Productive Flourishing Podcast

Email has become the primary tool many of us use to communicate with others. We both love it and hate it, because like money, email can be a great servant but a terrible master. Dmitri Leonov joins Charlie Gilkey to jam about ways you can make email work for you rather than against you. Email is one of Charlie’s favorite topics to talk about and he’s ready to jump into it with Dmitri. Key Takeaways:[0:48] Charlie introduces his guest, Dmitri Leonov[1:30] The current email landscape[2:31] The real reason for email overload is communication overload[2:44] Three factors that contribute to this[3:38] Becoming aware of how plugged in you are to everything by changing the context[6:55] The other thing you can do is to put your smart phone in a shoebox![7:36] What else is it about the current email landscape that gets us to where we are?[9:31] Dmitri schedules an hour in his calendar called “email time”, each day[10:09] Charlie talks about the two posts he has written about this:Difference between checking email & processing emailDon’t use your inbox as a to-do-list[11:50] Dmitri adds to this by introducing the process called “triage”[12:31] A hack he has found very useful[14:15] Don’t use your inbox as an archive and what to do instead[18:52] The Five Sentences Movement is about short & concise messages[21:45] Transactional vs. conversational email communication[24:25] Tags within email are an amazing development[25:58] What other best practices Dmitri suggests? The core is to triage![28:10] The attention switching cost[28:33] Dmitri suggests a second best practice[31:42] We get stuck in the technological loop & it’s infinite[32:39] Dmitri shares other advanced Ninja moves[38:13] His favorite hack![44:01] Dmitri’s one takeaway: “don’t make email your priority” Mentioned in This Episode:Find BigMailSlackBoomerangGoogle InboxSaneBoxGmail’s “Undo Send”The Black Hole - a tool developed by Dmitri’s groupWiseStampt1Password  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productiveflourishing.com/subscribe

The imposter syndrome is a major road block for many of us when it comes to doing our best work, especially if doing it requires us to start something new. “Who are you to do it?” rings so loudly inside us that we often can’t hear the other more helpful stories or see the other data points that show us that we’re on the right path. Dan Picket joins Charlie Gilkey for episode 59 to jam about how to debug the imposter syndrome.  Key Takeaways:[0:55] Who is Dan Picket?[1:02] Dan’s personal vision is to help people become the best version of themselves[1:45] How is the imposter syndrome working on him right now?[2:24] How did he get into programming?[3:25] How did Dan start out in software development and programming?[6:07] The stigma associated with software engineers.[8:32] Why did he make the jump from Launchware to Launch Academy?[10:59] How was the transition from entrepreneur to teacher?[13:48] Computer software engineering is a rapidly evolving and multi-faceted universe![16:01] Disciplines that are in close periphery to software engineering are also affected by the pace of changing technology.[17:07] What qualifies Dan to start Launch Academy?[19:04] Imposter syndromes are so prevalent when you start something new.[19:42] Dan shares two small anecdotes on overcoming the imposter syndrome.[23:00] Only seeing the surface level of others’ work can make you feel like you’re not enough.[24:32] The ironic thing about the imposter syndrome: it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.[26:36] Negative thoughts and stories can feed our fears and make us feel like an imposter.[29:23] What would he do differently? Mindfulness.[34:12] Always go back to your core values to see if what you’re doing is in-line with them.[35:01] How does the imposter syndrome slide into the curriculum at Launch Academy?[37:03] The zone of proximal development[39:39] Advancement and growth only happens in discomfort.[41:00] What’s his biggest challenge right now?[44:52] Having patience and trust in others.[46:06] The beauty of hiring based on core values and cultural fit.[47:28] What is the one thing people could remember about Dan & his body of work from this episode?  Mentioned in this Episode:LaunchwareLaunch AcademyMITWorcester PolitechAgile Education MethodPam Slim Podcast (@ 22:04 min)The Feeling Good Handbook by Dr. BurnsEmotional Obesity by Laura CoeThe World’s Religions by Huston SmithYoung Entrepreneurs Club  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productiveflourishing.com/subscribe

Kristin Meekhof is a licenced Masters level social worker. She's a speaker, contributor to Huffington Post, a Maria Shriver “Architect of Change”, and the author of A Widow's Guide to Healing. She has been seen on Huffington Post Live, featured on American Greetings and at ABC Headquarters in New York. She has also been a panellist at the Parliament of World Religions. In 2007, she was 33 when her husband died from Adrenal cancer. About three years after his death, she decided that she wanted to interview as many widows as possible and put their narratives together in her book. She spent three and a half years talking with widows from various backgrounds to compile the book and share their stories. In 2014, Kristin traveled to Kenya and saw firsthand how widows live on less than a dollar a day. On today’s show, Kristin joins Charlie to talk about her experiences as a widow, and her experiences as an author who shared the stories of other widows in her recent book. Key Takeaways:[02:51] Is this something that we talk enough about in our society?[02:57] Talking about loss & grief is a difficult conversation for people to have[04:23] How did Kristin go from loss & grief to writing her own book?[07:17] Clinical vs. narrative: which approach is more helpful for healing?[08:17] What are some of the common threads of the widows’ stories that she compiled?[09:20] Secondary losses that are caused by the primary loss[10:42] Intense loneliness, secondary losses, and financial concerns are major themes across stories[11:28] How different widows experience moving on with another partner[14:38] Mothers of younger children have different approaches in dealing with the void that’s left following the loss of a father[15:54] The widow label, and how it can have negative stigmas behind it[18:08] After her husband's passing, when were some moments that checking the 'widow box’ struck Kristin?[20:45] She talks on some assumptions that are made about widows[22:08] What happened to her professional life after she published her first book?[23:43] The opportunities or experiences that have surprised her[25:59] Kristin talks about the project in Kenya, where she witnessed how widows live on less than a dollar a day[27:37] What were some of the cross-cultural differences and convergences between the widows' experiences in Nairobi, Africa vs. those in the US[30:03] Now that her first book has been published, what is her next idea?[31:04] How can we be supportive or helpful as family or friends without overtaking the widow?[33:03] She shares some of the gems from Chapter 8, The best advice I never got: things widows know[35:21] In her own experience, what's been the most challenging aspect of being a widow?[37:25] How is she working through the “re-griefing effect”?[39:31] The physical effects of grief & how it affected Kristin’s health[41:42] The “loss spiral”: starts with losing one thing, then losing something else & it goes down from there[42:40] One of the changes that creeped up on her[44:53] What's she excited about going forward?[45:55] What does she want people to take away from this episode? Mentioned in this Episode:A Widow's Guide to Healing by Kristin MeekhofChelsea Dinsmore at Live your LegendHolocaust survivor Stephen RossDeepack ChopraArchitects of Change by Maria ShriverHow widows live on less than a dollar a day (in Kenya)Parliament of World ReligionsHuffington Post   This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productiveflourishing.com/subscribe

Sometimes, you commit to a few things and then life intervenes and throws a few more things on your plate, and it can sometimes get away from you. You feel like "how am I going to do all of this?", "what do I need to let go?", "how do I handle my own expectations for what I'd be able to do?" - That's what Charlie Gilkey & Angela Wheeler will chat about on this episode.  Key Takeaways: [02:08] Charlie talks about the major products he has going on at once  [05:03] Angela points out that each project has many other mini-projects within it[06:27] Self-care is about being gentler with yourself, not beating yourself up[07:24] A venn diagram analogy on ‘the work’ and ‘the story about the work’ [11:01] Feeling frustrated with yourself - what is it getting you? what is it doing for you?[13:56] Angela is harder on herself than on other members of the team[14:35] We wouldn't ride a donkey the way we ride ourselves, because it would be inhumane[15:21] You’re not a computer nor a robot, and can't work 24-7. You're human & stuff comes up [16:29] How do you communicate with people when you have overcommitted and need help?[18:00] Ego prevents us from asking for help, but not asking is the worst thing you can do [21:58] Asking for help can be seen as a weakness[23:40] Asking for help may feel like it's a 'taking'[25:50] Always ask the yea-sayers & people you trust, if they're willing to help you[28:25] Ask for help by welcoming people to be of service to you[28:54] You matter just as much as somebody else[30:55] How not to get there again by giving yourself enough room for a margin[32:50] People confuse focus and capacity[33:19] Proactive communication with others and with yourself[34:27] Choosing the projects that matter to you[38:53] Deciding what's really important and what to let go of, is hard, but worth it[39:50] Defining what you want your good life to look like - rather than what others think[40:18] Choosing projects and priorities that matter most to you and sticking to them   Mentioned in this Episode: Live Your LegendStart Finishing [book proposal]Jeffrey Davis from Tracking Wonder  Rain Maker"No" vs. "Not now"Why strategic planning is so hard for creative people?   This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productiveflourishing.com/subscribe

Jordan Agolli is a young, but highly experienced entrepreneur who is also the host of the Teenage Entrepreneur. He started his first business when he was 14-years-old, and grew the company to 20 employees by the time he was 18-years-old. In 2014, he founded Teenage Entrepreneur, which is a platform focused on educating and inspiring the younger generation to pursue entrepreneurship. The show has listeners in 65 countries. In 2015, he was hired as the director of operations for a company that helps business owners market their business through the Internet. Jordan's primary focus and passion is fixing operational breakdowns, building and maintaining relationships with clients, and managing day-to-day operations. On top of this, he is also the president of his bowling league, has a first degree black belt in a Japanese martial art. Jordan has his hands in a lot of projects, as do many Creative Giants. Charlie is excited to have him share his journey with us! Key Takeaways:[02:24] Jordan shares his story on starting his own business when he was only 14-years-old.[05:11] Growing a company by using a hyper-local directory and cheap marketing.[09:27] A marketing strategy that leveraged being young and ambitious ‘high schoolers’[11:01] College didn’t work for Jordan, so he worked full-time in his own business.[13:08] What was it about college that he didn't like, wasn't for him.[13:47] Jordan never wanted college to work for him.[15:17] Institutions box you into a system & that was his issue with school from the get go.[18:08] There’s a false perception that overestimates high schoolers’ understanding of the ‘online world’.[18:17] Fizzle was the first resource to teach Jordan about the online business world.[19:46] The Internet and social media can be leveraged to market and grow your business.[21:16] How Teenage Entrepreneur was born[22:32] Discovering podcasting and the online community is what brought him to where he is today[23:58] How he got involved in managing operations and talking to sought-after CEOs[29:28] It’s better to focus on one thing than to spread yourself thin[30:33] Three major lessons Jordan has learned[34:03] Putting yourself out there and the value of experience[35:12] In order to grow and take it to the next level, he'll be going back into the entrepreneurial world Mentioned in This Episode:The Aha! connectionYelpAngie’s ListFizleChase ReevesPodcast MovementSnap ChatTweeterInstagramVineJohn DumasChris DuckerChase JarvisDavid FranceBabson entrepreneurship forumGlobal entrepreneurship program, for the United StatesSuzan Scot’s Fierce Conversations This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productiveflourishing.com/subscribe

Rebecca is a serial entrepreneur who creates problem solving consumer goods that are in the hands of over half million people around the world, and have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, multiple episodes of ABC's Shark Tank, Good Morning America and more. Rescate began her entrepreneurial career at the age of 25 in New York City. In the past decade, she has built four brands with unique creative products, including: CityKitty, HoodiePillow, Top.Down Planner, and Blankie Tails; while raising 3 children and residing in Yardley Pennsylvania with her husband. Rebecca joins Charlie to discuss one of his favorite topics: planning; and about how plans drive us toward success and happiness and also create luck.  Key Takeaways:02:12 – What lead Rebecca to create Top.Down Planner03:41 – The methodology that Top.Down planning is based on04:59 – What if we just focus on the things that are of high value to us07:36 – The importance of incorporating values in planning09:04 – The ‘values exercise’ in Top.Down Planners11:11 – When your values don’t align with how you are doing business14:06 – How not to say ‘yes’ to everything and prioritizing your values in planning17:12 – Difference between ‘planning’ and ‘planners’ or ‘schedulers’   21:09 – Spear-heading a re-education on planning23:34 – Rebecca talks about Blankie Tails25:16 – Rebecca talks about CityKitty29:36 – Doubling down on Blankie Tails31:53 – The 2016 version of Top.Down Planner and inventory management33:58 – Some pros and cons of manufacturing products in the US38:05 – Planning for and running four different businesses41:56 – The power of planning43:20 – From baby steps to bigger plans  Mentioned in This Episode:CityKittyHoodiePillowTop.Down PlannerBlankie Tailsthe Pareto PrincipleFranklin Covey3.PurposeStaplesOffice DepotGoogle CalendarDaniela Port's desire mappingUberSteve JobsUggsInstagramKitchen AideShark TankCalphalon  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productiveflourishing.com/subscribe

Susan Piver makes a reappearance on this week's episode to talk about meditation. Susan was featured on episode four of The Creative Giant Show, so be sure to check out her first interview with Charlie after you listen to this one. Susan Piver has an international reputation for being an exceptionally skillful meditation teacher and shares valuable insight on how to start a meditation practice and make it stick. Key Takeaways:[2:50] Susan's book, Start Here Now, is out.[5:50] What really counts as meditation?[7:45] In meditation you don't have to stop thinking.[10:45] Every person Susan knows thinks they're not disciplined in their practice.[15:55] The answer is right in front of you, but we often prefer to get distracted and take shortcuts.[18:10] Being present means letting go of what you know.[20:00] Susan talks about her 'Aimless Wandering' practice.[22:25] Practicing in the beginning can make you anxious, but it naturally goes away overtime.[25:20] How long -really- is three minutes?[28:55] There are three kinds of laziness. Susan explains.[33:30] What does it mean to be a Buddhist?[37:45] What can you do if you're not near a Buddhist/meditation center or community?[41:35] Charlie talks about his own practice.[46:25] Does meditation get easier?[48:35] Give yourself 5-10-15 minutes to be in the present. Mentioned In This Episode:http://www.productiveflourishing.com/what-counts-as-meditation/https://insighttimer.com/The Heart of Unconditional Love by Tulku ThondupThe Sacred Path of The Warrior series by  Chogyam Trungpahttp://susanpiver.com/Start Here Now by Susan Piver.http://www.productiveflourishing.com/episode-four-susan-piver/  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productiveflourishing.com/subscribe

Angela Wheeler joins Charlie Gilkey in today's podcast episode. Charlie and Angela talk on how sometimes it's difficult to practice self-care and take care of all of your responsibilities at the same time. The two explore the subject of self-care and talk on why they're not feeling 100% at the best on the show. Key Takeaways:[2:05] Charlie and Angela weren't in the best of places today.[3:20] Maybe we use the excuse of not feeling well to avoid responsibilities.[4:15] Look at your schedule two weeks in the past and assume it'll be the same.[6:30] Not looking your best is different for everybody.[9:00] Self-care is the highest priority.[14:00] When is that thing you're putting off going to get done?[17:40] Don't be a victim of the 9-5 schedule.[20:50] Are the important things showing up in your schedule?[24:40] Remember, you can't do everything.[28:00] Take care of yourself, your priorities, and do your best.[29:50] What are you doing to take care of yourself and what are you doing today to build a better tomorrow? Mentioned In This Episode:http://www.productiveflourishing.com/  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productiveflourishing.com/subscribe

Nathalie Molina Niño launched her first tech startup at the age of 20 and then later graduated with a degree in playwriting at Columbia University. In 2012, Nathalie co-founded a non-profit at the Athena Center for Leadership studies of Barnard College at Columbia University, where she advises young women entrepreneurs. Nathalie talks on how she got her head start in the tech industry and why she's working to fix the large gender and minority gap in the tech world. Key Takeaways:[3:05] How did Nathalie get started in her career?[7:00] Why did Nathalie burn out?[9:30] We often forget we can define our boundaries.[11:30] We stop making good decisions after about 36-40 hours of work.[12:10] How did Nathalie get involved in her non-profit Entrepreneurs@Athena?[13:40] Nathalie is much more open now about talking about the core problems in tech.[16:30] There's a big group of people who are lazily uninformed about the gender and minority divide.[19:20] The tech culture is toxic and unfriendly to women.[22:10] Why aren't there more women in C-level positions? Nathalie explains why.[24:20] How can we make corporate and tech culture more friendly?[27:45] Nathalie believes we should focus on building healthy workplace culture on the entrepreneurial side of things, not in slow-moving corporate.[31:00] Charlie shares why he believes more women are leaving corporate to start their own businesses.[35:40] Nathalie talks about Power To Fly and why she got involved.[40:00] How did Power To Fly get 6+ million dollars in investor funds?[47:40] What's the most unanticipated challenge Nathalie is currently facing?[50:40] The one takeaway you need to know about Nathalie? You can be successful and still be kind. Mentioned In This Episode:http://www.productiveflourishing.com/episode-18-factoring-tech-startup-world-thursday-bram/https://www.powertofly.com/http://nathaliemolina.biz  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productiveflourishing.com/subscribe

Charlie Gilkey and Angela Wheeler have been together for over 18 years and discuss on today's podcast what's it like working with each other. Angela shares her struggles on leaving her academia career, catching up with Charlie's four year learning curve in the business, and surviving a near-death experience. Charlie and Angela talk on the importance of understanding each other's cycles and rhythms and to have boundaries in the relationship where it's not all work and no play. Key Takeaways:[1:50] Angela talks a little bit about her background. [4:30] Working with your partner is great, but there can also be bumps in the road.[7:40] Charlie and Angela have been in business together since 2010.[8:40] What kind of challenges did Angela face when she joined Charlie's business?[15:50] Charlie and Angela have been together for 18 years and have had a lot of time to grow together.[20:00] The difference in income can be awkward with your partner.[25:50] Working around your partner's natural rhythm can be challenging.[30:45] Three years after the car crash, the couple can finally talk about what happened.[31:30] Charlie talks about Angela's near-death experience.[37:10] After Angela's accident, Charlie had to plan for Angela not to be a part of the business and setup the business up accordingly.[43:10] Admitting your weaknesses can be hard, but once you do, you can build a stronger business.[47:40] So what is it like working with your life partner?[51:00] You can share something meaningful together.[52:40] Be transparent with your partner and have an open communication with them at all times. Mentioned In This Episode:The Five Love Languages by Gary D. Chapman  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productiveflourishing.com/subscribe