This week I'm excited to revisit a conversation I had with Chris Bailey. Chris has been a guest on the show a number of times, and in this episode, he unpacks the origins, research, and results of his book, How to Calm Your Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times. I decided to revisit this conversation as the need for calm has been so important for me in recent weeks and months as I suspect it has been for you as well. In our chat Chris and I discuss the events that led up to...

This week I’m excited to revisit a conversation I had with Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt-Miller about their book, Mind Your Mindset: The Science That Shows Success Starts with Your Thinking. Michael is the founder and chairman of Full Focus. Through his coaching program for small business owners, BusinessAccelerator®, and the bestselling Full Focus Planner, Michael has helped hundreds of thousands of achievers reach their biggest goals. Megan Hyatt Miller is the President and Chief Executive...

In part 2 of 2 of this conversation, John Drury shares about the importance of retreats and sacred time for rest and rejuvenation. John shares his personal experiences with different forms of retreats, emphasizing the value of eliminating distractions and under-stimulation to foster deeper self-reflection and mindfulness. He introduces practical techniques such as "desert days," quarterly overnight retreats, and shorter, regular practices to incorporate these into the business and personal...

In part 1 of a 2 part conversation I am thrilled to bring my longtime friend of 25 years Dr. John Drury. John and I share an interest in productivity and the Enneagram, particularly the unique insights of Enneagram fives. In this episode, John and I talk about the profound impact the pandemic has had on our routines and spiritual practices, introducing the concept of a "rule of life" as a way to anchor ourselves with orienting values and stabilizing practices. We explore the balance between...

This week I’m excited to revisit an insightful conversation I had with Tiago Forte about his book Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential. Tiago walks us through his groundbreaking framework, PARA—Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives—that aims to revolutionize how we organize information in our digital lives. We'll also explore the CODE methodology—Capture, Organize, Distill, Express—that helps manage and make sense of the...

I’m thrilled to welcome Jeff Sieh back to the show for an in-depth discussion about the evolution of AI, particularly focusing on Apple’s recent announcements. Jeff and I dive into the historical context of AI, reminiscing about its portrayal in popular culture and significant milestones like IBM’s Deep Blue and Microsoft’s Clippy. We then transition to exploring the exciting developments unveiled at Apple’s WWDC 2024, particularly the introduction of Apple Intelligence. This new system...

This week I’m happy to welcome fellow podcaster and host of The ProGuide Podcast, Andrew Mason back to the show to discuss current trends and themes within the vast productivity space. Andrew and I discuss how being aware of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can significantly impact our happiness and self-improvement. We explore various factors like chronotype and personality types that contribute to understanding oneself and the importance of seeking feedback from trusted individuals to...

In this solo episode, we pay tribute to Dan Miller, the late author of "48 Days to the Work You Love". Dan passed away in January 2024 after a brief battle with cancer. Erik shares personal stories and lessons learned from Dan, emphasizing his profound impact on people through his generosity, approachability, and commitment to lifelong learning. Erik also highlights Dan’s productive habits and daily routines, recounting personal encounters and professional interactions that left a lasting...

This week we are opening up the mailbag once again to answer your questions about productivity, task completion, work preparation, quality time, motivation, and so much more. From managing distractions in a noisy office environment to improving the efficiency of your meetings, I hope this mailbag/Q&A gives listeners practical strategies to help you stay focused and achieve your goals.  ______________________________________ Connect with...

This week I was grateful to welcome Mara Glazel to the show for a chat about her new book, Needy: How to Advocate for Your Needs and Claim Your Sovereignty. In our culture, the word "needy" often carries a negative connotation, suggesting weakness or dependency. But Mara is here to challenge that perception and flip it on its head. She argues that recognizing and embracing our needs is not only essential but can actually make us more productive and fulfilled. In this episode Mara and I...

This week it was my pleasure to speak with Jorge Arango about his latest book, Duly Noted: Extend Your Mind Through Connected Notes. Jorge is an information architect, author, and educator. For almost three decades, he has architected digital experiences and made the complex clear for organizations ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to nonprofits. He is the author of "Living in Information: Responsible Design for Digital Places" and co-author of "Information Architecture for the Web and...

This week it was my pleasure to welcome Dr. Barry Kudrowitz to the show for a chat about his great book, Sparking Creativity: How Play and Humor Fuel Innovation and Design. Dr. Kudrowitz is a professor of product design and department head in the College of Design at the University of Minnesota. There, he founded and directed the product design program from 2011-2021. Barry received his PhD from the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), studying...

This week I’m excited to share my conversation with Matt Abrahams. Matt is a passionate, and innovative educator, podcaster, and coach. As a Lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business he has helped countless presenters improve and hone their communication, including some who have delivered Nobel Prize, TED, and World Economic Forum presentations. Matt is also the founder and principal at TFTS Communications LLC, a presentation and communication...

This week I’m excited to welcome Michael Easter for a conversation about a pair of his books, Scarcity Brain, Fix Your Craving Mindset and Rewire Your Habits to Thrive with Enough and The Comfort Crisis, Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self. Michael is the founder of the 2% with Michael Easter newsletter and the New York Times bestselling author of The Comfort Crisis and Scarcity Brain. an author and a professor at UNLV. He writes and speaks on how humans can leverage...

This week I’m excited to welcome Karl Hebenstreit for a chat about his book, The How and Why: Taking Care of Business with the Enneagram. Karl is a certified executive coach, leadership and organization development consultant, author, and international speaker. His 25+ year career spans the areas of HR and OD in biotechnology, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and more. Karl holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Alliant International University.  Together, we'll...

Introducing Etiquette 2 | Travis and Teresa McElroy from Remotely Curious. Follow the show: Remotely Curious On today’s episode, We’ll have a fun conversation with Teresa and Travis McElroy, humorists and hosts of the podcast Shmanners, about how to treat others with respect, come across the way you want to, and avoid embarrassing gaffes. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or...

This week it’s my pleasure to welcome Carlos Alvarenga for a chat about his new book, The Rules of Persuasion: How the World's Greatest Communicators Convince, Inspire, Lead--and, Sometimes, Deceive. Carlos is an independent researcher and author. Before writing full-time, he worked as a management consultant and adjunct professor at the Robert H.Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. Carlos holds a B.A. in Humanities and Classical Greek from Hampden-Sydney College and...

Introducing Episode 111: Jeff Jenkins from Travel With Meaning. Follow the show: Travel With Meaning DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

This week I’m excited to speak with Adrienne Bellehumer. Adrienne the founder of Bellehumeur Co. and co-partner of Risk Oversight, based in Calgary, Alberta. Adrienne is also the author of the book, The 24-Hour Rule and Other Secrets for Smarter Organizations: Including the 6 Steps of Dynamic Documentation. In this episode she is here to shed light on the often overlooked yet crucial practice of documentation and its profound impact on both personal productivity and organizational success. As...

This week I’m excited to conclude a series of conversations I’ve been having with my friend Jeff Sieh. Jeff is an international speaker and visual marketing consultant. He hosts the Social Media News Live show and podcast and is also “Head Beard” at Manly Pinterest Tips. Jeff has worked with and produced a wide range of content for various companies, including Guy Kawasaki, Kim Garst, Social Media Examiner, and Tailwind. In our previous discussions Jeff and I addressed tools for harnessing...

Introducing Bryan Cranston from Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Follow the show: Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson "Breaking Bad" and “Malcolm in the Middle” star Bryan Cranston joins the show. Over poke and salmon curry, Bryan tells me how he was briefly wanted for murder, that time an ex-lover confronted him on a soap opera set, and the CIA level secrecy that went into Walter White’s cameo on “Better Call Saul.” This episode was recorded at Great White in West Hollywood,...

This week I’m excited to welcome Francesco D’alessio for a really insightful chat about finding the right productivity tools and apps to meet your unique needs. Francesco is the founder of Keep Productive and co-founder of Tool Finder, the world's best place to discover and learn more about productivity tools. Both Keep Productive and Tool Finder aim to make productivity software easier to understand. There is a tool for everything so they create videos and courses to help you match to the...

Introducing Salesforce & IBM: Revolutionizing Experiences with Generative AI from Smart Talks with IBM. Follow the show: Smart Talks with IBM DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

This week I’m excited to welcome Terri Sjodin for a great conversation about her new book, Presentation Ready: Improve Your Sales Presentation Outcomes and Avoid the Twelve Most Common Mistakes. Terri is the Principal and Founder of Sjodin Communications, a public speaking, sales training and consulting firm based in Newport Beach, CA. In addition to her latest book, she is the author of the book, Small Message, Big Impact, which hit the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal...