Shawn Blanc, creator of The Focus Course and small business owner, discusses margin, sabbaticals, and focusing on meaningful work. They also explore the importance of involving the team, navigating busy times, and avoiding burnout. Plus, insights on refining ideas, time tracking, and the benefits of incorporating offsite meetings.

Shawn Blanc left his job back in 2011 to become a full-time writer. Twelve years later, he's the mastermind behind sites like The Focus Course and The Sweet Setup and more. Stephen and David ask him about that journey and how he's grown his operation from a solo venture to a team running multiple projects. This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by: TextExpander: Get 20% off with this link and type more with less effort! Expand short abbreviations into longer bits of text, even fill-ins, with TextExpander. Sanebox: Stop drowning in email! Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code MPU at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase. Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting. Guest Starring: Shawn Blanc Links and Show Notes: Sign up for the MPU email newsletter and join the MPU forums. More Power Users: Ad-free episodes with regular bonus segments Submit Feedback Mac Power Users Feedback - Relay FM Shawn Blanc Colophon – Shawn Blanc Shawn Blanc (@shawnblanc) / Twitter Tools and Toys The Focus Course Focus Like a Boss — The Focus Course The Sweet Setup MacBook Air with M1 chip - Apple Studio Display - Apple Keychron Q2 QMK Custom Mechanical Keyboard Clicky Keyboards – Shawn Blanc Apple Extended Keyboard II | John Gruber on Flickr Thirty Months with a 12-inch PowerBook G4 – Shawn Blanc The 12-inch PowerBook G4 - 512 Pixels on YouTube Otter - Voice Meeting Notes & Real-time Transcription Marco Polo Great Expectations – Shawn Blanc"What do you write as the very first post on the first day of your new job as a full-time writer? I have no idea." Writers I Read: Shawn Blanc – 512 PixelsStephen's interview of Shawn from January 2012. The Matrix (1999) - Bullet Time Scene - YouTube Apple’s plans to cut apps out of its affiliate program may shut down independent iOS news sites - The Verge Reader’s Setup: Stephen Hackett – Shawn BlancStephen's setup from October 2009. Those SoundSticks were retired just a few weeks ago! World-Class, On-Demand Courses for Apple Users – The Sweet Setup Find focus. Own your time. Gain traction with your goals. — Focus Accelerator My Books - Chris Bailey Basecamp Slack Notion Notion Mastery Loom: Async Video Messaging for Work Things 3 My One Problem with Things 3 – 512 Pixels The 2×2 Newsletter – Shawn Blanc Ulysses Audible iA Writer

In this podcast, Shawn Blanc, a focus+productivity coach, discusses the importance of focus and practical ways to fight against distractions. He shares tips on scheduling what matters and prioritizing the 6 main areas of your life. The episode concludes with a reflection on whether your current actions are serving your goals and an invitation to join Shawn's Focus Course Academy.

This round Mike and Joe are joined by Shawn Blanc to talk about taking massive action with The 10X Rule. The Focus Course The Focus Course Blog The Focus Course Book Club Tools and Toys The Sweet Setup Shawn Blanc The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Sean Covey, Chris McChesney, Jim Huling The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco 21: The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman – Bookworm The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran, Michael Lennington Rhinoceros Success by Scott Alexander Step by Chris Capehart Predictable Success by Les McKeown The Medium is the Massage by Marshall McLuhan Unshakeable by Tony Robbins The Focus Course Book Club Recommend A Book Bookworm Book List Twitter List of Authors Subscribe on iTunes DONATE – Day One AppleScript Mike’s Rating: 5.0Joe’s Rating: 4.0Shawn’s Rating: 4.5

Shawn Blanc, founder of The Focus Course and expert in productivity, joins to shed light on overcoming overwhelm as a leader. He stresses the importance of aligning personal values with business goals to foster clarity. Listeners learn actionable strategies, such as creating a personal mission map and identifying core tasks that make the biggest impact. Shawn emphasizes breaking down goals into manageable steps to enhance focus and productivity, urging entrepreneurs to prioritize what truly matters for meaningful progress.