A Productive Conversation

Dr. Michael Breus, Ph.D., is a Clinical Psychologist and both a Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and a Fellow of The American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He is one of only 168 psychologists in the world to have passed the Sleep Medical Speciality board without going to Medical School. Dr. Michael Breus was recently named the Top Sleep Specialist in California by Reader’s Digest, and one of the 10 most influential people in sleep. Michael is also ‘The Power of When’, ‘The Sleep Doctor’s Diet Plan: Lose Weight Through Better Sleep’ and ‘GOOD NIGHT: The Sleep Doctor’s 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health’. In this episode, we explore his most recent book, co-authored with Stacey Griffith, ‘Energize!: Go from Dragging Ass to Kicking It in 30 Days’.Tune in also to learn more about energy management techniques, knowing your body type, morning stretches, his unbelievably simple sleep program – and being a wolf.Talking Points How your body type and type of exercise affects your sleep Learn how to manage your energy levels Being a ‘fast wolf’ The correlation between melatonin production and age Learning from how animals wake up Emotional energizers and vampires Identifying your definition of energy Quote"I focus more on energy management, not time."Helpful Links The Power of When with Dr Michael Breus EnergizeMyself.com TheSleepDoctor.com ChronoQuiz.com Dr Michael Breus’ TikTok 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

Brain.fm creates music that sounds different – and affects your brain differently – than any other music. Their science-first approach helps steer you into a desired mental state. How Dan joined the company is an interesting story, which you’ll find out in this interview. Fast forward to today, he is now the CEO. It was fascinating to learn about how music affects our mental state and productivity. Join us as we discuss the scientific effects of function music, how Brain.fm works, finding your ‘power song’, and what he’s learnt from practising martial arts. Talking Points How what you listen to has an impact on your productivity Their science-first approach to functional music How Brain.fm compliments other productivity ‘hacks’ Active working and planning The difference between binaural beats and Brain.fm Power songs Quote"The better tools you have, the better you can dive into a task."Helpful Links David Bennett Piano Brain.fm/Productivityist 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

Ron Friedman is an award-winning social psychologist who specializes in human motivation. He is a frequent contributor to HBR, CNN, Fast Company, and Psychology Today, as well as the author of multiple books including ‘Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success’.Find out how athletes, artists and entrepreneurs succeed so you can create your own breakthrough formula. Ron is on the show to discuss keeping score of success, how to creatively copy, finding your meaningful metrics – and Macklemore’s ‘Ten Thousand Hours’.Talking Points How to reverse engineer greatness The stigma of copying The curse of creativity and the confusion with originality The Scoreboard Principle Setting desirable and undesirable metrics Why reverse engineering extends to all areas of society Quote"Make an established idea different."Helpful Links ‘Decoding Greatness’ by Ron Friedman ‘Four Thousand Weeks’ by Oliver Burkeman  Cal Newport – ‘Take Control of Your Time’ DecodingGreatnessBook.com Ignite80.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

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 PointsPerformative busynessThe curse of insatiabilityHow to not confuse activity with productivityWhat is white space?Time sketchingTaking one minute to thinkEstablishing your non-negotiable white spacesQuote"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 FoxEpisode 360: A World Without Email with Cal NewportEpisode 229: Exploring Digital Minimalism with Cal NewportEpisode 93: Deep Work with Cal NewportEpisode 238: How to Keep Going with Austin KleonWhy Is My Life So Hard? (Ep. 280) - FreakonomicsThe Busyness TestJulietFunt.comIf 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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