A Productive Conversation

Juliet Funt is a renowned keynote speaker and tough-love advisor to the Fortune 500 who is regularly featured in top global media outlets, including Forbes and Fast Company. She is a white-space warrior as the founder and CEO of The Juliet Funt Group, helping business leaders and organizations to unleash their full potential by unburdening talent from busywork. Juliet has earned one of the highest ratings in the largest speaking event in the world, and she has worked with brands such as Spotify, National Geographic, Vans, Costco, Pepsi, Nike, Wells Fargo and ESPN.Juliet shares some key insights from her book ‘A Minute to Think: Reclaim Creativity, Conquer Busyness, and Do Your Best Work’. We also discuss finding your spark, making time for mental space, why we fill time, the humane element of productivity – and increasing the sales of salmon tips. Talking Points Performative busyness The curse of insatiability How to not confuse activity with productivity What is white space? Time sketching Taking one minute to think Establishing your non-negotiable white spaces Quote"Interlace space throughout the day."Helpful Links ‘A Minute To Think’ by Juliet Funt ‘Four Thousand Weeks’ by Oliver Burkeman ‘Indistractable’ by Nir Eyal ‘The Reinvention of Work’ by Matthew Fox Episode 360: A World Without Email with Cal Newport Episode 229: Exploring Digital Minimalism with Cal Newport Episode 93: Deep Work with Cal Newport Episode 238: How to Keep Going with Austin Kleon Why Is My Life So Hard? (Ep. 280) - Freakonomics The Busyness Test JulietFunt.com Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.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.

Personal finance expert, speaker, and business leader, Jesse Mecham is the Founder of You Need A Budget (or YNAB if you are very busy and important). He is also a podcast host and best-selling author of ‘You Need A Budget’. He is deeply passionate about teaching individuals, families, and business owners to help them gain total control of their money. Jesse first developed the YNAB method and original spreadsheet as a broke, newly married college student who really needed a budget. Now, YNAB has a growing team living and working all around the world, and has built a thriving remote culture that earned recognition as Fortune’s #1 best small company to work for.Jesse shares YNAB’s Four Rules, and how we can all master money management. I’m such a huge fan of the tool, so I also explore with Jesse the power of simple tools, building a community, being clear with your expenses, and Alexa requests.Talking Points Launching YouNeedABudget.com as a spreadsheet business How to start budgeting your finances Embracing your true expenses Identifying what is urgent Setting intention versus attention The parallels between time and money management Budgeting with your partner How YNAB works Quote"Consider the future within the constraint of current resources."Helpful Links ‘You Need a Budget’ by Jesse Mecham ‘Four Thousand Weeks’ by Oliver Burkeman YNAB Episode 388: Mike Michalowicz talks about Getting Different jesse@ynab.com  Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.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.

Pieter Geldenhuys – also known as PG Geldenhuys – facilitates hikes and retreats in South Africa and abroad to help you turn your focus inward, through his business Shoshin Walks. He’s also learnt that big shifts come from having a beginner’s mindset. PG’s adventurous spirit is infectious. He shares his travel tales and his philosophy with hiking and being in nature. In this productive conversation, we also discuss meditative walks, writing novels, cliches – and observing ducks. Talking Points What is Shoshin? The power of meditative walks Navigating uncertainty  How writing badly helped PG write a novel Lessons learnt from completing the Camino de Santiago PG’s group tours that include the Inca trail and Kilimanjaro Quote"Structure will set you free."Helpful Links ‘Offsides’ by PG Geldenhuys The Way (2010) ‘Four Thousand Weeks’ by Oliver Burkeman Multiplicity (1996) About Time (2013) PG’s LinkedIn Shoshin Walks Facebook Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.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.

Jeff Harry combines positive psychology and play to help teams and organizations navigate difficult conversations and assist individuals in addressing their biggest challenges through embracing a play-oriented approach to work. For his work, Jeff was selected by BambooHR & Engagedly as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers of 2020 and has been featured in the NY Times, Mashable, Upworthy, & Shondaland. Jeff has worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day.I had a really fun time catching up with Jeff. In this episode we explore rethinking how people work, historical innovators, the power of curiosity and long-term thinking – and John Steinbeck quotes.Talking Points Jeff’s definition of play  Building a psychologically safe place for your company Measuring quality over quantity Building trust with your staff How certain environments unlock play and flow Identifying your play value Quote"Play is the joyful act when you forget about time."Helpful Links Rediscover Your Play Episode 365: Purposeful Play with Gary Ware Episode 90: Productivity & Play with Dr. Kirsten Milliken ‘Four Thousand Weeks’ by Oliver Burkeman  ‘Bullshit Jobs’ by David Graeber Episode 379: Erin Meyer talks about No Rules Rules Dig to Fly Episode 266: Becoming Indistractable with Nir Eyal @JeffHarryPlays  Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.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.

Kristoffer Carter is a spiritual teacher at the intersection of consciousness and business. He is the founder of This Epic Life, a website and podcast devoted to conscious living, which has created a daily meditation practice for thousands. He is also an author, international speaker and executive coach. In his latest book ‘Permission to Glow: A Spiritual Guide to Epic Leadership’, he reveals how to lean in to what makes us all ‘glow’.I had a great time catching up with Kristoffer, and hearing about his relationship with fear. We also spoke about the four types of permission such as feeling ‘the feels’, the power of compounding effects, how to overcome ‘work for work’s sake’ – and some interesting parallels with WrestleMania. Talking Points Why we need to give ourselves more permission The four types of permission Lessons learnt from wrestlers Leaning in to your big scary dream Working with coaches and the power of practising Quote"Learn to dance with the ever-presence of fear."Helpful Links This Epic Life ‘Permission to Glow’ by Kristoffer Carter ‘A Minute to Think’ by Juliet Funt Peter Gabriel - Don't Give Up (ft. Kate Bush) Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.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.

Eric Partaker coaches and mentors entrepreneurs and leaders throughout the world, helping them reach peak levels of performance, in both their businesses and lives. He draws from his world-class work experiences at McKinsey, Skype, and Chilango, cutting-edge research and behavioral science from Stanford University, and the approaches and techniques used in the worlds of elite sports and the military – areas where peak performance is key.In this conversation, we uncover some key insights from his latest book ‘The 3 Alarms: A Simple System to Transform Your Health, Wealth, and Relationships Forever’. We also discuss peak performance traps, visual reminders, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – and the cost of a plane landing in an emergency. Talking Points What Eric discovered from his near-death experience The IPA triggers What we mean by ‘antifragile’ The power of the words we use and how identity drives behavior What the superhero version of you looks like Eric’s Three Alarms Quote"In some shape or form, you’re already doing ‘The Thing’."Helpful Links ‘The Three Alarms’ by Eric Partaker ‘Antifragile’ by Nassim Nicholas Taleb Black Swan (2010) Episode 266: Becoming Indistractable with Nir Eyal Eric Partaker on Identity, Purpose and Change - Beyond the To-Do List ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear Episode 227: Why You Need Atomic Habits with James Clear EricPartaker.com Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.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.

Pamela Slim is an author, community builder, consultant and former corporate director of training and development at Barclays Global Investors. Since 2005, Pam has advised thousands of entrepreneurs as well as companies serving the small business market such as Infusionsoft, Progressive Insurance and Prezi.In her latest book, The Widest Net, Pam explains how to build strong diverse relationships, identify and connect with new partners, expand markets and find new customers in places you may never have considered. It’s been a long time coming having Pam join the show. Join us as we discuss stress-testing a framework, the always/ never list, books tours – and unintended puns.Talking Points Putting together the Widest Net framework Pam’s variation of the customer avatar exercise Understanding your ecosystem The Accordion principle and setting boundaries Beginning a business with a mission statement Fostering the right business relationships Finding your ‘Peanut Butter and Jelly’ partners Quote"Running a business is always a team sport."Helpful Links ‘Widest Net’ by Pamela Slim K’é Main Street Learning Lab Episode 103: The Unmistakable Srinivas Rao Episode 388: Mike Michalowicz talks about Getting Different You Need A Budget ‘Quiet’ by Susan Cain PamelaSlim.com Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.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.

Lisa Erickson is an energy worker, writer, and meditation teacher specializing in women’s energetics and sexual trauma healing. She has trained in multiple contemplative traditions and energy healing modalities, and is certified in mindfulness meditation instruction, kundalini activation, and trauma sensitivity.I found Lisa's new book ‘The Art and Science of Meditation’ as such a powerful resource. It guides you through ways to overcome common obstacles, easy-to-understand explanations of classic spiritual texts, guidance on choosing meditation teachers and retreats, and much more. In our conversation we explore how to build a sustainable meditation practice, how to find a style that suits you, the health benefits, walking habits – and doing nothing for 60 seconds. Talking Points Why meditation is such a valuable practice Setting realistic goals and the power of micro-meditation The parallels with diet and nutrition The role of consistency when building new habits Mixing up your meditation styles Overcoming the myth of ‘conquering’ meditation Why chakra meditation is Lisa’s go-to practice Guided meditations and apps The role of supplements Quote"Trust that change is happening."Helpful Links ‘Creative Quest’ by Questlove The Muse headband ‘The Art & Science of Meditation’ by Lisa Erickson Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.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.

Endorsed in FORBES and INC Magazine and has authored eight books, Perry Marshall is one of the most expensive business strategists in the world. At London’s Royal Society he announced the world’s largest science research challenge: the $10 million Evolution 2.0 Prize. His reinvention of the Pareto Principle is published in Harvard Business Review, and his Google book laid the foundations for the $100 billion Pay Per Click industry. He has a degree in Engineering and lives with his family in Chicago.I found Perry’s latest book ‘Detox, Declutter, Dominate: How to Excel by Elimination’ truly fascinating (it reveals a lot in just 36 pages), so it was great to unpack some of his key insights. In this productive conversation we discuss the elimination mindset, freewriting, email response times, morning walks and written down bucket lists.Talking Points The breaking point that lead Perry to write his book ‘Detox, Declutter, Dominate’ The key to Renaissance Time How to get past “I don’t have time for XYZ” The two types of work: instructional and creative Finding out what creates your creative juices The principle of the $2700 espresso machine Perry’s morning journal routine Quote"Space in your life starts here."Helpful Links ‘Detox, Declutter, Dominate’ by Perry Marshall Episode 351: Eating Frogs with Brian Tracy ‘Hemingway’ documentary ‘The Art of Impossible’ by ​​Steven Kotler Understanding the Job – Clayton Christensen talk ‘The 80/20 Principle’ by Richard Koch Episode 385: Adii Pienaar talks about Measuring Life Profitability ‘Life Profitability’ by Adii Pienaar 42: the wildly improbable ideas of Douglas Adams – Kickstarter PerryMarshall.com Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.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.

A/J Jackson is an American filmmaker, musician, songwriter, record producer, and the lead singer for the band Saint Motel. From feeling too limited to one color choice with his own eyewear – A/J Jackson took the leap and created interchangeable tinted lenses. He’s now the founder of AVIEW, which helps you experience a new way of wearing glasses where you can swap out colors whenever you feel like it. Colors can affect your mood, productivity, and general sense of well being.I really enjoyed speaking with A/J Jackson and learning how he maintains his ‘creative muse’. In this episode we discuss how it went from making music to glasses, finding a team of experts to work with, color theory – and the 3D printer at his local library. Talking Points Taking on new creative projects Color theory and its impact on mood and productivity  The meaning behind ‘rose-tinted glasses’ The power of changing your working environment Experimenting with hyper-scheduling On being a disciplined artist  Quote"By chunking your time, you’re starting afresh each time."Helpful Links AVIEW.com ‘Hemingway’ documentary ‘The Authentic Swing’ by Steven Pressfield ‘The War of Art’ by Steven Pressfield Jerry Seinfeld: Comedian A/J Jackon’s Instagram Want to discover some of the books mentioned on the podcast? Check out Scribd, my reading app of choice.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. Also don't forget to check out all of our podcast sponsors found on our podcast sponsors page.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and/or review wherever you listened to the episode. And if you want to have easy access to the archives of the show and ensure you don't miss the new episodes to come then subscribe to the podcast in the app you're using.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.