Text analysis: What in the world is THAT? Let’s consider a use case: Imagine you have a blog or social media channel where your followers or clients interact with you regularly. Someone on your team is tasked to respond appropriately to those inquiries and comments. What if you could automate a classification of those comments and instantly redirect them to the right team member? You just skipped a step in the existing process. You just saved time and increased effectiveness. That’s what text analysis can do for you. Find out about Monkey Learn, a new test analysis and machine learning platform on this episode.

Did you ever want a go kart as a kid? You never imagined one like this!

Most of us wanted a motorized something to zip around on as a kid - you know, something we could ride around the neighborhood to the envy of all the other kids? Technology is improving those options for the next generation - and with digital tools that enable kids to be protected through appropriate parental oversight. You can find out about the newest generation of motorized kids' vehicles and the apps and safeguards that go with them on this episode of OAO.

Need a support desk for your business but can’t afford it? Here’s a new solution you can afford. Probably.

What if you could finally outsource your customer service desk to a trained, intelligent, remote team and only paid based on the actual cases that were solved to the customer’s satisfaction? And what if the per-case price was very reasonable (like $3.50 per case)? Imagine no more. It exists in the new service DreamSupport.io - and on this episode, Ari and Nick cover what it does, how it works, and why you might want to check it out.

What’s the most common reason startups fail? It might shock you!

On this episode, Ari refers to an article he read recently titled, “7 Lessons from 100+ Failed Startups.” As you might imagine, there are some very predictable reasons why many of the startups failed, such as running out of funding. But the most common reason is one you would think founders would be aware of by now. It’s so simple, it’s crazy that it’s still an issue. Want to know what it is? Ari and Nick chat about it on this episode.

Interested in becoming a Leverage certified coach so you can help people be more effective?

If you are a business coach or consultant one of the main areas of value you can bring to any client is helping them optimize, automate, or outsource their workflows. It’s exponential in its impact - and now you can be certified as a Leverage coach and begin helping your clients in this vital productivity step. Find out how you can join the Leverage coaching cohort, on this episode. 

Featured Resources Mentioned On This Episode

• [0:03] How to get a copy of the first chapter of our book - and how to get a free month using our Leverage platform.
• [1:31] Actev Arrow: The first real electric go kart for kids.
• [3:29] Monkey Learn: A new machine learning platform.
• [8:29] DreamSupport.io : Outsourcing solution on a per case pricing structure.
• [9:29] Article: The 7 Lessons from 100+ Failed Startups

Other Resources Mentioned

• Text “Leverage” to “444999” to subscribe to the mailing list and get the first chapter of our new book.
• www.coach.leverage.com - Leverage coaching certification.

 

Find out more about what we’re doing at Leverage at

www.getleverage.com and www.leveragepodcasts.com

On this episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource, Ari and Nick have another handful of apps and services to point out for your consideration. They cover a new free encryption service for website owners, an always-on communication device, a new “wait in line” service in New York, and a video-based daily catch-up app for teams. Oh, and don’t forget about the online legal services company, UpCounsel. You’ll find all of them on this episode of OAO.

Online legal services that don’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Online legal services may sound a bit risky, but consider this: UpCounsel works directly with former big law partners, senior associates, and general counsels who average over 14 years of experience from top-ranked law firms and Fortune 500 companies. The lawyers who work for them (and you) have graduated from some of the best law schools in the world. They regularly verify the lawyers in the network and their active client review system provides full transparency, allowing new clients (you) to select the right attorney and receive high-quality work. It’s something you should consider, especially because you won’t be paying for the 60% costs associated with the overhead of a typical law firm. Find out more about it on this episode.

Tired of waiting in lines in New York? Here’s your solution.

It may sound cool. It may sound lazy. But it works. And the people working it are not only making a living, they are also able to do their own work while they wait in line for you. The service is called “Same Old Line Dudes” and it’s designed so you can hire someone to wait in line for you, say for those in-demand concert tickets, the release of the new iPhone, or whatever. It’s a great idea that many people are already taking advantage of.

Has the cost kept you from getting your website encrypted?

You don’t have to have that excuse anymore. Let’s Encrypt is a free, automated, and open certificate authority service provided by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG). They provide the digital certificates needed in order to enable HTTPS (SSL/TLS) for websites, for free, in the most user-friendly way possible. It’s also automatic, secure, transparent, open, and cooperative. If you haven’t encrypted your site yet, you should check this out!

It’s time for you to check out the world’s best off-grid communication device.

Sonnet enables your smartphone to send all kinds of messages WITHOUT any coverage or satellite service. It’s the world's most advanced off-grid communication device. With it, you can send text messages, voice recordings, images, and GPS locations on your phone without cellular coverage, satellite, or Internet access. It’s dust-tight and water resistant and can be used for 24 continuous hours. Amazed yet? Listen to hear more about this amazing and affordable device. 

Featured Resources Mentioned On This Episode

• [0:26] The introduction to the Leverage app. Get on the wait list.
• [0:59] Sonnet: The world’s best communication device.
• [2:45] Same Old Line Dudes: A professional line service in New York.
• [4:36] Let’s Encrypt - get your site certified for free.
• [5:34] The Simplify Podcast
• [6:35] Muzzle App - silences all notifications when you are doing screen sharing
• [8:34] Catch - a video daily catchup system for teams.
• [9:36] On demand legal services: UpCounsel

Other Resources Mentioned

• Text “Leverage” to “444999” to subscribe to the mailing list and get the first chapter of our new book.
• Blinkist Book Service
• Slack
• Trello

Find out more about what we’re doing at Leverage at

www.getleverage.com and www.leveragepodcasts.com

As they guys do on every episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource, this episode features them sharing a handful of resources they’ve come across that may help you increase your productivity and success. But before they get into the apps and services, Nick has an update on his recent trip to the team villa in St. Martin, why he went, and what the Leverage team hopes to use the property for in the months and years ahead. It’s a great perk for the team and they’re even trying out the AirBnB approach for the property while it’s not in use. Find out more, on this episode.

The text analysis service, Monkey Learn is a game changer.

What might you be able to accomplish - in terms of automation and productivity - if you could turn tweets, emails, documents, webpages, or anything else you can think of into actionable data, automatically? That’s what Monkey Learn does. Its powerful API can automate many of your business processes and save you hours of manual data processing. It even has Zapier and Google Doc integrations. You can find out more about Monkey Learn on this episode of OAO.

Want to become a Leverage certified coach?

There’s more to being a coach than simply knowing how to do something. You need to be able to get inside the head of the person you’re coaching, know how to talk to them in a way that moves them to discover their own limitations and begin to move forward. The Leverage Certified Coaching program is designed to help you not only master the Leverage approach to productivity, but also help you develop the coaching tools you need to truly help clients. Find out about our upcoming certification event on this episode.

Ever have trouble scheduling a multi-person meeting? Meekan can help.

Ari has spoken about Meekan before as an integration inside of Slack. But now there’s an even simpler way to use the app - as a Google Calendar plugin. Imagine it, with the click of a button you can immediately assess the best times for a meeting between those involved in an email conversation and have times recommended to you. It’s an incredible time saver. The app integrates across platforms so you should have no trouble using it with any connected individual around the world. Find out how to check it out, on this episode.

What if you could sleep comfortably on your commute?

For those who travel regularly from Los Angeles to San Francisco, there’s a new way to commute. You can book passage on Cabin, a sleeper bus service between the two cities. The ride comes with a comfortable travel cabin of your own, tea service, free wifi, and a staff to ensure your ride is comfortable and safe. Find out more about it on this episode of OAO.

Featured Resources Mentioned On This Episode

• [4:58] Maximum Vibrance supplement
• [6:10] The next coaching certification program - Nov 9-10.
• [7:05] Full Story Site Tracking Service
• [8:10] Meekan Google Calendar extension
• [9:11] Ideas Nick believes will be helpful to listeners.
• [12:37] Culture codes - powerpoints from various companies
• [14:37] Cabin: Sleeper bus between LA and San Francisco
• [15:02] Obsidian 3d Printer
• [15:17] 360 degree video conferencing
• [15:47] Monkey Learn - text analysis with machine learning

Other Resources Mentioned

• Text “Leverage” to “444999” to subscribe to the mailing list and get the first chapter of our new book.
• The next Leverage Coaching Certification Program
• Process Street

 

Find out more about what we’re doing at Leverage at

www.getleverage.com and www.leveragepodcasts.com

Every kid hates making their bed - OK, maybe not every kid, but most kids. Stop the hate - the smart duvet is here. It’s an automated blanket/comforter for your bed that not only makes the bed for you via an inflatable membrane, it also controls the temperature of the bed in two zones, one for your side, another for theirs. Nick was pretty impressed with this one, so he’s going to look into it. At the very least it could save you some time each morning. Just press the button on the smartphone app and go. Smart Duvet. Wow.

The ultimate most affordable family bike. Yep, it’s a FAMILY bike.

The Taga bike 2.0 is on Indiegogo right now and it’s a pretty amazing thing to see. Ari is thinking about getting one to take the kids to school in the fall. Essentially, it is a modular, adaptable bike that you can modify to fit your needs. What does that mean? You can carry cargo, or kids, pets, add on a stroller, and it is a 3-wheeled bike - so it’s stable. It’s also able to fold up so you can easily store it. What more do you want? Check it out on this episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource. It even comes with a water gun accessory. Wow, this one is almost as cool as the smart duvet.

Co-working spaces are beginning to provide daycare. Now THAT is thoughtful of them.

It’s been a pity that so far most co-working spaces have focused mainly on the “work” part and not the “co” part of what they do. Yeah, they have events and “get to know you” things and such, but they’ve been lacking in helping people live their own life the way they need to live it - but still get work done. No longer. Co-working spaces all across the U.S. have listened to their members and have begun providing daycare services in a variety of options. Ari and Nick chat about it - and you can hear it on this episode.

Earn money while you wait in line for coffee, or an elevator, or at the grocery checkout.

21.co is a new service you can sign up for that enables you to become a “specialist” of sorts who is available to answer specific questions related to your self-defined areas of expertise. You fill out a profile, check the boxes regarding what you’re qualified to answer questions about, and the app begins sending you user-submitted questions - and you get paid for answering. It’s pretty cool, so check it out by listening to this episode.

Now there’s software to turn your DSLR into a smart camera.

Aresenal is a new app that connects to most DSLR cameras and takes the headache and learning curve out of things like aperture, focus, and other settings that you’ve never taken the time to understand. With Arsenal you can take some truly stunning photos with the click of a button. Ari is amazed at how easy and amazing it is. You should be sure to check it out before you go on your next vacation.

Featured Resources Mentioned On This Episode

• [0:03] Ari’s fun day at General Assembly in Boston.
• [1:54] Smart Duvet: an automated comforter for your bed
• [3:47] The Taga Bike - a cargo bike that carries multiple people
• [4:35] New York Times Article about Co-Working Spaces that include daycare
• [5:26] 21.co - specialists can get paid to answer Q & A email
• [7:00] Spacetime within Slack
• [8:46] What Does an Aspiring Founder Need to Know? - article on HBR
• [10:55] Guardian article about older men having geekier sons
• [12:33] Arsenal - intelligent camera system
• [15:32] Stackshare.io - companies can showcase their tech stack as a recruiting tool

Other Resources Mentioned

• Text “Leverage” to “444999” to subscribe to the mailing list and get the first chapter of our new book.
• Venture Air Services
• Take Off With Nick Show
• The Barking Crab Restaurant
• General Assembly Boston
• ChillyPad
• BOOK: Tools of Titans
• Clarity FM

 

Find out more about what we’re doing at Leverage at

www.getleverage.com and www.leveragepodcasts.com

To start off this episode, Ari and Nick chat about their experience with a new sponsor, InsideTracker, a service that provides blood analysis services for those who are interested in optimizing their health from a blood chemistry perspective. Ari and Nick chat about their results, the tweaks they’re making as a result, and why they think it’s helpful for most people to do blood analysis work regularly. If you’d like to try out InsideTracker, you can get 15% by using the link in the show notes for this episode. 

Professional graphic artists on demand to enhance your photos. 

We’ve all had the experience of taking a quick photo with our smartphone and needing to get it touched up. But how many of us know a professional graphic artist who can do that for us quickly and in a cost-effective manner? That’s where Tweak comes in. It’s an app that allows you to submit a photo for correction or touch-ups and a professional graphic artist will do the work and return the photo to you, pronto. Imagine what this could mean for systems and timelines when creating photos for eBay listings, Amazon, your website, etc. Get the picture? ;)

Digital printing for all your swag. That’s Gooten. 

Ari and Nick met the team from Gooten at a recent event they attended and were very impressed with what they’re offering. It’s nothing new to have your logo printed on promotional or swag items, but there’s always been an issue with what kind of items can be created and the minimum quantities you have to order. No more - Gooten allows you to put your image on just about anything and in quantities as low as one. It’s a great idea and not as pricey as you might imagine. Check it out.

Are you a wellness professional who wants to travel? Renly may be the thing for you. 

Imagine this scenario: You’re a wellness practitioner - maybe a chiropractor, yoga instructor, or fitness trainer - and you want to travel. But you have to be able to service clients wherever you go. That’s where Renly comes in. It’s like AirBnB for fitness and wellness professionals. You can find a location, agree to terms with a facility owner, and begin receiving clients at that location - and it's possible to do all around the world. Find out more on this episode.

Motorized shades for everyone - and it’s affordable. 

Motorized shades have been around for quite a while. But now you can get the same functionality and even have it automated via your smartphone without having to buy an all new set of shades for your home. Axis Gear is a device that you install on your existing shades that syncs with your app and controls the opening and closing of your shades. It’s a great idea and is about to launch. Find out how you can get yours, on this episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource.

Featured Resources Mentioned On This Episode 

• [1:12] www.Info.insidetracker.com/get-leverage - get 15% off a blood analysis.
• [8:49] Tweak app - on-demand phone touch-ups
• [10:02] Gooten - on-demand products with your artwork or logo
• [11:11] Renly.co - AirBNB for wellness spaces.
• [11:47] Axis gear - motorize your window shades
• [12:48] Article, “If you want to be creative, don’t be data-driven”
• [15:47] Real Eye - eye tracking for websites
• [16:50] www.Axi.us - a smart home management service 

Other Resources Mentioned 

• Text “Leverage” to “444999” to subscribe to the mailing list and get the first chapter of our new book.
• Hot Jar
• Samsung smart hub
• Get on the waitlist for the new dashboard software at the website.
• Ari is speaking at an upcoming event in Boston 

Find out more about what we’re doing at Leverage at

www.getleverage.com and www.leveragepodcasts.com

Pulsed Electromagnetic Stimulation (PEMS) has nearly 50 years of medical/neurological applications and scientifically-proven health benefits and on today’s episode of OAO, we discuss a new device - the Elf Emmit that has come on the scene to help you align your body with your mind. It sounds a bit odd and requires that you wear a funky headband with a cable running to your smartphone, but if it works, it’s really cool. Pulsed Electromagnetic Stimulation devices may be something you should put on your radar, and you can check out one such device on this episode.

A travel adapter you won’t mind using. 

Most travel adapters are bulky and don’t always work like you expect. But those days are gone with the advent of Micro, a mini-travel adaptor that’s got Ari very excited. On this episode of OAO, the guys talk about this new device and why it’s an extreme upgrade from the traditional travel adapters that have been around for years. And this one has a surge protector fuse to keep your devices safe. If you travel internationally you’ll want to see this.

Get the money your health insurance company owes you. 

How many times have you paid a medical expense out of pocket only to forget that you need to file the claim with your medical insurance company? There’s a new service called Get Better that tracks down the claims you’re owed by your medical insurance provider and takes steps on your behalf to get that money for you, saving you the time of doing it yourself. This episode the guys talk about Get Better and a handful of other apps and services.

Now you can have medical issues addressed in your own home.

FRND is a new service that contracts with healthcare providers, insurance companies, senior living facilities, and more to perform certain healthcare services for patients in the comfort of their own homes. It’s a great way to cut costs, keep people out of waiting rooms and hospital ERs, and make healthcare more personal. And, healthcare providers like RNs can find flexible work that doesn't keep them stuck in an office all day. Nick and Ari discuss FRND and a whole lot more on this episode, so be sure you listen.

One co-working subscription to rule them all.  

The concept of co-working spaces is already a great example of the sharing economy in action. It was only a matter of time until it became even more shared. Desk Pass is a monthly coworking subscription that has agreements with co-working locations in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Denver. Sign up and get affordable, flexible access to over 100 different co-working spaces in those cities. Sounds like a winner. Find out more on this episode.

Featured Resources Mentioned On This Episode 

• [0:03] Dashboard updates and problem solving details.
• [4:53] Bone broth for health (sponsor message)
• [5:44] The Micro Travel Adaptor
• [6:19] Elf Emmit device for electrical stimulation
• [7:10] Purity Coffee and Laird’s Coffee
• [7:30] http://GetBetter.co  - get back money you are owed
• [7:55] FRND - home healthcare scheduling app
• [9:18] Desk Pass - app to access co-working spaces

Other Resources Mentioned 

• Text “Leverage” to “444999” to subscribe to the mailing list and get the first chapter of our new book.
• Kettle and Fire (sponsor) - use “Get Leverage 15” as your coupon code
• Zencastr
• Inside Tracker
• www.GetLeverage.com - sign up for the Fall release of Dashboard.

 

Find out more about what we’re doing at Leverage at

www.getleverage.com and www.leveragepodcasts.com

This episode of OAO is a bit different because we have some observations to share about the lessons we learned at our recent Leverage team retreat. It was great to be eyeball to eyeball with each other. We discovered many things that could make our relationships and workflow better. Now that we’re back we’re seeing great results, already. We hope the insights we learned can help you as you build your own optimized, automated, and outsourced empire.

 

The power of being “in person” is huge. Don’t underestimate it.

 

Here at Leverage, we pride ourselves on moving quickly. We make fast decisions and take action rapidly. But at our recent team retreat, we saw how much faster things go in-person. Simple things - like the time it takes to give input and receive feedback are dramatically impacted in positive ways when you can be face to face, even for a short amount of time. So yes, you can and should build and effective remote team, but do what you can to get together in person as you are able. You’ll find the benefits are bigger than you think.

 

The goal of making yourself replaceable can force you to do very good things for your business.

 

Neither Nick or Ari have any intention of building the company so that it can run without them entirely - in other words, they don’t plan on replacing themselves through the automation they’ve put in place. BUT, thinking as if you DO want to replace yourself can help you put some incredible time-saving systems and automation in place that will benefit your company. The guys chat a bit about that concept and how it can improve your workflow and increase effectiveness, on this episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource.

 

Need to do some cleanup around your house? Here’s an affordable way to do it.

 

You’ve seen those construction dumpsters outside your local construction site, right? Those are usually expensive and you pay for them according to the time you have them. But there’s a new option that is very inexpensive ($29 each) and you can keep them as long as you like. When you’re ready, you call to have it picked up for a one-time fee. And these bags (yes, bags) are the size of a regular construction dumpster. Seriously. Find out more on this episode.

 

Need a new eyeglass subscription? There’s an app for that.

 

It was only a matter of time - and it sounds unbelievable, but you can now get your eyes checked via an app, have it write your prescription, and order your glasses. Amazing. You never have to go see the eye Doc if you don’t want to. Surely there are limitations depending on the condition of your eyes but this is truly revolutionary. Find out more about it on this episode.

 

Featured Links Mentioned On This Episode

 

• [0:09] An update on the Leverage team retreat.
• [7:50] The Yo Sperm Test
• [8:53] The Bagster - $29 per bag - fill it up - pay a one-time pickup fee.
• [10:29] Chefd - individual meal service (no subscriptions)
• [13:09] 360 degree camera from Samsung
• [15:00] Check your vision and write subscriptions using this app.
• [16:13] Process Street (use the coupon code 15offLeverage)
• [16:59] Ari’s new wifi - Netgear Nighthawk Router

Other Resources Mentioned

 

• Text “Leverage” to “444999” to subscribe to the mailing list and get the first chapter of our new book.
• Blue Apron
• Hello Fresh
• Blade Runner

 

Find out more about what we’re doing at Get Leverage at

www.getleverage.com and www.leveragepodcasts.com

Ari often refers to one of his favorite blogs, “Barking Up The Wrong Tree” and on this episode, he starts the show referring to an article there entitled “How to Make Life Magical,” and as you can tell my the title, it’s about how to live a magical life. But this particular list is all science-based, so it merits attention. In typical style, Ari and Nick’s banter is almost as interesting as the article itself - almost.

Nike’s quest to break the 2-hour marathon barrier.

Human performance is a large part of what’s behind the quest to live a magical life - and one of the current barriers being undertaken in a quest to increase human performance is the quest to break the 2 hour marathon barrier. Currently, Dennis Kimetto of Kenya holds the world record for the fastest marathon at 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 57 seconds. But Nike is pouring tons of resources into pushing past that 2-hour mark. On this episode Ari and Nick chat about their efforts.

One of the most amazing Olympic races ever: The 2008 Men’s Swim Relay

As Ari and Nick chat about the attempts Nike is making to break the 2-hour marathon barrier, Nick brought up the video of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay. He says it’s one of the greatest races of all time and highlights how Jazon Lezak, a veteran swimmer from the USA used the wake of his opponent, Alain Bernard to propel himself forward, leaving him a reserve of energy from which to draw to edge out Bernard in the final second of the race. Pretty cool stuff - and you can hear the guys talk about it on this episode.

Featured Links Mentioned On This Episode

• [0:03] www.Beta.GetLeverage.com - sign up for the Dashboard waitlist.
• [3:06] The “How To Make Life Magical” article Ari mentioned.
• [7:23] OttSpott
• [7:47] Nike is on a mission to break the 2-hour marathon barrier.
• [10:02] The amazing 2008 Olympic Swim Relay

Other Resources Mentioned

• Text “Leverage” to “444999” to subscribe to the mailing list and get the first chapter of our new book.
• Cover - Add a studio or add-on to your home.
• Barking Up the Wrong Tree Blog

-

We are offering a very special membership to our exclusive #LeverageLabs to new listeners who go to our Leverage Podcast or OAO Podcast and subscribe to or download our podcasts, take a photo and send to us via social media. #LeveragePodcast... Send us your photo and we will mention the lucky new members on the podcast each week... 

All episodes, show notes, and resources can be found at www.leveragepodcasts.com

Welcome to this episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource - as usual, we have some great apps and products for you to check out.

One of the problems with time tracker apps is that they typically don’t allow you to differentiate the reasons behind your jaunts to Facebook, Youtube, etc. But now there’s one that has solved that problem. There’s a new app called Timing that enables you to categorize your activities according to projects you create so you can see how productive you've been and exactly what you've been working on. It even includes a pretty impressive timeline feature that indicates exactly when you did what. There are some other cool bells and whistles that make it a time tracker worth checking out - including client billing, auto-categorization, and more. Find it in the resource links for this episode.

Now you can get the bulletproof effect from your coffee creamer.  

You’ve likely heard of Bulletproof Coffee - in fact, we’ve chatted with Dave Asprey, creator of Bulletproof coffee on The Leverage Podcast previously. The point of the coffee is to give a boost to brain power, which we can all use from time to time. Dave’s ingenuity has opened the door to other companies getting in on the brain-boosting-coffee act - and one we’ve come across lately is not aimed at the coffee itself, but at the creamer you put into it. It's Know Brainer, the thinker’s coffee. There are a variety of flavor choices, all which contain brain-boosting clarified butter and 1 tablespoon of MCT oil. You can also find special varieties for lactose intolerant needs, and more. A link is in the resources section for this episode. 

Never miss a scheduled conference call again.

We’ve all missed important calls before due to getting absorbed in our work - but it doesn’t have to happen anymore. On this episode, we point you to a new service called Callr, which automatically connects you with your scheduled conference calls at just the right time. It doesn’t matter which conference calling service you use or what calendar you prefer - Callr can handle it. You may want to check this one out - it’s in the featured links section for this episode.

Are you into bone broth? Here’s a convenient way to take it with you. 

People who are on Paleo-type eating plans know that bone broth is a staple, and it’s not always easy to have it available when you travel, visit family, etc. So the folks at LonoLife have come up with a way you can take your bone broth with you without sacrificing your eating plan. They have slow-simmered bone broths that are gluten-free, low-calorie, and low-fat in K-cup, tub, and stick forms. Sounds pretty useful, right? 

Do you need more space but can’t afford to build? Cover may be your answer.

There’s a new company that takes a pre-fab approach to construction to provide additional space without the difficulties involved with typical construction. Cover takes the hassle out of building custom backyard studios, bedrooms, etc. by using a versatile building system that integrates with their design optimization software. No more coordination with architects, planning departments, and contractors - they do it all for you. It’s an amazing concept and makes a lot of sense. If you need space, Cover may be your answer.

Featured Links Mentioned On This Episode

• [0:02] How you can get on the waitlist for the new productivity app.
• [2:12] Callr - an app for dialing conference calls automatically.
• [2:47] Know Brainer Creamer - the thinker’s creamer. Really.
• [3:32] Lonolife - bone broth in a K-cup.
• [3:48] Panatea tea.
• [4:13] Timing - a time tracking app.
• [6:38] Cover - Add a studio or add-on to your home.

Other Resources Mentioned 

• Text “Leverage” to “444999” to subscribe to the mailing list and get the first chapter of our new book.
• Trello
• Asana
• Superfood Creamer by Laird Hamilton
• Rescue Time
• Bulletproof Coffee

-

Go to beta.getleverage.com to sign up for the waitlist of our new project management software!

We are offering a very special membership to our exclusive #LeverageLabs to new listeners who go to our Leverage Podcast or OAO Podcast and subscribe to or download our podcasts, take a photo and send to us via social media. #LeveragePodcast... Send us your photo and we will mention the lucky new members on the podcast each week... 

All episodes, show notes, and resources can be found at www.leveragepodcasts.com

 

This episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource features yet another list of links for you to consider to help you do more with the life you have. One of the most important aspects of that for any business owner is the task of process automation and optimization - and you know why, right? There are hundreds of things happening in the average business that are process-oriented and as we often say, many of those can be automated. We found a software service that enables process automation on a new scale, including connections with Zapier - which you know we love. Nick is quickly becoming addicted to this app so find out all about it on this episode.

 

Do you need an automated call center? Here’s one we’re loving.

 

We’ve tried plenty of call solutions in the past - including Ringcentral and Skype. For everything we tried, they were either too buggy and ineffective or had far too many features, which proved cumbersome for what we needed. But when we came upon a cool new app that integrates with Slack we found exactly what we were looking for. Nick and I talk about how OttSpot works and the ways it’s enabled us to do some process automation in our application systems, on this episode. This thing has heightened our team’s interaction and productivity to an even greater degree - which we like. Lots.

 

Do you sleep with a white noise generator? This takes it to a whole new level.

 

One of the new devices Nick and I chat about on this episode is called Nightingale - it’s a nighttime noise-maker that is designed by acoustic experts and audio engineers and claims to be the most effective sleep system on the market. When I hear a claim like that I have to ask, “Why?” Here’s what I discovered: Nightingale can be customized to your particular room’s architecture and acoustics by placing a unit on either side of your room - and it’s this two-unit system that makes the difference. They call it a "sound blanket." And besides all that, it’s IoT integrated. Find out more about Nightingale as we talk about it on this episode.

 

Nick has been busy helping former inmates build businesses. Here’s his experience so far.

 

Lately, Nick has been intrigued by the work of an organization called “Defy Ventures,” and for good reason. The folks at DV “harness the natural talents of currently and formerly incarcerated men, women, and youth and redirect them toward the creation of legal business ventures and careers.” It’s an amazing idea and Nick took part in one of their “shark tank” type events recently as one of the “sharks.” Can you imagine? Anyway, on this episode, he shares the inspiring experience and tells why he’s planning to join the DV team at another event soon. This is good stuff being done that seems to be pretty effective. Take a listen.

 

Ever been to a 360-degree theater? Now you can make your own 360-degree movie.

 

A new tech item we discuss on this episode is ORBI Prime, which claims to be the first 360° video recording eyewear. So picture this, it’s a pair of glasses you wear that has 1080p cameras integrated into it - even in the back. So you can capture and share 360° videos and images simply by wearing glasses - which you’re likely going to be doing anyway. It’s made from lightweight polycarbonate, is able to record up to 90 minutes of video, has built-in WiFi, is water resistant, and yada, yada, yada. This is a fun sounding toy/tool/tech item you’ll want to know about, so be sure you listen.

Featured Links Mentioned On This Episode

 

• [0:35] Process Street - a process documentation tool.
• [6:09] OttSpott - how we use it and how it works.
• [8:17] The Nightingale (noise machine/sound blanket)
• [8:55} Aware Air Detection Systems
• [10:17] The Cinder Grill (Indiegogo campaign)
• [12:18] The Orbi 360
• [13:20] Nick’s experience advising at Defy Ventures

 

Other Resources Mentioned

 

• Text “Leverage” to “444999” to subscribe to the mailing list and get the first chapter of our new book.
• Process.st - a useful tool for documenting and automating processes within a company.
• Zapier
• Trello
• Skype
• Ring Central
• IFTTT
• SousVide Cooking Device

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