe Ivy Lee Method: The Daily Routine Experts Recommend for Peak Productivity | James ClearThe Emergent Task Planner™ | Dave Seah52 Simple Ways to Get Organized (download) | Clutter CoachClutter CoachClaire Tompkins (@ClaireTompkins) | TwitterClutter Coach Claire | FacebookThank you for joining me today- and remember to stop guessing and start going.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.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. 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
51 min - Controlling the Clutter with Claire TompkinsThis episode's guest is Claire Tompkins (a.k.a. the Clutter Coach). Claire works with clients to organize and declutter their homes and offices, to manage their time and get things done better. She works with artists, writers, entrepreneurs and more as a professional organizer by creating simple, practical systems for real people.50 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.
Subscribe and join the conversation—because a productive life is more than just getting things done.
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