The Action Catalyst

David Burkus is a best-selling author, an award-winning podcaster, and associate professor of management at Oral Roberts University. His forthcoming book, FRIEND OF A FRIEND, offers readers a new perspective on how to grow their networks and build key connections—one based on the science of human behavior, not rote networking advice. He is also the author of UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT and THE MYTHS OF CREATIVITY. David is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and his work has been featured in Fast Company, the Financial Times, Inc magazine, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and CBS This Morning.

Show Highlights:

The better strategy is to figure out where am I in this, who am I already connected to, who do I need to be connected to, how can I chart a path from from me to them? @davidburkusYou're already one or two degrees of separation out from everyone that you need to meet and get to know. It's just a matter of knowing what is my path to them and who could introduce me to them? @davidburkusNuture the connections that you already have. @davidburkusAsk this question: who do you know in blank with blank, being whatever industry sector segment that you want to get to know more of? @davidburkusYou will build a better and deeper relationship with someone faster if you're building multiplex ties. @davidburkusHumans are multifaceted creatures. @davidburkusThe way that you build a deeper and stronger relationship with them, is to be multi fascinated by the different elements of them. @davidburkusBe genuinely interested in all of the facets of someone and it will not only pay off, because you get to know them better and as a better human being, they would probably pay off in the long run, even in your career as well. @davidburkusWhat is the community that doesn't exist that needs to exist, that would help your career, help your clients, help people that are doing something similar to you? @davidburkusIf you focus on just adding the value to other people, you win as a byproduct. @davidburkusYou don't necessarily have to be that number one person. @davidburkusWe all have that potential. We just need to pay a little bit more attention to the network that's around us and then respond accordingly. @davidburkus

The Action Catalyst is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Moore, President of Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct-sales company in America, and Partner with Southwestern Consulting. With more than 45 years in sales leadership and marketing management, Dan has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to make better use of time to achieve life, sales, and other business goals. Each week, he interviews some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Subscribe on iTunes and please leave a rating and review!

Neen James is the author of Folding Time™ and Attention Pays™. In 2017, she was named one of the top 30 Leadership Speakers by Global Guru because of her work with companies like Viacom, Comcast, and Abbot Pharmaceuticals among others.

Neen has boundless energy, is quick-witted and always offers powerful strategies for paying attention to what matters so you can get more done and create more significant moments at work and home.

Neen is the kind of speaker that engages, educates, entertains, and delivers the real-world solutions that apply in your organization, your home, and your community. She also provides one-on-one consulting in a variety of leadership topics and loves serving her audiences. Find out more at www.neenjames.com.

Show Highlights:

You and I have the same 1,440 minutes a day. @neenjamesWe don’t have time management crisis; we have an attention management crisis. @neenjamesAn average user touches their phone 2,617 a day. @neenjamesWe made technology more important than people. @neenjamesWe wear “busy” like a badge of honor. @neenjamesWe have 100% choice of who gets our attention and where we are spending our time and energy. @neenjamesWho deserves your attention, what deserves your attention, and how do you lend your attention? @neenjamesThere will always be people who want your attention. @neenjamesWe can’t be everything to everyone. @neenjamesWe get to choose who we're going to connect with and how that’s going to connect us to the bigger objectives we have. @neenjamesThe biggest distraction is you, as a leader. @neenjamesWe can stop wasting time and money when we focus on eliminating distractions. @neenjames

The Action Catalyst is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Moore, President of Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct-sales company in America, and Partner with Southwestern Consulting. With more than 45 years in sales leadership and marketing management, Dan has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to make better use of time to achieve life, sales, and other business goals. Each week, he interviews some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Subscribe on iTunes and please leave a rating and review!

Neen James is the author of Folding Time™ and Attention Pays™. In 2017, she was named one of the top 30 Leadership Speakers by Global Guru because of her work with companies like Viacom, Comcast, and Abbot Pharmaceuticals among others.

Neen has boundless energy, is quick-witted and always offers powerful strategies for paying attention to what matters so you can get more done and create more significant moments at work and home.

Neen is the kind of speaker that engages, educates, entertains, and delivers the real-world solutions that apply in your organization, your home, and your community. She also provides one-on-one consulting in a variety of leadership topics and loves serving her audiences. Find out more at www.neenjames.com.

Show Highlights:

You and I have the same 1,440 minutes a day. @neenjamesWe don’t have time management crisis; we have an attention management crisis. @neenjamesAn average user touches their phone 2,617 a day. @neenjamesWe made technology more important than people. @neenjamesWe wear “busy” like a badge of honor. @neenjamesWe have 100% choice of who gets our attention and where we are spending our time and energy. @neenjamesWho deserves your attention, what deserves your attention, and how do you lend your attention? @neenjamesThere will always be people who want your attention. @neenjamesWe can’t be everything to everyone. @neenjamesWe get to choose who we're going to connect with and how that’s going to connect us to the bigger objectives we have. @neenjamesThe biggest distraction is you, as a leader. @neenjamesWe can stop wasting time and money when we focus on eliminating distractions. @neenjames

The Action Catalyst is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Moore, President of Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct-sales company in America, and Partner with Southwestern Consulting. With more than 45 years in sales leadership and marketing management, Dan has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to make better use of time to achieve life, sales, and other business goals. Each week, he interviews some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Subscribe on iTunes and please leave a rating and review!

Cal Newport is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, who specializes in the theory of distributed algorithms. He previously earned his Ph.D. from MIT in 2009 and graduated from Dartmouth College in 2004. In addition to studying the theoretical foundations of our digital age as a professor, Newport also writes about the impact of these technologies on the world of work.

His most recent book, Deep Work (Grand Central, 2016), argues that focus is the new I.Q. in the knowledge economy, and that individuals who cultivate their ability to concentrate without distraction will thrive. On publication, Deep Work became an instant Wall Street Journal bestseller, and received praise in the New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The Guardian.

Newport’s previous book, So Good They Can’t Ignore You (Grand Central, 2012), argues that “follow your passion” is bad advice. Since its publication, it has been selected for several best business books of the year lists, including those by Inc. Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and 800-CEO-Read. Newport’s New York Times op-ed on the book became the paper’s most e-mailed article for over a week.

Newport is also the author of three books of unconventional advice for students: How to Be a High School Superstar (Random House, 2010), How to Become a Straight-A Student  (Random House, 2006), and How to Win at College (Random House, 2005). The How To student series has sold over well over 150,000 copies since its inception, and Newport has been invited to speak on these topics at some of the country’s top universities, including Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Dartmouth, Middlebury, Georgetown and Duke.

Between books, Newport explores related ideas on his popular Study Hacks blog.

Show Highlights:

Deep work is the activity in which you are focused without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. – Cal Newport

The ability to perform deep work is become increasingly valuable in our economy at the same time that it is becoming increasingly rare. – Cal Newport

Deep work should be thought of as a tier one capability. – Cal Newport

It’s not that distractions are necessarily bad, but we haven’t talked enough about why the opposite is so valuable. – Cal Newport

Shallow work will keep you from going bankrupt but it’s deep work is what multiplies your business. – Cal Newport

A constant state of “just checks” are keeping your from your full cognitive capacity. – Cal Newport

People who really embrace deep work can produce at a level that almost mystifies their peers. – Cal Newport

Business is about producing value not making things convenient for your colleagues. – Cal Newport

If you want to be a serious deep thinker, it takes a lot of work to get here. You must practice. – Cal Newport

It’s hard to deep work because we have built systems that depend on the brain to tend to constant ongoing unstructured conversational flow. – Cal Newport

You can’t expect a human brain to come up with original things and tend to constant unstructured communication. – Cal Newport

The majority of people can get the value needed from social media by logging in on their desktop for 20 minutes once a week. – Cal Newport

The average American spends an average of 2 hours per day on social media. – Cal Newport

You are being exploited and used by these massive attention conglomerates who are trying to extract as many minutes out of your mind. – Cal Newport

The Action Catalyst is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Moore, President of Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct-sales company in America, and Partner with Southwestern Consulting. With more than 45 years in sales leadership and marketing management,

Cal Newport is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, who specializes in the theory of distributed algorithms. He previously earned his Ph.D. from MIT in 2009 and graduated from Dartmouth College in 2004. In addition to studying the theoretical foundations of our digital age as a professor, Newport also writes about the impact of these technologies on the world of work.

His most recent book, Deep Work (Grand Central, 2016), argues that focus is the new I.Q. in the knowledge economy, and that individuals who cultivate their ability to concentrate without distraction will thrive. On publication, Deep Work became an instant Wall Street Journal bestseller, and received praise in the New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The Guardian.

Newport’s previous book, So Good They Can’t Ignore You (Grand Central, 2012), argues that “follow your passion” is bad advice. Since its publication, it has been selected for several best business books of the year lists, including those by Inc. Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and 800-CEO-Read. Newport’s New York Times op-ed on the book became the paper’s most e-mailed article for over a week.

Newport is also the author of three books of unconventional advice for students: How to Be a High School Superstar (Random House, 2010), How to Become a Straight-A Student (Random House, 2006), and How to Win at College (Random House, 2005). The How To student series has sold over well over 150,000 copies since its inception, and Newport has been invited to speak on these topics at some of the country’s top universities, including Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Dartmouth, Middlebury, Georgetown and Duke.

Between books, Newport explores related ideas on his popular Study Hacks blog.

Show Highlights:

Deep work is the activity in which you are focused without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. – Cal NewportThe ability to perform deep work is become increasingly valuable in our economy at the same time that it is becoming increasingly rare. – Cal NewportDeep work should be thought of as a tier one capability. – Cal NewportIt’s not that distractions are necessarily bad, but we haven’t talked enough about why the opposite is so valuable. – Cal NewportShallow work will keep you from going bankrupt but it’s deep work is what multiplies your business. – Cal NewportA constant state of “just checks” are keeping your from your full cognitive capacity. – Cal NewportPeople who really embrace deep work can produce at a level that almost mystifies their peers. – Cal NewportBusiness is about producing value not making things convenient for your colleagues. – Cal NewportIf you want to be a serious deep thinker, it takes a lot of work to get here. You must practice. – Cal NewportIt’s hard to deep work because we have built systems that depend on the brain to tend to constant ongoing unstructured conversational flow. – Cal NewportYou can’t expect a human brain to come up with original things and tend to constant unstructured communication. – Cal NewportThe majority of people can get the value needed from social media by logging in on their desktop for 20 minutes once a week. – Cal NewportThe average American spends an average of 2 hours per day on social media. – Cal NewportYou are being exploited and used by these massive attention conglomerates who are trying to extract as many minutes out of your mind. – Cal Newport

The Action Catalyst is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Moore, President of Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct-sales company in America, and Partner with Southwestern Consulting. With more than 45 years in sales leadership and marketing management, Dan has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to make better use of time to achieve life, sales,

Noted Computer Science professor and bestselling author Cal Newport explains the concept of "deep work", and the connection between Henry Ford's assembly line principle and the “cognitive assembly line” of the modern era.

Hear Cal's full interview in Episode 237 of The Action Catalyst.

Noted Computer Science professor and bestselling author Cal Newport explains the concept of "deep work", the danger of multitasking, the outright stupidity of email, diversification of communication, the connection between Henry Ford and the “cognitive assembly line”, and rethinking how we're thinking about our thinking.

Laura Stack is an award-winning keynote speaker and bestselling author of eight books. She is a noted expert in employee and team productivity. She is best known by her moniker, “The Productivity Pro®.” Her engaging personality, combined with over 25 years of experience helping organizations achieve RESULTS, have made her one of the most sought-after experts and keynote speakers in her field. Funny, engaging, and full of real-life strategies that work, Laura will change mindsets and attitudes—so your team can maximize its productivity, increase market share, strengthen performance, increase sales, and get the job done right!

What makes her unique? Laura is the President & CEO of The Productivity Pro, Inc., a boutique consulting firm helping leaders increase workplace performance in high-stress environments.

Her latest book, FASTER TOGETHER: Accelerating Your Team’s Productivity (Berrett-Koehler), hit bookstores in January 2018. Stack is a past president of the National Speakers Association and is a member of its prestigious CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame, which has fewer than 175 members worldwide. She is a high-content Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), who educates, entertains, and motivates professionals to deliver bottom-line results.

Laura has been featured in the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and Forbes magazine and has been a spokesperson for Microsoft, Dannon, belVita, 3M, Skillsoft, Office Depot, Day-Timer, Fellowes, and Xerox. Her client list includes top Fortune 500 companies, including Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Aramark, Bank of America, GM, Wells Fargo, and Time Warner, plus government agencies such the United States Air Force Academy, the Census Bureau, the U.S. Senate, and even the IRS. Her books have been published and translated in over 20 countries. And her audiences? Love her as much for her energy as they do the solutions she presents.

On stage, Laura is a powerhouse of ideas, and more importantly, ACTION. She’s just what you need to accelerate your team’s productivity and propel your organization to all new levels! More from Laura at fastertogetherthebook.com

Show Highlights:

It is very hard to be productive when you are surrounded by people who are not concerned with their own productivity. @laurastackYou don’t know the capabilities of your team members until you dive into deep collective effort toward productivity. @laurastackA team is the most powerful productivity machine. @laurastackWhat would it look like if everyone did their share of the work? @laurastackAllow people to own the process and have a say. @laurastackTrust doesn’t take long to break but takes a long time build. @laurastackDaily responsibilities by design, not by default. @laurastackWhat are the obstacles that are inefficient parts of your processes. @laurastack

The Action Catalyst is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Moore, President of Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct-sales company in America, and Partner with Southwestern Consulting. With more than 45 years in sales leadership and marketing management, Dan has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to make better use of time to achieve life, sales, and other business goals. Each week, he interviews some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Subscribe on iTunes and please leave a rating and review!

Laura Stack is an award-winning keynote speaker and bestselling author of eight books. She is a noted expert in employee and team productivity. She is best known by her moniker, “The Productivity Pro®.” Her engaging personality, combined with over 25 years of experience helping organizations achieve RESULTS, have made her one of the most sought-after experts and keynote speakers in her field. Funny, engaging, and full of real-life strategies that work, Laura will change mindsets and attitudes—so your team can maximize its productivity, increase market share, strengthen performance, increase sales, and get the job done right!

What makes her unique? Laura is the President & CEO of The Productivity Pro, Inc., a boutique consulting firm helping leaders increase workplace performance in high-stress environments.

Her latest book, FASTER TOGETHER: Accelerating Your Team’s Productivity (Berrett-Koehler), hit bookstores in January 2018. Stack is a past president of the National Speakers Association and is a member of its prestigious CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame, which has fewer than 175 members worldwide. She is a high-content Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), who educates, entertains, and motivates professionals to deliver bottom-line results.

Laura has been featured in the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and Forbes magazine and has been a spokesperson for Microsoft, Dannon, belVita, 3M, Skillsoft, Office Depot, Day-Timer, Fellowes, and Xerox. Her client list includes top Fortune 500 companies, including Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Aramark, Bank of America, GM, Wells Fargo, and Time Warner, plus government agencies such the United States Air Force Academy, the Census Bureau, the U.S. Senate, and even the IRS. Her books have been published and translated in over 20 countries. And her audiences? Love her as much for her energy as they do the solutions she presents.

On stage, Laura is a powerhouse of ideas, and more importantly, ACTION. She’s just what you need to accelerate your team’s productivity and propel your organization to all new levels! More from Laura at fastertogetherthebook.com

Show Highlights:

It is very hard to be productive when you are surrounded by people who are not concerned with their own productivity. @laurastackYou don’t know the capabilities of your team members until you dive into deep collective effort toward productivity. @laurastackA team is the most powerful productivity machine. @laurastackWhat would it look like if everyone did their share of the work? @laurastackAllow people to own the process and have a say. @laurastackTrust doesn’t take long to break but takes a long time build. @laurastackDaily responsibilities by design, not by default. @laurastackWhat are the obstacles that are inefficient parts of your processes. @laurastack

The Action Catalyst is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Moore, President of Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct-sales company in America, and Partner with Southwestern Consulting. With more than 45 years in sales leadership and marketing management, Dan has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to make better use of time to achieve life, sales, and other business goals. Each week, he interviews some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Subscribe on iTunes and please leave a rating and review!

William Vanderbloemen has been able to combine over 15 years of ministry experience as a Senior Pastor with the best practices of Executive Search to provide churches with a unique offering: a deep understanding of local church work with the very best knowledge and practices of professional executive search.

Prior to his founding The Vanderbloemen Search Group, William studied executive search under a mentor with over 25 years of executive search at the highest level. His learning taught him the very best corporate practices, including the search strategies used by the internationally known firm Russell Reynolds.

William also has experience as a Manager in Human Resources in a Fortune 200 company, where he focused on integration of corporate culture and succession planning.

All of these experiences have come together with his pastoral work to form a unique gift for helping churches and ministries connect with the right key people.

Prior to executive search, William led growth and innovation in churches in North Carolina, Alabama, and Houston. During his time in Alabama, William had the chance to help rebuild and relocate an ailing congregation, and lead them to new levels of growth. At 31, he was elected Senior Pastor for the First Presbyterian Church of Houston, a church of about 5,000 adults and 1,500 children strong. It is Houston’s oldest congregation.

William is regularly invited to speak across the country in both church services and as a resource to churches and conferences on leadership. His book Next: Pastoral Succession That Works on effective pastoral leadership and succession was released through Baker Books in September 2014, and his book Search: The Pastoral Search Committee Handbook was released through B&H Books in June 2016. His latest book is Culture Wins: The Roadmap To An Irresistible Workplace and is released through Savio Republic.

William holds degrees from Wake Forest University and Princeton Theological Seminary.

Besides helping connect churches with key staff and preaching, William spends a whole lot of time with family and connecting with people.

William is an avid social networker. Whether connecting with friends, candidates for searches he is doing, or church members, he loves to network, and he would love to interact with you through Facebook and/or Twitter

William, his wife Adrienne, their seven children, and their poodles Moses and Pearl live in Houston. In his free time, William enjoys running, working out, and caddying for his kids, who are now better golfers than he is.

More from William at: vanderbloemen.com

Get the book: culturewins.org

Culture test: TheCultureTool.com

Show Highlights:

2 out of 3 Americans hate their job. @wvanderbloemenPeople don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. @wvanderbloemenTurnover is usually a problem with management, not a problem with culture. @wvanderbloemenPeople leave their job because they don’t know what their job is. @wvanderbloemenPeople leave because they aren’t equip with the tool to get their job done. @wvanderbloemenThere must be a why behind what your employees are doing. @wvanderbloemenRetention is the ballgame for the future of the American workforce. @wvanderbloemenYour ROI will go up if you can lower the rate of turnover. @wvanderbloemenHire around your cultural values. @wvanderbloemenFind people to hire who are the same kind of crazy as you. @wvanderbloemenMost cultural problems are really a hiring problem. @wvanderbloemenCultural value is 'how do we get the work done?' @wvanderbloemenWhen we are functioning at our best, what do we do as a team that is common to us and unc...