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Ready to break free from entrepreneurial chaos? This candid conversation between Jenny Melrose and Jackie Klein (former teacher turned HoneyBook educator and CRM consultant) reveals exactly why your endless to-do list might be the very thing preventing business growth.Jackie breaks down the three essential systems every entrepreneur needs: a robust CRM that serves as your client journey GPS, strategic automations that eliminate repetitive tasks, and streamlined payment processes that prevent awkward money conversations. With practical advice on which system to implement first (spoiler: start with a CRM), you'll discover how to transition from scattered entrepreneur to organized CEO.The discussion goes beyond basic systems to explore the nuances of content creation batching, strategic workweek planning, and knowing when it's time to outsource. Jackie's refreshingly honest approach acknowledges the overwhelm many entrepreneurs feel when implementing systems—sharing her own journey from Google Docs chaos to streamlined workflows.Perhaps most valuable is Jackie's framework for deciding what to automate versus what requires your personal touch. Her insights on maintaining system flexibility as your business evolves will ensure you're never locked into processes that no longer serve your growing brand.Whether you're a "scrambling entrepreneur" tracking leads in spreadsheets or "almost automated" but missing key connections between your tools, this episode delivers actionable strategies to transform your business operations. As Jackie wisely notes, "Chaos cannot scale, but systems can."Take the first step toward reclaiming your time and building a business that runs efficiently even when you're not working 24/7. Visit kleincrm.co/quiz to take Jackie's free two-minute system audit and discover personalized recommendations for your business needs.Read more HERESupport the show
I'm a big fan of Nathalia (Nat) Holt's books, and am so excited to have the opportunity to talk to her about her new book, The Beast in the Clouds: The Roosevelt Brothers' Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda. I first met Nat when her book Cured: The People Who Defeated HIV came out and I attended a book event at Dartmouth Medical Center. She is so smart and curious and in this episode we will be talking about the process of researching elusive history, where her ideas come from, and who gets to tell what stories. Nathalia Holt's websiteTranscript below!EPISODE 455 - TRANSCRIPTJess LaheyHey, AmWriters! It's Jess Lahey here. I am so excited to talk about a new series that I am putting out there on the Hashtag AmWriting platform called From Soup to Nuts. I interview and work with and mentor an author—a nonfiction author—who has subject matter expertise and a killer idea, frankly, that just knocked me sideways. This author really thinks this is the time and place for this idea. And I agreed, and I asked her—I begged her—if I could mentor her through this process in a series. We're having to work together on agenting and proposal and all the stuff that you've got to do, from soup to nuts, to get a book out into the world. This series, From Soup to Nuts, is subscriber-only. The first episode is free, so you can go back and listen to that. That's for everyone. But if you want to join us for the whole process and learn from her mistakes—and learn from the stuff that I'm working on right now too—you have to subscribe. So consider supporting the Hashtag AmWriting podcast. It helps us bring you stuff like this—these extra series—not to mention the podcast itself. Alright, it's a lot of work. Help us support our podcast and these extra bonus series. By becoming a supporter, you'll get a sticker for it. You'll get your hypothetical, figurative sticker for being a good Hashtag AmWriting.Multiple speakers:Is it recording? Now it's recording, yay. Go ahead. This is the part where I stare blankly at the microphone. I don't remember what I'm supposed to be doing. All right, let's start over. Awkward pause… I'm going to rustle some papers. Okay, now one, two, three.Jess LaheyHey, this is the Hashtag AmWriting podcast. This is the podcast about writing all the things—writing the short things, writing the long things, writing the queries, the proposals, the poetry, the fiction, the nonfiction. This is the podcast actually, at its heart, about getting the work done. I am Jess Lahey. I am your host today. I'm the author of the New York Times best-selling The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation. And you can find my journalism at The New York Times and The Atlantic and The Washington Post. And today I am interviewing an author I respect deeply. I have known this author since she wrote her first book, which overlapped with some work that my husband does and some work that I had done in a previous career, and she has gone on to have a glorious and enviable career in nonfiction. My dream has always been to be one of those people that can, like, get curious about a topic and then just go off and write about that topic. And this is what she does. So Natalia—NAT—Holt, I am so excited to introduce you to our listeners. They are deep, deep, deep lovers of the nuts and bolts and the geeky details of the writing and the process. So welcome to the Hashtag AmWriting podcast.Nathalia HoltThank you so much. I'm excited to talk to you today.Jess LaheySo we have a book on HIV—the first book, Cured, which is the way that I got to know you. Also, full disclosure, we share an agent. Laurie Abkemeier is our agent, and I think she actually may have introduced us in the first place. Yeah, your first book—yeah, your first book, Cured, about the Berlin patients. Really interesting—if you've never heard of the Berlin patients, listeners, just, just Google it. It's really a fascinating story. I'll go over—I'll go read Cured. Cured is all about the Berlin patients. And then we have The Queens of Animation—the women behind, sort of, the way Disney does what they do. And—and—and then we also have Rise of the Rocket Girls, which is another fascinating book out there about the women behind a lot of the math and the planning and the work that was done to get us into space. And so when I heard about your new book, I'm like, "Oh, NAT's working on a new book. Great! What women are we going to talk about this time?" And it's such a departure for you, and it is such a fascinating topic for you. And, well, for me, it's like—it's deep in my geeky, Jess-book-loving nonfiction zone. Could you tell us a little bit about it and where the idea came from for this book?Nathalia HoltSure. The book is called The Beast in the Clouds, and it's about an expedition that the two eldest sons of President Theodore Roosevelt took in 1928 and 1929. And they went to China and Tibet in search of the giant panda, which at that time was unknown to Western scientists. And even in China, there were very few people that were aware of where this animal lived, what it ate—so little was known. So during this time period, the 1920s, you have all of these expeditions going to China, trying to find this black-and-white bear that no one is really sure exists. It's just a crazy period of history, because you have all of the other bears at that time—even polar bears—were known and even were in zoos. But the panda was not, and many people even thought it would be a ferocious bear. They thought this was going to be, you know, a combination of polar and black bears.Jess LaheyYeah, yeah.Nathalia HoltSo that's what the Roosevelts are going to. And so the expedition ends up being torturous, deadly. They're going through the Himalayas. They're not very well prepared. They lose all their food. They're attacked. They get lost. Just every crazy thing happens to them. But it's also a journey of transformation. They're documenting all of the ecology around them, and it really ends up changing their own worldview. And so it was such a fun book to research and to write. And I spent a lot of time also going into many of the other ex—many of the other members of the expedition, which was—which was fun, and maybe a little bit different than other books in this genre. But yeah, for me, you know, it's scary to be writing a part of history that is very different than what I've done before—but it's also fun.Jess LaheyWhere'd the germ of the idea for the book come from? Because I had never heard this story before. I guess it had just never occurred to me—like, where do we—how do we know about the panda bear?Nathalia HoltYeah, it's not a topic that has been written about much before, and I came across it while I was researching my last book, which is called Wise Gals, and is about women that helped form the CIA. And as part of that book, I was looking into the Roosevelts' role in World War Two. And it's so confusing when you research the Roosevelts, because they all have the same name. It's just Theodore and...Jess LaheyActually, I have to tell you, Tim's a huge fan—my husband, Tim, who you also know, is a big fan and has read a lot about—and he's like, "Well, which Roosevelt?" So you—and I'm like, "Oh, that's a really good question. I don't know which Roosevelt... like, the adventuring ones." He's like, "Well..." [unintelligible]Nathalia HoltYeah, there's so many of them, and they all have the same name. And so as I was trying to parse out son and father—who are both named Kermit Roosevelt and both served in World War Two—I kind of stumbled across this expedition that the elder Kermit Roosevelt had taken. So he and his older brother, Theodore, who were the sons of President Theodore Roosevelt, and so it just kind of—it came from there. Just sort of came from wanting to learn more about it. And I always love a challenge. If there's a topic that's difficult to research, that seems impossible to find anything about—I'm there. I want to know everything.Jess LaheyYeah. So, okay, so here's a—really a question that I—well, first of all, you and I are both research geeks. I just—I have said I could just keep researching books and not actually write the books. I just love that process. So aside from the easy answer, which is Google, like, where do you start with a story that hasn't been told yet? How do you start diving into that story, and where do you find information?Nathalia HoltIt's difficult, and it depends on the topic. For this one, I went through a number of different archives, and that was great. I was able to get old letters that the Roosevelts had. But I really wanted to bring in other voices. I was really, really persistent in my desire to bring in Jack Young, who was this young, 19-year-old, Hawaiian-born translator and naturalist on the trip. And I was fortunate enough that I was able to track down some interviews he had done with another author back in the 1990s, and I just was persistent. I just pleaded until I got these tapes and was able to get all these interviews with him. And then I also contacted his daughter, who lives in Hawaii, and was able to get his unpublished autobiography. And it gives such an interesting perspective, because Jack Young went on and became a very impressive person and really deserves a biography all of his own, but he was also very close friends with the Roosevelts. They had a real connection—a real bond. And you get a different sense of the story when you're hearing it through his descriptions of what it was like, because he is young, and he is sort of really documenting things for the first time. And then, in addition, I was so lucky with this book because I was able to also get the field journals from a scientist that was on the expedition, as well as all the writings from another naturalist. So it was fascinating, because there were so many different accounts of the same events, which really lets you go into detail about what it was like, what people were feeling, what they were seeing. And I don't think I've ever had that before—where I have so many different accounts of the exact same events.Jess LaheyThat's really cool, because it gives you that ability to, you know—if we went with just Jack Young's account, then you've got the Jack Young lens. And as you well know, history gets to be told by certain people, unless someone like you comes along and says, "Oh, wait, this account has not been brought to the surface," whether it's the women who are the animators at Disney, or whether it's the women who are part of NASA. So how do you—if you go into something like this and you have a limited number of perspectives—it sounds like you had a fair number of perspectives going into this, but since the documentation happened—usually tends to happen among the more powerful, the more privileged people—how do you manage getting a full perspective on an event like this expedition when you may have limited perspectives?Nathalia HoltThat is the real challenge, because it's easy to get the Roosevelts' documentation.Jess LaheyYeah, yeah, yeah.Nathalia HoltI have all of their journals, all of their letters. I am able to get into real detail about what this expedition was like for them. Even the difficult parts—for them—they really documented that, and everything has been saved. For the others... it's much more difficult, and it really requires that persistence of being able to get the letters. Being able to get the autobiography was really key, because he goes into so much detail about what things were like. And these interviews that he did were also really, really helpful, because he goes into a lot of his feelings about what it was like to be with the Roosevelts on the expedition, about how he felt… Because his father was born in China, his mother was born in San Francisco, he himself was born in Hawaii—which, at that time, is not part of the U.S.—he feels like he doesn't have a country. He doesn't know where he is. So when he's in China, he can speak all of these languages, but he's still struggling to connect and be able to talk with people, because there are so many dialects.Jess LaheyYeah.Nathalia HoltAnd so to be able to get into what that was like, and how he felt—just gives such a perspective—a different perspective of the expedition than perhaps what is usually had in these kinds of books. And he also talks a lot about the guides on the expedition, which was really interesting. There were a lot of women that were part of this expedition. Half of the guides, who kind of act as Sherpas—they, you know, they carry things, they lead the way, they guide the route, they make camp. And so there are just some great moments with these guides—especially the women guides—where they are just protecting from crazy marauders that have come down and have attacked the group. And lots of great moments like that. That was really interesting to document. And in addition, another thing I was able to get for this book is—there was actually some early video and a lot of photographs that were taken.Jess LaheyOh my goodness.Nathalia HoltBy one of the members. And that is just such an incredible thing—to be looking at video of this expedition in the 1920s—it's just amazing.Jess LaheyOkay, so geek question here, since this is definitely what our listeners like the most. So I haven't laid hands on the book yet, because it's not out yet—did you put photographs in the book? Were you able to get access to photographs, and did you put them in the book? And I ask that because whenever I write a proposal or we're working on a book proposal, we have to indicate whether or not there's going to be artwork, and that changes things in terms of budget, and it changes things in terms of permissions and stuff. And I was curious about—I've never dealt with that side of it before, but maybe you have.Nathalia HoltI have. I've always sent photographs, and I love it. Because I feel like it helps when you read the book—especially a book like this.Jess LaheyYeah.Nathalia HoltYou know, when I'm describing what they look like, and where they are, you want to see it with your own eyes. And so it's really interesting to be able to see those photographs. And I had so many, and it's always a challenge to parse out—who has the permissions? Where do they come from? Finding the photographs—this always takes forever. Fortunately, this particular book was maybe a little bit easier, because a lot of the photographs are out of copyright, that had been published at that time. So that was nice. But yeah, no, it was still just a mess, as it always is. It's always a mess to figure out who do photographs belong to. I feel like I would love to become a lawyer—just for that moment in researching a book.Jess LaheyThat's a whole layer I've never had to go into. And it was easier for me to—rather than just say, "Yeah, I'd like to include this one thing," and then I realized the nightmare that's ahead of me in terms of accessing and getting permission and all that stuff. I'm like, "Eh! Let's just stick with what we got in the print." But, for something like this—and especially when you're writing about, for example, animation, or if you're writing about, you know, this expedition, and there's art available—you know, it sounds like it's really, really worth it for that aspect. I mean, that's definitely something I would want in this book. So I think I know the answer to this question. This is a heavily loaded question, but are you—when it comes to research and it comes to what you include in the book—are you an overwriter or an underwriter? Or do you land pretty much—like, when you're doing your editing, are you like, "Oh no, this was the perfect amount to include?"Nathalia HoltOh, I'm a terrible overwriter.Jess LaheyOh. So am I!Nathalia HoltIt's really a problem. But I worked very hard on this book at cutting, and it was not easy for me, because I do always tend to go way overboard. I'm always over the word count that I'm supposed to be at—with the exception of this book, where I did a very good job of cutting it down and really trying to focus and not, you know, getting too distracted.Jess LaheyYeah, we joke all the time with my other co-hosts and friends that my—like, my history sections in both of my books could have been half of the book or, you know... and all the stuff that ends up on the floor ends up getting told in cocktail parties. You know, "By the way, did you know how many, you know, kegs of beer there were on the ships that came over? I do. Can I share? Because I did all this work and I've got to put it somewhere." And there's this weird—there's this weird line between, "Look, look how thorough I am. Can I have an A+ for how thorough I am?" versus what your reader might actually be interested in. I keep some of my favorite notes from my former editor, and she's like, "Yeah, the reader... no. Reader doesn't care. Not going to care. You know, this may be really fun for you, but maybe not for your reader." So—but I can imagine with something like this, you know, the details of the flora and fauna and all that other stuff—it would be really easy to get off on tangents that are not necessary for the core mission.Nathalia HoltYes, absolutely. But in some ways it was easier than my past books, because it only takes place over a year, which is incredible. Most of my books take place over decades, and the cast of characters is much smaller as well. And unlike some of my past books, I feel like I need to include everyone out of fairness—which is kind of a weird way to approach a book. I don't recommend it. That's not the way to do things. But yeah, if you're really just looking at a few—a handful of people—over a year, it's much easier to stay on track. So that was a good exercise for me.Jess LaheyYeah, there's a—there's a line I love, where David Sedaris talks about the fact that what it takes for him to purchase something is if the clerk at the store has gone to the trouble to take it out of the case, to show it to him, and then he feels like he has to buy it because he—someone went through the trouble. And same thing for me. If, like, someone's going to go to the trouble to be interviewed, then cutting that entire interview, or cutting that whole through line, or whatever that person is a part of, is incredibly painful to do. And then I feel like—I feel obligated. So it's a difficult—it's a difficult balance, you know, between what your readers are going to actually want and what makes for a good book, versus doing right by the people who spent time talking to you. It's a hard balance to strike. Alright, speaking of being in the weeds and geek questions—so I'd love to talk to you a little bit. I was just—I'm mentoring someone for a little series we're doing for this podcast, sort of from soup to nuts, from the beginning of an—from the inception of an idea to getting a book out. And the very first thing she did was send something to me in a Pages document. And I had to say, "Hey, you might want to think about using Word or maybe Google Docs, because, like, I don't have Pages." So—some details about how you work. Number one, do you have a preferred app that you like to write in? Because I'm a Scrivener gal.Nathalia HoltI mean, I prefer Word because I feel like it is the most universal. It's the easiest to send to people... and so that's what I go with.Jess LaheyYeah, I use Scrivener only because it allows me to blank out the rest of the world really easily. Okay, and then organizing your research. This is something—the question of organizing your research, how you know you're done researching and really just need to actually start writing the words—are the two questions that I get the most. Because the research could go—especially on a topic like this—could go on forever. So number one, given this voluminous research that you had, how do you organize your research? Do you use folders on your computer? Do you use folders in—you know—how do you do all of that?Nathalia HoltI do folders on my computer, and then I also do hard copies that I actually keep organized in real folders, which helps me, because then, if I'm going into a specific topic, a lot of times it can be easier to actually hold on to those documents and being able to see them. So I do both. Um, and...Jess LaheyHas everything pretty much been digitized in this area? Do you feel like—or do you have to go into rooms and, like, actually look at paper documents, and sometimes they don't let you scan those? So, you know, how does that work for you?Nathalia Holt Yes, it's very difficult if they don't allow you to photograph them. Usually they do. Usually you can. So I have always had to digitize documents, and there's so many different ways to do it, but now it's much easier just to use your phone than anything else, which is great. Very happy about this development. And yeah, I think—I think maybe that's part of the reason why I do like to print things out is because that's how I was first introduced to the material, so it can be useful for me. But there's way too much material to print everything out. I mean, there's so many hundreds, thousands of pages even. And so it's always just going to be sort of key documents that end up making their way into the actual folders, and then the rest—it's just, you know, organized by topic. Make sure images are separate, by person.Jess LaheySo then, how do you know you're done? Like, how do you feel like you're at a place where I now know enough to come at this from—to come at the storytelling from an informed place?Nathalia HoltThat is really a good question, and I'm not sure I can answer it, because I feel like you're never done. You're always going to be researching. There's no real end to it.Jess LaheyBut you have to start. Well, and this—this takes—this is separate from the question of, like, how much research—how much research do you have to have done for the book proposal? Like take it for example, for example, The Addiction Inoculation, where I needed to learn, really, a whole new area... that was a year-long process just to write the proposal for that book, and then another couple years for the book. So, for me—and I'm very happy to say—I got to ask Michael Pollan this question, and he had the same answer that I feel like is my instinctual answer for this, which is when I start to say, "Oh, I'm starting to repeat. Things are starting to repeat for me," and/or, "Oh, I already knew that," and so I'm not finding out new stuff or encountering things I don't already know at the same rate. It's starting to sort of level off. Then I feel like, "Oh, I've got this sort of, like, you know, mile-high view of the—of the information," and I maybe have enough in my head to start actually being an expert on this thing.Nathalia HoltThat's a good answer. That sounds responsible. I'm not sure that I do that, though. I think for myself, there's not a bad time to start, because it's going to change so much anyway, that for me, I almost feel like it's part of the learning process. Is that you start to write about it, and then as you go along, you realize, "Oh, this is not right. I'm going to change all of this," but it's all just part of helping you move along. And I think even from the beginning, if you start writing even just bits and pieces of how you want to write the scene, you want to think about this or outline it, that can be helpful, and it doesn't matter, because it's all going to change anyway.Jess LaheyThat's true. I actually find I write—the way I write is very specific, in that each topic I'm going to write about in a chapter has a narrative arc, story that goes with it. So I—that narrative arc story gets written first, and then I drop the research in as I go along. But I remember, with The Gift of Failure, a book came out that had a key piece of research that then I had to go back and figure out, "Oh my gosh, this impacts everything." And so I had to figure out how to sort of drop that in. And I couldn't have done it at any other time, because the research didn't exist or I hadn't found it yet. So that's a tough thing to do, is to go back and sort of link the things to something new that you think is important. But the research part is just so much fun for me. Again, I could do that forever and ever and ever. Do you? So the other thing I wanted to ask... and this is selfishly... do you have large boxes in your home of all the research that you feel like you can't get rid of, even though you wrote the book, like, five years ago, ten years ago?Nathalia HoltI do not. I pare down.Jess LaheyYou do?!Nathalia HoltAfter time, yes. It's hard to do, though, because it's hard to throw things away, and I definitely have folders that I keep. They're just full of things that I can never get rid of. And obviously it's all digitized as well, but there are things like that that mean a lot to me, that I can't get rid of.Jess LaheyWell, there's actually—this was a very selfish question, because I actually just went through and finally got rid of a whole bunch of stuff that... I felt like it was at the heart—it was the main research for The Gift of Failure, and I used it to mulch my gardens. I put—and so it was like this metaphorical kind of, like, knowledge feeding the thing that I care about the most right now. And so I used it to mulch all the paths in my gardens and create new garden beds and stuff like that. But I'm always curious about that. Like, I every once in a while see something on, like, "X"—what used to be Twitter—or someplace like that, like, can I get rid of the research from the book I wrote 25 years ago? Or is that too soon? Well, so when exactly does the book come out? Give us your—give us your pub date.Nathalia HoltIt comes out July 1st.Jess LaheyOkay. And I have to say... cover is gorgeous. How did you land on that cover image?Nathalia HoltOh, I really didn't get much say.Jess Lahey Okay.Nathalia HoltThe one thing I—I mean, you know, they have whole people that have skills that do these things, but one thing I was very passionate about was keeping the brothers on the cover in their expedition gear. So originally, the publisher had wanted them to be in suits on the front, and I just hated it. I hated it so much, because I feel like they need to be on the trail. You need to see them as they were on the trail. And so that's one thing I really pushed for. And I was fortunate that they—they listened, and they were okay with that.Jess LaheyWell, I'm just—I mean, this book is going to have such a great place alongside books like The River of Doubt and other, you know, really wonderful books that are about the expositions—that the expeditions that get taken by these historical fixtures—figures. And I'm just—I'm so excited for this book. I'm so happy for you about this book, because it is just—when I started telling people about the topic, they're like, "Oh, I would read that." And I'm like, "I know! Isn't that the best idea?" And that's part of the magic, is coming upon the really cool idea. And so I'm just really, really happy for you and really, really happy about this book and excited for it.Nathalia HoltThank you. Oh, that's so nice to hear, especially because this was a very difficult book to get published. I mean, there was a real moment where I wasn't sure I was going to find someone that would...Jess LaheyWell, can you—I didn't want to ask it. You know, this is—having—doing a podcast like this, where we often talk about the mistakes, we talk about the blunders, we talk about the stuff that went wrong. It can be really, really hard because you don't want to bite the hand that feeds you, or you don't want to, like, make anyone think that this book wasn't anything other than a 100% lovely experience from beginning to end. But I would love to talk about that, if you're willing.Nathalia HoltOh, sure. I don't really have anything bad to say about anyone. I think it's—I think it's understandable that people wouldn't naturally think I would be the best author to write this. I haven't written other books like it, and so it was a difficult book to sell. It wasn't easy, and it definitely crystallized to me how important it was that I write it. I really felt like this was my purpose. I really wanted to write it, and maybe it's good to have that moment, because it really makes it clear that this is something you need to do, even if it's not easy, even if it's tough to find a publisher. And I was fortunate that I did. You know, luckily, there was an editor that—sort of at the last minute—believed in it enough to give it a go. And yeah, it's just—it always feels like a miracle when the book comes to fruition and is actually published. It just seems as if that could never really happen, and this one was a difficult road to get there, for sure.Jess LaheyWell, especially since a big part of the proposal process is trying to convince someone that you're the—you're the person to write this book. And in this case, it's not so much because you're a subject matter expert going into it. It's that you're a really good researcher, and you're a meticulous writer and a meticulous researcher, and most importantly, this story speaks to you. And I think, you know, some of my very favorite nonfiction books that I recommend over and over and over again—narrative nonfiction—it's clear in the reading how excited the author was about the story, and I think that's part of the magic. So I think you're the perfect person to write it. I don't know what they could have—because if you are—if you're fired up about the story... And as an English teacher, and as someone who's had to convince middle school students why they need to be excited about this thing I want to teach them, the enthusiasm of the teacher is part of what can spark the engagement for the learner. So I think that's a really, really important part of any book. Plus, you got to—you're—as an author, you're going to have to be out there talking about this thing, and so you better love the topic, because you're going to be talking about it for ages.Nathalia HoltYes, absolutely. I mean, no matter what, this is many years of your life that's dedicated to a topic. But I think it's—it's a good lesson in general, that you can write in one genre and one kind of book for years, and then it might not be easy, but it is possible to actually break out of that and find other topics and other things you want to write about. We grow. We all change.Jess LaheyYeah, one of my—one of, as our listeners will know, Sarina Bowen, one of my co-hosts and one of my best friends—she's—she has written romance forever and ever and ever, and she's like, "You know what? I want to write a thriller," and it has been a really steep learning curve and also a huge effort to sort of convince people that she can do that too. But it's also really, really satisfying when you show your chops in another area. So—and I had an—as I was going through sort of the details about this book, and reading about this book, I was thinking, you know what this would be really, really good for? An exhibit at someplace like the Field Museum, or like an exhibit of—oh my gosh, that would be incredible. Like, if this is a story that hasn't been told, and there's a lot of art, and there may be video and photographs and all—and journals—man, that would make for an amazing—if anyone out there is listening, that would make for an amazing museum exhibit, I think. And of course, everyone's listening to me.Nathalia HoltThat would be amazing.Jess LaheyEveryone is listening to me...Nathalia Holt Oh, well, they should.Jess LaheyAll right. Well, thank you so, so much. Where can people find you? And is there anything else you'd like to talk about that you're working on or that you're excited about? Besides, you know, just getting this book out into the world?Nathalia HoltYou can find me at nathaliaholt.com and on Instagram and Facebook and X @NathaliaHolt. And yeah, right now I'm pretty much focused on this book. I have something else percolating, but it's still away a good days. So it's the fun research part. Isn't that...?Jess LaheyYou will notice I did not ask you what's next, because to be asked what's next when you haven't even birthed the thing you're working on now can be a little irritating. So as someone who's aware of this inside baseball, I didn't even. Later on—privately—I would love, because I'm a big fan, big excited about your work, and love, love introducing people to your work. So I think—and also, one of the things we talk about a lot on this podcast is having books that are exemplars of good research, of good storytelling. I have a stack of books that I keep near me when I need to dissect something to get at—oh, this person did a really good job with, for example, historical research, or this person did a really good job of using their expert voice, and I need to tap into that today. I think your books are—would be excellent, excellent selections for our listeners, for their pile of exemplars for really well-done research and telling other people's stories—historical stories that occur in a sort of in a modern context. Your books are really dissectible, and I know that's super high-level geek stuff, but they've really helped me become a better storyteller as well.Nathalia HoltThank you. That's so kind of you. I really appreciate that.Jess LaheyAll right, everyone—go get the book, read the book. Don't forget to pre-order, because that really matters to us authors, and don't forget to review it wherever you purchased it, once you have read it. And Nat, thank you so much. And I apologize for calling you Natalia at the top of the hour. I'm so just so used to doing that—Nat. And until next week, everyone, keep your butt in the chair and your head in the game.The Hashtag AmWriting podcast is produced by Andrew Perella. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday, was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output—because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe
The Pharmacist Authors Series is back! The goals of the series are to (1) introduce you to new books/authors and (2) inspire you to write a book and narrate it too. The FULL show notes with links to previous episodes of The Pharmacist Authors Series on https://thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast. 2025 Pharmacist Authors Series June — Jerry Levin, PhD, LMT talks about Affirm Yourself: 15 Principles to Retrain the Voice in Your Head. July — Ashley Walker, PharmD talks about her chapter in Expanding Your Brilliance: Creating Effortless Abundance while Navigating Business and Motherhood. August — 4 guests: Rosa Hart, RN (author), Simi Burn, PharmD (ghost writer), Janan Sarwar, PharmD (publisher), and Julie Walthers (audio engineer). We will discuss Rosa's book, how she wrote and published it, and how she collaborated with an audio engineer to record the audiobook. Affirm Yourself by Dr. Jerry Levin focuses on the power of affirmations to counter negative self-talk. During our conversation, you'll learn what affirmations are, why we need them, how the book helps you write them, how the book is helping me and my son, advice for aspiring authors, and more. Links from this episode Amazon link for Affirm Yourself: 15 Principles to Retrain the Voice in Your Head. E-book and print available Summer 2025. Audiobook available later in 2025. Check out my review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ when you shop for Jerry's book. Leave a review for after you read it. Visit Jerry's website: https://jerrylevinauthor.com/ Read the Google Doc with sample affirmations for aspiring authors. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mV3yKz8-ZloHNeBDoEdDINnKIaW1FzTI-QybKat0-Js/edit?usp=sharing Zoom Q&A session link on July 14th, 7 PM Eastern Time. (No requirement to read the book in advance of the session.) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84400790985?pwd=Aa4QX9s4LoInujKagwQDAY9mvqWYVu.1 Pharmacist Authors Series 2024 Part 1 of 3 (June) Episode 282 with Steve Leuck, PharmD - A Pharmacist's Story An Authentic Tale of True Love, Family, Addiction, and the Practice of Pharmacy Part 2 of 3 (July) Episode 288 Helen Sairany, PharmD - The We You Don't See: Understanding the Long Shadows of Trauma Part 3 of 3 (August) Episode 293 Kim Newlove with Publishing in Doses Co-Founders Janan Sarwar, PharmD and Theary Chhim, PharmD plus audio engineer, Julie Walthers. Pharmacist Authors Series 2023 (Part 1 of 15) June 5, Introduction to the Pharmacist Authors Series (Episode 220) (Part 2 of 15) June 9, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 221: Interview with Salam Kabbani, PharmD about her book: COVID Long-Hauler: My Life Since COVID (Part 3 of 15) June 12, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 222: Interview with audio engineer Julie Walthers from Whole Story Studio: https://www.wholestorystudio.com/ (Part 4 of 15) June 16, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 223 Interview with Erin L. Albert, PharmD on her book The Life Science Lawyer Part 5 of 15) June 19, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 224 Interview with Sue Ojageer, PharmD on her children's book The Pharma Heroes: The Power of Precision Medicine (Part 6 of 15) June 23, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 225: Interview with Tony Guerra, PharmD about his Pharmacist Residency and Career Series (8 books) (Part 7 of 15) June 26, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 226: Interview with Christina Fontana, PharmD about her book Moving Beyond the Counter: Elevating into Heart-Centered Health Care through Entrepreneurship (Part 8 of 15) June 30, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 227: Interview with Jade L. Ranger, PharmD, about her book Mustard Seed Mentality: Unscripted Pearls of Wisdom from a Wife, Mother, and Entrepreneur (Part 9 of 15) July 7, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 229: Interview with RDML Pam Schweitzer, PharmD and her daughter Amy Graves about their children's book Alice and Jack Hike the Grand Canyon (Part 10 of 15) July 10, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 230: Interview with Cory Jenks, PharmD about his book Permission to Care: Building a Healthcare Culture That Thrives in Chaos (Part 11 of 15) July 14, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 231: Interview with Donna Bartlett, PharmD about her book MedStrong: Shed Your Meds for a Better, Healthier You - Aging Well Through Deprescribing (Part 12 of 15) July 17, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 232: Interview with Frieda Wiley, PharmD about her book Telecommuting Psychosis: From Surviving to Thriving While Working in Your Pajama Pants. Plus, we touch on her 3 children's books in development. (Part 13 of 15) July 21, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 233: Interview with Tim Ulbrich, PharmD about his book Seven Figure Pharmacist: How to Maximize Your Income, Eliminate Debt, and Create Wealth (Part 14 of 15) July 24, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 234: Interview with LaQuoia Johnson, PharmD about her book How Rxacism Manifests Inside the Small World of Pharmacy (Part 15 of 15) July 28, The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast Episode 235: Pharmacist Authors Series wrap-up (solo show) Kim's websites and social media links: ✅ Monthly email newsletter sign-up link https://bit.ly/3AHJIaF ✅ LinkedIn Newsletter link https://bit.ly/40VmV5B ✅ Business website https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com ✅ Buy my book on amazon.com https://amzn.to/4iAKNBs ✅ The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast ✅ Drug pronunciation course https://www.kimnewlove.com ✅ Podcasting Course https://www.kimnewlove.com/podcasting ✅ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimnewlove ✅ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kim.newlove.96 ✅ Twitter https://twitter.com/KimNewloveVO ✅ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimnewlovevo/ ✅ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3UyhNBi9CCqIMP8t1wRZQ ✅ ACX (Audiobook Narrator Profile) https://www.acx.com/narrator?p=A10FSORRTANJ4Z ✅ Start a podcast with the same coach who helped me get started (Dave Jackson from The School of Podcasting)! **Affiliate Link - NEW 9-8-23** Thank you for listening to episode 336 of The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast. If you know someone who would like this episode, please share it with them!
Jeremy Au breaks down the hidden risks in Southeast Asia's edtech sector and early-stage startup law. He explains why edtech often fails to scale, how founder disputes emerge without early agreements, and why choosing the right jurisdiction like Singapore matters for survival. From investor alignment to taxation nightmares, this episode guides founders through the hard truths of building legally sound and scalable ventures. 01:00 Misaligned Edtech Incentives: “Kids use it. Parents, schools, or governments buy it.” Jeremy explains how edtech startups suffer from a split between the user and the payer, complicating both growth and retention. 03:49 Passion Subsidy and Investor Challenges: The sector attracts too many well-intentioned builders, creating a surplus of talent and capital but fewer underpriced investment opportunities. 10:57 Founder Agreements and Equity Clarity: Jeremy outlines how early documentation, even in a simple Google Doc, can prevent future equity disputes, especially when teams evolve before incorporation. 12:37 Tax Burden in the Philippines: He warns that taxing startups on gross revenue instead of profit creates startup-hostile environments and pushes founders to incorporate in more favorable places like Singapore. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/edtech-roadblocks Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts
Episode SummaryI share my new project management system that's built entirely in Google Docs. It's simple and endlessly customizable..Show Notes Pagejeffsanders.com/584.Go Premium!Exclusive bonus episodes, 100% ad-free, full back catalog, and more!Free 7-Day Trial of 5 AM Miracle Premium.Perks from Our SponsorsNozbe → My all-time favorite task manager that I have personally used for 12+ years and counting! Create your Nozbe account for free and get $30 USD of free extra credits.Learn More About The 5 AM MiracleThe 5 AM Miracle Podcast.Free Productivity Resources + Email Updates!Join The 5 AM Club!.The 5 AM Miracle BookAudiobook, Paperback, and Kindle.Connect on Social MediaLinkedIn • Facebook Group • Instagram.About Jeff SandersRead Jeff's Bio.Questions?Contact Jeff.© 5 AM Miracle Media, LLC.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
I used to scribble notes everywhere, Post-its, Google Docs, notes app, my hand, and then wonder why I couldn't find anything when I actually needed it. Turns out, productivity isn't just about to-do lists and caffeine; it's about getting your digital life in order to free up your mental space and make room for better ideas (and fewer forgotten passwords). In this episode, I break down the simple system I now use to capture ideas, organize my digital clutter, and actually follow through on projects.For more go to: www.scottmlynch.comLevel up your life by joining my Patreon where you'll get exclusive content every week and more badass offerings (rips t-shirt in half, Hulk Hogan style, and runs around the room). And/or…Unlock practical and tactical insights on how to master your mindset and optimize your happiness directly to your inbox.If you're a glutton for punishment and want more swift kicks in the mind follow me on social:InstagramYouTubeLeave a review and tell me how I suck so I can stop doing that or you can also tell me about things you like. I'd be okay with that, too.Produced by ya boi.Past guests on The Motivated Mind include Chris Voss, Captain Sandy, Dr. Chris Palmer, Joey Thurman, Jason Harris, Koshin Paley Ellison, Rudy Mawer, Molly Fletcher, Kristen Butler, Hasard Lee, Natasha Graziano, David Hauser, Cheryl Hunter, Michael Brandt, Heather Moyse, Tim Shriver, and Alan Stein, Jr.
After struggling for far too long, I decided it was finally time to switch things up in the backend of my business. Tune into this episode to hear:What wasn't working for getting things done in my businessCommon annoyances with Notion and why I ended up ditching it for task managementWhy I no longer care what my workspace looks likeThe simplified way I am tracking tasks nowWhy I'm loving Google Workspace and a peak into my productivity setupHow I love to use Google Calendar, Google Drive, Tasks, and Google Meet to cut costs in my annual business expensesHow you can get my free training on Getting Started with Google Workspace in your business!Register for the Google Workspace Workshop here.Send us a textFind more resources over at SarahSteckler.comCome say hi on Instagram @sarahsteckler
1) Our Chabad House is launching a Charidy campaign in two weeks time. My father-in-law loaned a substantial amount of money to a colleague and he said: “Don't forget the upcoming Charidy”. Was that a charge of Ribbis? [1]2) In a non-Chabad Shul, when the Chazan says Birkas Kohanim, should I [quietly] say Omein - as per our minhag, or should I say כן יהי רצון – as per the Shul's minhag?[2]3) Similarly, in Kaddish – should I answer בריך הוא or Omein? [3]4) A Yisroel became a father on Shabbos afternoon. At Mincha he wishes to make a מי שבירך for his wife and the newborn. Is that done after שלישי before Hagbeh?[4]5) The front of our house has a large gate that rolls to the left to allow a car to enter. Within that there is a small door that has a lintel. Is a Mezuza required?[5] https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9764852268?omn=87050815139Index to previous Panorama Shiurim: PanoramaIndex 2 - Google Docs[1] ראהס' תורת ריבית פ"כ סכ"ג. אכן בנדו"ד לא נקצבה התחייבות על סכוםמסוים.[2] בסדור (ע' שכד הע' 759)הארכנו בביאור הכרעת אדה"ז לענות 'אמן'. ועתה ראיתי בשו"ת ארץ צביח"א סי' ל שהש"ץ הוא שלוחם של הכהנים.בזה יבואר מנהג ההסתכלות בכיוון הש"ץ בעת הברכה, כדין"פנים אל פנים" של ברכת כהנים. ולהעיר מלקו"ש ח"י ע' 40הע' 22 דאינהו דאניסי הם בכלל "פנים אל פנים". ואילו בשוע"ר סי'קכח סכ"ג להוכיח מדין עיר שכולה כהנים, מכלל ש"פנים אל פנים" אינולעיכובא. ויש ליישב, שבשוע"ר קאי על הכהנים, ואינהו לא אניסי.הש"ץ אינו מברך פנים אל פנים – י"ל דאניס [שלאיחשבו שמתיימר להיות כהן].[3] ב' האופנים, בטוש"עסי' נו ס"ב, שוע"ר שם ס"ו. בסי' רש"ס: 'בריך הוא': פשרה.[4] אנו מדייקים שברכת הגומל לאתפסיק בין הקריאה לקדיש (ספר המנהגים ע' 14, על פי שיחת י' שבט תשכ"ג –תו"מ חל"ו ע' 134 ואיך). ומסתבר לדייק כן אף במנחה של שבת. בתו"משם מתלבט על ברכת הגומל לפני ברכת התורה. וי"ל שמכיון שנקרא ועלה לתורה, איןמתאים שיתעסק תחלה בעניינים צדדיים. וא"כ ה"ה בנדו"ד. ואולי כדאישיעשו 'מי שבירך' לפני שיקראו אותו לעלות לתורה.בדבר ברכת שפטרני, להעיר שאדה"ז בירך ביום ה'והבר-מצוה – אדמו"ר האמצעי – עלה לתורה במנחה של שבת (לקוטי דיבורים ח"בע' תרכ ואילך).[5] בס' פתחי שערים (אותיותרמו-ח) הביא דעות לפטור (כי המשקוף אינו בר קיימא) ולחייב (כי משמש כדלת בעת שהשערהגדול סגור). ולכן יש לקבוע מזוזה, עכ"פ בלא ברכה.
Stop hiding behind perfection and start making money. Meet Marcy Rossi, the business back-end wizard who transformed her own tech disasters into a systematic approach that helps coaches escape DIY hell. After spending a YEAR learning HTML just to avoid being visible, Marcy discovered the brutal truth: perfectionism kills profits. Her website crashed during her first ad campaign. She missed her first $4,000 sale because she had no system to track payments. Now she helps coaches skip the expensive mistakes and build systems that actually work. In this episode, you'll discover: Why Dr. Terri generated $67K using a simple Google Doc instead of fancy landing pages The "start with the end in mind" strategy that could save you $50K+ in useless software How to overcome perfectionist paralysis and get visible fast The real cost of trying to do everything yourself (hint: it's costing you clients) Stop letting tech overwhelm keep you from transforming lives. Your expertise belongs in the world, not buried in tutorials. Ready to systematize your success? This episode shows you how. Join The Live Well Earn Well Mastermind™ Today: https://livewellearnwellmastermind.com/ Let's hop on a quick Zoom call so I can focus on your business and offer my help: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tdO2urTooHNLQuGo9wdTbJHJcjXoghF8N#/registration Oh yeah, and please join free Facebook community here: Heartrepreneurs.com Want More!? Subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast platform… Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-well-earn-well-for-coaches-consultants/id1585895518 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5OjsOxN7MqwKio4Ae6vSMQ Or anywhere else podcasts are found! Watch all the episodes and more to gain more insight on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coachterri/videos
Send us a textShout-Outs: @Soarinwithsarah and @MakslibraryBooks:Fortunate Misfortune Chasing Headlines Stick to Me The Trouble with Love and Coaches Tied Together The Infinite Infinite Liar Land Wild and Wrangled For links to the books discussed in this episode, click the link here to take you to the Google Doc to view the list. For episode feedback, future reading and author recommendations, you can text the podcast by clicking the "Send us a message button" above. For more, follow along on Instagram @whereileftoffpod.
Subscribe to the show and get weekly tips from Tanya on how to grow, scale and diversify your online business. You've got content. You've got passion. Maybe even some sort of an idea already. But do you have a digital product idea that will actually SELL? Or is it just another dusty dream sitting in your Google Docs? In this episode, we're breaking down the exact steps of Digital Product Idea Validation—aka how to figure out if your idea is going to make money before you spend hours building a course or resources that collects crickets instead of cash. I'm pulling back the curtain on the formula I've used to sell over $11M in digital products (yep, even when I had a small audience) and sharing the 5 questions every content creator and entrepreneur should ask before launching anything online. You'll also hear: Why your “great idea” might not be that great (don't worry, we'll fix it ) What Alex Hormozi got very right in $100M Offers—and how we used it How our proprietary AI Coach makes this whole thing ridiculously easy for you inside our upcoming Confident & Profitable Digital Product Kickstarter Workshop So if you're a creator, coach, or digital dreamer who's ready to finally monetize your content and stop spinning your wheels, press play now. Your next product might be your next payday… but only if you know it'll sell first. Want help turning your idea into a digital product you can actually sell? Join me in my upcoming live workshop: CONFIDENT & PROFITABLE: YOUR DIGITAL PRODUCT KICKSTARTER WORKSHOP https://tanyaaliza.com/confident START HERE | Learn more about the different ways Tanya can help you in your business. Whether it's starting an online business or growing the one you have: https://www.tanyaaliza.com DIGITAL CREATOR STUDIO | My All-In-One Marketing System To Grow Your Audience, Build Your Email List, Build Amazing Marketing Funnels, Attract Perfect Leads & Sell Digital Products, While Building A Multi-Income Stream Online Brand. https://digitalcreatorstudio.com MY FAVORITES | My personal camera and video gear, my health, wellness and beauty products, my favorite books and more: https://tanyaaliza.com/amazon CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://Instagram.com/tanyaaliza ALEX HORMOZI'S $100M OFFERS BOOK https://amzn.to/4jvucPu CAN I FEATURE YOU? Rate and review the show and tag me on social (@tanyaaliza)... I feature a new member of the community each week on my Social Media Platforms. The reviews help us and I'd love to feature you for taking the time to share your feedback. Disclaimers: The discussions and opinions expressed on this podcast are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Results from the strategies or products mentioned can vary and are not guaranteed. Some of the links provided are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Always conduct your own due diligence before making any financial decisions.
What if you could sign your next three clients even if your offer is only half scribbled on a Google Doc, you've got a tiny audience, and zero team.If you've ever thought, “I just need someone to show me how to start making sales now, without all the moving pieces,” this episode is for you.Today, I'm giving you the inside look at my Scrappy Launch System… the same one our clients are using right now to sell their offers… without a fancy funnel, a big list, or a full launch runway.What to listen for:Why most entrepreneurs are building their business backward, and how to fix it.The surprising reason you should sell your offer before it's fully ready.How to get paid to create your program before you record a single video.What a “Magnetic Yes Offer” is and why it makes selling easier.Two flexible sales plans that work no matter where you're starting.How to turn launch feedback into your next success story.Why launching doesn't have to feel overwhelming (or perfect).The one thing that matters more than likes, followers, or funnels: momentum.You don't need a polished funnel or a massive list to make your next sale… you just need a clear offer, a simple plan, and the courage to launch scrappy. If you're ready to learn how to sell before you're “ready,” this episode lays it all out.Want to go deeper? DM me the word SCRAPPY over on Instagram @rachelrmcmichael and I'll send you the details for our Scrappy Launch System experience. And don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a review so we can keep bringing you powerful strategies like these!Important Links:Grab your FREE High Converting Landing Page Template: rachelmcmichael.com/landingConnect with Rachel on Instagram: @rachelrmcmichaelLearn more about The Business with Impact Academy™: rachelmcmichael.com/academyDM “SCRAPPY” on Instagram @rachelrmcmichael to get details about the Scrappy Launch System experience.
Parenting Anxious Teens | Parenting Teens, Managing Teen Anxiety, Parenting Strategies
Hi Parents! Are you worried about summer break feeling stressful? For parents of anxious teens, the end of the school year can bring more tension than relief. With no routine, more screen time, and long days filled with “what now?” moments, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the pressure to keep your teen busy, happy, and mentally well. Add in your own work schedule and responsibilities, and suddenly summer starts to feel less like a break and more like a juggling act. In this solo episode, I'm talking about what really happens when anxious teens lose the structure of school - and what you can do to help them feel more secure and supported during these unstructured months. You'll hear why screens become such a tempting escape, how to gently build in a sense of purpose and routine without making it feel like summer school, and how to invite your teen into planning their days so they feel empowered, not controlled. I'll also share a fun strategy I personally use with my friends - creating a shared summer list on a Google Doc. It's a simple but powerful way to keep everyone connected and looking forward to things without the pressure of over-scheduling. We'll also explore how to carve out space for your teen to help around the house - not every day, but enough to give them a sense of contribution and accountability. And if you've ever felt like you're the entertainment committee 24/7, I've got thoughts on how to shift that dynamic too, so boredom doesn't always fall back on you. This episode is filled with easy, doable strategies for creating a summer that feels a little more intentional, a little less chaotic, and a whole lot more connected. So if you're already bracing yourself for the summer juggle, this one's for you. Big hugs, Monica Crnogorac Next Steps Book a Free Discovery Call Visit My Website for More Information on My 8-Week Program Connect With Me on Instagram
The dashboard in your car – the interface on your Zoom screen … many of the products we interact with every day were created with the collaborative software Figma. Figma is a kind of Google Docs for design, created by Dylan Field and Evan Wallace after they won a Thiel fellowship in 2012. Dylan was just 20 when he became CEO. The only other job he'd had before that….? was college intern. He eventually figured out how to manage his team, and grew the company enough to attract a 20 billion dollar acquisition bid from Adobe. The deal fell through, but Figma continued to grow, and recently filed for an IPO.This episode was researched and produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com. Sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing Agencies
Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training How do you turn a $99 course, launched before it was even fully built, into a 7-figure coaching business? Today's guest did just that. And he's here to share why scrappier beats slick every time. If you've ever second-guessed launching messy, this episode will feel like validation. Brent Weaver is on the show talking about his start with UGURUS, the valuable learning that can come from starting before everything's in place, and why what came after selling his business wasn't exactly what he had expected. Today we kick off a two-parter with Brent Weaver, the founder of UGURUS, who went from building websites in high school to launching one of the most successful coaching programs for digital agency owners. If you've ever second-guessed your “build it as you go” approach — or wondered whether selling $99 courses online could ever turn into something real—this episode will feel like a shot of validation. In this episode, we'll discuss: Launching and selling without a net. The real reason Brent Weaver sold UGURUS. The unexpected, gut-punch part of selling. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources Wix: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by Wix Studio, the all-in-one platform designed to help agencies scale without the headaches. With intuitive tools, robust native business solutions, and low maintenance, Wix Studio lets your team focus on what matters most—delivering exceptional value to your clients. Ready to take your agency to the next level? Visit wix.com/studio and discover how Wix Studio can transform your workflow, boost profits, and strengthen client relationships. Building Something Before It's Built In 2012, Brent's agency was building on a tool called Business Catalyst, which led to a side project called BC Gurus, a blog for Business Catalyst users that eventually turned into a full-fledged business. That little blog became a membership site where his team posted business content on how to grow a Business Catalyst agency and, after selling his agency, was the seed for what eventually became UGURUS, a platform offering training and coaching to help agency owners close more deals and scale their businesses. Just as they were preparing to move forward with the site without the Business Catalyst element, as this tool had been discontinued, Brent found the name UGURUS had just gone up for auction. It all seemed serendipitous as they easily won this auction and the new stage of the business began. Lessons in Launching (and Selling) Without a Net Throughout their journey, Brent and his team learned something that every agency owner needs to hear: you don't need everything figured out before you start. And in fact, if you try to, you'll likely never launch at all. The early success of their $200 self-paced course helped them build an audience. But it wasn't until they started offering deeper, high-ticket coaching that things clicked into place. Selling a few $2,000 seats was way more scalable than chasing thousands of low-ticket customers. They did all of this without the luxury of a huge marketing budget or slick automation. Just hustle, relationships, partnerships, and a whole lot of belief in what they were doing. This is something Brent and Jason have both experienced. They agree it's better to go out, execute with what you have, and get feedback, rather than waiting for the perfect moment. Brent Weaver on Building, Selling, and What Came Next Brent and his team didn't start with a fully polished product. In fact, when they first launched their flagship 10K Bootcamp, they spent all their time selling it before creating it. In their view, if they couldn't sell it, they wouldn't build it. But they sold it. About 30 seats at $2,000 a pop. Of course, it did help that they weren't starting from scratch. They had a list of about 10,000 emails from their time running BC Gurus, which helped immensely. And then they had one week to create the first session. What followed was a whirlwind of late nights and Adobe Connect calls (for those who remember what that was) as Brent stayed one step ahead of each week's live session. It was clunky. It was imperfect. But it worked. Why? Because Brent was committed. He responded immediately to the slightest client dissatisfaction. He personally handled delivery. And he overdelivered wherever possible. That scrappy MVP became the foundation for a business that helped thousands of agencies get out of the feast-and-famine cycle. This kind of growth doesn't happen when you wait for the stars to align. It happens when you ship early, listen hard, and iterate fast. The $22,850 Lead Magnet That Took 6 Minutes to Create Let's talk about lead magnets that actually convert. The first product Brent ever sold was a gloriously titled “the $22,850 Website Proposal.” That wasn't a gimmick. It was a real client proposal that closed a big deal—with cross-sells, recurring revenue, and multi-location projects all baked in. Instead of building something fancy, he stripped out client details, dropped it into a Google Doc, and gave it away. Six minutes of work. Hundreds of thousands of downloads. The lesson? Your most valuable assets are often sitting in a dusty folder, not in your imagination. Proof beats polish every time. The Real Reason Brent Sold UGURUS So why sell a successful business? For Brent, it wasn't burnout—it was the pull toward a bigger vision. After buying out his co-founder and riding the COVID rollercoaster, things just weren't lighting him up anymore. Then came Cloudways—and more importantly, a series of conversations with their CMO, Santi. In a way, he was no longer getting what he wanted from the business, and the more he spoke with Santi, and saw what they were doing with their platform, the more he dreamed about turning that into an agency growth community. Hence, what started as co-branded webinars and strategy calls evolved into shared vision sessions. Eventually, Cloudways pitched an acquisition. The appeal? A chance to bring agency coaching to a massive platform with 13,000+ agency users. Brent saw an opportunity to merge purpose with scale and went all in. When the Buyer Gets Bought Here's the plot twist: just ten months after the acquisition, Cloudways got acquired by DigitalOcean, and suddenly UGURUS was a small fish in a billion-dollar pond. DigitalOcean was focused on AI, GPUs, and hardcore infrastructure—not coaching communities. So eventually, Brent's team and vision were sidelined. He stayed on. He fought for his team. But like he says—when you sell, it's no longer yours. And if the buyer shifts priorities, you've got to live with it. That's the tradeoff. Don't Sell Unless You Know What's Next The hard truth here is don't sell unless you know what you're waking up to the next day. Brent thought he had his next chapter lined up. He had a six-month transition plan. A roadmap. But then came the cultural disconnect. Engineering talk at happy hours. Roadmaps that had nothing to do with agency growth. The adventure he signed up for didn't look like what it became. That's the gut-punch part of selling. You can have a clean exit and still feel like you lost something. That's why clarity before the exit is non-negotiable. Next Time on Part Two: What really happens after the exit? Brent pulls back the curtain on post-sale culture shock, why some big opportunities fizzled, and how his next move with E2M caught even him by surprise. You won't want to miss this. Want to Build an Exclusive, Scalable Agency That Clients Line Up For? Our Agency Blueprint helps you identify growth bottlenecks, build community-driven strategies, and position your agency as a category of one.
I share 17 practical methods for generating viable startup ideas in the AI era. The strategies focus on identifying pain points, tedious workflows, and manual processes that could be automated or improved with AI. These techniques can help both aspiring entrepreneurs seeking new ventures and established startup founders looking to expand their product offerings. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:48 - Method 1: Using ChatGPT to identify tedious workflows 06:08 - Method 2: Analyzing your ChatGPT history 09:11 - Method 3: Searching Reddit for tool requests 12:00 - Methods 4-7: Finding friction points and using Idea Browser 15:08 - Methods 8-11: Exploring niche groups and software review sites 19:13 - Methods 12-15: Learning from agency owners and job titles 24:06 - Methods 16-17: Finding opportunities in low-rated but high-usage plugins Key Points: • Use ChatGPT to identify tedious workflows in specific professions that AI could automate • Analyze your own ChatGPT history to find repeated prompts that could become products • Search online platforms (Reddit, Facebook, Discord) for people asking about tools that don't exist • Examine where you copy/paste between tools as these friction points represent startup opportunities • Browse service marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr to find manual tasks ripe for AI automation The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ BoringMarketing — Vibe Marketing for Sale: http://boringmarketing.com/ Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/
Ever stared at a beautifully designed landing page template and thought, “Ugh… how do I make my copy fit into THAT?”Girl, same.But lucky for us, I've got a not-so-secret weapon: Katie Haahr.In this shortie episode of The Jasmine Star Show, Katie—my brilliant right-hand and co-content creator at Social Curator—walks us through how we use AI (yep, ChatGPT!) to match our landing page design perfectly with the right words.It's not complicated. It's not techy. It's actually wildly simple and wildly effective.Katie shares how she takes screenshots of our design templates, drags them into ChatGPT, adds our raw Google Doc copy, and prompts it to make the two work seamlessly together. Headers, bullet points, tone, structure—it all gets aligned in minutes instead of hours.Here's the deal: You don't need to be an expert copywriter. You don't need to stress over sentence length or character count anymore. You just need a screenshot, a prompt, and this 10-minute podcast.So whether you're creating a new sales page, building a funnel, or trying to sound more polished (without hiring an agency), this one's for you.✨ In this episode, you'll learn:How to pair design with copy using ChatGPTThe prompts Katie uses to “train” AI like a creative assistantWhy this saves HOURS on our marketing workflowHow we treat AI like a collaborator, not a replacementSpoiler alert: AI isn't going to replace your creativity. It's going to amplify it.Let's write smarter, not harder.
We're back with another special feature with Jason and Nikki, as they take you behind the curtain at People Forward Network to show how they're shaking up team meetings
Think brand sponsorships are only for big-name influencers with massive followings? Think again. In this episode, I sit down with Justin Moore—founder of Creator Wizard and author of Sponsor Magnet—to bust that myth wide open. Justin shares his proven approach to landing paid sponsorships, even if you're working with a small but mighty audience. Whether you're a content creator, coach, or course owner, this episode will show you how to pitch partnerships confidently, build long-term brand relationships, and unlock new income streams—without selling out or feeling salesy. If you've been waiting for a sign to get started with brand partnerships—this is it. Today you'll learn:Why sponsorship success has more to do with who you reach than how many people follow you.The biggest mistakes people make when pitching brands—and how to avoid them using Justin's ROPE Method.Real-world examples of unique brand collaborations (including a live pitch breakdown on-air).How to align brand deals with your offers, events, and launches to fuel both income and visibility.The simple shift that helped Justin sell out a high-ticket mastermind using nothing but a Google Doc. CONNECT WITH JUSTIN:Website: https://www.creatorwizard.com/Instagram: @creatorwizardJoin Creator Wizard: https://www.creatorwizard.com/join
Dianna Cohen is the founder and CEO of Crown Affair, a modern haircare brand turning everyday routines into rituals. With a background in building consumer brands and a lifelong fascination with hair as a reflection of well-being, Dianna launched Crown Affair to fill a gap in the market: clean, effective products rooted in intention, craftsmanship, and care. What started with a viral Google Doc and a single hero brush has grown into a beloved brand known for its timeless tools and thoughtful ethos.In this episode, Elizabeth and Dianna explore the connection between self-care and creativity, how The Artist's Way continues to shape Dianna's life and leadership, and why hair hygiene can be a calming daily ritual rather than a chore. Dianna shares the role her mom's tips played in her early hair journey, the importance of investing in quality tools, and how Crown Affair is designed to support how modern women actually move through the world - with less rush, more intention, and a lot of fun. Use code LIVEPURELY15 for 15% off at crownaffair.com
This week, Bubble changed the game for no-code mobile apps! James and Kieran break down the big news, sharing our first-hand experience building a TRUE native mobile app with Bubble's new editor.Plus, we cut through the noise of the latest AI updates—from OpenAI's new pricing to why n8n is the automation tool you need to be learning right now. Get the real story on building in public and hear about our exciting new Create With events!In this episode:(00:42) Bubble's Native Mobile Builder: How to build real iOS/Android apps, not just web wrappers.(14:50) OpenAI's Price Shake-up: Cheaper o3 models, a powerful new o3 Pro, and a lot of confusing names.(20:08) The Power of n8n: Why we're using n8n's AI Agent node to build custom AI with RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), training models on our own data from Google Docs, Notion, and more.(30:30) Quick Startup Updates: The honest ups and downs of building Typoro, AutoClips, and UserLoop.(38:55) Create With Events: Announcing our new meetups and hands-on retreats in amazing locations.Links & InfoCreate WithWeb: https://www.createwith.comX/Twitter: https://x.com/createwithhqLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/createwithhq/Download our app (built with Bubble!): Search "Create With" on the App Store & Google PlayFollow the hosts:James Devonport on X: https://x.com/jamesdevonportKieran (NoCodeLife) on X: https://x.com/nocodelifeThis episode is sponsored by Bubble - the AI app development platform for founders and businesses building serious, scalable apps — visual development for web and native mobile, no code required. https://bubble.io#NoCode #AI #VisualDevelopment #Bubble #OpenAI #n8n #Automation #SaaS #BuildInPublic #TechPodcast #LowCode #AIAgent #RAG
Every day, we pay our dues by doing the harder thing when it's the right thing to do, especially when it comes to speaking up about our health and boundaries in athletic settings.• Most coaches (98-99%) want what's best for athletes and aren't maliciously pushing too hard• For the 2% who prioritize results over athlete health, changing gyms may be necessary • Approaching coaches with education and empathy helps bridge the knowledge gap about injury recovery• Focus conversations on performance enhancement rather than just injury prevention• Building relationships with coaches through free seminars and gym visits creates better communication• Google Docs shared between athletes, parents, coaches and PTs improve coordination during recovery• Milestone-based recovery is more effective than arbitrary time-based protocols• Teaching young athletes why progression matters using their gymnastics heroes as examples• Using motivational interviewing by asking "what matters to you" creates more receptive conversations• Natural consequences of choices work better than punishment in coaching relationshipsIf an athlete is struggling with speaking up about their limitations, coach them on how to communicate effectively with their coach about boundaries and help them understand why following medical guidance matters for their long-term goals.We appreciate you listening! To learn more about SHIFT, head here - https://shiftmovementscience.com/To learn about SHIFT's courses, check our website here - https://courses.shiftmovementscience.com/Also, please consider rating, reviewing, and sharing the podcast with your friends! Thanks :)Thanks for listening to The SHIFT Show! Check out SHIFT's most popular courses here! https://courses.shiftmovementscience.com/Want to join our online educational community of over 1000 gymnastics professionals and get 40+ hours of gymnastics lectures? Join The Hero Lab below!https://shiftmovementscience.com/theherolab/ Check out all our past podcast episodes here!https://shiftmovementscience.com/podcast/
In this Tech Flush episode, we discuss the quick and simple functions of Google Docs, which are called Smart Chips. These are a great way to enhance your work in Docs, such as taking notes, tagging coworkers, sending emails, and so much more.
Alright, I know AI can feel like a tech bro buzzword—or something that sounds cool but also kinda makes you want to nap. In this episode, I'm breaking it down in real terms: no jargon, no pressure, just 10 simple ways you can use ChatGPT to get more done without losing your voice, your mind, or your entire afternoon to a blinking cursor.Whether you've barely opened ChatGPT or you've already got two dozen chats going, these are strategies that meet you where you are—especially if “where you are” looks like messy buns, laundry piles, and exactly 42 open browser tabs.10 Beginner-Friendly Ways to Use ChatGPT in Your Business:Train ChatGPT to sound like you→ So your content stops sounding like a sales robot who says “rockstar” too much.Turn voice notes into actual content→ Because your best ideas come during bike rides and laundry, not while staring at a blank Google Doc.Write “choose your own adventure” email funnels→ Segment your audience without rewriting the same email 47 times.Create a realistic weekly schedule→ Not Pinterest-perfect. Your real life, your real energy, your real non-negotiables.Write yourself a pep talk→ When the spiral starts, let AI remind you that you're not behind—you're just building something big.Plan 52 weeks of content ideas→ So you never have to scramble for what to post five minutes before school pickup.Surprise & delight your clients→ Brainstorm thoughtful gifts or bonuses without spending hours scrolling Etsy.Map out a workshop in minutes→ Includes title, outline, talking points, and a gentle nudge toward your offer.Create a “Do It Later” bank→ Store all your shiny ideas somewhere safe (instead of launching 5 things at once).Get journaling prompts that actually help→ For those days when mindset blocks feel heavier than your toddler during a tantrum.Grab the Free PDFWant all 10 use cases (plus bonus prompts!) in a handy guide?
1) Is the heter to daven Maariv from Plag limited to a Minyan?[1]2) In the 1st parsha of Pinchos I see two versions of the tune for the word המוכה: [2]3) In the the מי שבירך said at a Bris, the Tzedaka is dedicated specifically to Bikur Cholim. Is that universal?[3] 4) For Havdolo, is there a preference to use cloves?[4] 5) We don't daven Maariv nor make Kiddush early on the eve of Shovuos, not to ‘shorten' the 49 days of Sefiras haOmer. What about lighting candles, with Shehecheyonu??[5]6) If someone needs to suck ricolas because he has a very bad cough is it a problem to speak and learn while מצד שמא יקדים or eating while learning?[6]7) Towards the explain:[7]8) A few in between?[8]9) Follow be said:[9] 10) Follow- Head-Tefilin?[10]https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9764852268?omn=81145219511Index to previous Panorama Shiurim: PanoramaIndex 2 - Google Docs[1] בקיצורשו"ע סי' ע סוס"ב אוסר ליחיד. וכן מבואר בשוע"ר סי' צ ס"י,וכ"מ שם סי' תלא ס"ו. אבל ראה פסקי תשובות סי' רלה הע' 8.[2] ר"משוסטרמן ע"ה קוראה בטעם תביר.[3] ראה רמ"א יו.[4] בשוע"ר סי' רצזס"ג כתב להניח חתיכת מור. אבל המשנ"ב הוסיף גם ציפורן. {לעייןא"ר}. ויש לעיין, כי המור ברכתו 'בורא מיני בשמים' בודאי, משא"כהציפורן, שהוא משום ספק תבלין ספק עץ.[5] ראה.[6] הבןאיש חי ([7] סיום זה אינומופיע בסדור של"ה (תק"ב) ולא בסדור יעב"ץ (תק"ה) ולא בקצורשל"ה (ד"ר פיורדא תנ"ג). הוא מופיע בספרון 'ברכת החדש' (רדלהייםתקי"ב) ובסדור שערי תפלה (פראג תקל"ז). בשניהם: "כאור", וכןב'סדר עבודה ומורה דרך' (סלאוויטא תקפ"ז) ושער יששכר (ברוקלין תשל"ב).השינוי ל"וכאור שבעת הימים" מופיע בסדור עבודת ישראל (רדלהייםתרכ"ח). באור התורה על הפסוק (ישעי' ל, כו) מביא מפירוש 'כלי פז' (מהר"שלאניידו, ונצי' תי"ז) שלעת"ל ישתוו הלבנה והחמה. והשמש יתגדל שבעתיים,ובמילא גם הלבנה תתגדל. ומתאים הנוסח "כאור החמה [שיהא] כאור שבעתהימים".דיון על מצות קידוש החודש כשתתמלא הלבנה – בס' התוועדויותתשד"מ ח"ג ע' 1528 (שערי גאולה – ימות המשיח סי' מב).[8] ראה שו"עאו"ח סי' קע סט"ז; ספר השיחות תרצ"ז ע' 234.[9] מפורש בשערי אפרים שער טס"ט. בתורת מנחם כרך לו ע' 134 נסמן – אודות ברכת הגומל – לס' תודת חיים! [10] ע"פ נגלה: להשו"ע אין להפסיק בכריכות שעל הזרוע.ווויתרו לדברי האריז"ל, אבל לא לכריכה שעל האצבע. ע"פ – טבעת קידושין.אבן השהם סי' כה ס"ה משער הכוונות סוף דרוש ה' מדרושי תפילין (י טור ב).
Use this spectrum to toggle your brain out of fear and back into flow.Coffee Chat - one-off coaching about your situation, no strings attached: https://calendly.com/pooja-venkatraman/coffee-chatConsult Call - let's talk about working together in a full coaching engagement: https://poojavcoaching.com/contact———
Penn and I have a daughter who is graduating high school and going to college in the fall. And I am doing totally fine, except the… chest pains… eye twitches… hair loss… (this is totally normal, right?) I process my emotions through preparation. I plot everything on the calendar and make all the Google Docs. Penn needs to process his emotions through, well… actually feeling them. He knows there's a shift in our family dynamic coming and it's making him sentimental. In this episode of Laugh Lines, we talk about the emotional rollercoaster of parenting a graduating high school senior and some fun distractions that are keeping us laughing. We discuss the chaos of senior sleepovers, why I want to give squirrels hemorrhoids, and we hear from fellow parents navigating this bittersweet season. Whether you're a fellow Gen X parent or just listening to hear how I almost got impaled by a gnome, this episode may make you laugh, cry, or develop an eye twitch too. Thanks for being here ❤️ Want to leave us a message? Call us at 323-364-3929 or write the show at podcast@theholdernessfamily.com. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.Visit Our ShopJoin Our NewsletterFind us on SubstackFollow us on InstagramFollow us on TikTok Follow us on FacebookLaugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over two billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Book, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we welcome Lauren Heil, a passionate learning experience designer and the creator of the Stickity Add-On. Lauren shares her journey and insights on how thoughtful design enhances learning experiences and addresses crucial accessibility needs in digital environments. Discover practical tips for optimizing digital materials, as Lauren also introduces Stickity, a free Google Workspace add-on. Stickity offers a library of graphics that boosts communication, supports student independence, and fosters a positive class culture. To explore Stickity, search for it under extensions and add-ons within Google Docs, Forms, Sheets, or Slides. Don't miss Lauren Heil live at the Future Ready Nebraska Conference on June 2nd and 3rd! There's still time to register -- and it's FREE --- at https://nefutureready.com/
Send us a textThanks to author Sue Hincenbergs for joining me to talk about her debut, The Retirement Plan. Follow Sue Hincenbergs:Purchase The Retirement PlanSue's WebsiteFollow her on InstagramBooks discussed in the episode:My Darkest Prayer by SA CosbyBlacktop Wasteland by SA CosbyGet Shorty by Elmore LeonardMost Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally CarterFor links to the books discussed in this episode, click the link here to take you to the Google Doc to view the list. For episode feedback, future reading and author recommendations, you can text the podcast by clicking the "Send us a message button" above. For more, follow along on Instagram @whereileftoffpod.
BONUS: Zach Goldberg shares how to build high-performing engineering teams and master the startup CTO role In this BONUS episode, we dive deep into the world of startup leadership with Zach Goldberg, author of The Startup CTO's Handbook. We explore the critical transition from engineering to leadership, the art of balancing technical debt with startup urgency, and the communication skills that separate great CTOs from the rest. The Genesis of The Startup CTO's Handbook "My original training in software engineering was not enough for being a leader. All the people and leadership skills, I had to learn on my own." Zach's journey to writing The Startup CTO's Handbook began with a stark realization about the gap between technical training and leadership reality. Despite his classical software engineering background, he discovered that the people and leadership skills required for CTO success had to be self-taught. The book emerged from a growing Google Doc of topics and frameworks addressing the leadership and management challenges that CTOs consistently face - from hiring and performance management to making strategic decisions under pressure. Today, we can either buy the digital/print book on Amazon, or read the book on GitHub. In this segment, we also refer to the book The Great CEO Within. Learning to Truly Learn: The Max Mintz Story "Max only cared about my ability to learn - to get curious about something hard. He wanted to help me deal with complexity." Zach opens his book with a deeply personal story about his mentor, Max Mintz, who fundamentally changed his approach to learning during what he calls "the most impactful single coffee" of his life. Over 1.5 years of conversations, Max taught him that true learning isn't about accumulating facts, but about developing curiosity for hard problems and building the capacity to handle complexity. This lesson forms the foundation of effective CTO leadership - the ability to continuously learn and adapt in an ever-changing technical landscape. The Three Critical CTO Mistakes "As a CTO, the most important 3 things: people, people, people. Do the people have the right energy, the right passion? Assemble the right team." Zach identifies consistent patterns in startup CTO failures across his experience. The first and most critical mistake is undervaluing people decisions - failing to prioritize team energy, passion, and the right assembly of talent. The second category involves investment mistakes, particularly the challenge of balancing short-term survival needs with long-term technical goals. In startups, the ROI timespan is exceptionally short, requiring optimization for immediate objectives rather than hypothetical scale. The third mistake is treating technology as religion rather than tools, losing sight of what the business actually needs. Optimizing for Velocity and Developer Experience "You are optimizing for velocity! What are you doing to help developers get their work done? Look at developer experience as a metric." Successful startup CTOs understand that velocity - the time from idea to valuable market delivery - is paramount. This requires a fundamental shift in thinking about technology decisions, focusing on features that deliver real customer value rather than technical elegance. Zach emphasizes measuring developer experience as a key metric, recognizing that anything that helps developers work more effectively directly impacts the company's ability to survive and thrive in competitive markets. The Professional Skill Tree Concept "It's like a character progression in an RPG. When we learn one type of skills, we don't learn other types of skills. We make investments every day and we have a choice on where we learn." Drawing from gaming metaphors, Zach explains how technical professionals often reach Level 100 in engineering skills while remaining Level 1 in management. The skill tree concept highlights that every learning investment is a choice - time spent developing one skill area means less time available for others. For engineers transitioning to leadership, the key is recognizing opportunities to serve as tech leads, where they can begin setting culture and quality standards while still leveraging their technical expertise. Balancing Kaizen with Startup Urgency "Pick the high-impact debt, and pay that down. This is not always easy, especially because we also need to pick what debt we don't invest on." The tension between continuous improvement and startup speed requires sophisticated thinking about technical debt. Using financial analogies, Zach explains that technical debt has both principal and interest components. The key is identifying which debt carries the highest interest rates and can be paid down most quickly, while consciously choosing which debt to carry forward. This approach maintains the healthy tension between quality and speed that defines successful startup engineering. The Power of Audience Empathy "The single hardest skill, especially for very tech leaders is that of 'audience empathy.' When you explain ideas to people, you usually assume a lot - but they might not." According to Zach, the most undervalued communication habit for startup tech leaders is developing audience empathy. Technical leaders often suffer from the curse of knowledge, assuming their audience shares their context and understanding. The solution requires deliberately considering what the audience already knows before crafting any communication, whether it's explaining technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders or providing clear direction to team members. In this segment we refer to the concept of “the curse of knowledge”, a cognitive bias that occurs when a person who has specialized knowledge assumes that others share in that knowledge. About Zach Goldberg Zach Goldberg is a seasoned technical entrepreneur, executive coach, and author of The Startup CTO's Handbook. With a founder's mentality and a passion for systems thinking, Zach helps engineering leaders build high-performing teams. He also founded Advance The World, a nonprofit inspiring youth in STEM through immersive experiences. You can link with Zach Goldberg on LinkedIn, and visit Zach's website at CTOHB.com.
The Coaching Equation Podcast - Whitney Faires on The Courageous Leader Roadmap[01:05] From Division I Volleyball to Leadership Mastery Whitney's earliest leadership lessons came from coaches and teammates—discovering that transformation of the person, not just driving outcomes, is what makes leadership truly powerful and fulfilling.[03:26] Why "Squeezing the Juice" Always Backfires The single point of failure trap: when leaders micromanage for outcomes, they can't scale. Plus the hidden costs of the "churn and burn" mentality with VAs and team members.[05:57] The Metrics That Matter for Leadership Retention rates, engagement surveys, internal promotions, and productivity—plus the Gallup bombshell: 70% of employee engagement traces directly to their relationship with their direct leader.[09:12] The True Cost of Burning Through VAs Why "Google Doc and hope for the best" wastes more time than proper training. The game-changing question: "How do you like to learn things?" tailors your approach and builds lasting team members.[12:24] Ruthless Prioritization Under Fire When your business feels like chaos, Whitney's barometer: "If prioritization isn't hard, you're not really doing it." Choose quality over quantity, even when the house is on fire.[15:39] The Courageous Leader Roadmap: Step 1 Define Your Leadership Identity—create 5-7 leadership commitments that guide your decisions. Whitney's examples: "People First Always" and "Assume Best Intent" for navigating conflict.[19:19] Whitney's Leadership Commitments in Action Address the person before the employee. Stay curious instead of reactive. How defining your leadership identity becomes the ultimate form of accountability.[23:42] Who Do You Want to Be as a Leader? The reflection framework: Know your strengths and weaknesses, learn from your best and worst leaders, and answer the legacy question—what do you want people to say about your leadership 10 years from now?[28:26] Step 2: Connect to Inspire Connection isn't "soft"—it's strategic. Avoid the "franager" trap (friend + manager) while showing genuine interest beyond surface-level rapport. Leadership is done WITH people, not TO people.[35:24] Step 3: Activate Your Power Zone Your mental state is a choice, not chance. Leaders have a responsibility to show up optimally because there are "eyes on you"—your team mirrors how you handle pressure and adversity.[39:25] The Leadership Reality Check "If you don't want to serve the people you're leading... please don't be a people leader." Why doing it for money, title, or career mobility without genuine care for people's growth always fails.[43:25] Step 4: Execute with Resilience Turn struggle into strength through the adversity reframe process. Separate emotion from problem-solving while still processing feelings. You stand behind your people in the spotlight, but in front of them under fire.[47:22] Step 5: Fearless Communication Not being the loudest person or "live tweeting your inner monologue"—that's reckless. True fearless communication is speaking in spite of fear, having difficult conversations swiftly, and contributing your perspective even when uncomfortable.[51:38] The Ripple Effect of Great Leadership When teams watch you execute with resilience and view adversity as opportunity, organizational problems disappear. Personal responsibility becomes contagious, and performance dips become rare.[54:01] Skills vs. Self-Development Technical skills hit a ceiling—true leadership comes from developing yourself. Whitney's final mic drop: focus on internal development, not just external skills, to break through growth barriers.Connect with Whitney: www.whitneyfaires.com
Tired of messy sticky note brainstorming sessions that go nowhere? This episode shares the strategic process of course mapping, going beyond surface-level ideas to design a learning experience that drives student results and boosts your profits. Learn how to create a clear path for your students' transformation!Learn how to:Understand the importance of strategic course design: Move beyond brainstorming to create a logical flow.Apply instructional design principles: Focus on learning outcomes and student engagement.Define clear learning objectives and structure: Guide students through a purposeful learning journey.Utilize effective course outlining techniques and tools: Choose simple methods that facilitate organization.Weekly Action Item:Review your existing course ideas or outline through the lens of instructional design principles.Clearly define the learning objectives for at least the first module of your course.Choose a simple tool (Google Doc, whiteboard, etc.) to begin or refine your course map.Time Stamps:00:00 Introduction: The Sticky Note Brainstorming Dilemma00:27 The Problem with Sticky Note Brainstorming01:03 Transitioning from Ideas to Strategy01:34 Welcome to the Digital Course Creator Podcast01:48 The Importance of Course Mapping03:22 Key Concepts for Effective Course Mapping03:35 Instructional Design Principles05:59 Creating Learning Objectives and Course Structure10:50 Choosing the Right Tools for Course Outlining14:24 The Role of AI in Course Creation16:30 Conclusion and Next StepsShow Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideasWork With Dr. Moira:Join Office Hours for support and mentoring to get your digital course done. (https://digitalcourse.pro/Office-Hours)Make sure that your content is accessible with The Accessibility Mini Course for Online Creators. (https://digitalcourse.pro/accessibility)
This is the final episode of our 5-part AI series, and I'm bringing it all home with the REAL framework. My go-to system for using ChatGPT as a true business partner.REAL stands for Recognize, Express, Assign, and Lead, and it's the workflow that's helped me finally stop treating AI like a tool and start using it like a teammate. If you've ever felt like AI was generic, clunky, or not quite helpful, this system will change that.We'll cover:How to organize your prompts without overwhelmWhy talking to ChatGPT is sometimes better than typingHow CEOs and teams are really using AI in 2025 (based on real data)The simple habit that keeps your AI brain running smoothlyThis episode will help you feel more confident, clear, and strategic about how AI fits into your work and how to make it a part of your business that truly supports you.What You'll Learn in This Episode: [00:00] Why your prompts matter more than your tools [03:15] Why I created my own REAL framework for using ChatGPT [05:07] The 4 parts of the REAL framework [09:33] The power of talking to ChatGPT (not just typing) [12:04] How CEOs are really using AI in 2025 [13:56] How I organize my prompts so I don't feel scattered [17:29] A quick recap of the whole seriesKey Takeaways:ChatGPT works best when you give it clear context, specific roles, and feedback.The REAL framework (Recognize, Express, Assign, Lead) helps turn AI into a real business partner.Speaking your prompts out loud can be a game-changer if typing feels like a block.Treat AI like a teammate, not a task rabbit.Staying organized with your prompts (hello, Google Docs!) helps AI support your long-term strategy.Resources & Links:Apply for a Free Instagram Breakthrough SessionCONNECT WITH YOUR HOST, ELIZABETH MARBERRY:WORK WITH ELIZABETH Apply for your FREE Instagram Breakthrough Session with Elizabeth Free guide to Monetize Your IG: Seven Simple and Proven Ways to Finally Make Money on Instagram Follow Elizabeth Marberry on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook Please be sure to rate, review and follow the show on Apple podcasts (or wherever you find your podcasts) so we can get this free value to other people who need it.
In this episode, Ricardo discusses how AI Agents are transforming project management. Unlike traditional tools, these agents are autonomous, understand context, make decisions, and interact with people and systems to deliver value. With the advancement of models like ChatGPT and platforms such as LangChain, Crew AI, and Google NotebookLM, building smart agents has become much easier. They can update schedules, write meeting notes, draft emails, generate reports, and monitor risks—all integrated with tools like Notion, Slack, Trello, and Google Docs. This shift changes the project manager's role to that of an “AI orchestrator.” However, caution is needed due to potential errors, hallucinations, and data security concerns. AI isn't here to replace project managers but to empower them to focus on what truly matters. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo apresenta como agentes de inteligência artificial (AI Agents) estão revolucionando o gerenciamento de projetos. Diferentes das automações tradicionais, esses agentes são autônomos, interpretam contextos, tomam decisões e interagem com ferramentas como Notion, Slack, Trello e Google Docs. Com o avanço de modelos como ChatGPT e plataformas como LangChain, Crew AI e NotebookLM, ficou mais fácil criar agentes que entendem linguagem natural e atuam com autonomia. Eles podem atualizar cronogramas, gerar atas, escrever e-mails e sugerir ações. O papel do gerente muda de executor para orquestrador de IA. Porém, há riscos como erros e alucinações, exigindo supervisão humana. A IA não substitui o gerente de projetos, mas libera tempo para decisões mais estratégicas. Escute o podcast para saber mais!
Shrinking The Starting Line In this episode of Join Up Dots, we dive deep into the mindset shift that can change everything: shrinking the starting line. Most people never begin because the end goal feels overwhelming—but what if the first step was as simple as opening a Google Doc or recording a voice note while walking the dog? You'll discover how to harness your “invisible hours,” take imperfect action, and use tiny wins to build unstoppable momentum. Through real-life stories and grounded advice, this episode proves that clarity, confidence, and success all start with one ridiculously small action. Share your first brave step using #JoinUpDotsMomentum, #TinyStartsBigWins, and #InvisibleHourPower. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps us reach more people and continue bringing you valuable content. See you in the next episode!
We kick off the show with another check in for Jocelyn's ever growing Google Doc on Blue Prince, then Ryan shares his thoughts on the Shield and Parry (instead of Rip and Tear) mechanics of DOOM: The Dark Ages. Over in the news, the next Mario movie may have a title, tariffs are likely to impact other video game companies, Fortnite battles with Apple and questionable AI choices continue, while Helldivers 2 highlights their next major patch.
291 - Feeling lost in the ever-changing world of SEO? Or wondering if using AI for your website is going to get you smacked down by Google? You're not alone—and this week's episode with SEO pro Connor Walberg is packed with answers. We're talking about how to use AI ethically and effectively to boost your rankings, create better content, and stop stressing over your blog strategy.What to Listen For:What E-E-A-T is and why Google cares about itHow to use AI tools like ChatGPT without sounding like a robotWhat “topical authority” means and how to build itWhy blog content still matters (and how to make it easier with AI)How to brainstorm blog topics that actually attract clientsWhat to ask ChatGPT before creating any contentHow photographers can use AI to stand out in local SEOThe surprising way AI can help with backlinks and outreachConnor's favorite prompts for optimizing website pagesIf you've been staring at a blank Google Doc, dreading your next blog post or confused about how AI fits into your SEO strategy—this episode is your permission slip to make it easier. Connor breaks it down with practical advice, smart prompts, and a healthy dose of reality. Tune in and give your SEO a serious upgrade.
A Phil Svitek Podcast - A Series From Your 360 Creative Coach
Every podcaster needs a reliable set of tools—and Descript is one that deserves a permanent spot in your workflow (official website: https://www.descript.com/). In this episode, I highlight why Descript isn't just for beginner editing, but a powerful utility tool that can streamline your production process. From transcription to rough cuts to soundbite discovery, Descript acts like the Google Docs of podcasting—perfect for solo creators and teams alike. While I still recommend finishing your audio or video edits in tools like Pro Tools, Audition, or Premiere, Descript helps speed up those messy middle stages—especially paper edits and team collaboration. I also share how I use transcripts to pull quotes, repurpose content, and even feed into ChatGPT to generate titles, tags, and summaries. It's not a replacement—it's a power tool.
This isn't a film episode. It's a personal update. My mom has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I'm using this space to speak honestly about what that means for me, and what I'm carrying right now. We've been told that she has six to nine months left. This is a devastating and heartbreaking time for me. Thank you for listening.If you'd like to send her a card or support us in some way, here is a Google Doc with all our information:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rJaY9_uNZwOu8_BUoDLobQJkfDQ1tmh7kkwyPp7mph4/edit?usp=sharingFuture updates will be provided either through upcoming episodes or on my website blog where I am writing an ongoing diary about being by my mother's side during this time.https://herheadinfilms.com/blogYou can follow me on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Tumblr. My email is herheadinfilms@gmail.com.
How can you preserve simplicity and work at a reasonable pace in an increasingly complex and rushed environment? That's the question I'm answering today. You can subscribe to this podcast on: Podbean | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | TUNEIN Links: Email Me | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Linkedin The ULTIMATE PRODUCTIVITY WORKSHOP Get Your Copy Of Your Time, Your Way: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived The Time Sector System 5th Year Anniversary The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes Subscribe to my Substack The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page Script | 370 Hello, and welcome to episode 370 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development, and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show. Two of the challenges we face today are the increasing complexity in our work life. Yet, that has been around forever. New technology requires us to learn new techniques for doing things and, perhaps, the biggest challenge of all is dealing with the speed at which things come at us. Interestingly, the number of emails we get today is comparable to the number of letters people in the 1970s and 80s received. Yet the number of phone calls we get have dramatically dropped. That's largely due to the move towards instant messages—which were not around in the 70s and 80s. The difference is the speed at which we are expected to respond. With a letter, there was some doubt about when the letter would arrive. It might arrive the next day, but there was always a chance it would take two or three days. And when it did arrive, we had at least twenty four hours to respond. Today, there are some people who expect you to respond to an email immediately—no thought that you may be working on something else or in a meeting with an important customer. So the question we should explore is how we can navigate the way we work today without letting people down, but at the same time work at a comfortable speed which minimises mistakes and leaves us feeling fulfilled at the end of the day. So, with that stated, let me hand you over to the Mystery Podcast Voice for this week's question. This week's question comes from Tom. Tom asks, Hi Carl, over the years, my productivity system has changed with technology. I began, like you, with a Franklin Planner in the 1990s, then I moved to Getting Things Done and managed everything digitally. These days, I am struggling to keep up, and it just seems so complicated. Do you have any thoughts on how to keep things simple? Hi Tom, thank you for your question. One way to look at this is to remember that the basic principles of good time management and productivity will never change. Those principles are incorporated in COD—Collect, Organise and Do. No matter how complicated or fast things get, we still need a way to collect stuff and trust that what we collect will be where we want it to be when we process it. We need an organisation system that works for us. And that means, we can find what we need when we need it. And finally, we want to be maximising the time we spend doing the work, so we avoid backlogs building. It's within this framework we can evolve our systems. Thirty years ago, we would have been collecting with pen and paper. Today, it's likely we will collect using our phones or computer. Thirty years ago we would have had stacks of file folders and a filing cabinet or two to store those folders. Today, those files will likely be held in the cloud—Google Drive, iCloud or OneDrive, for instance. So while the tools have changed, the principles have not. I'm a big rugby fan. I've been following Leeds Rhinos since my grandfather took me to my first game when I was five years old. The teams that win the championships and cup games are the ones who get the basics right. In rugby, that is playing the majority of the game in the oppositions half. Being aggressive in defence and ensuring their players are disciplined—giving away silly penalties is one sure way to lose games. The teams that lose are the ones who don't get these basics right. They try to be clever, get frustrated, and drop the ball (quite literally) and give away unnecessary penalties, which results in them giving away territory and playing the majority of the game in their own half. The message is always the same. Get the basics right and the results will come. This is the same for you, too, Tom. Get the basics right and that's following the principles of COD. The problems will start when we begin trying to do multiple things at the same time. Multi-tasking is not a strategy. Sure there are some things you can do at the same time. Walking and thinking about solving a problem, listening to a podcast while doing the dishes or cleaning up the house. But you are not going to be able to write a report, prepare a presentation and reply to your emails at the same time. These are very different types of work requiring different skills. A report is well thought out words and conclusions. A presentation is a visual representation of your main points and writing emails is about communicating clearly in words. All requiring different parts of your brain. This is why categorising the work you do works so well. With categorising, or chunking or batch processing—they all mean the same thing—you are grouping similar tasks together and doing them at the same time. For example, you can collect your actionable emails together and set aside thirty to sixty minutes each day for responding to them. If you were consistent with that, you would always be on top of your mails and no one would be waiting much longer that 24 hours for a reply. Similarly if you were responsible for sending out proposals to prospective customers, if you were to spend an hour or so on those each day, you would rarely have any backlogs and your proposals would be going out quickly without errors. It's when we stop following these principles we become like the losing rugby teams. We've stopped following the game plan and become frustrated, which leads to mistakes which in turn means we lose the game. Or in the world of work, we create backlogs, deadlines are missed and we feel horrible, stressed out and overwhelmed. I've always found it fascinating to learn how productive people work. I saw recently an interview with Tim Cook, where he mentioned he wakes up at 4:00 am, and the first hour of his day is spent doing email. I remember reading that Jack Dorsey, one of the founders of Twitter and the CEO of Square, who would schedule his days by category of work. Monday and Tuesdays were spend on marketing, Wednesdays were problem solving and Thursdays would be spent at Square and Fridays at Twitter. They all have some structure to their days. Incidentally, this was the same for Winston Churchill and Charles Darwin. They both followed a strict structure to their days which ensured they spent time each day on the things that mattered. While the way we work and the tools we use to do our work may change, the way we structure our days doesn't have to. Twenty years ago, spending an hour on returning phone messages was the norm. Today, that same hour will likely be spent responding to Slack or Teams messages and email. If you want to get control of your time and remain productive, it will be helpful to know what is important. What is your core work? The work you are paid to do? What does that look like at a task level? Working in concepts doesn't work here. You need to go to the next level and determine what your work looks like at a task level. An accountant will need to put numbers into a spreadsheet (or something similar) in order to get the information they need to be able to advise their clients. The question therefore becomes how much time do they need to do that each day to ensure they are on top of their work? As a former Franklin Planner user, you will know the importance of daily and weekly planning. This is about knowing what is important today and this week. It's about allocating sufficient time to getting that work done and being strict about what you allow on your calendar. Perhaps part of the problem we face today is the increasing demands on our time. It's easy to ask someone to jump on a Teams or Zoom call for “a few minutes” Ha! How often does five minutes turn into thirty minutes? And because of the simplicity of doing these calls, we accept. Perhaps too readily. I don't have Zoom or Teams on my phone. If I am not with my laptop, I cannot do a video call. It's a rule. And a non-negotiable one too. Where are your rules? What will you accept and, more importantly, not accept? One way you can manage this is to limit the number of meetings you have each day. If you spend seven hours of your eight hours of your work day in meetings, how will you find the time to do the work you are employed to do? That isn't a task management issue. That's a time issue. It doesn't matter how many tasks you have to do today if you do not have the time protected for doing them. It's on you to protect that time and that doesn't matter where you are in the hierarchy chain. If your boss expects you to be in seven hours of meetings each day and write reports, prepare presentations and respond to your emails and messages, that's an issue you need to take up with your boss. No tool or productivity system will sort that out for you. Even with the help of AI, you will struggle to do your work with that kind of time conflict. Now when it comes to managing your files and notes, I would say don't reinvent the wheel. Several years ago, Microsoft and Apple's engineers released we were terrible at managing our documents. So, they began rolling out self contained folders for their professional tools such as Word and Keynote. You no longer need to file these documents in folders you create. Instead you can save them and let your computer organise them for you. For example, if you use Word, all your word documents can be saved to the Word container folder in OneNote. Just like Google Docs. These are all kept together and you can then organise them in a variety of ways. You can do it alphabetically, the date the document was created or when it was last modified (great for when collaborating with other people). In iCloud and Google Drive, you can also organise by which documents are shared. Your computer does the hard work so you don't have to. There's certainly no longer a need to create sophisticated file folder structures that take forever to keep organised. You don't have time for that. Let your computer do the work for you. And not only have these companies made organising our work easier, they have been gradually improving search features too. Now as long as you know a date range, a keyword or a title, you'll be able to find any document in seconds. There is no longer any need to manually organise your documents. The only responsibility you have is to ensure the names of the documents you have saved mean something to you. If you're downloading a document, make sure you rename it. There's some very strange file naming conventions out there. And that's about it, Tom. Stick to the basics of COD—Collect, Organise, Do. Be strict about what you allow on your calendar (even if that means you need to an uncomfortable talk with your boss) and let your computer do the hard work of filing for you. I hope that has helped. Thank you for your question. And thank you to you too for listening. It just remains for me now to with you all a very very productive week.
View this video at https://macmost.com/how-to-get-rid-of-the-google-apps-in-launchpad-on-your-mac.html. If you notice that there are apps in LaunchPad on your Mac that you didn't install, they could be Chrome-based apps for things like Google Docs, Drive, Sheets, Slides and more. You can't remove them from LaunchPad, but you can uninstall them properly if you know where to look.
In this short podcast, Bryan talks about how to deal with too much at work and in life. He gives some practical tips to help you when you feel overwhelmed. One of the best ways to get ahead is to wake up early, exercise, get sunlight, stay hydrated, eat healthy, and get enough sleep. Taking care of yourself and giving yourself ample opportunities to set your mind and body up for success can ensure that you have the energy to tackle the challenges at work and in other areas of your life. When you're in the middle of an overwhelming mix of tasks, it helps to take a small break and take some deep breaths. Some people take smoke breaks. Once you have an opportunity to step back and clear your head, try to document all of the things you need to do. You can use a Google Doc with the help of ChatGPT to lay everything out. Once you have all of your tasks in front of you, pick 3-5 things that must get done today and then use your calendar, silence your notifications, and use all the tools at your disposal to focus on those things. Perfectionism and people-pleasing can also get in the way of achieving all of your tasks. You have to be able to accept work that isn't perfect and say no to meetings or unnecessary tasks. You can use tools like Loom to document quick notes instead of holding a meeting. When you can't avoid meetings, try to batch them all at once. Batching, delegating, and automating tasks also come in handy, especially before tasks pile up and spiral out of control. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android
Lead gen isn't your problem. Your client experience is. In this Stay Paid episode, Sheila Reddy, founder and CEO of Mosaik, joins us to share how she transitioned from healthcare leadership to building one of the most client-focused real estate platforms on the market. What started as a frustration with her own homebuying experiences has turned into a solution that gives agents a competitive edge where it matters most—during the transaction.
In this episode, Ash and Dusty explore the pervasive challenge of forgetfulness for people with ADHD and how it impacts daily life and progress toward goals. They discuss the common experience of forgetting intentions or tasks, which leads to feelings of being overwhelmed or constantly "putting out fires." Both coaches emphasize the importance of starting with small, manageable systems tailored to individual needs, highlighting that complex systems often fail or get abandoned without curiosity and adjustment. Ash shares his personal approach using a simple three-part system: a calendar for timed events, a Google Doc for catchall to-dos, and a weekly family planner on the refrigerator, illustrating how these tools can work together to improve awareness and consistency. Dusty expands on this by sharing coaching strategies for clients struggling with forgetfulness, including the value of duplicative systems and the necessity of patience and incremental progress. They use metaphors like building a foundation before erecting a building to help clients understand why coaching requires time and consistent effort. The episode also touches on the importance of accountability, practice, and curiosity in coaching and suggests that listening to resources like this podcast can prepare clients to make the most out of their coaching experience. Ultimately, Ash and Dusty remind listeners that managing forgetfulness in ADHD is an ongoing process that benefits from starting small, learning from experience, and building reliable systems that fit individual lives. Episode links + resources: Join the Community | Become a Patron Our Process: Understand, Own, Translate. About Asher and Dusty For more of the Translating ADHD podcast: Episode Transcripts: visit TranslatingADHD.com and click on the episode Follow us on Twitter: @TranslatingADHD Visit the Website: TranslatingADHD.com
Do you feel scattered every time you sit down to work on your podcast? Are your episode ideas buried in sticky notes, Google Docs, or random voice memos? Maybe you've got 17 tabs open and no real plan, and it's starting to feel like podcasting is more chaos than clarity. Friend, I've been there! But there is a better way. In this episode, I'm sharing how I finally got my podcast process super organized from outline and mapped out to batch recording. You'll learn how I plan episodes in advance and prep content for my team to create marketing that flows effortlessly from my podcast. If you're ready to save time, eliminate overwhelm, and turn your podcast into a streamlined system that actually works, this one's for you. Let's get you organized and operating in peace. I pray this blesses you! Ready to Make Consistent Income From a Podcast? Join my 5-Day Profitable Podcast Bootcamp! I'll show you how to create a podcast that makes steady income on autopilot—without relying on social media.
Comedian and writer Zach Zimmerman joins Chelsea to dive into the Romantasy scandal at the heart of Katie Waldman's New Yorker piece, “Did a Best-Selling Romantasy Novelist Steal Another Writer's Story?” From agents co-writing in Google Docs to the publishing industry's obsession with vampires in Vegas, they explore the boom of Romantasy against the backdrop of the scandal and the nightmare of realizing your agent may have ghosted you... for someone else's career. Join the cookie community: Become a member of the Patreon Follow Chelsea: Instagram @chelseadevantez Where to order Chelsea's book: Bookshop.org Find other places to order Show Notes: Did a Best-Selling Romantasy Novelist Steal Another Writer's Story? (The New Yorker) WATCH Zach Zimmerman's SURPRISE ME Stand Up Comedy Special WATCH Our Lauren Sanchez Live Show Replay Viral Article Book Club: Money Dysmorphia and the Cost of Being Chronically Online Viral Article Book Club: Blake Lively, Meghan Markle & The Internet Rage Machine Viral Article Book Club: When Parenthood Changes Friendships Viral Article Book Club: The NY Times on Dating Women of Color to Advance 'Antiracism' Where to find our guest: Zach Zimmerman Instagram TikTok X/Twitter YouTube Show Dates and more Website *** Glamorous Trash is all about going high and low at the same time— Glam and Trash. We recap and book club celebrity memoirs, deconstruct pop culture, and sometimes, we cry! If you've ever referenced Mariah Carey in therapy... then this is the podcast for you. Thank you to our sponsors: Visit Brooklinen.com and use code TRASH to get $20 off your order of $100 or more. Libro.fm - Click here to get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 with your first month of membership using code TRASH. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We're diving deep into the wild world of cryptid encounters. Eerie figures lurking in remote woods and mysterious animals that defy logic and biology, these stories will have you questioning what's really out there. Whether it's ancient legends or something altogether new, these encounters remind us that the forest keeps its secrets—and sometimes, it watches back. We'll get into: A spooky night at a lake that turns into a full-blown horror movie, complete with skinny-dipping, a cursed graveyard, and a mysterious, towering figure that stalks the road. A "Not-Deer" sighting so uncanny, it had both witnesses—trained in biology—questioning everything they knew about wildlife. A haunted National Park in South Dakota where caves whisper ghost stories, and rangers keep a secret Google Doc of employee encounters. A day of mountain biking that ended in a call and response session with unidentified creatures. PLUS – our own haunted studio investigation!
It's already our fifth installment of The Course Chronicles, and we've had an exciting week! Not only have we decided on the name, the date and the price of our new offer, but in this episode, I also share the next steps we're taking after creating our waitlist and what you can expect next week as we keep moving along in this process! My free 3-day training for digital course creators, called Your First Digital Product, is coming on April 22nd! It'll help you go from Zero to SALES, and in it I share my $90 million process for creating a digital product that people will actually pay for. You do not want to miss this, so register now at www.jameswedmore.com/fdp, and I'll see you there. Save the date, because May 29th we kick off our live virtual extravaganza that happens just once a year, our 3-part live week-long training experience, The Rise of the Digital CEO! Before you go, snap a screenshot of the episode playing on your device, post it to your Instagram Stories and tag us, @jameswedmore and @jeunejenni. We'd love to hear what resonated with you the most. In this episode you'll hear: The official launch date for the program and the importance of setting a deadline to drive progress and create momentum for your new offer Details of the program offer, including the intended price point and why limiting the number of available founding member spots is key A breakdown of the the email sent to the waitlist and how it differs from that of a traditional launch What the process of creating the program portal has looked like, and how I assigned tasks to a team member using a Google Doc to outline the project scope and to-do list The ways I am continuing to leverage AI in this process and how it's helping to identify overlooked tasks and improve overall project management efficiency For full show notes and links, visit: www.mindyourbusinesspodcast.com/blog/751