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Get your 2025 decluttering calendar: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/2025  Come to a Dehoarding Accountability Zoom Session: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/ticket Subscribe to the podcast: https://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/subscribe Podcast show notes, links and transcript: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/  Avoiding the chaos of complex idea capture systems is vital for preventing distraction and overwhelm. Today, I'm sharing practical strategies for transitioning from idea capture to action, breaking down large tasks into manageable subtasks and exploring tools like Google Tasks and voice assistants for prioritisation and organisation. Plus, I reflect on my own long-term struggle with to-do lists and how to experiment with different approaches to find a system that suits your needs. Simplifying Idea Capture Avoid complex systems to prevent distraction and overwhelm. Focus on simple, streamlined methods for capturing ideas. Set dedicated idea capture times to minimise distractions. Organising Idea Capture Materials Ensure materials and tools are easily accessible. Utilise technology for effortless idea capture using voice assistants. Transitioning from Idea Capture to Action Prioritise tasks based on urgency, impact, or personal goals. Structure and prioritise tasks. Break down large tasks into smaller, manageable subtasks. Combining Digital and Non-Digital Methods Use written to-do lists to complement digital systems for immediate tasks. Essential Elements for an Effective System Thinker's Notebook's five elements: omnipresence, efficiency, organisation, security, and offline thinking. Exploring Digital and Non-Digital Tools Popular digital tools: Evernote, OneNote, ToodleDo, Todoist, Trello, Taiga.io, Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, Google Tasks. Non-digital methods: scraps of paper, notebooks, preprinted planners, bullet journals, mind maps. Personalising the Capture Method Importance of selecting a method suited to personal preferences and technical comfort level. Experimentation with different approaches. Two-Step Strategy for Idea Capture Combine digital or portable capture methods with comprehensive home organisation tools. Mind Mapping for Subtasks Use mind maps to break down tasks, providing a visual representation. Realistic Time Management Decide on timings based on deadlines and personal flexibility. Visual Task Management Track progress and prioritise tasks using visual tools like checklists or kanban boards. Prioritisation and Breaking Down Tasks Organise tasks by priority for easier management. Divide large tasks into smaller parts for simplification. Timely Task Execution Be realistic about time required for tasks and accommodate flexibility. Psychological Boost from Completion Mark tasks as completed for a dopamine boost and visual progress tracking. Adapting Idea Capture Systems Experiment with various methods to find an effective system that suits personal needs and goals.

Alan Williams is the founder of SERVICEBRAND GLOBAL and advises business leaders internationally to deliver value driven service.    Dave Stubberfield is the director of Carter Consultancy and specializes in enabling cultural transformation to help businesses achieve greatness. They are the authors of Supercharging the Customer Experience: How Organizational Alignment Drives Performance.   Questions · We always like to ask our guests if they could share in their own words a little bit about their journey. So basically, how it is that you got from where you were to where you are today. · Now, the both of you teamed up together and wrote this awesome book Supercharging the Customer Experience. Can you share with our listeners a little bit about the book, maybe two or three overarching themes that the book focuses on and who is the book geared towards? · What are maybe two or three behaviors that you believe is critical for customer success in a business both from an employee perspective and from the leadership perspective. · So, could you share maybe just some insight for us on what you believe is the future of AI as best as you can, because AI does cover a lot of stuff. But what do you believe is the future of AI? And how will that impact human interaction? · So, can you also share, and each of you can give me your answer to this particular question. What's the one online resource, tool, website or app that you absolutely cannot live without in your business? · If you could share with me maybe a book that you read recently, or even a very long time ago, but it has still had a very great impact on you, whether from a professional capacity or even a personal development capacity. · Now, can you also share with us what's the one thing that is going on in your life right now that you're really excited about, either something you're working on to develop yourself or your people. · Where can listeners find you online? · Now, before we close off the episode, we always like to ask our guests, do you have a quote or a saying that in times of adversity or challenge you will tend to revert to this quote if for any reason you get the real or you get off track, the quote kind of helps to get you back on track. Do you have one of those? Highlights Alan and Dave's Journey Me: We always like to ask our guests if they could share in their own words a little bit about their journey. So basically, how it is that you got from where you were to where you are today.   Alan Williams: Alan shared that he started off in commercial hospitality management. So, he remembered being at school thinking, he wants to go to university, but he wants to do a degree that's going to help him get a job.  And he really didn't like the idea of what he at that time considered to be really boring businesses like banking, where you're sat in an office all day. And he was lucky enough to get a holiday job in a hotel, and he thought that's it, exciting, looking after people, fun.  So, that was the beginning. And then he moved somewhat later in his career into workplace management. So you might know it as facilities management, so all of the services in workplaces offices, and he referred to them those offices actually, as they're really hotels with desks instead of beds, that's the only difference. And then he set up SERVICEBRAND GLOBAL in 2005, and he's been helping progressive leaders in organizations around the world since then, using what he learned in the hospitality sector.  Dave Stubberfield: Dave shared that for him, he guesses similar to a degree. So, he was just about leaving school and the careers advisor said, you've got the potential to go to university, but he didn't really know what for. So, he decided against it and tried the apprenticeship route in the corporate space, which he loved, and a lot of customer facing roles. Then there was an initiative called Lean, where he became kind of a Six Sigma qualified individual. And then it just kind of spiraled into attaching customer experience to the continuous improvement framework, really. And how changes adapt in organizations. And then, 2020 set up Carter Consultancy, and he hasn't looked back since. So yeah, he loves what he does.   About Alan and Dave's Book – Supercharging the Customer Experience and Three Overarching Themes the Book Focuses On Me: All right, thank you so much, gentleman. Now, the both of you teamed up together and wrote this awesome book Supercharging the Customer Experience. Can you share with our listeners and either of you can answer this question, a little bit about the book, maybe two or three overarching themes that the book focuses on and who is the book geared towards?   Dave Stubberfield: Dave shared that he's known Alan for a few years now. But it just so happens that they were interested in creating a customer experience development programme for the BQF, The British Quality Foundation. And the President kind of joined them together and said, “Look, you're both trying to achieve the same things.” So very, very quickly, during their initial meeting, they realized that they are very aligned in how they think and what they wanted to achieve. And through the development of that programme, and Alan out of the blue turns and he said to Dave, “This has got the makings of a great book. Do you want to write one?” And like a rabbit in the headlights, he just kind of froze, and then said, “Yes, let's do that.”  And so, through Alan's guidance from his previous experience of being an author, he's brought him on that journey with him and he's really, really enjoyed it. And the foundation to the book really stemmed from the training, the development programme they put together, which is really all about putting CX into context. They believe there's a lot of content out there. He's going to leave Alan to drop the question in a second, but they believe there's a lot of content out there. But they believe that the actual application of customer experience doesn't happen as frequently as it should, which led us to the question, Alan?   Alan Williams: Alan shared that's right. When they were thinking about the book, they were thinking, well, how is this book going to be any different to all of the others out there on the topic of customer experience? Because don't know if you've checked, but there's just like so many books on the topic. And they just found themselves with this question, which is, “With all the content on the topic that's out there, why is great customer experience so rare?” It doesn't make sense if there's all that resource out there to guide people.  And that was what Dave's just touched on there that the problem, and the challenge is that so much of the time people are focused on content, and knowledge, rather than the practical application of that knowledge on a day in day out basis. And that's why the great customer experience is so rare. And in the book, they provide a framework that helps you whatever sector you're in, wherever you are in the world, whatever the size of your organization provides you with a framework that can help to guide you create your own customer experience strategy that suits your own particular individual circumstances.   Me: All right, so let's use a use example, a use case, I like the fact that you gentleman said that you want to focus on the practical because you are very correct. There are many, many books out there on CX and EX. And you read the content, and it's focused on knowledge, the definitions, the theory, but how does that really work with an organization, with people, with their behaviour, we getting them motivated with having them intrinsically applying that in every single interaction regardless of the channel that they're serving the customer on. So, you can choose a business, I will leave it up to you in terms of the use case, just give us an example of based on the framework that you have in the book, how does this really apply to a business?   Alan Williams: Alan shared that he's not even going to choose a particular business. He thinks that sometimes when you do that, you're kind of dragged into generalization. So, he's just going to tell you a story. And it was a business that he was working in and they focused really hard on everybody that was in the organization understanding that they were part of delivering a great customer service and their job was to make their customers and clients feel important, that was the reason that they were all there.  And he remembered on reception, they were expecting a guy attending a very important meeting. And so obviously, they knew in advance that he was arriving, and they have pre-prepared a name badge, they also aimed to greet people before they introduce themselves in this particular environment. And so that happened, the receptionist greeted the gentleman by name, but they had not expected one thing, and that is that he brought with him a small terrier dog. Now, the receptionist actually said to him, complimented him on the dog, and then said, “And now Sir, if you could just lift him up in front of the camera.” and produce a name badge for the dog. And the guy went into the meeting room and announced to the people from the client organization, “That is the best welcome I've ever had anywhere in the world.” And then the meeting was a great success, down to that receptionist. So, the reason he loves that story is because it really emphasizes the importance of people understanding the big why they're there, rather than getting consumed and distracted with the small tasks that they might have to do in order to satisfy them.   Behaviours that are Critical for Customer Success in a Business from an Employee Perspective and from the Leadership Perspective Me: Now, based on your research, and your experience, both of you in the CX space, if you were to choose maybe two or three behaviours that you believe is critical for customer success in a business, and I'm not just talking from the employee perspective, but also from the leadership perspective, like what are the three key behaviours that will more than likely lead to a culture where people have that customer centric mindset, regardless of the type of customer, how complex the problem or issue might be, but they're always driven by that because of those core behaviours. Would you be able to identify what those if you were to pick three, what those would be?   Dave Stubberfield: Dave shared that he can start with one for sure. And the one that leaps out with him is Empathy. And that runs from a kind of a customer facing team into the customer, but like you said, it's the leadership into to the rest of the teams and the organization. He thinks having that empathetic understanding of what people might be trying to do, or what they're going through, is so powerful.  And we're stepping into the realms of emotional intelligence here. And to the point that Alan's just made in that in that story, which is fantastic. People have to buy into that, right. So, they have to buy into that culture of trying to achieve and deliver that experience, not once but every single time. And he thinks that starts with a lot of empathy. He knows some leaders that are not very empathetic, shall we say, and don't understand why they can't achieve the results they want to achieve, not only in the business, but in the customer experience space as well. So, he would lead with empathy being one of the most powerful ones because it unlocks so much. Alan, I don't know if you've got anything to add to that at all?   Alan Williams: Alan shared that he'll go with number two, though, which he thinks is about positivity. So, when a customer asks you for something, the answer is yes. And it might not be exactly what they were expecting or had asked for. But how often do you hear, no, can't do that. And that's really not a good start to a conversation. So, he'd follow empathy with Positivity.   Dave Stubberfield: Dave stated that he would go number three is probably Communication. And that he guesses all ties everything up together nicely. He thinks sometimes, again, starting at the top with leadership, they might send a message once, whether it's via email, or it could be in person, it could be a presentation, and some people think that they can just deliver that message once and everyone gets it and understand it, it needs to be reinforced, it needs to become part of the embedded as part of the DNA of the organization. And that message needs to be repeated so it's understood and lived every single day. And he thinks having a great deal of empathy, and positivity, it just needs to be reinforced through communication, he personally believes.   Alan Williams: Alan asked can they give you just one extra one as a bit of added value. So, he'd go with Obsessive Attention to Detail. And this is kind of every person, every day, every minute, because consistency is what makes the great businesses set apart from those that are good some of the time. And that's because everybody in the organization knows the fine detail of what's required, and is then committed to delivering that every single time.   Me: All right, so Empathy, Positivity, Vommunication and Obsessive Attention to detail. Okay, thank you so much, gentlemen.    Insight on the Future of AI and How it Will Impact Human Interaction Me: Now, I liked the fact that most of what you talked about focuses on people, focuses on behaviour, focuses on relationships, practical things that we can see, things that we do every day. I found, and I'm sure you've seen it as well, that in the last, I would say, maybe two or three years or even before but definitely in the last two or three years, there has been a lot of emergence in the space of technology with artificial intelligence. And I find that organizations sometimes may not necessarily be integrating it or using it in the best way possible to ensure that it's not replacing humans, but more so helping humans that can really help the overall experience.  And I'll give you an example. Over the weekend, I had a friend that has a mobile modem and we were having some issues adding some data to it and we called our local telecommunication company, reached out to them through their website. Actually no, we did it through their app that was on the phone, but the app has a Bot at the top and the bots name was Ruby. But Ruby can't answer any questions, Ruby doesn't remember what you told her before. And so, you tell Ruby, I'd like to speak with a representative, Ruby starts a conversation again, “Please provide me with your name and account number. Please tell me exactly what your query is about.” And I told Ruby that before and I felt like I was going in circles, it was just crazy. So, could you share maybe just some insight for us on what you believe is the future of AI as best as you can, because AI does cover a lot of stuff. But what do you believe is the future of AI? And how will that impact human interaction?   Dave Stubberfield: Dave shared that it's really interesting. And they cover a lot of this in the book. And honestly, you could spend hours upon hours doing research. And he kind of immersed himself into this. You're spot on, AI is kind of forefront of technology at the minute, everyone seems to be dipping into it. You've also got augmented reality that people are looking at as well and they are fantastic things, and it's just incredible what some of these things can do. The problem that organizations have today is they see something shiny, something sparkly and go, right, we need that. And they try and integrate it and it's just kind of a lift and shift, kind of slot it into a place, and it fits in just or they've squeezed things around, and they go perfect. We can take our AI integration box off, we've done that.  But like you've just said there, there's not been any kind of sort of thinking or thought process around how we actually integrate that to the all of the other services and ways of communication that we have as an organization, that omni channel element hasn't been considered, we just see AI as a way potentially to do something with generative text, for example. And we go yep, okay, we can we can get that in, we can do that there, and boom, it's done. It's thinking about the entire process.  And he thinks another element to that is, let's say one organization in a certain industry does something that's quite revolutionary. Other companies in the same industry or even outside the industry might try and replicate that and they haven't considered how they operate as an organization, the value they deliver to their customers, and if it actually works. He thinks a lot of people feel like they might miss the boat if they don't sort of get on board with the technology bus, because it's just constantly changing. So, there's a lot of risk when it comes to technology, you need to do your research, your homework and what fits for the business.  And for him, it's thinking about it from a people point of view, technology's forefront of the minute AI, you name it, there's lots it can do. But it needs to work for people. And that's the thing, really, he thinks sometimes isn't considered. So, that would be his thought. Alan, I don't know if you've got anything to add to that at all.   Alan Williams: Alan shared that he thinks that the issue is that people consider technology to be an alternative solution, whereas in fact, it should just be a support to people. So, when you've got predictability and high volume, then sure, he thinks technology can be a massive help in that sort of situation. But where you've got unpredictability, and perhaps volume that is up and down, then it's much less helpful. And it might be that a human being could deal with that much, much better. So, the big thing, though, is this thing about technology being a tool, rather than the be all and end all and he liken it to a scalpel, a scalpel in the hands of a really experienced surgeon can save people's lives. But in the hands of somebody who doesn't know what they're doing can be really dangerous. And it's the same with tech and customer experience.   App, Website or Tool that Alan and Dave Absolutely Can't Live Without in Their Businesses When asked about an online resource that they can't live without in their business:  Dave Stubberfield: Dave stated what a question. He's going to be totally contradictory to what he just said, he going to go ChatGPT. So, he uses that as a bit of a sounding board, really. So, in his organization, it's just him. So, sometimes when he has a bit of an idea, he thinks, “Oh, okay, maybe I should post it on social media or I should do this and have a bit of an idea.” He will often ask Alan because they are very alike, but sometimes he will just put a bit of a question into ChatGPT and asked for maybe what's relevant or how he should do a certain thing. And knowing that it's not always 100% accurate, he uses that as kind of as a gauge really to see if he's on the right track.  It's funny, he will put something into ChatGPT, for example. Let's say he wanted to do a LinkedIn post this week and he might say, “Give me five myths about customer experience that we can debunk.” And he might find one of them, he goes, “Well, that's not a myth at all. That's the complete truth.” So, he might swing it in a way that he thinks is his own personal view and opinion. And he uses that as kind of a something to generate a bit of a conversation with himself rather than just talking to the brick wall. So for him, he quite often uses ChatGPT, he would say he's using it daily, which is, it's mad really how it's become so prominent in people's lives.   Alan Williams: Alan shared that he's going to add to his CV that Dave asked him before ChatGPT that'd go down really well. His, is his Outlook Calendar. He's a bit too reliant on this. Basically, if it's not on the calendar, he's not there. And occasionally, he was telling somebody just the other day how he was just about to go into a lunch meeting and he got a message from somebody saying, “Really looking forward to seeing you for lunch today.” And he had to have a very quick lunch meeting and then get to the other one and not tell the person. But his calendar is his.   Me: So, Calendar and ChatGPT. Excellent.   Books that Have Had the Biggest Impact on Alan and Dave Me: Now, I usually ask the question, what book or books have had the biggest impact on you? I noticed in your book, which I love about how the layout of the book was done, that at the end of each chapter, you have a little box that says, “Want to know more” with resources in the form of articles and books that the reader can access if they want to gain additional information. I think that's brilliant. But I will still ask it. So, if you could share with me maybe a book that you read recently, or even a very long time ago, but it has still had a very great impact on you, whether from a professional capacity or even a personal development capacity.   Alan Williams: When asked about books that have had the biggest impact, Alan shared that his is a long time ago, actually. So, The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton. So, basically, this is about making sure that your business is balanced and looking after all of the different stakeholder groups, rather than being just focused on generating profit. And over the years, that kind of sentiment he thinks has grown into triple quadruple bottom line ESG, all of the terms that are given to it, but basically a very, very similar message in that you're managing your business holistically, rather than just to generate profits. So, that's his.    Dave Stubberfield: Dave shared that he's got a few that springs to mind. And the one he's going to talk about most prominently is the one he's listened to recently is the One Minute Manager by Kenneth H. Blanchard. This was a recommendation to him, he's heard it and seen the sites all around, but he's never actually taken the time to listen to it. So, that for him was really, really interesting because it talks about trying to do things in a minute, setting goals that people can read in a minute. Having reviews whether it's positive or negative in a minute, so you can redirect people or praise people. And he thinks a lot of us get bogged down in just day to day life, that everything becomes much more intense than it needs to be. So, that One Minute Manager for him, it was talking specifically about managing a team in an organization. But he thinks you can apply it to absolutely anything. So, that's the one he's listened to most recently that has been phenomenal and eye opening for me.   One that he would like to call out that he's previously listened to is The Prosperous Coach: Increase Income and Impact for You and Your Clients by Steve Chandler. So, coaching is a part of what he does and t that was something that really helped him and kind of confirmed to him and validate that he can do what he's doing, which was amazing, because he had a lot of doubt at the time when he started if he's a massive suffer of the imposter syndrome. So, that was really good for him personally.  And the other one he was considering? It was, Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way To Deal With Change In Your Work And In Your Life by Spencer Johnson, which is just he thinks it's a staple, if you haven't read or listened to that, then go and listen to that. That's phenomenal.   What Alan and Dave are Really Excited About Now! Alan Williams: When asked about something that they are excited about Alan shared that this is going to be boring to some people, because the CX in context development programme, he's thrilled about this, because they've started to deliver to clients, and the feedback has just been fantastic. And people are just saying, this is a real eye opener, because CX cannot just be treated in isolation, it is inextricably connected to other parts of the business. And this framework helps them to do that in a really simple to understand way and a very practical way. When he gets that sort of feedback, it makes him feel that it's been worth putting together what they've put together because it's good to be able to help so many people out there.   Dave Stubberfield: Dave shared that for him, he could quite easily say the same thing. But he's going to be different. So, he would say in the past 18 months, he's been developing an online tool that's called Nova. And Nova is a way and means of teams, organizations to measure how well they are implementing continuous improvement in their business, or in their team or in their organization. And that is something he's done for a long time and he used to do it by an Excel spreadsheet. And talking to a friend of his, he said, “Dave, why on earth are you using a spreadsheet in this day and age?” And he kind of sat back and thought, “Okay, I should practice what I preach here and change what I do.” And it's led to this tool, which he personally believes is cutting edge.  So, basically, it's an assessment that each team would do in an organization, it will give them a score, it will give them actions to do, it will give industry insights as well, based on the information that's been provided, just so that it can help the team progress. That then creates an aggregated score up to the leadership, and that can be viewed across the leadership peers and the group. So, if you've got an entire organization, you've got a continuous improvement score, essentially, for the entire organization with industry insights that help drive the improvement of that organization and with Alan's help, they're going to look at introducing customer experience to that later in the year.  They've also got plans to introduce change management as well, as well as vision values, employee engagement, they see this as a potential game changer tool that can disrupt organizations for the better. So, a lot of positive to come from that. And that's not long been launched really, the start of this year and they've seen some really, really interesting returns on investment as well. So, fingers crossed that's one for the future.   Me: That sounds amazing, Dave. Is that available to anyone in the public? Or it's still in beta?   Dave shared that it's available to absolutely everyone and anyone that might be a little bit unsure, a little bit reluctant to get involved or have a look, there's a free business health check at the very beginning that you can take, an initial assessment that sort of points you in the right direction, ask some leading questions to get you thinking, “Are you doing the right thing?” And at the end of it, it will tell you how you're performing based on that information and their suggestions moving forward. So, there's a bit of a freebie at the front as well.   Me: Now, my next question would be where can our listeners find that resource online?   Dave shared that they can find that at www.thinknova.uk    Where Can We Find Alan and Dave Online Alan Williams - Company website – www.servicebrand.global.com LinkedIn – Alan Williams   Dave Stubberfield - LinkedIn – Dave Stubberfield Dave's company website – www.carter-consultancy.com   Quote or Saying that During Times of Adversity Alan and Dave Uses  Me: Now, before we close off the episode, we always like to ask our guests, do you have a quote or a saying that in times of adversity or challenge you will tend to revert to this quote if for any reason you get the real or you get off track, the quote kind of helps to get you back on track. Do you have one of those?   Alan Williams: When asked about a quote or saying that they tent to revert to, Alan shared that this relates to the book, actually. So, he created this the end of last year (2023) and that is, “Content without context is toast.”   Me: I saw that in the book, I thought it was kind of cute. So, can you tell our listeners a little bit about how that quote brings you back on track?   Alan shared that it originated really from culture eats strategy for breakfast, it's like that kind of ring and tone to it. And he was just thinking about how so much, especially with social media, it's all about pumping stuff out there. But he thinks it really helps you to recollect yourself if you remember that your particular situation is unique. And you just need to focus on that. Don't get worried with all of the possibilities of all of the content, just think about what situation you're in right now and that will help you deal with it.   Me: All right. Thank you so much, Alan. Dave, do you have one of those quotes?   Dave Stubberfield: Dave shared that he does, his is a bit cheesy, people might hear and go, oh, no. But his one is, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” And he thinks, for him, to put that into context, again, he's spoken that he's solo in the business. But he thinks realizing that collaboration is king, really. So, let's take the book as an example. There would have been days, he's sure, that he would have been not really 100%, and not firing on all cylinders. But he knew that he would have to present something to Alan later in that day to say, “This is what I've done or what I've produced.” So, that would be that factor.  But there would also be helping Alan out. If Alan said, Ok, we've got 10 actions to do, but I'm in meetings for the rest of the week, he would go leave that with me. I'll pick that up. he'll take the strain. And he thinks that's part of that teamwork. And he thinks, again, that's part of why they work so well, because they do have the ability to understand when someone hasn't got the time or the space. The other person just seems to pick it up from somewhere. He doesn't understand how or why, it's a bit of a dark art, but it seems to be working well for them. But that for him is the one, knowing that collaborating with people is often going to be so more advantageous to absolutely everyone. That's the one for him that pulls him out of that pit sometimes where he might not be feeling great.   Me: All right, thank you so much. So, Alan's quote, “Content without context is toast.” And Dave's quote is, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Now, both quotes are phenomenal. And just to kind of piggyback on what Dave said just now, I say it all the time in customer service trainings, no man is an island, and the reason why an organization has more than one person working in it is we all have to work together. Everyone's role is important. You gentlemen wrote this book and I'm sure that it required a lot of sweat, tears, hard work, focus, just a lot of energy and engagement that you both had to put into it. And it wouldn't be the success that it is today if it is that you didn't put that effort into it. So, I fully, fully, fully endorse both the quotes that you've given to us.  And just want to remind our listeners that customer experience is a journey, it's not something you're going to get to overnight or in an hour. It's not something that you're going to just get from one book. And it's something that we continually work to improve every single day that we get the opportunity to work on it. So, thank you so much for sharing your great insights about your book, about all the different things that you're doing in your organizations, with your own clients. It was really a great interview and I hope you had as much fun as I did.   Please connect with us on Twitter @navigatingcx and also join our Private Facebook Community – Navigating the Customer Experience and listen to our FB Lives weekly with a new guest   Links • The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton •  The One Minute Manager by Kenneth H. Blanchard •  The Prosperous Coach: Increase Income and Impact for You and Your Clients by Steve Chandler •  Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way To Deal With Change In Your Work And Life by Spencer Johnson   The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience Grab the Freebie on Our Website – TOP 10 Online Business Resources for Small Business Owners  Do you want to pivot your online customer experience and build loyalty - get a copy of “The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience.” The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience provides 26 easy to follow steps and techniques that helps your business to achieve success and build brand loyalty. This Guide to Limitless, Happy and Loyal Customers will help you to strengthen your service delivery, enhance your knowledge and appreciation of the customer experience and provide tips and practical strategies that you can start implementing immediately! This book will develop your customer service skills and sharpen your attention to detail when serving others. Master your customer experience and develop those knock your socks off techniques that will lead to lifetime customers. Your customers will only want to work with your business and it will be your brand differentiator. It will lead to recruiters to seek you out by providing practical examples on how to deliver a winning customer service experience!

Are you looking for ways to navigate and customize your Outlook Calendar with JAWS more efficiently? Then listen to part two of our podcast, Ten Tips for Customizing Your Outlook Calendar with JAWS. Check out part one if you haven't! https://www.freedomscientific.com/training/freewebinars/

Are you looking for ways to navigate and customize your Outlook Calendar with JAWS more efficiently? Then listen to part one of our podcast, Ten Tips for Customizing Your Outlook Calendar with JAWS. Part Two coming soon! https://www.freedomscientific.com/training/freewebinars/

“Don't limit your challenges - challenge your limits.” ~ UnknownToday I'll be sharing my thoughts on the topic of "Supernatural Anticipation" in the role of an executive assistant. With over 10 years as an executive assistant, I dive into the unspoken expectation of anticipating the needs of the executives or teams one supports. I provide insightful advice on not being a mind reader, suggesting to look at things from a 30,000-foot level and maintaining a 360-degree perspective on tasks. Additionally, I'll address the issue of personal errands and its impact on an EA's professional role. As usual, offering my honest and sassy approach, providing a fresh perspective for executive assistants navigating the challenges of the workplace. Support the showVisit the Have A Seat website for more conversations or Have A Seat with me and register to be a guest at: www.haveaseatconversations.com.Thanks for listening!

This week, we're looking at the unsexy part of becoming more productive and better with our time management. You can subscribe to this podcast on: Podbean | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | TUNEIN Links: Email Me | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Linkedin Email Mastery Course The Time Blocking Course The Working With… Weekly Newsletter The Time And Life Mastery Course The FREE Beginners Guide To Building Your Own COD System Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page   Episode 254 | Script Hello and welcome to episode 254 of the Working With 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 for this show. Now, most people in the time management and productivity field, such as myself, will generally talk about systems, routines and applications. And while these do have an important place in the helping us be more productive, there are three other parts to the productivity equation rarely talked about and often overlooked.  What are those?  They are Sleep, exercise and diet.  For many people, these three elements are elephants in their otherwise well-ordered life. You know, deep down, if you are not getting sufficient sleep, not getting outside and moving, and eating highly processed and unnatural foods, you are destroying your ability to focus, concentrate and ultimately that effects your overall output. (Not to mention what these will do to your long-term health) And I am not just talking about work output. If you are constantly tired and unable to concentrate, that's going to have negative effects on your family life. You will be too tired for quality time with your kids and partner, and that poor diet and lack of sleep will adversely affect your mood when you do have time for your family life.  We have a lot to look at here so, let me hand you over to the Mystery Podcast Voice for this week's question. This week's question comes from Ryan. Ryan asks: Hi Carl, I've been so busy at work this year that when I get home all I want to do is crash on the sofa and do nothing. I end up watching TV or watching YouTube videos until very late and then not getting enough sleep. I know I should spend some time planning my day and doing some exercise, but I just don't have the energy. How do you fit in time for exercise and planning?  Hi Ryan, thank you for your question.  This is a problem I know many people face. Planning the day at the end of the day when you're tired and just want to do nothing because you are exhausted. It's not going to be something high on your list of priorities.  Let's be honest, we can all operate a reasonably productive day without doing daily planning. For most people, this is how they have operated for years without any immediate adverse effects. However, a question I would ask is without following a few simple daily practices, how are things turning out?  If you are stressed out, anxious and exhausted at the end of your working day, is that a good thing? Is that how you want to feel at the end the of the day?  So, what can we do? Well, this is what I mentioned at the beginning of this episode. While new systems and apps are exciting, and the sexy part of productivity and time management, these things will only go so far. No new app or system will change the work you still have to do. Just because a task is in Things 3 instead of Todoist, won't change the fact that the task still needs doing.  No app is going to plan the day for you—even with machine learning or artificial intelligence. Only you, as an individual knows what's important to you. I find it interesting that Outlook Calendar's AI will fill your blank times with work, never tell you to call your partner, or go for a walk.  Now, I've been studying productivity and time management long enough to know that it's never the case of not having time. You have time. You have more than enough time to fit everything in. The real reason you “feel” you don't have time is you have not prioritised what's important to you.  But, let's step back a little and look at the three absolute basics of being more productive. Let's start with sleep. When you get sufficient amount sleep, you are more awake, more creative and focused. Those three on their own will give you a far more productive day than being half asleep, and distracted.  I did a little experiment earlier this year. I spent a week surviving on four and half hours sleep each day. That week was a complete disaster for my overall productivity. Work that I was normally able to easily get done in a week, was a struggle. In fact, I had to give up trying to do some of the work I wanted to do.  By the end of that week, I had a backlog. I NEVER have backlogs. I was too tired to clear my actionable email each day. I became irritable towards the end of the week, and I started craving sugary snacks after only two days.  By the end of the week, I was exhausted. My exercise was terrible. Even taking my dog for a work became a chore—something I normally love doing.  Now, I've never been a good sleeper. But The lessons I learned from that little experiment got me serious about my sleep. I will cancel meetings and appointments now if I need to, to ensure I get my minimum number of hours (six and half).  So, Ryan, my first tip is sort your sleep out. If you don't know how much sleep you need, do an experiment over the end of year break and sleep with no alarm for seven days. Make a note of how many hours sleep you get each night and average it out. That will tell you how much sleep you naturally need. We are all different here.  From my experiment during my last break, I discovered I actually need an average of 7 hours 20 minutes. I'm not there yet. As I say, I have a minimum of 6 ½ hours, but next year I will work towards moving that to the seven hours twenty minutes.  I would strongly recommend to all of you that you read Matthew Walker's book, Why We Sleep. That will change your whole thinking about sleep.  Just getting enough sleep each day will radically improve your overall productivity as well as your mood, so you are a lot more attentive to the people you care about.  Now, what about exercise? Now here's the problem with exercise. A lot of people hate exercise. Possibly because how they were introduced to exercise at school has left a scar that still lives with them today. Yet exercise is essential for productivity. However, to get the benefit of exercise, you do not need to go to a gym or out running. Really, what is meant by “exercise” is movement. We need to move.  It's interesting that when Apple were developing the Apple Watch, the two key parts to their exercise app were number of “active” minutes and the number of times you stood up per day. They even put a target on these: Thirty minutes of activity and standing twelve times per day. The standing metric was measured by making sure you stood at least once for sixty seconds or more every hour or so.  So, what is involved in movement or activity. Well, a thirty minute intentional walk would do. But you can go further. Stop using lifts (or elevators as they are called in North America) and escalators. Reintroduce yourself to stairs. The stairs are a great source for getting the blood flowing and improving your focus and productivity.  Even if you have a disability and are unable to walk unaided, any kind of activity you can do that will raise your heart rate counts as exercise. A non-motorised wheel chair gives you wonderful opportunities to move with your upper body for example.  One tip I learned from a preventative medicine doctor (Dr Mark Hyman) is to get yourself outside and walk for twenty minutes after a meal. That movement will prevent your blood sugar levels from spiking after a meal and help you to avoid the ‘afternoon slump' that affects so many people.  Seventy years ago, it would have been very hard to find a gym. Lifting weights was an exclusive and minority sport and unless you were into body building—a sport most people had never heard of back then—your only introduction to a gymnasium was at school and most people treated those as a wicket form of torture netted out my evil PE teachers. Why were gyms so rare back then? Well, that's because we moved a lot more and never needed them. There wasn't the convenience we have today. Escalators were rare, very few people had TVs in their home (and those that did had to keep getting up to change channel) and if someone called you, you again had to get up, go to the hall and answer the phone.  There was no home delivery pizza or other convenience foods, so we had to cook. Our whole lives were based around movement.  Today, it's perfectly normal for many people to get home, sit down on the sofa and not move again until they head off to bed four or five hours later. They left their home, walked the three metres to their car, drove to the office, parked in the car park, walked the five metres to the lifts, got to their desks, and spend the next eight or nine hours sat down. Then repeated the homeward journey, to spend the evening sat on a sofa.  Is it any wonder in the developed world over 60% of people are dangerously overweight and suffering from some form of preventable cardiovascular disease? And that leads me to the final piece in the mix. Diet.  Yes, convenience food is often delicious. It's also quick and can fill a hole instantly. You would think if all I have to do is order something through an app, have it delivered to my door within thirty minutes that would allow me more time to get more stuff done.  Well, no. The majority of food we eat today is highly processed, full of sugar and is not satiating. It leaves you craving more which has disastrous effects on your blood sugars. This then leads to spikes in your insulin levels and if repeated over a long period of time will result in you becoming pre-diabetic or full blown diabetic.  And diabetes is not a disease you want. It's linked to the increasing numbers of dementia, not to mention the likelihood of limb amputations, irreversible heart disease and kidney failure. You really do not want to develop this horrible disease.  The effects of all that sugar and highly processed food on your productivity is devastating. It's what leaves you feeing hungry mid-morning, sleepy in the afternoon and exhausted in the evenings. You're not in the mood to focus your attention on anything. This is why we are so easily distracted by email, messages and our co-workers gossiping.  The trouble is most people are in denial about the state of their diet. They think the problem is they have too much work, they are overwhelmed or their systems are a mess (so they need to find a new app).  No. If you're not getting enough sleep or exercise and your diet is a disaster zone, that is the reason why you are stressed out, overwhelmed and tired all the time. It's not your work or the things you have to do.  Now, as we come towards the end of the year, my advice is start with these three unsexy parts of the productivity mix. Make a commitment to yourself to start moving and sleeping more and sort out your diet.  As I mentioned before read Matthew Walker's Why We Sleep book. In addition, I would recommend Dr Mark Hyman's Pecan Diet book as well as Dr David Perlmutter's Drop Acid.  Once you've read those three books read Dr Jason Fung's Obesity Code.  If you commit to reading those four books over the end of year break, you will furnish yourself with the knowledge to make better choices about how and when to sleep as well as what to eat. They will dramatically change your life.  Making changes in these three areas of your life: your sleep, movement and diet will have a profound impact on your energy levels through the day which will impact the quality and quantity not only on what you do last work, but with your relationships with the people that matter most to you.  Plus, of course, you will significantly reduce your risk of developing debilitating lifestyle diseases that will ultimately prevent you from living the life you have always dreamed of.  Thank you, Ryan, for you question. And thank you to you too for listening. It just remains for me now to wish you all a very very productive week.   

The Obi Wan trailer is out. At last, Alex and I get to share our thoughts on The Batman. More on the resurrected blog. Black Panther director passed a note to a bank teller and got handcuffed.  You may want to help me with my Outlook/calendar etiquette. UT women win.  The Sundance may shut down. 

Ben and Derrick chat about tools for collaboration and their recent experiences with negotiating deals. Ben wants to level up this year on the marketing front. Work is underway on the SavvyCal integration with Outlook Calendar.

Te voy a hablar de Facilethings, una herramienta de organización. Es, probablemente, la mejor aplicación para implementar la metodología GTD.https://facilethings.com/Te hablaré del fundador David Allen y su alumno aventajado José Miguel Bolivar, así como de Paz Garde.Si quieres formarte en GTD® no dudes en contactar con el equipo de Optimalab, los únicos formadores acreditados por la David Allen Company para realizar formación en España https://formaciongtd.com/Repasaremos los cinco pasos de la metodología y veremos qué aporta Facilethings en cada uno de ellos.RecopilarPuedes capturar tus cosas desde la aplicaciones web y móviles de FacileThings, o desde otras herramientas habituales, como tu email, Evernote, Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, Twitter y Dropbox. Integra las herramientas que necesites y no dejes que ninguna idea se vuelva a escapar.AclararAclarar qué es cada cosa que has capturado y decidir que vas a hacer con ella es lo que te permite transformar el caos, una bandeja de entrada llena de cosas indefinidas, por la tranquilidad, un conjunto claro de acciones bien organizadas. Hazlo al menos una vez al día.OrganizarFacileThings te proporciona un sistema completo de listas para organizar todas las cosas (tareas, proyectos, información, acciones futuras, contextos, eventos, contactos) de todas tu áreas de interés (trabajo, familia, ocio, etc.). Pon cada cosa en su sitio y FacileThings te mostrará lo que es relevante en cada momento.ReflexionarPara que tu sistema GTD sea útil y funcional, debes revisar tus listas tan a menudo como necesites para confiar en él y sentir que todo está bajo control. Se trata de un hábito difícil de conseguir. FacileThings te ayuda con un Asistente diseñado para realizar de manera sencilla una completa Revisión Semanal.EjecutarElige la acción correctaAdemás de tu intuición, los siguientes criterios te permitirán elegir cuál es la tarea de deberías hacer en cualquier momento:Contexto: Según donde estés y las herramientas que tengas a mano, podrás hacer unas acciones u otras.Tiempo disponible: El tiempo que puedes emplear ahora mismo también limita las acciones que puedes realizar.Energía disponible: Tu nivel de energía también determina qué puedes hacer y qué deberías dejar para otro momento.Prioridad relativa: Una vez has filtrado las acciones que puedes llevar a cabo con los criterios anteriores, ¿cuál de ellas producirá un mayor valor en este momento?Si tienes un negocio en el sector de la arquitectura y construcción y deseas formación de Revit, Presto, Organización y Página WEB, esto te puede interesar. https://aparejadorivan.com/amigos-email/

Brandon Lewis, partner with the Dallas litigation boutique Reid Collins & Tsai, joins us on today's show! Brandon talks about how COVID is impacting jurisdictions differently, reading great writing to improve your writing, and the importance of attention to detail.COVID-19 Update (Recorded 7/16/20)Shuttered offices in early March and haven't been back; firm is geared toward working remotelyThey have a NYC officeUse tools: Office 365/Teams/Zoom but stay homeCourts shut everything downdifferent state Supreme Courts came out with new orders regularly and it was a challenge to keep up with the rules of the road for each jurisdictionDeadlines extended / statute of limitations suspendedSome hearings have been done virtuallySome Zoom mediationsHe hasn't done a Zoom deposition though others in his firm haveMostly pushing things off so they can resume more normal operationsLearning from others how to work from home has been importantmaintain scheduleget dressed in work clothesforgive yourself for struggling and give yourself some graceHis firm/practice:Litigation boutique of 34 attorneys specializing in complex commercial litigation; director/officer liability; financial frauds/insolvency; professional malpractice.almost all of the work is from the plaintiff sideOffices in Austin, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and New YorkThere is a lot changing on the bankruptcy side in the wake of COVIDmuch of their work arises when a company goes bankruptstatutes of limitationsnew laws for reliefU.S. Supreme Court decision on 546e (the "Safe Harbor" provision") of the Bankruptcy CodeCOVID will create a wave of bankruptcies that will ultimately lead to resulting litigationsilver lining is that fraudsters will be exposedAdvice to lawyers:Read Mark Herrmann's The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Lawshort, easy readtons of great adviceRead good writing; think like a lawyer and never write like oneBryan Garner preaches thisWant the judge who reads your work to think Hemingway, not "comes now the plaintiff..."Best way to write like this is read excellent writing by othersAttention to detail is crucial; table stakesThis will show up in your written work productWhen you are done, print it, hold it in your hands, pick up a pen and go through it.will help you catch typos, grammar, etc.spell-check isn't perfect and your eyes won't see everything when it's on screenRead it back to front (one paragraph at a time)It is not the partner's job to catch your typosIf a partner gives you an assignment, don't just answer his/her question...solve the problem.Just answering the question assumes the partner asked the right question in the right way, and much of the time that is not the case; assume they asked the question too narrowly or clumsilyTherefore answering the question will likely lead to a follow up question; anticipate that and take the next step to ultimately solve the problemthat makes you indispensable, and indispensable associates are the ones who become partnersYour first client is your partner; that is the person who feeds you work. Keep them happy and it will build your reputation both in the firm and beyond.Clients will hear about you by word-of-mouthBe purposeful/target in your community/organizational involvementadd valueAdvice to lawyers seeking a jobAttention to detail in documents is key; no typos, no generic cover lettersneed to know you want a job at this firm doing what we doExperience level / writing sample that highlights thatSince most are coming from out of state, want to know why Dallas? How likely are you to stay?They will ask you to talk about the most interesting/complex case you have worked on; can you explain it to someone who has never heard about it before? That will show them whether you can explain something to a jury/judge.Rapid Fire questionsTrait/characteristic - good judgmentHabit key to success - learning from mistakes and borrowing from others' ideasFavorite app/tool - Outlook Calendar and OneNoteFavorite social distancing activity - cooking for the family (especially pork chops)Favorite legal movie - A Civil ActionThanks again to Brandon Lewis for coming on the show!

My calendar is probably the most important productivity tool I use (even more important than Asana). It's how I organise my life, see what's coming up and ultimately how I plan what I should be doing. But when I work with clients, I'm often surprised by how little or how much they have on their calendar. Or I see they're not using basic features that can help you to get more out of their calendar. The calendar you use really doesn't matter that much. Most people use either the Apple Calendar (like me), Google or Outlook Calendar. They're all pretty similar and the advice I'm going to share isn't specific to any one tool. Show notes » paulminors.com/177 Download my productivity blueprint and learn the processes and tools I use to be more organised and achieve more in my business and home life. You'll also get my FREE 3-part video training series where I'll explain 1) 4 simple steps to supercharge your productivity 2) common mistakes to avoid 3) the 10 productivity tools I couldn't live without. Download here » paulminors.com/products/productivity-blueprint/ If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast. I'd also love it if you could leave me a review. Doing this will help more people discover the show so they to can get more done and get more out of life. Intro/Outro Music: "Synthia" by Scott & Brendo --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paulminors/message

A simple 5-minute walkthrough guide on how to sync your Clarity TeamNet calendar with your Outlook calendar, including my own hacks. Nuff said 

Trigger Warning: In our discussion we discuss: PTSD, Depression and suicideSuicide hotlinesInternational Hotlines1-800-273-8255 National suicide prevention hotline with messagingResourcesThe Red Badge ProjectWebsite/Blog, Twitter, & Instagram Handlehttps://kathryntrueblood.com/Name *Kathryn TruebloodDisorder InfoWhat is your disorder? *Crohns Disease and Graves DiseaseAt what age did your disorder become a daily issue? *45Who were you before your illness became debilitating? *An over-functioning wife of a depressive man while raising two children with special needs and teaching full-time as I climbed the career ladder and maintained the family's health insurance.What would you do if you were not dealing with your invisible illness? *Go hiking and backpacking and dancing.What would you like people to know about your daily life? *Even though I manage the regular workweek (in part because I can work from home when I am not teaching), I spend every weekend out of remission and/or in pain. Then it is time to get up and do it again Amen.What would make living and moving in the world easier for you? *The ability to work part-time.Do you have any life hacks? *Yes. In your day planner, write down anything you do that is restorative to you as an appointment, be it a pedicure or a yoga class or a walk with the dog. Use your initials, if you like. That way, you won't give away your time for yourself. When people look over your shoulder, they see that these spots are already spoken for, and don't start suggesting times and dates. Same goes with your Outlook Calendar.What kind of support do you get from family or friends? *My husband will always rub my back, even in the middle of the night. He is the most compassionate person I know. My best friend will talk through anything will me and she takes me to any procedures or surgeries I need when my husband is our of town.Have you ever had someone not believe you have an invisible illness because of your appearance and if so are there any examples that stand out? *I have had colleagues express anger, resentment, and envy when I was on a part-time medical leave. I've heard them say, "Well, you look fine." One colleague actually said, "Well, if it's not one thing with you, it's another." That one stayed with me.How has your chronic illness affected your relationships? *When I am out of remission, I tend to isolate myself. Partly because I am exhausted and partly because I don't want people to see me when I am ill or in pain. In my last work promotion file, I was very candid about why I had two part-time medical leaves and how illness has affected my outlook. I began working with veterans after my illness in 2007, offering them storytelling workshops through The Red Badge Project because I felt their isolation and I believe in the healing power of telling stories. My illness has made me willing to be vulnerable and candid with people, to sit with their pain, and vets love dark humor.Is there anything you are afraid to tell people in your life? *Yes, that when I get worn down by pain, I sometimes think about jumping off the Deception Pass Bridge. It is more a fantasy than a plan, but in the fantasy I perceive that moment as very liberating, to leap into the air and be carried by the tides. Just so you know, I have had two immediate family members attempt suicide and I would never inflict that kind of pain upon my loved ones, nor would I want to increase their likelihood of making an attempt later in life.Does the fact that your disease is invisible change how healthcare professionals treat you? *I don't think so. I have a pretty solid team.What is your best coping mechanism? *Meditation, yoga, and soft-serve ice cream. Having a session with the family dog!What are you the most concerned about and the most hopeful for in the future? *I am very concerned about the lack of social services and healthcare for so many who are suffering from chronic illness in this country. I am hopeful because Americans are innovators and I believe we can turn global climate change around. I believe in the kindness of people because my experience has shown me that most people are kind.Is there anything you want to make sure we talk about during the interview? Like an organization you want to promote or something specific that you deal with.I'd like to talk about parenting while chronically ill, from the children's perspective as well as the parent's. I was inspired to write the book because I could not find what I felt were honest representations in fiction or non-fiction.What is the hardest and/or best lesson your condition has taught you?The hardest? I could no longer use my tremendous will power to over-ride my body. I had received an overdue notice from God (!), and it was time to pay attention. The best? How deeply love abides, how durable it is.What is the best purchase under $100 that helped your lifeA Samsonite business case on wheels.Any questions you think we should add to this list?How do the protagonist's children respond to her diagnosis of Crohn’s disease? Do their coping strategies change throughout the book? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Runners on the Lakeshore Path spend miles with their noses down, but starting August 2017, there was a reason to look up just north of LaSalle Street. The Shore Club is an oasis on the Lakefront that Lisa Jaroscak and her two partners - Robbie Schloss and Nick Thayer - helped to create. The day that this location opened its doors, Jaroscak told us that she accomplished a big goal that took months of hard work and endless creativity. She talked through what that meant for her on this week's episode of our podcast, #WeGotGoals (a live episode that we recorded at the new Moxy Chicago). That goal and its achievement may seem like a departure from where Jaroscak started her professional journey. Just five years ago, Jaroscak graduated from college with formal training as an operatic soprano. But as any musician learns, getting paid to perform your craft comes with a lot of hustle. And that hustle propelled Jaroscak to find opportunities - opportunities to book other artists and to eventually produce music festivals and events. When she found the site that would become The Shore Club, her eyes were already open to opportunities and she was willing to put in the work to make it happen. The rest of the pieces fell into place after Jaroscak trusted her gut and charged ahead to bring her project to life. Listen to this week's episode and you'll hear Jaroscak discuss how she met her partners, the inspiration for the Shore Club, and who you should never ask an opera singer to belt out a note for you (she never actually discussed that, but I did ask her to sing a note and realized to my horror that it was like asking a sprinter to run their fastest 40-meter dash, totally cold). And if you enjoy #WeGotGoals, subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts and leave us a rating or a review on Apple Podcasts. ------- JAC:Welcome to #WeGotGoals, a podcast by aSweatLife.com, on which we talk to high achievers about their goals. This week's episode is a special episode. We recorded it live at the Moxy Hotel Chicago, which just opened up so you may hear a little bit of background noise and a little bit of music, but that's really just the ambiance and the fun of the Moxy coming through on this episode. Let's get to the show. I'm Jeana Anderson Cohen and with me I have Maggie Umberger and Kristen Geil. MU:Hi Jeana, how's it going? KG:Hey Jeana. JAC:What's up, goal-getters? MU:Jeana, this week you spoke with Lisa Jaroscak of the Shore Club. JAC:I did, so Lisa does a lot of things, the Shore Club being one of them. And I say a lot of things because it's actually sort of staggering. She currently is involved with, a partner of or leading at four different companies across Chicago. Everything from the seasonal work that's involved in the Shore Club, which is a restaurant located on Chicago Park District land right on the lake shore. It's really beautiful and one-of-a-kind. She's also involved in some planning and event logistics and operations, so her work really spreads from that sort of hospitality mindset. MU:So the Shore Club is newer to Chicago even though people have been running on the lake shore path for a very long time. This is a new addition to what tourists and locals can experience alike, and I think it's a need for the lake shore. So when Lisa saw this space, she almost became obsessed with the goal of creating it and creating that opportunity for people to experience what she had in her mind. JAC:Yeah. She's absolutely a fixator, which I say in a way that is incredibly positive because I too am a fixator and when I say she fixates, she talked about how she saw the space on the lake shore path that would become the Shore Club and at first, she saw it as a perfect venue to host an event for one of her clients and then as she started to dig into the logistics of actually opening a restaurant or an event space on Chicago Park District property, she realized really quickly that it needed to be open and available and accessible to all Chicago residents. So a restaurant was the clear way to go. JAC:The Shore Club is inspired by beautiful beaches across the world, how Lisa puts it, and really when you see it, it makes sense because it looks like something you could find in Greece. It looks like something you'd find in the south of Italy or France or Croatia, wherever you'd want to go to a beautiful beach with great beach food or snacks to share. This place really represents that and I. But I think what's most striking, even though the design is incredible and even though the place is remarkable, I think what's really striking about it is that Lisa is so young. JAC:She's out of college in a handful of years, so she hasn't been in the workforce for a super long time. Her professional training was in music and she sort of had this idea, had this dream, had this vision and found the people to help her execute it. And when that vision was like create this beautiful place that was healthy, that that really reflected the lake rather than taking away from it. What she created was truly remarkable, especially given her age and experience. KG:And it seems like in your interview, even though she's so young and she's already accomplished so much, she stayed really humble throughout it all. JAC:She's super humble and I'm going to point to a couple of things for that, one being just the hard work that goes into event production in general and hospitality in general. Sometimes when you hustle all the time, it's hard to sort of spend a lot of time on ego. And the other one being where we're both from. JAC:So we're from Minnesota, she's from a town that borders mine. I'm from Anoka, she's from Coon Rapids and we are a hardy stock, the Minnesota people, we work hard and we do not take compliments well. So when you hear her sort of speak to her own accomplishments, it, it's sort of those things where it's just she's put her nose down, she's worked really hard probably for her entire life. And now you're really sort of seeing that pay off. MU:On this podcast. We get to talk to high achievers and how and talk to them about how they approach goals in general. And some are really opposed to thinking far ahead and they really like living in the present moment, but it seemed to me like the way that you talk about, uh, how hard she works in what she's doing. It doesn't, doesn't leave her much room to talk about the big goals in the future. It's really just driving forward and kind of digging down into that hard work. Would you say that that sort of her mindset about goal setting in general? JAC:Yes. And she also knows that she wants more of these restaurant brands. She wants to be a restaurant group and have a restaurant brand that's known across the country. So I, I think that she's present in the work that goes into making a successful brand, but she's not removed from the path that leads you to future growth. KG:Another thing Lisa mentioned in the interview was how important it was for her to find the right partner for the Shore Club. Can you talk a little bit more about why this was so important to her? JAC:The partnership was incredibly important to Lisa in creating the Shore Club because she needed help in areas where she hadn't had experience, so when she started to get connections and pointed towards people who were a friend of a friend or were from where she's from or went to church camp with her in one case, she started having these conversations about the vision and the dream and and sort of was able to see the synapses fire in other people and the connections get formed. JAC:You'll hear her talk about the gentleman who would eventually become her partner and how she just knew she had a gut feeling that he would come to this meeting and he would be her path forward. So even though he was an hour late, which I will tell you, does not strike a Minnesotan well. We are punctual people. She stayed. She waited because she just knew intuitively that this meeting was important. Whether he would end up being her partner or not. And he ended up being her partner. MU:We're so excited to hear this full interview with Jeana and Lisa. So here it is. JAC:I'm here with Lisa Jaroscak on an episode of #WeGotGoals. Lisa, how's it going? LJ:It's going good. Pretty busy, but good. ] JAC:And you're busy for a lot of reasons which we'll get to, but we're here actually doing a live episode at the brand new Moxy Hotel here in Chicago. So shout-out to Moxy for hosting us in this incredible podcast studio. But Lisa, you've got a lot going on right now before we get into the big question. So talk me through how you spent today. LJ:Oh Man, today. Well, I got up and I picked up some popcorn from Garrett's Popcorn for a favor, for a wedding that I'm doing this coming weekend. And then after that we moved on and I went to Shore Club. We're opening this weekend on Friday and we're getting ready. We have our friends and family opening tonight and getting the space set and we had a photo shoot today. JAC:It's a busy day. LJ:Yeah, definitely. JAC:And you have not always been in the business of food and beverage and hospitality. Right? You started your career more so in music. Can you talk me through how you made the leap from music into hospitality? LJ:Yeah, so my background being in music kind of started with, you know, I was performing a lot and I did a lot of gigs all around town and I was touring for a little while and then from there it just seemed like a natural progression to get more into the production side of things and booking. So I was working with some other artists and helping them book for like festivals and private events and corporate events, all sorts of different things. And then from there, you know, it was like, OK, so you're getting the artists. So now can you get the sound?  Can you get the stage, can you get the lights, can you get the tent, can you get the mobile stage unit, all of that. And suddenly you're, you're producing the whole event. JAC:And when we talk about artists, you're not talking about just like an artist, no one's heard of, you're talking about Chance the Rapper, you're talking about O.A.R. and some other big names. So you're being very humble about your background. LJ:Yeah, I think working in some of the large festivals--I've worked on Lollapalooza, I've worked on the NFL draft, different things like that that are bringing in, you know, high level talent that are coming in and performing for large masses of people. They are absolutely excited. And, and when you talk about like working with the artists, you are, you know, for me, I'm in the background and I'm setting up the stages, I'm setting the microphones, I'm collaborating with all the vendors that are involved in making it happen. JAC:So talk me through how you started the Shore Club, before we jump into your big goals. LJ:Yeah. So man, three years ago I was working with the Chicago Bears and Soldier Field and I was working on some tailgating events and from there I met a gentleman that was working, working with the Park District and he introduced me to this space. And when I was first looking at it, I thought of it as being an event venue because I thought it would be a great place to host people and as the process kept going, I started realizing it needed to be public and the way to do that is to make it into a restaurant and you know, there really weren't a lot of restaurants on the lake front, especially restaurants that do high end food. And so we started going after it and I got introduced to my partner, Robbie Schloss about two and a half years ago. LJ:So about six months into my process. And from there he and I like hit the ground running, talking to everybody, telling everybody about it and you know, talking with all of the, the people at large with the, with the city. JAC:And I also know that you're from the same place that I'm from. You're from Minnesota and we Minnesotans are hardy stock. We're hard workers. So as soon as I met you and got to know that fact, I figured that it made it a lot of sense that you're going to answer the next question I'm about to ask you the way you're going to answer it. How many businesses do you currently work for or own right now? LJ:Fou. I was counting them. I was like going through the list. JAC:Can you name them and that you do it each? LJ:Yeah, so I obviously am an owner with Shore Club Chicago on North Avenue Beach. I'm the executive director at First in Flight Entertainment and Event Productions, which is the event production festival side of things and entertainment booking and then I am a lead planner and destination wedding planner with Storybook Weddings and Events, and I am the co-owner of Thrive Event Consulting. JAC:So nothing much. LJ:No, I'm. I have a boring life and I sit at home a lot. JAC:You just shared with me before we got started that you grocery shop for the first time yesterday. LJ:Yeah, for like in a month, you know, it's OK. I work at a restaurant. So you use scrap things together. JAC:Absolutely. So let's get down to it. Let's talk about your big goal. Can you tell me about a big goal that you accomplished, how you got there and why it was important to you? LJ:Well, I definitely think that Shore Club is that goal that I've kind of gone after and it's happening.  I did not come from a background in, in raising any sort of venture capital; working in restaurants--I like, you know, waited tables in college. That was my extent of it, but you know, I saw this, this place on the beach and I just, I couldn't let it go. I kept, I kept thinking about it and it started in one place and it has grown into something completely different but still in reference to what it started as. And it just develops because you have to, you have to let it go where it's going to go based off of other people's opinions in order to actually make it happen. You have to evolve your plan and I think a lot of that I, I pay a testament to my partners with Shore Club, you know, their background being more on the restaurant and venue side of things. LJ:They really helped guide me on that side of it. My experience in tenting and poppop concepting really helped Shore Club pop up and so, you know, I think just like never giving up and always being able to be flexible in order to make your goal and your dream come true. And I think for me one of the most satisfying moments was last year we did the grand opening of Shore Club on August 14th. We had over 400 people there and like to see 400 people like of, you know, Chicago socialites and, and PR people and people that are working with major news organizations coming to this place. That was just an idea in your head and like to watch them just enjoying themselves and, and celebrating within it. I mean, it was so surreal for me and you know, I'm really excited going into this season about it being even closer to where I wanted it to be and I'm excited for people to enjoy it again this season. JAC:So you talked about the Shore Club being, your big goal and the vision that you had when you first saw this venue. So can you talk me through what your original vision was and how it evolved as you brought on partners and started getting feedback? LJ:Yeah. So as I mentioned before, it was like, I thought it was just going to be an event venue and I was like, oh, we're going to host weddings and corporate parties and like, we'll be closed when we're not rented out, was kind of like what I originally thought. And then from there, you know, learning from the Park District because I didn't know. It's like it had to be a public entity and the way that we did that was was making it into a restaurant. And so with that comes a whole other slew of issues that you have to tackle. LJ:I mean it's exciting, but for me, you know, bringing in my partner Robbie at the time and later on Nick Thayer, you know, it was like, it was going to be just the outdoor space and the tented area. And then it evolved that we have the, it's called the oasis where people can like rent a cabana day bed or sun bed and they can enjoy like bottles of champagne and bottle service out there and like trays of shared foods. And you know, I think that in the beginning it was supposed to be kind of this blank canvas that people would bring in their own stuff and like decorate it the way they want to like an event space, you know, like a ballroom or, or I dunno Shay down on Orleans or whatever. And it's like now it's evolved into this whole place that people come in and they're like, oh wow, you know, like I don't have to bring anything in. LJ:Like it's all here. It's our, it's already decorated. And, and to watch people everyday, like hanging out in the space and having like regulars. It's so bizarre and exciting. You know, I think that a lot of it too for me in the journey was I, I didn't know everything that I was getting into. I just had this end goal idea and, but like the steps to get there, it takes so much more than I knew at the time when I started, you know, going through, you know, meeting with people from the city and going through permitting and going through meeting with the neighborhood committee and like getting everybody's input and like changing your plans so that it can accommodate what their, their goals are because at the end of the day we want the public to be excited about what we're bringing there. So yeah, that's a little bit about how things started in comparison to where they are now. JAC:And I'm interested too, because I know that you studied music in college. I'm interested to hear how you've sort of learned the lessons in business that you've learned that have helped you be so successful. LJ:Well, I think being in music you have to market yourself and nobody's going to get the gigs for you until you're at a certain level. So, you know, it was about, I, I studied opera performance and you know, people would say, oh, it's a dying art. It's like, or, and, and maybe, maybe it is, but for me it was something I was incredibly passionate about and so it was about getting myself out there, doing the research to figure out like where auditions were. Where, you know, for me, I was a soprano so I was looking for companies that were doing productions that would fit my voice, getting out there for summer programs, getting out there, you know, I, I ended up transferring to a conservatory, you know, like what was the best thing for my career and moving forward and I think that it really, it really takes like you learning that you need to support you in your goals and that everybody else's opinion--take it, but also like don't lose sight of what your end goal is and like let, let opinions help guide you, but don't let them dictate where you're going. JAC:That's great advice and I think it's especially great advice for anyone who's taking on money or partners. Which leads me to my next question about a big goal you've accomplished. So how did you pick the partners that were right for you and for Shore Club? LJ:Well, OK. It's a funny story actually being from Minnesota, so I grew up in Coon Rapids, Minnesota and I went to a good Lutheran church as most Minnesotans do and I went to church camp and a very good friend of mine, Noah Kraft who owns Kraft Lighting here in Chicago. We grew up together going to church camp and when I was, when I had moved to Chicago, he lived here too and he does like a lot of lighting and sound installations across the city in like for Lettuce Entertain You venues and and all over. So he was working on a project with Robbie. LJ:So I presented the idea of Shore Club to him because I knew like he wouldn't steal it. And so then he, I was like, so what do I do now? Like I've never raised money. I don't know anything about like entering things into a POS system. I don't know about hiring staff. Like I don't know these things. And so he ended up introducing me to Robbie. He was like, Robbie's a good guy, you know, he will, you know, he'll help you and he'll give you his ideas. And then I had scheduled coffee with Robbie at the Chicago Athletic Association and he was an hour late, but I stayed because I was like, he's my chance. So I stayed there for an hour and he like, called me in a panic and he was like, Oh my God, my Outlook Calendar, something crazy happened. I was like, it's OK. LJ:It's OK. So he came. I presented the idea and like I think that he, you know, he like played it cool. He was like, yeah, yeah, I think it's a, I think it's a good idea. And then afterwards, like I heard this later from, from his wife being like, oh my God, he came back and he was like super amped about the project. Like he tried to play it totally cool. But then through, through Robbie, so you know, we started hitting the ground running and we were working together. There were other people that I thought would be involved then later weren't. And then like through time I feel like it weeds the wrong people out because you just stay dedicated to the goal and if people aren't dedicated then they kind of drop off. And then from there Nick Thayer was like, he texted the wrong Robbie, so he ended up texting Robbie on accident and then they ended up getting together and he told them about Shore Club. LJ:And then Nick was all about it. Then I met nick and then all of us were, we decided to do this together and then you know, to go full circle. Nick and Noah from church camp had worked together previously so everybody knew each other. And so we opened up things. And I think one of the most amazing things about our partnership is that like we each have our thing that we know that we're really good at and we don't get in each other's way, but we'll come to each other if we have, if we have a question and like we have team meetings and say like, OK, what do we think about this? And, and I love having three because it's like, then it's never one against the other, it's like usually somebody agrees with one of them and then we like convince the other ones that we're right or, or that we're wrong, you know, and I think that that has been such a valuable part. LJ:And like Robbie, Nick and I are like, we're also like, we're really good friends. So outside of work, even though that's kind of like, oh all we do and talk about, it's like I also know that like Robbie would have my back and Nick would have my back in, in life in general too. And I think when you have that trust, it just leads itself to being a great place for a business to thrive and grow. JAC:OK. Two rapid fire questions, before we get into your future goals. One, do you still sing? LJ:Yes. JAC:Can you sing a note for us? LJ:Oh, I don't want to do that. JAC:Don't do it. You don't have. As soon as I asked, I was like, that's probably rude. Two: Do you think that someone who is from Minnesota or who is not from Minnesota would have stayed for an hour for that coffee? LJ:Oh man. JAC:I think that's a very Minnesota thing to do. LJ:Yeah. I mean my friend told me he was a good guy. Like I believed him. He was worth the wait and like I just took out my laptop and got some other stuff done and I was like, if he doesn't show he doesn't show, but at least I got some work done in the meantime and then. And then he showed and it was like history. History was writing itself. JAC:And the rest is history. So let's jump in to a big goal you have for the future. So can you talk me through a big goal you hope to accomplish--you've already done so much--and how you plan to get there? LJ:Yeah, so I think that one of my big goals or I guess a collective goal of Robbie, Nick and myself as a, you know, we're, we want to open more places and that's something that's on our horizon. LJ:And I think, you know, we want to get to a place where we're a well established hospitality group here in Chicago and hopefully nationwide and I think that that's something that we're creating a good foundation in making sure that we have kind of all of our bases covered and through the way that the public has just, I dunno, just captured our hearts and just really taken us in as even though we're like new kids on the block, so to say as a group together, I'm excited for what the future has to hold of other endeavors. I think that, you know, the three of us are pretty creative individuals and we're, all three of us are, you know, we're not afraid to get our hands dirty and so I'm excited moving forward of what those other projects are going to be. And yeah, I mean I hope that we open 20 properties someday. JAC:Get to say those big goals aloud. LJ:Yes. JAC:Well thank you Lisa for joining me on the #WeGotGoals podcast. Before we sign off, would you tell me where you want to open next, if you were to open your second location? LJ:We're looking in the loop or in the Fulton Market area. JAC:Hot. LJ:Definitely. I'm a big believer in like go where the people are. JAC:I didn't know what to say then but hot came out, so here we are. Thank you for joining me. It has been a pleasure and you can find Lisa, by the way, at the Shore Club all summer long opening-- announcing tomorrow its fitness lineup, so don't miss that. LJ:Yeah. CK:This podcast was produced by me, Cindy Kuzma, and it's another thing that's better with friends, so please share it with yours. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and if you get a chance to leave us a rating or review while you're there, we would really appreciate it. Special thanks to J. Mano for our theme music; our guest this week, Lisa Jaroscak; and to Moxy Chicago Downtown for hosting our live podcast event.

In this episode, Jeremy Thake talks to Paul Schaeflien, Elio Struyf and Waldek Mastykarz about the MVP Summit. Weekly updates Office Dev Show—Episode 17: Grace Hopper Celebration Office Dev Show—Episode 16: Getting Started with Android Studio Display Events from an Outlook Calendar in SharePoint using Office 365 API’s Office Dev PnP webcast—Introduction to Office Dev PnP Provisioning Engine The new Office—October feature update Got questions or comments about the show? Join the O365 Dev Podcast on the Office 365 Technical Network. The podcast RSS is available iTunes or search for it on “Office 365 Developer Podcast” or add directly with the RSS http://feeds.feedburner.com/Office365DeveloperPodcast. About Paul Schaeflein Paul has worked with Microsoft’s SharePoint technologies since it was called the Digital Dashboard. This work encompasses substantial custom development, implementations and training. Also, Paul was granted the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award for his community work – primarily presentations at national conferences, regional events and user groups. Check out Paul’s blog www.schaeflein.net/blog and follow him on @paulschaeflein. About Elio Struyf Elio is an Office 365 consultant working for Ventigrate and a board member of the Belgian Information Worker User Group, (BIWUG ). He focused on search and branding related topics in SharePoint and Office 365. He shares his ideas and experiences on his blog (www.eliostruyf.com) and through various public speaking engagements. About Waldek Mastykarz Waldek is a Microsoft SharePoint Server MVP and works as a SharePoint consultant at Mavention. Waldek shares his enthusiasm about the SharePoint platform through his blog, articles published in both online and offline magazines and on MSDN SharePoint forums. Waldek participates frequently as an “Ask-the-Expert” in community events such as SharePoint Connections, Microsoft TechEd and DevDays. He is also a Virtual Technology Solutions Professional for Microsoft Netherlands. In this role, he helps answer customer questions around SharePoint Web Content Management (WCM). Check out his blog mastykarz.nl and follow him on twitter @waldekm. About the hosts Jeremy is a technical product manager at Microsoft responsible for the Visual Studio Developer story for Office 365 development. Previously he worked at AvePoint Inc., a large ISV, as the chief architect shipping two apps to the Office Store. He has been heavily involved in the SharePoint community since 2006 and was awarded the SharePoint MVP award four years in a row before retiring the title to move to Microsoft. You can find Jeremy blogging at www.jeremythake.com and tweeting at @jthake.   Richard is a software engineer in Microsoft’s Developer Experience (DX) group, where he helps developers and software vendors maximize their use of Microsoft cloud services in Office 365 and Azure. Richard has spent a good portion of the last decade architecting Office-centric solutions, many that span Microsoft’s diverse technology portfolio. He is a passionate technology evangelist and frequent speaker are worldwide conferences, trainings and events. Richard is highly active in the Office 365 community, popular blogger at www.richdizz.com and can be found on twitter at @richdizz. Richard is born, raised and based in Dallas, TX, but works on a worldwide team based in Redmond. Richard is an avid builder of things (BoT), musician and lightning-fast runner.