

A Productive Conversation
Mike Vardy
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.
Subscribe and join the conversation—because a productive life is more than just getting things done.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 11, 2023 • 42min
Chris Bailey talks about How to Calm Your Mind
I am joined yet again by productivity expert and international bestselling author - Chris Bailey.Chris has been on the show a handful of times and this one is a rather candid and comfortable conversation where we dive into his latest book, How to Calm your Mind.This episode was originally released as a live stream for Premium members of TimeCrafting Trust. Want to take partake in future live streams and much more? Sign up here!Links Worth Exploring
Connect with Chris : Website | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn
Buy Chris's book How to Calm Your Mind
Listen to The Time & Attention Podcast
Related Conversation: Chris Bailey talks about Hyperfocus
Related Blog Post: 3 Things You Can Do To Find Happiness Every Day
Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links below to make that happen.Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | StitcherYou can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 4, 2023 • 50min
Marie Poulin talks about Notion
Marie Poulin is the creator of Notion Mastery and co-founder of Oki Doki. Diagnosed with ADHD, she believes that Notion is especially powerful for neurodivergent folks who have long struggled to adhere to traditional or rigid project management processes, and may need a little extra customization and flexibility. Because of this, she is passionate about helping others customize their workflows and workspaces to meet their unique needs and preferences. In this episode, Marie suggests how to use Notion to its best potential. We discuss the idea of journaling, the importance of systems, tracking your habits, and so much more. I can't believe it took me this long to get Marie to be on the show and it was a delightful conversation with a fellow Canadian!Links Worth Exploring
Connect with Marie: Website | Twitter
Visit the Notion Mastery website
Listen to Why You Need Atomic Habits with James Clear
Related Conversation: Tiago Forte talks about Building a Second Brain
Related Blog Post: Taking Journaling to Another Level
Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links below to make that happen.Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | StitcherYou can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 28, 2022 • 19min
FROM THE VAULT: Body Talk with James Hamblin
What if our bodies could talk? What if they could tell us that what we're doing to them and for them is either good or bad?On this vault episode, Dr. James Hamblin, Senior Editor at The Atlantic and the host of "If Our Bodies Could Talk" joins me on the show to talk about the things we can do to help ourselves and our bodies be more effective and efficient and the things we sometimes do that make them function at less than optimum levels.He's a funny guy. He's insightful. He's smart. We have a little bit in common. I'm no doctor. But I'm glad I got to speak to one here on this vault episode of A Productive Conversation with Mike Vardy.Links Worth Exploring
Connect with James: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Check out The Atlantic: If Our Bodies Could Talk
Learn more about James Hamblin's work here
Sad Desk Lunch: Is This How You Want to Die? - The Atlantic
Single-Tasking Is the New Multitasking - The Atlantic
Email Is Ruining Us: A Brilliant Solution - The Atlantic
Related Conversation: The Free-Time Formula with Jeff Sanders
Related Blog Post: Good Health and Productivity Go Together
Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links below to make that happen.Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | StitcherYou can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

13 snips
Dec 21, 2022 • 34min
Michelle Segar talks about habits and The Joy Choice
Michelle Segar, a lifestyle coach and award-winning researcher at the University of Michigan, shares her insights on creating sustainable behavior changes. She discusses the importance of flexibility in habit formation and how adapting habits can enhance enjoyment. Segar introduces the 'P.O.P.' method—PAWS, Open options, and Pick the joy choice—to navigate life's unpredictability. She also emphasizes the emotional and societal influences on habit formation, encouraging a mindset shift to see each moment as an opportunity for positive change.

Dec 14, 2022 • 30min
Matthew Dicks talks about actionable ways to propel your creative life
"Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone". That quote from Pablo Picasso are the first words I read in Matthew Dicks book Someday is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel your Creative Life. He is the author of nine other books beyond the one I just mentioned. He's a best-selling novelist, nationally recognized storyteller, and award-winning elementary school teacher. Matthew teaches storytelling and communications at universities, corporate workplaces, and community organizations.He's won multiple math Grand Slam story competitions, and together with his wife, they created the organization Speak Up to help others share their stories. They also co-host the Speak Up Storytelling Podcasts.I really enjoyed this conversation. We dive into the person who inspired me to do the work that I do now and quit my job. We also dig into this idea of perfectionism, we talk about performative productivity. And we talk about what he calls his 100-year-old plan, and lastly - we talk about oatmeal.Links Worth Exploring
Connect with Matthew: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Buy Matthew's book: Someday is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel your Creative Life.
Listen to the Speak Up Storytelling Podcast
Related Conversation: Strategic Storytelling with Jordan Bower
Related Blog Post: JoCo: A Thank You Letter to Jonathan Coulton
Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links below to make that happen.Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | StitcherYou can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 7, 2022 • 39min
Jennifer Smith talks about why process matters
If Jennifer Smith is right, the way anyone shares how-to knowledge is about to change forever. A former VC and McKinsey consultant turned accidental CEO, she interviewed more than 1,200 business leaders on a quest to understand everything there is to know about processes, best practices, and productivity. Now with her startup Scribe, she’s empowering people to own their processes by building the world’s first operating system for know-how.In this episode, we talk about all things Scribe. I mentioned how I discovered it, we chat about inbox zero, we geek out about quantitative and qualitative productivity, and so much more!Links Worth Exploring
Connect with Jennifer: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn
Get Scribe for FREE
Mike talks about the Great Overwhelm
Scott Friesen shows you how to use Scribe to create professional step-by-step guides
Related Conversation: Overcoming Overwhelm with Dr. Samantha Brody
Related Blog Post: How to Start Pacing Your Productivity
Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links below to make that happen.Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | StitcherYou can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 30, 2022 • 41min
Mike Rohde talks about the 10th Anniversary of “The Sketchnote Handbook
He's been a frequent guest not only on this podcast, but every podcast I've done in the past. This one is extra special because it's the 10th anniversary of the Sketchnote Handbook!Mike Rohde is a designer, teacher, and author of The Sketchnote Handbook and The Sketchnote Workbook, co-creator of The Sketchnote Ideabook, founder of Sketchnote Army, and Illustrator of REWORK, REMOTE, and The $100 Startup. In this episode, we have a delightful conversation talking about everything Sketchnote and allude to some of Mike's other successes over the past decade. We chat about where the Sketchnoting community has gone, what's happened with him, what he expected, what surprised him, and all things in between. This episode was originally released as a live stream for Premium members of TimeCrafting Trust. Want to take partake in future live streams and much more? Sign up here!Links Worth Exploring
Connect with Mike: Website | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Flickr
Get The Sketchnote Handbook
Get half-off two books with the code: HAPPY10
The Daily Plan Bar
See all of Mike’s Sketchnote products
Check out Sketchnote Workshops here
Related Conversation: The Bullet Journal Method with Ryder Carroll
Related Blog Post: Why Paper Works
Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links below to make that happen.Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | StitcherYou can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 23, 2022 • 54min
Mike Williams talks about Doing to Done
There's a better way to be the best. That's what Mike Williams shares in his book, Doing to Done: Productivity Made Simple and what we talk about in this episode of A Productive Conversation with Mike Vardy.He is a speaker, author, executive, and coach who helps leaders obtain small wins with a big impact on their lives and businesses. Today, Mike assists clients using an effective coaching methodology that’s far from complicated. He also used what works to create Doing to Done.He's not the only one that's involved in this book, because it's illustrated for busy people like us! We talk about why he decided to put illustrations in this book, we dive into things like small wins the power of verbs, reflection, and its important clarity maps, as well as how to get email out of the way, so that you can make the work beats that you want to have last as short (or as long) as you want without having to worry about the external pings that are going on in your life. This episode was originally released as a live stream for Premium members of TimeCrafting Trust. Want to take partake in future live streams and much more? Sign up here!Links Worth Exploring
Connect with Mike: Website | LinkedIn
Register for Mike's FREE webinar here
Buy Mike's book: Doing to Done: Productivity Made Simple
Visit Rick Beato's YouTube channel
Related Conversation: Episode 204: Getting Things Done for Teens with Mike Williams
Related Blog Post: Getting Things Done in Tough Places
Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links below to make that happen.Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | StitcherYou can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 16, 2022 • 34min
Anna Tsui talks about Shadow Magic
Anna Tsui, is the creator of The Genius Method. She is a genius coach, international writer, speaker, and serial entrepreneur. Her bestselling book, “Shadow Magic: Turn your Fear Into Fuel and Create a Prosperous Coaching Business” shows readers how to overcome their personal self-sabotage and build a thriving career and business.In this episode, I tell the story about my shadow self that infiltrated my world not too long ago. We talk about some other elements of Anna's work, a bit of parenting, and there may be a few Star Wars references, too.There's a lot of great stuff in this episode, we had what we like to call a "badass" conversation, but it was productive!Links Worth Exploring
Connect with Anna: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn
Download half of Anna's bestselling book for free
Buy Shadow Magic: Turn your Fear Into Fuel and Create a Prosperous Coaching Business
Sign up for The Procrastination Course
Related Conversation: Episode 332: Getting Productive With Astrology with Jill Blumenstock
Related Blog Post: 6 Reasons Why You Fail to Reach Your Goals
Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links below to make that happen.Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | StitcherYou can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 9, 2022 • 1h 1min
Tiago Forte talks about Building a Second Brain
On this episode, I'm joined by Tiago Forte. He is the author of Building a Second Brain, a Proven Method to Organize your Digital Life and Unlock your Creative Potential. He is one of the world's foremost experts on productivity and has taught thousands of people around the world how timeless principles and the latest technology can revolutionize their productivity, creativity, and personal effectiveness. We get into the depths of PKM productivity and what it really means to build a second brain.This conversation was truly productive and we could have covered so much more!This episode was originally released as a live stream for Premium Members of TimeCrafting Trust. Want to take partake in future live streams and much more? Sign up here!Links Worth Exploring
Connect with Tiago : Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Listen to Tiago's Podcast
Get the Second Brain Quickstart Guide
Buy Tiago's book Building a Second Brain
Join the TimeCrafting Trust Membership
Related Conversation: The Evolution of Getting Things Done with David Allen
Related Blog Post: Everything in Evernote
Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Click on any of the links below to make that happen.Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | StitcherYou can also click on this link to paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


