Barbara Hemphill Podcast

Recently, at the Darnyelle Jervey’s “Unleash Your Incredible Factor” event in Reston, VA, one of the participants shared that the definition of “Genocide is killing thousands of people; Homicide is killing one or more people; Suicide is killing oneself; but to “DE-cide” is to kill every excuse!”

Spring has always been my favorite time of the year! It’s a time for new beginnings, and yes, even businesses need new beginnings! This week's podcast discusses new beginnings and what it can mean to you.

Thank you to all of you who shared how much you appreciated my last blog “What is Your Weight Costing You?” This week I want to talk about how much the weight of clutter is costing organizations. When you think about it, organizations are made up of individuals who struggle with the issue of clutter, so why would organizations be different? When office space was plentiful, you could ignore the problem, but according to the International Facility Management Association, the average office worker lost 15 square feet of elbowroom from 1994 to 2010.

I suspect when you read that title, many of you immediately thought I was talking about those ten pounds (or more!) you’ve been meaning to lose for more months (or years) than you care to count! In some respects, I am talking about that weight, but there is another kind of weight that is also very uncomfortable and has a very high price: CLUTTER!

I was recently interviewed for a new magazine called Beyond Burnout, which launches on March 25th. The interview brought up many memories of my own struggle with burnout so I thought I’d share it with you this week, as I have a feeling many of you can relate on some level.

As I am writing this blog my heart is singing! My business partner Andrea and I just completed a VIP Day at our Productive Environment Center in Carolina Beach with our new business coach Darnyelle Jervey, of Incredible One Enterprises -- and what an awesome day it was! The experience was a result of an introduction from Antonina Geer (Simplistic Financials) who was one of the presenters at our CPES Retreat less than one month ago, and I’m so grateful.

I define a productive environment as “an intentional setting where you can accomplish your work and enjoy your life”. After 35 years in business, I’m honored to say that we have reached another milestone this month—CERTIFYING a BUSINESS as a Productive Environment! Just as you may have heard my story of how I started my business with a $7 ad in a New York City Newspaper...the recipient of our first ever Productive Environment business award was presented to DFIT-Demetrius Farrior’s Island Training, which started in 2010 with a stick and a line in the sand on Carolina Beach, NC. See more at: http://www.barbarahemphill.com/personal-success/309-building-a-business-with-the-productive-environment-process#sthash.8LKuePP6.dpuf

One of the growing challenges for small businesses is managing information. Think you may need an information management overhaul? Listen to this podcast and see the important questions you need to be asking and what to do next.

Did you have good intentions of sending Christmas cards, then New Year’s cards, and now January is coming to an end and you haven’t sent ANY cards? If you’re like most people, one of the biggest stumbling blocks to your success is procrastination -- which is a direct result of perfectionism! Listen to this podcast where I'll share my secret to overcoming this stumbling block.

Martin Edelston, founder of Boardroom Inc and Bottom Line Publications, launched his company over 40 years ago in the basement of his home with $5000 and a determination to help busy people get real-world advice that would allow them to live their lives better.

As I reach out to you today, we’ve just received news of the wildfire in AZ that has killed 19 of our most skilled firefighters, rising waters are forcing people from their homes, family and friends are fighting for their lives as a result of deadly diseases, and people are dying as they fight for their beliefs in countries around the world. It’s difficult not to feel helpless. Every day it becomes more evident that we are less and less able to control what happens to us. My heart breaks for those in need, and I am more determined than ever to encourage you to control what you can, so you can cope with what you can’t!

Advice in a 1931 Marketing textbook read: “Find out what your customers like and do more of it. Find out what they don’t like, and stop doing it!” Actually that’s still sound advice -- not only for business, but also for all relationships whether they are professional or personal. At Productive Environment Institute, we continually try to put this advice into practice.

Many ideas that seem crazy at conception turn out to be very creative once they have been implemented. The Productive Environment Process can assist with building the framework of those ideas. Listen as I share an idea that seemed crazy at first but became an industry standard.

Do you have a pile of paper that you can't get a handle of? Many do...Organizing paper is the #1 problem in American households! The key to concurring that pile is to have a good SYSTEM in place. The tickler file system is an excellent tool for that SYSTEM. Listen as I share 13 ways it can reduce clutter.

Do you have a pile of records and photos from past family members that you have been trying to archive for a while now? Or perhaps you've come across some memorabilia during a recent family "archeological dig" and wish to organize it all. This special task of Organizing paper and photos doesn't have to be overwhelming. Listen as I lead you in the right direction of organizing your family's memories.

Music is a powerful tool that can be used to heal, motivate, inspire, and help us to learn. There are many blessings of music that we all can easily take advantage of...it's not just for dancing or relaxing. Listen as explain how music can be used in many aspects of life including productivity.

If you're one of the many people who have a tall "to read" pile this is for you. I've never met anyone who is able to read everything that they intend to read. The pile that results will no doubt become paper clutter and can easily become overwhelming. Listen and I'll share with you 7 ways to reduce that "to read" pile.

Do you give presentations the same way your collegues do because you feel that is what's expected? Do you have trouble using certian tools that everyone seem to be using? Or perhaps you feel there is a better way to Accomplish Your Work. Lisen as I explain how a different "style" might work better for you.

A major focus of Productive Environment Institute is helping business of all sizes move toward what I have labeled "Almost Paperless™" I am often asked the question, "Who is your competition?" For years, my answer has been "Apathy" and "Resignation." In a conversation about this topic with Penn Shore, owner of Business Clubs of America, he added, "And ignorance." I never thought of it before, but he's absolutely correct. Listen as I explain how ignorance and excess paper can be costing you thousands of dollars.

We Bought a Zoo, staring Matt Damon, is a movie based on a book by the same name -- The Amazing True Story of a Young Family, a Broken Down Zoo, and the 200 Wild Animals That Change Their Lives Forever. I haven’t read the book, but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and was struck in particular by two words uttered by the star throughout the movie -- “Why Not?" Listen as I explain how I apply this concept to work and life.

This past weekend I took my granddaughter to see the movie Lorax. I enjoyed it on so many levels, as is always true with Dr. Seuss. Since I saw the movie, I've been seeing that big stone with the words “Unless.” It’s so easy to complain about all the things that we don’t have or don’t accomplish, and those complaints will continue to be facts -- unless... Listen as I show you how you can apply what I learned from Dr. Seuss.

According to PC Mag.com "personal cloud computing means having every piece of data you need for every aspect of your life at your fingertips and ready for use". In this podcast, I share a story of how cloud computing could have save a client seven hours in lost time due to a flat tire.

In past podcasts, you may have heard me list four questions you can use to determine whether something is “organized.” 1. Does it work? 2. Do you like it? 3. Does it work for the others it effects? 4. Can you recover quickly? This week I’m suggesting you apply those questions to your calendar or planner system. Listen as I discuss how to apply the 5-Step Productive Environment Process to your calendar.

Have you ever hired someone to help improve an area of your business -- or your life -- and then stopped working with them before you got the results you really wanted? I have. Recently I have had conversations with a couple of clients who had that experience with my services, and I realize it’s all about accountability of the people involved. Listen as I go through five strategies you can use to be accountable and accomplish your goals

One of the primary productivity principles on which the Productive Environment Institute operates is "Today's Mail Is Tomorrows Pile". Recently, I've had several experiences and conversations which demonstrated the significance of this principle. Listen as I share how a SYSTEM helps you to avoid tomorrow's pile.

Listen as I share some of the key challenges to managing information in your organization and how to know if your organization needs a better system for managing information.

Are you having trouble organizing paper at home? Learn how to get started by using the "Art of Wastebasketry” and asking yourself these 6 questions.

Listen as I share 10 communication basics to help you prepare for a media opportunity.

I’ve identified that the most important thing for me to accomplish in 2012 is to get more sleep. In a recent conversation with my best friend of nearly 30 years, she pointed out something she has observed repeatedly through the years: Whenever I don’t get enough sleep, I have a variety of negative results which dramatically reduce my productivity. Listen to how I will use the Productive Environment 5-step process to overcome this.

The last two weeks of December have always been favorites of mine: Preparing for Christmas and Planning for the New Year! Having said that, I have to admit, it’s hard to believe that it’s that time again... I’ve decided a good way to wrap up my podcasts for this year is to share with you how I’m going to use our five-step Productive Environment Process to ensure that 2012 is my most productive, profitable, and peaceful year ever! Listen as I share those five steps with you.

I've been talking about the 7 keys to accomplishing your work and enjoying your life based on one of my favorite books on weight control called Weight Loss the Jabez Way: 7 Keys to Adding Years to Your Life by Scott Conrad, MD. I hope you are being more conscious about breathing, drinking, sleeping, eating, and exercising! I know writing about it has certainly helped me -- can I still improve? For sure! In this week's podcast I want to talk about the final two keys: relationships and purpose.

Last week I introduced the 7 Keys to Accomplishing Your Work and enjoying your life based on one of my favorite books on weight control called Weight Loss the Jabez Way: 7 Keys to Adding Years to Your Life by Scott Conrad, MD where he defines the seven keys. I hope you have been more conscious about breathing, drinking, and sleeping more! In this week's podcast I want to talk about the next two keys: food and exercise.

This time of year most of us are thinking about how to keep our weight under control while attending all the holiday functions in our personal and professional lives. As I continue to identify ways to accomplish my work and enjoy my life, and share them with you as I learn, it occurred to me that the seven keys, author Scott Conrad, MD., talks about in his book for weight control can be applied to your productivity. Listen as I share these 7 keys and how you can use them to improve your productivity and accomplish your work.

As a child I remember hearing, "It’s more blessed to give than to receive." Frankly, I was disappointed, because I really loved getting gifts! Most adults agree giving is good for people, but it’s also good for business. Listen as I share how you can increase productivity and eliminate clutter while benefiting others at the same time.

Interruptions are a fact of life in virtually every job. Knowing how to handle them means the difference between success and failure in accomplishing the results you desire. Listen as I share five specific strategies that can be helpful in handling interruptions at work.

Whether it’s a colleague popping his/her head in the office with the question, “Can you come in and meet with John and me now?” a child calling your cellphone to say, “Mom, I forgot to bring my soccer uniform to school,” or an email from a colleague you really like, but with whom you have lost touch, interruptions are an integral part of our personal and professional lives. Listen as I share 3 possible responses to interruptions.

Clutter happens to all of us! But there may be some common decluttering mistakes that you may be making that can be hampering your progress. Learn what these mistakes are and see if you're making them. You may be surprised! In this podcast, I'll share what these common mistakes are and what you can do about them.

If you’ve been listening to me for long, you know that I believe “organizing is an art” -- and that no two people organize in the same way. But there are 6 must-have tools that are essential to keeping any office clutter free. If you're struggling with paper clutter in your office, I guarantee that you are missing one or more of these declutter tools.

In this week's podcast I'm sharing the calendar that I chose and why. I also talk about why I made the shift to a paper-based calendar. I have to admit that I have been procrastinating about sharing this podcast with you out of fear that some of you may disconnect from me totally as a result, but there's two reasons that would not be a valid decision on my part: 1) Fear is not an emotion compatible with my belief system and 2) My business is about sharing the truth as I experience it, so here goes.

It's that time of the year again and you may be getting ready to buy a calendar for the new year but before you do I'd like to share some tips with you on choosing a calendar that works for YOU. A calendar is such an integral part of getting organized and staying productive. If you find yourself not relying on your calendar or feeling unproductive even with your calendar then this podcast is for you. Podcast Duration: 04:17 (MM:SS)

If you're looking for a solution to combat clutter, that is simple and sustainable, you're not alone! Listen as I share 5 magic words you can say to help you reduce clutter once and for all.

I've been pondering what it is that separates the productive hours from the non-productive ones and I'm sharing what I've come up with. Listen as I share the five major contributors to a non-productive hour and what can you do to increase the number of productive hours in your life.

Being in this industry overy 30 years now, I know where we were in the past when it came to paper filing systems and I know the hopes of many companies that wanted to be "paperless" by now. In this podcast, I'll share my thoughts on where we are in terms of the "paperless office" and the seven disadvantages I find with a paper filing system.

n this podcast listen as I share my experience with the Apple store when I had a minor crisis (you may be surprise at the outcome) and what 5 traits are common in productive companies. See if your company measures up!

Start the school year out right by getting setting up systems to manage homework, extra curricular activities and school papers. In this week's podcast I'll be sharing tips on how useful a tickler file system can be for organizing papers related to school -- whether it's for you or for your children -- or both.

With September approaching, there is no shortage of advice on back to school tips or ways to get organized for school. Learn how you can keep your family organized during the school season and all year round too.

How many times in a week do you say to yourself -- or to someone else -- “I really need to organize these files?” If your answer is “Never!” you can skip listening to the rest of this podcast, but if you’re like thousands of people around the world, the need to organize paper never seems to go away. Listen as I share 5 steps to organizing paper success.

Intentionally creating a productive environment in your office can have such a positive impact on improving workplace productivity that I thought I'd explore this topic some more in this lastest podcast. Listen as I discuss the effects of the current economic conditions on workplace productivity (you'll be surprised with what I found) and I'll also share four simple things you need to know to create a more productive environment.

Is lack of time, space and systems preventing you from being the leader you desire to be? Then it may be time to consider how productivity consulting can help you achieve your goals. We're all given a finite amount of time each day and how you use that time affects your leadership ability. In this podcast listen as I share seven guidelines to consider, when you decide to work with a productivity consultant.

If you're one of the many folks who work from home and are looking for effective ways to make your home office a productive environment then this podcast is just for you. I'm here to tell you that organizing your home office doesn't need to be complicated. I'll share with you 7 tips that you can immediately implement to make your home office a productive environment, one where you can accomplish your work and not be distracted by clutter. These 7 actions are the same actions I share with my productivity consulting clients.

A tickler file system is such a great way to remind yourself of important tasks while also keeping track of the paper-related items associated with the task. An effective leader can't afford to miss deadlines or waste time looking for task-related papers. In this podcast, I'm going to share 7 resourceful ways that you can use your tickler system so you never forget an important appointment or deadline again. Plus I'll share 3 bonus tips to keep you even more organized as you use your tickler system.