

Freedom Decoded: A Podcast From Demir And Carey Bentley
Carey Bentley
Carey and Demir Bentley from Lifehack Method share productivity and lifestyle design tips.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 26, 2026 • 56min
When Your Old Ways Stop Working | FREEDOM DECODED Ep 54: A Podcast From Demir & Carey Bentley
Grab a copy of our BOOK here: http://winningtheweek.com/Join Lifehack Tribe: https://members.lifehackmethod.com/join-lifehack-tribeSUBSCRIBE to our podcast on the platform of your choice!Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3pNtPVeApple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3tiIpWWOr subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LifehackBootcampTime stamps:01:49 - Flying the Plane While You’re Still Building It04:58 - The Advantage of a Clean Slate (Building vs. Resetting)05:52 - The Importance of Specific KPIs in Ambiguous Roles06:59 - Creating a “Headline” for Your Year07:18 - You Only Have One Priority: The New Job07:48 - Transition as Opportunity, Not a Problem for the Old Team08:39 - Don’t Make a "Mona Lisa" Out of the Transition10:08 - Time-Boxing Support to Avoid Becoming the Permanent Middleman11:00 - Expectations Management as a Leadership Tool12:00 - The Risk of Overlong Transitions13:00 - Stress-Testing the “Best Case” Plan14:15 - Comfort Bias Toward the Old Role15:30 - Delegation as a Development Opportunity for Others16:45 - Redesigning the Transition Model17:05 - Best Case vs. Worst Case Thinking in High-Stakes Moves18:15 - The Perfectionism Trap in Leadership Transitions21:00 - Shifting from Execution to Strategic Visibility22:30 - Health as a Non-Negotiable Constraint22:55 - Stress-Testing Assumptions vs. Being Negative25:00 - Gradual Boundary Enforcement Over Abrupt Pushback28:30 - Professional Liabilities: When Overthinking Stalls Progress30:00 - Transition Clarity Prevents Emotional Damage37:07 - Creating a "Breadcrumb Trail" of Accountability for Your Team41:15 - Putting Order to Chaos: Leveraging Process Skills43:47 - Clarity as the Definitive Attribute of Great Leaders44:45 - Using AI as a Thought Partner for Leadership46:05 - Translating Strategy into Living Documents and Processes51:34 - Relieving Managerial Pressure Through Ownership52:40 - AI as a Brain Accelerator, Not a Miracle53:44 - Becoming the Leader Who Sees the "One Key Thing"Check out our FREE masterclass all about How To Plan The Perfect Week In 30 Minutes Flat: https://bit.ly/3eEZ9AQCheck out our website: https://lifehackmethod.com/

Nov 17, 2025 • 40min
Make Your Business Run Without You | FREEDOM DECODED Ep 53: A Podcast From Demir & Carey Bentley
Jill Shemansky, co-owner of a small assisted living residence, seeks to streamline her operations for more family time. The hosts discuss designing a business that runs independently, emphasizing delegation and defining roles. They introduce practical strategies such as creating video SOPs through screencasting, linking recurring tasks, and applying the 1% better principle for small but impactful improvements. Jill’s journey towards systems thinking highlights the benefits of efficient operations for both family life and business scalability.

Nov 3, 2025 • 41min
Small Things Are the Big Things | FREEDOM DECODED Ep 52: A Podcast From Demir & Carey Bentley
Grab a copy of our BOOK here: http://winningtheweek.com/ Join Lifehack Tribe: https://members.lifehackmethod.com/join-lifehack-tribeSUBSCRIBE to our podcast on the platform of your choice! Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3pNtPVe Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3tiIpWW Or subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LifehackBootcamp Time stamps:01:00 - Balancing Every Role. Alex struggles to balance leadership, single motherhood, and caregiving while running on empty.02:47 - The Family Hub. As the central coordinator for her parents and brother, Alex begins each day already mentally drained from constant caregiving.05:20 - The Overpacked Suitcase. Demir compares her life to an overstuffed suitcase—the problem isn’t disorganization but too many commitments crammed into a limited capacity.06:00 - Commitment Debt. Demir introduces “commitment debt,” the invisible cost of saying yes too often, which compounds and drains mental energy.07:07 - The Rigorous TACO. Demir recommends a monthly “TACO Review” (Terminate, Automate, Consolidate, Outsource), reminding Alex that true relief feels slightly uncomfortable.09:33 - Acting Commitment-Poor. Alex accepts that she’s “commitment poor.” 10:31 - The Default No. Adopting “no” as her starting point keeps Alex from overextending and helps her regain control of her energy.13:36 - Small Things Are the Big Things. shares the mantra that tiny, consistent improvements—like redirecting messages or clarifying workflows—create major peace of mind.18:39 - Conversations as Boundaries. Alex commits to using honest, direct conversations to set expectations early and protect her time.22:17 - The Thanksgiving Dinner Problem. Demir explains how overwhelmed people resist help because onboarding others feels harder than doing it alone—and how to fix that pattern.28:33 - Communication Compounds. Clear, calm communication prevents burnout. 30:35 - Productive Friction. Demir notes that letting others experience light friction—like finding links themselves—builds independence and sustainable support.32:04 - The Captain Analogy. Demir likens leadership to captaining a ship: calm, confident authority makes others feel safe to follow.33:33 - Structure Calms Chaos. Alex observes that clear systems reduce anxiety and inspire cooperation at home and work.34:23 - Feedback with Care. Carey models thoughtful leadership by tracking feedback for her nanny, proving that consistency builds trust and improvement.35:10 - Let Others Support You. Demir warns against over-mothering; true leadership means allowing others to share responsibility, even imperfectly.35:38 - Redefining Help. Support doesn’t need to be equal to matter—partial help still creates relief and collaboration.36:01 - Invite Small Shifts. Demir encourages asking for one easy improvement at a time, helping others adapt without overwhelm.Check out our FREE masterclass all about How To Plan The Perfect Week In 30 Minutes Flat: https://bit.ly/3eEZ9AQ Check out our website: https://lifehackmethod.com/

Oct 20, 2025 • 45min
Beat the Afternoon Slump | FREEDOM DECODED Ep 51: A Podcast From Demir & Carey Bentley
Join Gió (Jo Schoenmacher), a solopreneur and digital course creator at Mightygrowthlab.com, as she discusses overcoming her evening energy slump. She reveals her struggle with maintaining productivity after dinner and the emotional worker pattern that fuels her intense bursts of creativity. Demir and Carey guide her toward designing flexible systems that respect energy signals and promote sustainable productivity. Expect insightful tips on experimenting with workflows and capitalizing on peak energy times!

Oct 6, 2025 • 56min
Small Fixes, Big Wins | FREEDOM DECODED Ep 50: A Podcast From Demir & Carey Bentley
Grab a copy of our BOOK here: http://winningtheweek.com/ Join Lifehack Tribe: https://members.lifehackmethod.com/join-lifehack-tribeSUBSCRIBE to our podcast on the platform of your choice! Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3pNtPVe Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3tiIpWW Or subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LifehackBootcamp Time stamps:00:00 - Introduction00:39 - From Health Scare to Fresh Start. Bonnie, a coach and mom of two, shares how a major health scare pushed her to refocus on family, health, and sustainable systems at home.03:19 - Dreaming of Family Systems. Bonnie longs for routines her whole family can follow, eliminating the endless cycle of reminders and stress.05:50 - Start Small, Win Big. Demir and Carey show how even tiny fixes, like solving the water bottle problem, can kickstart momentum without overwhelm.09:45 - Health as the Ultimate Leverage. Preventive routines for sleep, exercise, and appointments become Bonnie’s top priority, delivering peace of mind as well as long-term wellness.14:55 - Cracking the Screen-Time Struggle. Automatic shutoffs, parental controls, and phased limits turn nightly device battles into non-issues.22:50 - Parenting Without Nagging. From gamification to parent coalitions, Bonnie learns strategies to set boundaries without becoming the household “bad cop.”28:55 - Shared Accountability at Home. Shift responsibility to kids through visible checklists, streaks, and rewards.34:00 - The 30-Minute Fix Rule. Simple hacks like Apple Watch intercoms or socks by the shoes prove that under-30-minute experiments can create massive calm and leverage.38:15 - Batching Made Simple. From freezer-friendly food prep to biweekly honey-do sessions, batching transforms repeat chores into smooth, efficient rituals.44:55 - Clutter Control with One Mantra. “Don’t put it down, put it away” becomes the anchor habit for keeping chaos at bay, supported by recurring reviews and minimalist thresholds.55:01 - Bonnie’s Big Three. She commits to the 30-minute problem-solve, the Hearth nightly reset, and the clutter mantra as her first steps toward lasting structure.Check out our FREE masterclass all about How To Plan The Perfect Week In 30 Minutes Flat: https://bit.ly/3eEZ9AQ Check out our website: https://lifehackmethod.com/

Sep 9, 2025 • 52min
Finding Strength in the First Lily Pad | FREEDOM DECODED Ep 49: A Podcast From Demir & Carey Bentley
Grab a copy of our BOOK here: http://winningtheweek.com/ Join Lifehack Tribe: https://members.lifehackmethod.com/join-lifehack-tribeSUBSCRIBE to our podcast on the platform of your choice! Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3pNtPVe Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3tiIpWW Or subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LifehackBootcamp Time stamps:00:00 - Intro01:12 - Jill’s Search for Stability. Carey and Demir sit down with Jill, a 61-year-old widowed caregiver and contractor, who is balancing the heavy load of supporting her aging parents, guiding her adult son, and navigating unpredictable contract work. Together, they reframe the chaos of her many roles into one clear priority: stabilizing her income as the first step toward freedom.14:02 - The Pull Between Purpose and Practicality. Jill wrestles with a crossroads: choosing between the steady path of contracting and the purposeful path of widow coaching.17:35 - Networking Without Pitching. Carey introduces a powerful reframe that networking isn’t about selling yourself, it’s about genuine curiosity and relationship-building.27:06 - De-Risking for Runway. Creating a stable income first provides the “runway” to test, pitch, and refine without the crushing pressure of immediate success.30:14 - The Two-Hour Job Search Mindset. A streamlined, structured approach shows Jill how job hunting can become a focused two-hour weekly system instead of an all-consuming grind.33:53 - From Connections, Not Clicks. Why organic validation through people and businesses beats early spending on ads.34:42 - A Bills-Paying Job Stability starts with securing a role that covers the basics, creating space for bigger goals.36:00 - Running Multiple Searches at Once to keep several paths alive in parallel without overwhelm.37:00 - Imperfect Action Over Perfectionism. Demir stresses the mantra of massive imperfect action: take so much action that it would be unreasonable not to see results.37:39 - Blowing Apart the “Ball of Crazy.” Breaking big, messy challenges into sequenced steps—one lily pad at a time.40:00 - The Hidden Value of Strategic Roles. Some jobs offer priceless exposure to networks, systems, and opportunities—even if they’re not the highest paying.41:02 - Three Criteria for the First Lily Pad Job: Financial stability, Time stability, and Leverage into future opportunities43:36 - From Overwhelm to a Clearer Path. What began as tangled goals transforms into a linear, actionable process centered on stability and momentum.44:10 - The Six-Month Test & Massive Imperfect Action. 44:46 - Process Over Outcomes & The Power of One System.Check out our FREE masterclass all about How To Plan The Perfect Week In 30 Minutes Flat: https://bit.ly/3eEZ9AQ Check out our website: https://lifehackmethod.com/

Aug 19, 2025 • 47min
Fear, Finances & Freedom | FREEDOM DECODED Ep 48: A Podcast From Demir & Carey Bentley Podcast
Grab a copy of our BOOK here: http://winningtheweek.com/ Join Lifehack Tribe: https://members.lifehackmethod.com/join-lifehack-tribeSUBSCRIBE to our podcast on the platform of your choice! Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3pNtPVe Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3tiIpWW Or subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LifehackBootcamp Time stamps:00:54 - From Pop-Up to Powerhouse. Heather shares her leap from a one-woman pop-up bakery to running a thriving brick-and-mortar with seven staff, and how Lifehack’s systems opened new opportunities—including an unexpected family café venture—without framing change as failure.04:44 - The Divorce She’s Avoided for 8 Years. Heather opens up about the heavy mental and financial load of an unresolved divorce. 12:28 - Debt Negotiation Like a Pro. Carey reveals practical strategies to approach creditors, negotiate big reductions, and tackle financial “elephants” without letting them drain your mental bandwidth.15:56 - The Power of a Safe Buffer. Having a trusted person or professional buffer makes tackling financial and legal tasks less overwhelming and more actionable.17:35 - Closing the Open Loops. Demir reframes Heather’s avoidance as unclosed loops draining her energy. Clearing them can spark renewed focus, creativity, and business momentum.22:01 - Facing the Truth.27:40 - You Are the Value, Not the Business31:42 - From Fear to Freedom. How confronting financial and legal fears can unlock more time, energy, and freedom than expected.43:11 - Action Plan to Move Forward. Check out our FREE masterclass all about How To Plan The Perfect Week In 30 Minutes Flat: https://bit.ly/3eEZ9AQ Check out our website: https://lifehackmethod.com/

Aug 5, 2025 • 41min
Handing Off Without Losing Your Legacy | FREEDOM DECODED Ep 47: A Podcast From Demir & Carey Bentley
Navigating the bittersweet journey of handing off your life's work is no easy feat. This discussion dives into the importance of clarity and grace in transitions, revealing how to step back without micromanaging. Listeners learn about prioritizing essential SOPs, fighting the perfectionism trap in legacy planning, and using checklists for simplicity. The episode also emphasizes understanding, not just instructions, and the need for big-picture timelines to protect your legacy while ensuring personal fulfillment. Perfect for anyone facing change!

8 snips
Jul 8, 2025 • 49min
Making Your Systems Work for People | FREEDOM DECODED Ep 46: A Podcast From Demir & Carey Bentley
Discover how to transform standard operating procedures into engaging, story-driven tools that foster trust and collaboration. A guest shares insights on guiding organizations through transitions, emphasizing the importance of boundaries and effective communication. Learn how to create scalable resources that empower people to navigate changes with confidence. The discussion includes powerful metaphors for leadership and the impact of storytelling in retaining interest and driving engagement. This is a must-listen for anyone leading a team or organization.

Oct 22, 2024 • 54min
The Miracle Morning | FREEDOM DECODED Ep 45: A Podcast From Demir & Carey Bentley
Get your "The Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod here: https://miraclemorning.com/Grab a copy of our BOOK here: http://winningtheweek.com/ Join Lifehack Tribe: https://members.lifehackmethod.com/join-lifehack-tribeSUBSCRIBE to our podcast on the platform of your choice! Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3pNtPVe Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3tiIpWW Or subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LifehackBootcamp Time stamps:0:00 - Introduction00:47 - How productivity isn’t just about work—faith plays a role, both in oneself and in a higher power? 08:30 - The Miracle Morning Concept16:18 - Unwavering faith + extraordinary effort = tangible, measurable miracles.17:21 - The revenge procrastination26:52 - The Six-Minute Miracle Morning33:45 - Miracle Morning as a Biohack38:49 - Life's greatest wisdom is found in cliches41:18 - Power of Old Practices in Daily Routine41:44 - Pros do the basics better52:09 - This is where I am.Check out our FREE masterclass all about How To Plan The Perfect Week In 30 Minutes Flat: https://bit.ly/3eEZ9AQ Check out our website: https://lifehackmethod.com/ How To Win Your Week - Every Week [BLOG]: https://lifehackmethod.com/2021/07/23/how-to-win-your-week-every-week/ How To FINISH What You Start: https://youtu.be/TE-cMqZJ_Vo


