A Productive Conversation

Mike Vardy
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Jun 1, 2022 • 38min

Jason Goldsmith talks about Take Charge of You: How Self Coaching Can Transform Your Life and Career

You don't have to be a sports fan to take something from this episode.A globally recognized Performance Coach, Jason Goldsmith emphasizes combining the mental and physical aspects of optimal performance. As founder of Goldsmith Performance, Jason has coached multiple Major champions and top-fifty golfers. His accomplishments in golf include assisting Jason Day and Justin Rose in achieving the number-one world ranking and helping Rose win both the Gold Medal at the 2016 Olympics and the 2018 FedEx Cup Championship. In addition, he is the co-author of the book Take Charge of You: How Self Coaching Can Transform Your Life and CareerSelf-coaching can transform your life and career and this is what Jason and I cover in this week's episode. We get into this idea of self-coaching and how important is it for people to open themselves up to new experiences and break from the norms so that they can perform at a higher level.Take Charge of You, which is co-written with David Novak, is broken up into five elements which we briefly dive into during our discussion, as well as a few other topics such as my favourite undervalued and underappreciated tool; journaling. We talk about uncovering transformational insights and what that really means. And of course, the difference between self-coaching versus being coached by someone else.Gaining new skills and doing things that are uncomfortable is never fun. But hopefully, this conversation will give you a boost of confidence to start.  Links Worth Exploring Connect with Jason: Website | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn Jason & David's Book: Take Charge of You: How Self Coaching Can Transform Your Life and Career Related Conversation: Episode 241: What Sports Can Teach Us About Greatness with Don Yaeger Related Blog Post: How To Find Your Way Forward (And Finish) 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 This episode is sponsored by Nexos.ai. Nexos is the all-in-one secure AI platform for enterprise—bringing workspaces, model access, and governance together under one roof. Try it free for 14 days at nexos.ai/apc today.
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May 25, 2022 • 30min

Neill Williams talks about How to Unbusy Your Life

It's always exciting having another productivity coach on the show with me and this episode definitely starts off on the right foot! This was a fun and engaging conversation that I've been eager to release!Neill Williams is a mom, wife, and former overworked cog in the corporate wheel. Until she decided to take control of the life she wanted and unbusy it! She is now a Master Life and Scheduling Coach who is helping overwhelmed entrepreneurs do the same with her online courses and podcast Unbusy your Life with Neill WilliamsBeing busy and in constant "not enough time in the day" mode can stem from a busy mindset. Neill dives into what she calls Mind Hygiene - brain dumping your thoughts and cleaning that out so that your brain can work the way it was designed to. Her goal is to help people understand time but also their mind - how they feel and how they show up in their time.We discuss a variety of topics such as redefining the word productive and removing the stigma that comes with it. Bringing it back to what productive really means to you and what makes you productive in your own mind. And how unbusy'ing your life can not only bring you balance but also to your loved ones.You're not going to want to miss this one.Links Worth Exploring Connect with Neill: Website | Instagram | Facebook  Neill's podcast: How to Unbusy your Life with Neill Williams Checkout Neill's Mastermind: 10K in 10 Days Grab her free 30 Day Business Planner : Click here Related Conversation: Episode 418: Joshua Becker Related Blog Post: Too Busy To Think: 6 Ways To Create More Space 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 This episode is sponsored by Nexos.ai. Nexos is the all-in-one secure AI platform for enterprise—bringing workspaces, model access, and governance together under one roof. Try it free for 14 days at nexos.ai/apc today.
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May 18, 2022 • 34min

Michael Clinton talks about Roar into the Second Half of your Life

Reimagine yourself, Own who you are, Act on what's next for you, Reassess your relationships. This is a mantra that Michael Clinton lives by. And this conversation with him is one that I've been really excited to release.Michael is a best-selling author and former magazine publisher and president for Hearst magazine. He is a writer-at-large for Esquire as well as a regular columnist for Men's Health. When he is not writing, he is an expert and keynote speaker on life longevity. Michael began really living out his ambitions later in life and is passionate about making this the new norm. He is an avid photographer, world traveler, pilot, and marathon runner and is nowhere close to slowing down.In this episode, we dive into his latest book ROAR: Into the Second Half of Your Life (Before It's Too Late). While his book holds 40 life-changing stories, we only touch on a couple of these role models who reimagined their life and started a whole new chapter. We have an intriguing discussion on the importance of knowing that when you go into the second half of your life that it's not the end of it.Michael brings his tried and true experience on how starting a new chapter at any age is not only possible but can be the new standard using his ROAR mantra. Whether it's starting a business, traveling the world, or running a marathon after 50 - reimagine your life before someone else does it.This was an eye-opening conversation. I hope you found it as awakening and as meaningful as I didLinks Worth Exploring Connect with Michael: Website | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Michael's Book: ROAR: Into the Second Half of Your Life (Before It's Too Late) Related Conversation: Episode 251: Being a Late Bloomer with Rich Karlgaard Related Blog Post: Is Moving Abroad A Good Productivity Hack? 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 This episode is sponsored by Nexos.ai. Nexos is the all-in-one secure AI platform for enterprise—bringing workspaces, model access, and governance together under one roof. Try it free for 14 days at nexos.ai/apc today.
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May 11, 2022 • 32min

Loretta Breuning talks about Status Games

It’s been nearly 6 years since I first had the pleasure of speaking with Loretta Breuning. This episode has been months in the making and I’m happy to have her back to chat about her book Status Games: Why We Play and How to Stop.Loretta is a Professor Emerita of Management at California State University and the author of many personal development books including Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, and Endorphin Levels and the aforementioned Status Games: Why We Play and How to Stop. She's the founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and has helped thousands of people make peace with their inner mammal.During our conversation, Loretta and I talked about the role happy brain chemicals play in your status and the biology behind it. We discussed the importance of stimulating your serotonin to achieve your highest productivity levels in life and in the workplace and about wiring in new choices towards your best step confidently and navigating a healthy serotonin mindset.Loretta brings an interesting comparison of human and animal behaviour and how we can train our brains to boost these happy chemicals. It is a pleasure having her on the show once again. I hope you enjoy our latest conversation. I know I did.Links Worth Exploring Connect with Loretta: Website | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram Loretta's Book: Status Games: Why We Play and How to Stop Related Conversation: Episode 59: The Habits of a Happy Brain with Loretta Breuning Related Blog Post: Generally Helpful Tips 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 This episode is sponsored by Nexos.ai. Nexos is the all-in-one secure AI platform for enterprise—bringing workspaces, model access, and governance together under one roof. Try it free for 14 days at nexos.ai/apc today.
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May 4, 2022 • 30min

Marshall Goldsmith talks about The Earned Life

This is a conversation I've been wanting to have for years.Marshall Goldsmith is someone I've been following ever since I got into the productivity space. His book "Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts - Becoming the Person You Want to Be" was especially formative for me and my work. So when I was asked if I'd like to speak with Marshall about his book "The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment" I jumped at the opportunity.He is the only two-time winner of the Thinkers 50 Award for #1 Leadership Thinker in the World. He has been ranked as the #1 Executive Coach in the World, a Top Ten Business Thinker for the past eight years, and the inaugural winner of the Lifetime Award for Leadership by the Harvard Institute of Coaching. Dr. Goldsmith is the author or editor of 43 books, including many New York Times bestsellers (one that hit at #1), that have sold over 2.5 million copies, translated into 32 languages, and been listed bestsellers in 12 countries.(Oh... and his books, "What Got You Here Won’t Get You There" and the aforementioned "Triggers" have been recognized by Amazon as two of the Top 100 Leadership & Success Books Ever Written.)Marshall and I talked about what it mens to have a life that is earned, what he means when discussing the "satisfied" mind, the role willpower plays in your life, and how you can live "the earned life" starting today.I had an absolute blast speaking with Marshall and I trust you'll hear my enthusiasm throughout our conversation. I trust you'll get a lot out of the conversation, too.Links Worth Exploring Connect with Marshall: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube Marshall's Book: The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment Recommended by Marshall: The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right Watch this film: American Underdog Related Conversation: Episode 203: The Evolution of Getting Things Done with David Allen Related Blog Post: The Power of Bit by Bit 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 This episode is sponsored by Nexos.ai. Nexos is the all-in-one secure AI platform for enterprise—bringing workspaces, model access, and governance together under one roof. Try it free for 14 days at nexos.ai/apc today.
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Apr 27, 2022 • 37min

Daniel Coyle talks about The Culture Playbook

When I was given the opportunity to speak with Daniel Coyle for A Productive Conversation, I jumped at the opportunity.He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Culture Code, The Talent Code, The Little Book of Talent, The Secret Race, Lance Armstrong’s War, and Hardball: A Season in the Projects. Coyle, who works as an advisor to the Cleveland Guardians, lives in Cleveland, Ohio, during the school year and in Homer, Alaska, during the summer with his wife, Jen, and their four children.During our conversation we talk about where culture comes from, the idea of "belonging cues", the best way for someone to go through The Culture Playbook, and the magic behind the sustainable success of my favourite NBA team.There are certain fundamentals that go into building a strong and cohesive culture. You'll find those within Daniel's work, including The Culture Playbook. And you'll also find some discussed during this conversation I had with him.Links Worth Exploring Connect with Daniel: Website | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn Daniel's Book: The Culture Playbook: 60 Highly Effective Actions to Help Your Group Succeed The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact: Get it on Amazon Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: Watch it on HBO Related Conversation: Episode 360: A World Without Email with Cal Newport Related Blog Post: You Can’t Get Around the Need for a Process 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 This episode is sponsored by Nexos.ai. Nexos is the all-in-one secure AI platform for enterprise—bringing workspaces, model access, and governance together under one roof. Try it free for 14 days at nexos.ai/apc today.
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Apr 20, 2022 • 36min

Adrienne Smith talks about playing football, giving her all, and giving back to the game

I've always wanted to interview a football player for the podcast.Thanks to Adrienne Smith, I got my chance.As an athlete, Adrienne has won two gold medals and four national championships in the sport of women’s tackle football. Adrienne has also represented the U.S. in the sport of flag football, having won three silver medals in international competition. Whether on the field or off, Adrienne’s personal mission is to “empire” (empower+inspire) others – a concept she strives to incorporate into all of her endeavors.As an entrepreneur, Adrienne, an MBA graduate of Columbia Business School, is the co-founder of Harlem Hip-Hop Tours (a company dedicated to edutainment field trips for schools and youth groups), the founder of Gridiron Queendom (an enterprise dedicated to women and girls around the world who play or are fans of American football), and the creator of Blitz Champz (a super fun, football card game that reinforces math skills for children in grades 3-8).When it comes to media, Adrienne is a multi-hyphenate (writer, actress, and producer) with experience that runs the gamut from producing and hosting a television show in Japan to developing film and television properties for the U.S. market.During our conversation, Adrienne talks about how she fell in love with football, what a typical day for the very productive Adrienne Smith looks like, how precise she gets with allocating time for her tasks and projects, and how Adrienne keeps her intentions illuminated – including inventing a game that helped her give back to the game of football, Blitz Champz.There are some great takeaways from our conversation. I hope you enjoy it.Links Worth Exploring Connect with Adrienne: Website | Twitter | Instagram Get Blitz Champz: Click here to get them from Amazon Listen to Lebron: Right here on Calm Related Conversation: Episode 241: What Sports Can Teach Us About Greatness with Don Yaeger Related Blog Post: The Long Game 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 This episode is sponsored by Nexos.ai. Nexos is the all-in-one secure AI platform for enterprise—bringing workspaces, model access, and governance together under one roof. Try it free for 14 days at nexos.ai/apc today.
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Apr 13, 2022 • 32min

Joshua Becker talks about Things That Matter

Joshua Becker isn't just one of my favourite people to have a conversation with, he's one of my favourite writers. And his book, Things That Matter: Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life, is a book that I needed to read.I believe it's a book that you need to read as well.Joshua is The Wall Street Journal best-selling author of The More of Less and The Minimalist Home. He's also behind the site Becoming Minimalist and, as mentioned, is one of my favourite people to hang out with.We talked about why writing this book was a big deal for Joshua, falling into the trap of chasing the wrong things, and – wait for it – atychiphobia.Whenever I speak with Joshua, ideas really come to front of mind. You'll hear this coming from me throughout this conversation. Maybe it's that those things matter to me... or maybe I'm auditioning them for that role. Either way, I'm happy that we had a chance to make this conversation happen because it mattered a lot to me to make it happen.I trust after listening to this episode that you'll understand why.Show Notes Connect with Joshua: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Joshua's Book: Things That Matter: Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life Check out The Hope Effect: Click here Related Conversation: Episode 91: The More of Less with Joshua Becker Related Blog Post: I Think Ivy Lee Was Right 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 This episode is sponsored by Nexos.ai. Nexos is the all-in-one secure AI platform for enterprise—bringing workspaces, model access, and governance together under one roof. Try it free for 14 days at nexos.ai/apc today.
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Apr 6, 2022 • 34min

Cameron Herold talks about being The Second in Command

Meetings suck, don't they?Fellow Canadian Cameron Herold wrote a book with that title. But he knows that they don't have to suck.During our discussion, Cameron shares with me why meetings don't have to suck and how to keep them becoming something that sucks. We also talked about a variety of other things during our conversation because Cameron has covered a lot through his body of work.He is the Founder of COO Alliance, a Coach to CEOs and COOs, Keynote Speaker, and author of 5 books. He has coached hundreds of companies in 28 countries, built two 100MM companies, and his Vivid Vision tool is being used globally by thousands of companies.There's a lot to unpack from our conversation – including the concepts of priority management and situational leadership. I trust you'll enjoy this episode and learn a lot from Cameron. I know I did.Show Notes Connect with Cameron: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Cameron's Books: Visit his Amazon Author Page Cameron's podcast: The Second in Command Podcast Cameron's course: Invest in Your Leaders Visit The COO Alliance: Click here Related Conversation: Episode 106: Brian Scudamore Related Blog Post: A Look at Productivity and Workflow “Versioning” 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 This episode is sponsored by Nexos.ai. Nexos is the all-in-one secure AI platform for enterprise—bringing workspaces, model access, and governance together under one roof. Try it free for 14 days at nexos.ai/apc today.
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Apr 4, 2022 • 37min

A Very Special Episode: Liam Martin talks about Running Remote

The way the world works has been changed forever over the past few years. There's no going back to the way things were. It's all about adapting to the evolved world of work – one that involves remote work no matter which way you slice it.That's why I'm glad to finally have Liam Martin join me on the podcast.Liam is an avid proponent of remote work and has been published in Forbes, Inc, Mashable, TechCrunch, Fast Company, Wired, and The Wall Street Journal (among many other publications) specifically targeting the expansion of remote work. Liam's products and services are defined by the concept of giving workers the flexibility to work wherever they want, whenever they want.That's why I believe he's one of the best people in the world to talk about the future of work and the role remote work will play in it.We talk about many facets of remote work throughout our conversation, including his book on remote work. This is a conversation that is definitely another productive one. I hope you learn a lot from what we discuss... and I hope you're able to join me and Liam at Running Remote (either in person or remotely) in May 2022!Show Notes Connect with Liam: Website | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn Liam's Book: Running Remote: Master the Lessons from the World’s Most Successful Remote-Work Pioneers  Join us at Running Remote: Click here (Use code productivityist for 20% off any ticket price) Related Conversation: Episode 326: The Power of Process with Justin DiRose Related Blog Post: How to Be Prudent and Productive 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 This episode is sponsored by Nexos.ai. Nexos is the all-in-one secure AI platform for enterprise—bringing workspaces, model access, and governance together under one roof. Try it free for 14 days at nexos.ai/apc today.

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