Taking Note: Conversations with Evernote

"Taking Note" has reached its end. What's next? An all-new podcast for 2019 called "Focus Culture," available right now.

When Evernote decided to refresh its brand after 10 years, it was about more than tweaking the logo or adopting a new color scheme. It was about distilling the company’s essence, clarifying its purpose and point of view. In this episode, Francie Strong and Jonathan Woytek walk us through why Evernote undertook this effort, what's changed and what hasn't, what it means for the company and its customers, and what other brands can learn from the experience.

People can work from literally anywhere now, but that freedom brings serious challenges. How can you set a remote team up for success? Sales organizations have been dealing with these questions for years, so we sat down with two global leaders to get their perspectives. Dave Mattson is CEO and President of Sandler Training. Norm Happ is Evernote's Senior Vice President of Sales, Customer Success, & Partnerships. Together they offer a blueprint for building and maintaining a remote team that works.

Are you a creative person? Most people have been conditioned to think of creativity as the sole domain of geniuses, a divine quality beyond the reach of normal humans. But is it really?   Allen Gannett, author of "The Creative Curve" and CEO of TrackMaven, says most of us have creativity all wrong. In this episode, Allen uses the history and science of creative success to break down common myths and explains how anyone can learn to navigate the "creative curve" between novelty and familiarity with the right mix of preparation, timing, and feedback.

We’ve all heard about “dream teams,” collections of individuals who somehow become more than the sum of their parts and achieve extraordinary things. We celebrate them, mythologize them, and even build pop culture franchises around the idea (superheroes, anyone?). But where does that synergy come from? What can we learn from the teams that have it? And how can we apply those lessons to our own work? To find out, we asked Shane Snow, author of the new book Dream Teams: Working Together without Falling Apart. Shane reveals the hidden traits that separate ordinary teams from dream teams, shares tips to enhance any team, and tells us how he used Evernote to create the book.  

Every idea, no matter how grand, starts in the head of a single person. And most businesses, no matter how large, started out the same way. Growing a small business takes a solid foundation of tools and talent. But time and resources are limited, so how can you find, evaluate, and manage the right people and the right tools to get more done in less time? In honor of Small Business Week (April 29–May 5, 2018), leaders from Evernote and Upwork get together to share trends they’ve seen in the SMB space and their favorite tips for helping small businesses scale up faster.

Too often, we let life become something that happens to us, rather than something that comes from within. We forget that we can be in control of ourselves. And we forget that the people around us can help, if we just take the time to build strong relationships. So how do we break out of our ruts and regain clarity? How do we reclaim those dusty, forgotten goals we might have set back in January, or even decades ago? And how do we build the trust and influence that will get others on board, so those goals can become a reality? In this episode of Taking Note, we’ll hear from two experts who can guide us there. First, we invited leadership mentor Michael Hyatt to tell us how we can reconnect with our goals and have the best year ever, no matter what month you start counting from. Then, we’ll hear a conversation with Marvell Allen, a coach who helps people discover their leadership potential in the office, regardless of experience or job title.

SXSW is coming, and Evernote has two speakers set to take the stage in Austin this March. Chris O’Neill, Evernote's CEO, talks about how societal trends are leading businesses to change the ways they build bring products to market. And Anirban Kundu, CTO, examines the implications of artificial intelligence for the way we work. Don’t miss these two insightful conversations.

Productivity isn't only about our jobs and our to-do lists. The same concepts that help us produce work in the office can also help us tackle personal creative projects. Just ask Grant Faulkner, the Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month, a.k.a. NaNoWriMo. Every November, hundreds of thousands of writers commit to creating a 50,000-word story in just 30 days. In his role with NaNoWriMo, Grant has heard all of the excuses we have for not acting on our creative impulses, from lack of time to the notion that we simply aren't creative. He demolishes these myths and offers a way forward in a new book called “Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights & Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo.” In this episode of Taking Note, Grant discusses the challenge of NaNoWriMo, the ways we sabotage our own creative impulses, and how to conquer our inner obstacles to unleash our creative potential.

Jay Acunzo is an award-winning podcaster and dynamic keynote speaker. Before creating the popular podcast show Unthinkable, Jay was a digital media strategist at Google and head of content at HubSpot. But realized he was unhappy, and that this highly sought-after path was simply not for him. This experience sparked an interest in intuition and unconventional thinking that we explore in this episode. On the show, Jay discusses why our intuition plays a huge importance in our happiness and well-being. Everyone has unique experiences and unique perspectives, which means that the status quo may not always be the best path for us. But it’s not about trusting your gut or following a muse. It’s about using self-awareness to empower ourselves to do more. You have infinite access to the tools that reveal what direction you will find most fulfilling and meaningful in your work, so use your intuition and unconventional thinking to get yourself there.   Key Takeaways: [1:35] How does Jay personally define intuition? [3:10] How did Jay first get introduced to the subject of intuition and unconventional thinking? [4:10] When working for Google, Jay felt like he was not unleashing his full potential there. He was unhappy and searching for more. [5:20] What makes everybody different is their intuition; the ability to think for themselves, and that’s the key to how they can unlock their full potential in life. [5:35] There are infinite roads and paths you can choose from. You don’t have to rely on conventional wisdom for you to figure out ‘What’s next?’ [6:15] With the increase in technology and how-to videos, the focus is no longer on expertise. It is on self-awareness. We need to be conscious of which direction we need to take in this fast-paced world. [7:15] How can we be better at becoming more self-aware? [8:55] How does intuition help you be more productive? [9:45] Does Forrest remember the formula for calculating the slope of a straight line? [11:50] What’s so wrong with following the best practices/traditional advice in your business? [14:45] Use conventional thinking and the status quo as a jumping off point, but it should never be considered the solution. Everybody’s case is different. What works for them, might not work for you. [15:15] How important is looking at beyond your social circle for inspiration and new solutions? [18:40] How does Jay figure out if an idea is worth pursuing? [23:30] Why did Jay decide to create a podcast? [27:30] What has been Jay’s favorite episode so far? [31:15] What does Jay’s daily routine look like? [34:15] How does Jay like to structure his Evernote notebooks? [36:50] Who inspires Jay?   Learn More: Unthinkable.fm Unthinkable.fm — Grado Labs Unthinkable.fm — Merriam Webster Sorryformarketing.com Jay on LinkedIn Deathwishcoffee.com Tettra.co Trello.com Calvin and Hobbes Anthony Bourdain

Jess Lee is currently a Partner at Sequoia Capital, and was the Co-Founder & CEO of Polyvore until 2016. Jess first began her career as a project manager at Google where she learned some important lessons about company culture.   Jess made use of those lessons at Polyvore, which was acquired by Yahoo in 2015. Although she was inexperienced as a CEO at the time, she took the challenge in stride and surrounded herself with amazing talent to help grow the company.   In this episode, Jess discusses what she learned at Google, how it helped her career at Polyvore, why some companies are unable to cultivate good company culture, and why women in the tech industry are still struggling to get ahead. She also shares her methods for staying grounded and organized throughout her day.   Highlights: [1:20] What does Jess’s work week typically look like? [2:00] What motivates Jess? [2:30] How did Jess end up working for Google? [4:00] What is Polyvore? [6:10] What skills from her time at Google did Jess bring to Polyvore? [6:50] When Jess first joined Polyvore, there were only 4 people on the team. Over time, they grew to 125 people. [7:20] What kind of important leadership lessons did Jess learn as Polyvore was growing? [8:00] It took Jess a while to figure out what her leadership style was and how to lead authentically. [9:35] If you’re not an experienced CEO, surround yourself with awesome and inspiring people, to help you fill in the gaps. [10:20] As an introvert, how does Jess survive in an extrovert-dominated environment? [11:55] What is Jess most proud of from her time at Polyvore? [12:55] Jess is now in venture capital, why the shift? [14:20] How does Jess help entrepreneurs save time? [14:55] What areas of innovation have Jess’s attention right now? [16:55] What are some of the biggest roadblocks to companies trying to innovate? [18:30] How can companies welcome innovation when they start to get larger than life? [20:00] When does an entrepreneur know they have a ‘good’ idea? [20:40] About to start your first company? Build something useful, and delightful! Also remember, good companies take a while to grow. Polyvore was an 8.5 year journey. [22:25] Why is it still difficult for women to get ahead in the tech industry? [24:55] How can we fix toxic culture? [26:45] How does culture impact innovation and creativity? [28:45] From a VC standpoint, what does Jess look for in a company? [30:25] Empathy is important in business. You need to be able to put yourself in other people’s shoes. [33:50] What is Jess’s daily routine? [36:10] How does Jess manage information overload? [36:40] Fun fact: Jess is a huge fan of comics and anime! [38:25] What’s next for Jess?

In the second half of our conversation, organization expert and Evernote Community director Joshua Zerkel tells us how he structures his time and notes to help him focus. He also explains how his job connects productivity enthusiasts around the world, and how you can get involved.

Want to be more organized? You want to meet Joshua Zerkel, a Certified Professional Organizer who travels the world running Evernote’s community programs. In the first half of a two-part conversation, Josh reveals the hidden source of organizational frustration, suggests an easy way to gain control over clutter, and tells us how he wound up with such a cool job in the first place.

In the second half of our interview with productivity consultant Tiago Forte, we look deeper into his approach to note-taking, avoiding the perfection trap, and finding the place where productivity and creativity meet.    Please note that this episode builds on concepts introduced in Episode 5, such as the “PARA” organizing system (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives) and Tiago's argument for breaking down work projects into “intermediate packets.”

In Part 1 of a two-part conversation with productivity consultant Tiago Forte, we look at the chaos of the modern workplace, the virtues of small-batch productivity vs. deep work, and the system Tiago has devised to organize his thinking in Evernote.

If your organization has an online presence, you'd better be thinking about content strategy. But as Kristina Halvorson of Brain Traffic explains, it's not just a matter of what you say, but how well your content serves your readers or customers. Kristina explains the fundamentals and more in an engaging interview. We also hear from Beat Bühlmann, Evernote's GM of EMEA, who tells us about his system of personal development. Beat's "Swiss PDP Approach" goes beyond standard concepts of work/life balance to get to the center of who we are as individuals.

Feedback is hard, but it's essential if we want to learn, grow, and succeed. In this episode, we talk with Kim Scott, author of the book "Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss without Losing your Humanity," about how building a culture of candor at work can help us all become more effective in whatever we do. We also check in with Evernote's Director of Customer Experience to learn how Evernote’s customer support and Help Center are working to address feedback from the public.

For the second episode of "Taking Note," we chat with tech evangelist Guy Kawasaki about how he juggles his busy schedule, talk Canva and Apple, and discuss "earning the right to promote" on social media. We also get the lowdown on recent company news from three members of the Evernote management team.

A new year is a time for new beginnings, whether we’re pursuing a goal, changing careers… or re-launching a podcast. In the premiere episode of Taking Note, leadership mentor Michael Hyatt explains how clarity, discomfort, and courage can help you turn New Years resolutions into lasting achievements.

In the last of three special podcast interviews for Global Entrepreneurship Week, we talked with Brit Morin, founder and CEO Brit + Co, about her path to entrepreneurship, what she’s learned along the way, and the power of creative expression.

In the second of three special podcast interviews for Global Entrepreneurship Week, we talked with consultant Stacey Harmon about how her own journey into entrepreneurship led her to teach others, and why Evernote is at the heart of her solution.

In the first of three special podcast interviews for Global Entrepreneurship Week, we asked Edwin Khodabakchian, CEO of Feedly, to share his stories and insights for starting a new company.