Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life

Latest Episodes:

Goal Setting: A Better Framework for Setting and Achieving What You Want with Tara McMullen Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

This week I was excited to welcome Tara McMullen to the show to hear her insights, research, and reflections on her new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting. Tara is a writer, podcaster, and producer who for over 13 years has studied small business owners - how they live, how they work, what influences them, and what they hope for the future. In this conversation Tara shares with us how to transform the way you set and achieve your goals to create a gentler and more fulfilling way to work toward what you truly want. In the book, you’ll explore what’s driving your pursuit of “more” (more money, more things, more prestige, etc.), set commitments to help orient your growth, and organize your actions as part of a holistic learning process.

In addition to writing and speaking Tara is the host of What Works, a podcast about navigating the 21st-century economy with your humanity intact. Tara is also the co-founder of YellowHouse.Media, a boutique podcast production company. Her work has been featured in Fast Company, The Startup, The Muse, and The Huffington Post.

What Works Podcast:: https://www.whatworkspodcast.com

Website: https://explorewhatworks.com/

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Procrastination and Sleep: The Neuroscience Behind Why You Procrastinate with Dr. Nicole Byers Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

This week I was excited to welcome Dr. Nicole Byers to the show to discuss the correlation between neuroscience and specifically neuropsychology with productivity and efficiency. Nicole brings a wealth of knowledge and research gained during her Ph.D. studies in clinical psychology to the world working by explaining some of the strange ways our brain copes with stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, and mood.

In this episode Nicole unpacks the four signs of procrastination while offering tips and tricks for rewiring our brain to avoid such behavior. In addition Nicole explains some of the science of sleep and why getting quality sleep is so important to our physiology and in turn our productivity!

Dr. Nicole Byers is a productivity and leadership coach and host of The Bold Life Podcast. Boasting a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a specialty in neuropsychology, Nicole uses neuroscience-based strategies to help her clients boost their efficiency at work and defeat overwhelm so they can feel productive, not just busy. She has helped hundreds of busy professionals and leaders develop new mental habits.

Now, Nicole helps busy professionals train their brain and create new mental habits, allowing them to beat overwhelm, become more productive, and build more confidence in their work and in their lives.

Website: https://www.drnicolebyers.com/

Bold Life Podcast: https://www.drnicolebyers.com/blog

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Creativity: Applying the Laws of Creativity to Unlock Your Genius with Joey Cofone Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

This week I was thrilled to welcome back to the show Joey Cofone of Baron Fig. You can find the previous episode here. Joey Cofone is the Co-Founder at Baron Fig. Baron Fig is a New York design startup that is rooted in its mission to champion thinkers around the world through inspiration, imagination and productivity.

Joey’s new book is ‘The Laws of Creativity: Unlock Your Originality and Awaken Your Creative Genius’. The book is a revealing and practical exploration of creativity: what it is, how it works, and how you can harness it in your everyday life. In the book he demystifies the creative process by uncovering the thinking and science behind it, empowering the reader with practical, actionable steps toward creative excellence.

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Boundaries: Setting Limits That Set You Free with Melissa Urban Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

This week I was excited to speak with Melissa Urban about her new book, The Book of Boundaries: Set the Limits That Will Set You Free. Melissa and I had an extremely insightful conversation about how setting healthy boundaries with family members, co-workers, friends and even yourself can transform your relationships, eliminate stress and improve your daily outlook.

In this chat, Melissa breaks down the vital steps towards identifying if a boundary needs to be set and the three unique levels of instituting a boundary with both honesty and kindness. Oftentimes we can think of boundaries as barriers towards achieving authentic relationships. Melissa is here to reveal why the exact opposite is the case and how when implemented properly boundaries can help save relationships and strengthen bonds.

Melissa Urban is a six-time New York Times bestselling author and has been featured by Good Morning America, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and CNBC. She is based in Salt Lake City.

Melissa is the co-founder of Whole30. Since launching the mega-bestselling wellness program, she has taught millions of people how to establish healthy habits and how to deal with pushback and peer pressure.

Melissa’s Latest Book: The Book of Boundaries: Set the Limits That Will Set You Free

Connect with Melissa on Twitter and Instagram

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Creativity, Imagination, and Inspiration with Joey Cofone Oct 06, 2022

Show notes

This week I am rereleasing an episode with Joey Cofone of Baron Fig in advance of his upcoming new episode where we talk about his new book: The Laws of Creativity: Unlock Your Originality and Awaken Your Creative Genius.

Joey Cofone is the Co-Founder at Baron Fig. Baron Fig is a New York design startup that is rooted in it’s mission to champion thinkers around the world through inspiration, imagination and productivity.

In this conversation Joey and Erik talk about how Baron Fig was founded, the meaning behind the name and their design workflow using digital and analog.

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Burnout: Sustaining Your Game and Avoiding Exhaustion with Alan Stein Jr. Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

This week it was my privilege to speak with Alan Stein Jr. Allan is former professional performance coach and now serves as a public speaker and author. In this conversation we unpack a wide variety of lessons he has learned throughout his career including tips on how to avoid burnout and how to sustain a level of high performance by embracing the most fulfilling aspects of your work while not allowing that work to invade upon your personal and family time. Alan and I discuss a wide variety of techniques and teachings contained in the book while also discussing some of the practical strategies he has employed with former clients and world class athletes.

Alan Stein, Jr. teaches proven strategies to improve both individual and organizational performance by empowering people to develop winning mindsets, rituals, and routines. As an internationally renowned veteran basketball performance coach, he spent 15+ years working with the highest-performing athletes on the planet (including NBA superstars Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Kobe Bryant). Alan served as a performance coach/consultant for Nike Basketball, Jordan Brand, the NBPA Top 100 Camp, and the McDonald's All-American Game. Alan has been a featured guest on over 200 podcasts and his list of corporate clients include American Express, Pepsi, Sabra, Starbucks, Under Armor, UGG, Orange Theory Fitness, and Penn State Football, where one of his quotes is featured on 12-foot mural outside their locker room (see below). His first book, Raise Your Game: High-Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best, received wide acclaim.

Alan’s latest book, Sustain Your Game: High Performance Keys to Manage Stress, Avoid Stagnation, and Beat Burnout is for high performers who want to learn practical strategies and action steps on how to sustain their game across all three timelines. It assembles invaluable advice and lessons from successful athletes, entrepreneurs, social scientists, journalists, CEOs, motivational speakers, business coaches, and consultants, as well as Alan’s own personal stories.

Website: https://alansteinjr.com/

Book: https://amzn.to/3BP5DJn

Stronger Team: https://strongerteam.com/sustainyourgame/

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Creativity and Remote Work: Staying Creative in a Distributed World with Anita Stubenrauch Sep 26, 2022

Show notes

This week I was privileged to be joined by Anita Stubenrauch. Anita is a former Apple Computers Executive and graduate of The Art Institute of Chicago. As a creative sojourner Anita is paving her own path towards both creative and professional success by thinking outside the bounds of typical corporate boxes. In this conversation Anita and I discuss the challenges that face creatives in today's workforce and how remote work is presenting both limitations and opportunities for creatively minded individuals.

Anita Stubenrauch is a former Apple Executive who was able to pivot her success and experience into creating her own creative business. As the founder of Cause:Effect Creative and the developer of the soon to be Land of Make+Believe, Anita is leading small business owners and entrepreneurs to an enlightened way of thinking and making decisions. Anita currently lives in Murphys, California, where she's building a beautiful retreat space, The Land of Make+Believe.

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Mental Health and Exercise: Moving the Body to Heal the Mind with Dr. Jennifer Heisz Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

This week I was excited to welcome Dr. Jennifer Heisz to the show to discuss her new book, Move the Body, Heal the Mind: Overcome Anxiety, Depression, and Dementia and Improve Focus, Creativity, and Sleep. This was a really motivating conversation about the incredible benefits of exercise and movement on not only our body's fitness but our brain’s functions. Dr. Heisz unpacks a host of benefits that exercise has on cognitive functions, memory, creativity, and of course productivity.

In addition to discussing the many benefits that movement and exercise can have on creativity and focus in our work lives, Dr. Heisz also discusses the litany of ways that exercise can reward the pleasure centers of our brain helping to both prevent and assist various behaviors associated with addiction. Jennifer also addresses the relationship between exercise and depression and how important it is to be aware of the rhythms of our movement and how they can change throughout the seasons.

Dr. Jennifer Heisz is a leading expert on the neuroscience of exercise and is the Director of the NeuroFit Lab at McMaster University, which boasts one of the top kinesiology departments in the world. Structured around Dr. Heisz’s personal journey from sedentary scholar to triathlete, the book combines anecdotes, research, and case studies to explain how exercise and the brain are intertwined. And, each chapter includes specialized workout regimens to help readers get started on their own fitness journey, whether they’re looking to reduce stress/depression or improve their sleep.

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ADHD and College: Productivity Strategies for Students with Ryan McRae Sep 15, 2022

Show notes

Ryan McRae has had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder all of his life, but he wasn’t going to let ADHD run him down. He has worked to figure out how to take all the benefits and cancel out all the drawbacks.

In this episode, Ryan and Erik discuss overcoming the productivity challenges of College and University Students.

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Creativity: The Daily Practice of Staying Prolific, Brilliant, and Healthy with Todd Henry Sep 12, 2022

Show notes

This week I was excited to welcome Todd Henry back to the show for the sixth time to discuss his latest book, Daily Creative: A Practical Guide for Staying - Prolific, Brilliant, and Healthy. Todd is a prolific author and speaker who focuses on the creatives and dispelling myths about who is and who is not “creative” within corporate or professional workforces. For over a decade Todd has helped readers unlock their creative potential and find new ways to apply their talents.

In this new book Todd explores the benefits of reflecting on creative practices on a daily basis by creating a daily guide which succinctly and contemplatively welcomes readers to reflect upon both their creative potential and the ways that creativity can be applied in the most unlikely of work and life circumstances.

Todd Henry is the founder of Accidental Creative, a company that helps creative people and teams be prolific, brilliant and healthy. He regularly speaks and consults with companies about how to develop practices that lead to everyday brilliance. He is the author of six books (The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Louder Than Words, Herding Tigers, The Motivation Code, Daily Creative). which have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and he speaks and consults across dozens of industries on creativity, leadership, and passion for work.

With more than twelve million downloads, his podcast The Accidental Creative offers weekly tips for how to stay prolific, brilliant, and healthy. Learn more at AccidentalCreative.com.

The Daily Creative is a daily reader for busy professionals, creative and otherwise, designed to help you gain focus for your day and advance toward your goals.

Each daily reading is:

Quick: Takes less than 5 minutes to complete
Focused: Centers around a specific theme
Inspiring: Includes a quote from great thinkers and creatives throughout history
Actionable: Wraps with a daily action to help you achieve results

Even if you don't think of yourself as creative, you'd probably be surprised by how many creative tools you use every day. You solve problems, design, write, invent, or in other words―create. But the pressure we feel to continually create value with our minds can cause tremendous stress and eventually neutralize our ability to be effective in our roles long term.

Todd’s previous appearances on the show:

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