It’s time for the host to sit in the hot seat. For over 70 episodes, Nikki Miller asked guests insightful questions, connecting their theories to practical implementation for The ONE Thing podcast listeners. Today, she’s the one being interviewed. Jay Papasan takes on his new role as host. Nikki reflects on what it’s meant to be a public ambassador of The ONE Thing, all the preparation that has gone into each show, and how she has prioritized showing up authentically. She also shares what...

Can you imagine freeing up 30% of executives’ time, while also increasing joy and resilience in the workplace? Keith Ferrazzi joins the show today to discuss his new book, “Never Lead Alone,” which promises to do exactly that. Keith walks us through some of the diagnostic questions and high return practices (HRPs) outlined in “Never Lead Alone” that can create a new social contract and culture in teams. We talk about moving from conflict avoidance to candor; from feedback as a directive to...

Learning, innovation, and growth all rely on failure. The discomfort of failure bakes important lessons into our brains. The uncertainty that precedes the point of failure expands our minds. Dr. Manu Kapur joins the show today to explain why we should deliberately design for failure in our businesses and personal lives. Dr. Manu Kapur heads the Future Learning Initiative at ETH University Zurich and recently wrote a book called, “Productive Failure: Unlocking Deeper Learning through the...

Fifteen years ago, when Jenn Lewis was first asked questions from The Goal Setting Retreat, she cried. To be fair, her partner JP hadn’t told her what they were for and he brought them up in the middle of a busy restaurant. Today, Jenn joins the show to share what couples can expect from The Goal Setting Retreat and how they may get emotional… in a good way. Jay Papasan serves as the host for this episode. He and Jenn swap stories of attending The Goal Setting Retreat with their respective...

Is your business actually stalling out or are you just bored? How can you tell the difference? And if you are just bored, how can you overcome that? Nikki Miller and Chris Dixon do a deep dive into the topic, giving clear tactics to address the issue. Nikki and Chris discuss iterative reflection, “gap and gain,” autonomy, and authorship. They also dig into habit formation, mindsets, and accountability.  If you are feeling restless or burnt out, or you can sense that your team is, this is...

Jay Papasan, Nikki Miller, and one hour of pure The ONE Thing fundamentals: It doesn’t get any better than this. Recorded at the Keller Williams Family Reunion, Nikki and Jay give a one-hour masterclass on how Jay and Gary Keller developed The ONE Thing and how you can apply it to your life today. This is a must-listen and the perfect episode to share with loved ones and colleagues. Jay and Nikki go through The ONE Thing model start-to-finish: Defining success, saying no, working backward,...

We often hear the term “naive optimism,” but the fact is, most of us are living in “naive cynicism.” Dr. Jamil Zaki joins the show today to explain why cynicism harms our well-being and businesses. He also gives us ways to combat it. Dr. Jamil Zaki is the Director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab. He has gathered his latest research in a new book, “Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness.” He walks us through the difference between healthy skepticism and cynicism,...

Investing in a generous relationship not only exponentially grows your relationship with a person, but it exponentially grows your network. If you aren’t just interested in making a successful deal, but in creating a successful career, this is The ONE Thing episode you need to listen to. Jay Papasan steps in as the podcast host and interviews his friend and fellow author, Mo Bunnell. They dissect Mo’s latest book “Give to Grow: Invest in Relationships to Build Your Business and Your...

Mental fatigue is real. We live in a world where we have to make a thousand good decisions each day, and we’re expected to be highly creative at our jobs. That’s why it’s critical to learn how to optimize our brains to function well in this reality. Our guest today, Dr. Mithu Storoni, is here to give us some science-back tactics. Dr. Mithu Storoni is an University of Cambridge trained physician, neuroscience researcher, and ophthalmic surgeon. She advises multinational corporations on mental...

Brian Gottlieb enjoys his motorcycle rides and his cigars, but most of all he’s passionate about empowering his employees to find purpose in their work. Brian is our guest on the show today and he’s here to tell us about his new book, “Beyond the Hammer.” In just over 10 years, Brian grew from a business of 0 employees to 600 employees and over $1 billion in lifetime sales. How? By having an empowerment-based workplace instead of one ruled by policies. Not only did his employees get...

The American Dream is still alive and well, and Mark Matson wants to make sure everybody knows it. Mark joins us on the show to talk about his new book, “Experiencing the American Dream: How to Invest Your Time, Energy and Money to Create an Extraordinary Life.” Mark states that schools are promoting victimhood and entitlement, rather than hard work. He warns about seeing money as an evil thing, giving the example of his grandfather remaining poor his whole life because he held this view. He...

What does “inclusion” mean anyway? Lately, “inclusion” is a buzzword, and when paired with “diversity” and “equity” it generates a lot of heat and noise. Our guest on the show has a lot to say on the topic, based on her 30 years of successful corporate leadership and her new book “Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of Inclusion.” We’re thrilled to be joined today by Anne Chow. Anne shares what she’s learned from the research and her own experience about how inclusion impacts decisions...

Push it down and power through. That’s how many of us have become high-achievers. But that’s also how many of us have developed physical and emotional unwellness. Our guests on the show today explain how to reconnect with our bodies to achieve more for internal selves. Today we’re joined by Jennifer Mann and Karden Rabin, co-authors of “The Secret Language of the Body.” They tell us their personal journeys of being high-achievers, but struggling with fatigue and illness, to being happy,...

“How do you use the concept of The ONE Thing in a company environment?” One of our loyal listeners sent us this great question.  We spend today’s episode answering it, explaining how we use The ONE Thing approach when we coach a whole corporation, not just an individual. We’ve worked with military Special Forces, NBA teams, huge corporations, and small start-ups. Our approach stays consistent and effective: Vision setting, priority identification, planning, and ongoing evaluation. Listen...

Your company culture should not be designed around what generation your workers come from. It should not rely on being physically present in the office. The number one value and practice of your culture should be adaptability. Dr. Jessica Kriegel joins us today to explain how the data shows adaptable company cultures are the best performing ones. What many people mistake for generational differences are actually life stage differences. Baby Boomers were a lot like Gen Z when they too were in...

Time is the most precious resource in any environment, but it does not often get treated that way at work. Talented workers’ time gets eaten up by meetings, reducing their “flow” and productivity. Matt Martin, joins the show today to talk about changing the culture of scheduling with a little help from technology. Matt is the CEO and Co-Founder of Clockwise, a very popular calendar tool that's unlocked over six million hours of focus time for employees and resolved four million meeting...

Jay Papasan did not plan on being the CEO of ProduKtive. As the co-founder, he had to step in when the current CEO left for another opportunity. As Jay took a closer look at the plateaued revenue, he knew he had to stay in the seat longer to make some needed adjustments.  Jay joins us on the show today to talk about the lessons he has learned as a reluctant CEO. We discuss the tough decisions he had to make and why he made them. He shares mistakes made and lessons learned. No matter how...

Almost 20 years ago Jay and Wendy Papasan were young parents with toddlers who just needed to get away for a weekend and have a deep conversation about their future. Fast forward to today and they are leading an annual Goal Setting Retreat, helping thousands of people achieve their dreams just like they have been able to do. Jay and Wendy join us on the show today to tell us the origin story of the Goal Setting Retreat, how it has evolved over the years, and what attendees can expect from...

After Matt Diamante read The ONE Thing, he decided to give it a try. The ONE thing he chose was to post on social media every day. Now, after only 18 months, Matt has 190,000 Instagram followers, 20,000 followers on TikTok, and his inbox is flooded with business requests for his HeyTony advertising agency. Matt joins us on the show today to explain how The ONE Thing transformed his business. Matt’s first post was just a video of him sitting on a toilet (don’t worry, fully clothed) and...

How many of us set goals at the beginning of the year and then tuck them away until it’s time to make new goals the next year? In this episode, Nikki and Chris explain the importance of having a six-month check-in and evaluating where you stand with your vision, goals, and execution.  They break down exactly what steps to take in a six-month check-in. They also talk about the importance of doing it with a coach or an accountability partner to make sure you aren’t being too easy or too hard on...

Most people overestimate their ability to read people’s personalities. This leads to hiring the wrong people for the wrong roles, managing people in the wrong ways, and overall just making life harder for everyone. The good news is that reading people’s personalities is a skill that you can develop and improve. Our guest today, Dr. Richard Davis, has just written a book teaching you how. Richard gives us an overview of his book, “Good Judgment: Making Better Business Decisions with the...

Are you struggling to feel fulfilled even after achieving your goals? Do you find yourself running on autopilot, disconnected from your true desires? In this episode, we sit down with Finnian Kelly, founder of Intentionality, Inc., high-performance coach, and master breathwork facilitator, to explore the transformative power of intentionality. Finnian shares his personal journey from feeling lost and unfulfilled to discovering the profound impact of living with intention. Through his...

When Caitlin Spears was rejected by America’s Next Top Model, it sent her into a spiral of body dysmorphia, depression, and anxiety. It took her years of self-reflection and hard work to figure out who she was at her core and how to become the person she wanted to be. Today, she helps other women on that same path. We are thrilled to have her as our guest in this episode. In our conversation with Caitlin, we talk about how to identify goals, create action plans, and develop routines. We also...

If you’re looking for an hour and half morning routine that will make you successful and happy in 90 days, this isn’t the podcast episode for you. Why? Well, because that’s not actually how life works. Sonia Jhas joins us on the show today to talk about how to step away from rigid programs and perfectionism, and towards core values and embodiment in order to achieve your dreams. Sonia is the author of “I’ll Start Again Tomorrow: And Other Lies I’ve Told Myself.” Today we discuss the book’s...