

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

Mar 7, 2016 • 45min
Overnight Success with Aaron Mahnke
This episode is sponsored by Bento Focus — the ADHD-friendly focus timer that helps you do less, better. Limit your day to three meaningful tasks, build calm routines, and stay focused with beautiful Japanese-inspired themes. Try it today at dub.sh/mike-bento-podcast.This episode features a conversation with Aaron Mahnke, accomplished author and the man behind the award-winning podcast Lore.
The road to Lore wasn’t a straight one for Aaron, so we talk about the journey he had to overnight success and how he used to work versus how he works today.
Relevant Links
Lore
Why I Created Lore | Aaron Mahnke
Frictionless
Wet Frog Studios
Home Work
Aaron Mahnke’s Now Page
Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) | Twitter
Lore Podcast (@lorepodcast) | Twitter
Thanks again for listening to the show – and if you have any feedback you can leave a comment below and/or rate and review the podcast in iTunes or whatever service you’re using to subscribe to the show. Not a subscriber yet? Click here to make that happen in iTunes and click here to grab the RSS feed!
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
Build a sustainable system for attention, rhythm, and trust with TimeCrafting & ADHD — a new course inside TimeCrafting Trust Premium. Start today for as little as $14 USD/month: timecraftingtrust.circle.so/timecrafting-adhd.

Mar 1, 2016 • 41min
Getting Reading Done with Mike Dariano
Mike Dariano, the resident book reviewer at Productivityist and a passionate reader, shares his insights on enhancing reading habits. He discusses reviving joy in reading post-graduate school and the importance of flexible choices. Morning reading rituals and integrating audiobooks into daily routines are emphasized. They explore the balance between learning through nonfiction and escaping into fantasy. Effective note-taking strategies for audiobooks and resourceful reading hacks complete the conversation, aimed at nurturing lifelong reading enthusiasts.

Feb 23, 2016 • 36min
A Mindful Conversation with Patrick Rhone
This episode is sponsored by Bento Focus — the ADHD-friendly focus timer that helps you do less, better. Limit your day to three meaningful tasks, build calm routines, and stay focused with beautiful Japanese-inspired themes. Try it today at dub.sh/mike-bento-podcast.On this episode of the podcast, Patrick Rhone returns so that we can have another great conversation. This time around we focus on reading more (and better), mindfulness (and Patrick's new book "Mindfulness for Mere Mortals), and much more.
I always have a blast talking with Patrick. I hope you enjoy the show as much as I enjoyed putting it together (with help from producer John Poelstra).
Relevant Links
PatrickRhone.com
2015 in review — 1 year after I quit blogging | Nathan Barry
Ethan Waldman at Flavors.me
10 Simple Rules for a Successful Whole30 (or any diet change) | Courtney Carver
Austin Kleon
Think Clearly.
Garrick van Buren – 612 325 9110
James Shelley · Knowledge Translation
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant
How to Read More (and Read Better) | Productivityist
This is Water | Vimeo
Mindfulness for Mere Mortals | PatrickRhone.com
137 Books in One Year: How to Fall in Love With Reading by Kevin D. Hendricks | Amazon
The Productivityist Podcast 73: Cal Newport | Productivityist
PatrickRhone.net
patrickrhone (@patrickrhone) | Twitter
If you enjoy The Productivityist Podcast I'd appreciate a rating and review in iTunes or your podcasting platform of choice. It helps people find the show easier and will help me make improvements on the show by seeing what you have to say.
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
Build a sustainable system for attention, rhythm, and trust with TimeCrafting & ADHD — a new course inside TimeCrafting Trust Premium. Start today for as little as $14 USD/month: timecraftingtrust.circle.so/timecrafting-adhd.

7 snips
Feb 16, 2016 • 27min
ADHD Productivity with Ryan McRae
In this engaging discussion, Ryan McRae, also known as The ADHD Nerd, shares his personal journey with ADHD and its impact on productivity. He dives into the chaos that ADHD can create and offers valuable time management tips, emphasizing the importance of capturing tasks and using routines to enhance focus. Ryan provides insights on tackling procrastination by breaking tasks into manageable steps and shares his experience with journaling to celebrate accomplishments. His practical advice is a must-listen for anyone navigating the challenges of ADHD.

Feb 8, 2016 • 35min
Think Productive with Graham Allcott
This episode is sponsored by Bento Focus — the ADHD-friendly focus timer that helps you do less, better. Limit your day to three meaningful tasks, build calm routines, and stay focused with beautiful Japanese-inspired themes. Try it today at dub.sh/mike-bento-podcast.On this edition of the podcast, I speak with founder of Think Productive and productivity ninja Graham Allcott. We focus on the nine characteristics you need to have to become a true productivity ninja and dive into a myriad of other offshoot topics as a result.
I had a lot of fun chatting with Graham and I’ll be having him back on in short order to dive deeper into even more!
Relevant Links
Think Productive UK
How to be a Productivity Ninja by Graham Allcott | Amazon
The Productivityist Podcast 77: Chris Bailey
Plagiarists’ Corner | Stewart Lee
9 Characteristics of a Productivity Ninja | Think Productive
Nozbe
Headspace
Think Productive (@thinkproductive) | Twitter
Graham Allcott (@grahamallcott) | Twitter
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
Build a sustainable system for attention, rhythm, and trust with TimeCrafting & ADHD — a new course inside TimeCrafting Trust Premium. Start today for as little as $14 USD/month: timecraftingtrust.circle.so/timecrafting-adhd.

Feb 1, 2016 • 31min
Freakishly Productive with Annie Mueller
This episode is sponsored by Bento Focus — the ADHD-friendly focus timer that helps you do less, better. Limit your day to three meaningful tasks, build calm routines, and stay focused with beautiful Japanese-inspired themes. Try it today at dub.sh/mike-bento-podcast.In this episode, I chat with Annie Mueller from Freakishly Productive about tactical time management tips. We discuss how Annie is able to be productive while homeschooling four kids and running a business, and a whole lot more.
Some of the highlights include:
Women in productivity: Where are they and why Annie thinks there is a stigma
Categorizing by energy levels: Energy fluctuations and working with them
Homeschooling: How to use things like Minecraft and how it can help with productivity
To Do Lists: Short or long, should you include routine tasks or not
Capturing ideas and thoughts
Can you apply her method to a 9–5?
Why not being afraid to change the narrative will help your productivity
Relevant Links
Freakishly Productive
The Productivityist Podcast 55: The Productive Woman with Laura McClellan | Productivityist
Bullet Journal
Categorize your work into energy levels | Freakishly Productive
Simple to complex, complex to simple | Freakishly Productive
The two worst enemies of good time management | Freakishly Productive
Try to capture all the ideas | Freakishly Productive
Annie Mueller (@AnnieMueller) | Twitter
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
Build a sustainable system for attention, rhythm, and trust with TimeCrafting & ADHD — a new course inside TimeCrafting Trust Premium. Start today for as little as $14 USD/month: timecraftingtrust.circle.so/timecrafting-adhd.

Jan 25, 2016 • 28min
The Productivity Project with Chris Bailey
This episode is sponsored by Bento Focus — the ADHD-friendly focus timer that helps you do less, better. Limit your day to three meaningful tasks, build calm routines, and stay focused with beautiful Japanese-inspired themes. Try it today at dub.sh/mike-bento-podcast.In this episode of the podcast, I chat with the author of The Productivity Project, Chris Bailey. We talk about Chris’s new book, the process of writing the book, why quantitative and qualitative data are both needed to measure productivity, and whether or not Chris identifies as an early riser or a night owl.
Relevant Links
The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy by Chris Bailey | Amazon
A Life of Productivity
Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less by Sam Carpenter | Amazon
ALifeofProductivity (@ALOProductivity) | Twitter
Chris Bailey (@wigglechicken) | Twitter
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
Build a sustainable system for attention, rhythm, and trust with TimeCrafting & ADHD — a new course inside TimeCrafting Trust Premium. Start today for as little as $14 USD/month: timecraftingtrust.circle.so/timecrafting-adhd.

Jan 19, 2016 • 39min
Better Email Habits with Andy Mitchell
This episode is sponsored by Bento Focus — the ADHD-friendly focus timer that helps you do less, better. Limit your day to three meaningful tasks, build calm routines, and stay focused with beautiful Japanese-inspired themes. Try it today at dub.sh/mike-bento-podcast.In this episode, I speak with the founder of ActiveInbox, Andy Mitchell. We talk about email and how you can (if you want) use it as a task manager. (It’s not something I do (or advocate) but for those of you who want to hear why you may want to give this a go…then this episode is for you.)
We also talk about the “snoozing” feature that some email apps have, the shifting from app to app and how it can affect productivity, and the different roles people have and how that can impact how productive they can be.
Relevant Links
ActiveInbox
Inbox Zero: Processing to zero | 43 Folders
How We Use Slack | Productivityist
Hit The Snooze Button To Be More Productive | Productivityist
Workflowing #55: Checking The Mailbox with Gentry Underwood
Andy Mitchell (@andymitchell) | Twitter
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
Build a sustainable system for attention, rhythm, and trust with TimeCrafting & ADHD — a new course inside TimeCrafting Trust Premium. Start today for as little as $14 USD/month: timecraftingtrust.circle.so/timecrafting-adhd.

Jan 12, 2016 • 41min
Level Up Your Life with Steve Kamb
This episode is sponsored by Bento Focus — the ADHD-friendly focus timer that helps you do less, better. Limit your day to three meaningful tasks, build calm routines, and stay focused with beautiful Japanese-inspired themes. Try it today at dub.sh/mike-bento-podcast.In this episode, I speak with the founder of Nerd Fitness and the author of the book Level Up Your Life, Steve Kamb. We talk about what it takes to take your life to the next level in a variety of ways and go over what’s happened in both of our journeys since the very first interview we ever had over 7 years ago.
(Note: I said 9 years ago on the podcast, but that was because I got caught on the fact we spoke in 2009. My bad…sorry!)
Relevant Links
Nerd Fitness
Level Up Your Life: How to Unlock Adventure and Happiness by Becoming the Hero of Your Own Story by Steve Kamb | Amazon
Camp Nerd Fitness | September 21–25, 2016
Level Up Your Life | Steve Kamb
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness | TED Talk | TED.com
Chris Hardwick | Nerdist
The Rise: Creativity, the Gift of Failure, and the Search for Mastery by Sarah Lewis | Amazon
Steve Kamb (@SteveKamb) | Twitter
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
Build a sustainable system for attention, rhythm, and trust with TimeCrafting & ADHD — a new course inside TimeCrafting Trust Premium. Start today for as little as $14 USD/month: timecraftingtrust.circle.so/timecrafting-adhd.

8 snips
Jan 5, 2016 • 29min
The Real Inbox Zero with Dmitri Leonov
This episode is sponsored by Bento Focus — the ADHD-friendly focus timer that helps you do less, better. Limit your day to three meaningful tasks, build calm routines, and stay focused with beautiful Japanese-inspired themes. Try it today at dub.sh/mike-bento-podcast.This week on the show I speak with Dmitri Leonov, co-founder of SaneBox. We talk about why it isn’t always a good idea to use every aspect of a tool (SaneBox naturally gets mentioned here) and a ton of other thoughts surrounding a productivity pain point for many: email.
I always enjoy when I speak with someone who makes a tool to help with productivity saying that the tool is not the entire solution to the problem. We dive into that during our discussion, what role automation plays in productivity (and where it can be put in place far too much), and what Dmitri’s definition of Inbox Zero is.
Relevant Links
SaneBox
Forget ‘Inbox Zero’: Your empty email account means nothing
The Ultimate Way to get to Inbox Zero
The One Email Trick That Keeps My Inbox In Shape | Productivityist
Talking Inbox Zero and Email Overload
Inbox Zero vs. Inbox 5,000: A Unified Theory | The Atlantic
The MacSparky Email Field Guide
Dmitri Leonov (@dmitri) | Twitter
How do you deal with email? Do you strive for Inbox Zero every day or do you have another mission in mind? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.
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
Build a sustainable system for attention, rhythm, and trust with TimeCrafting & ADHD — a new course inside TimeCrafting Trust Premium. Start today for as little as $14 USD/month: timecraftingtrust.circle.so/timecrafting-adhd.


