Podcasts about way we approach goal setting

How do we honor our humanness when engaging with others, especially in an increasingly anti-human landscape? Join us as we welcome Tara McMullin, a renowned writer, podcaster, and producer who has spent over a decade investigating the future of work. Tara shares her evolving perspectives on work, business, and how she navigates this complex landscape through her writing. From the challenges of leading an online community to reimagining community in a digital age, Tara offers valuable insights on fostering connection in today's world. Guest BioTara McMullin is a writer, podcaster, and producer who has dedicated her career to exploring the future of work. With a wealth of experience spanning over 14 years, Tara has become a go-to resource for coaches, influencers, educators, and professionals in various fields. Her book, "What Works? A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting," offers valuable insights and strategies for achieving success in the rapidly changing business landscape. Tara's expertise extends to hosting the popular podcast "What Works?", where she engages in meaningful conversations about navigating the 21st-century economy while preserving our humanity. Her work has been featured in leading publications, including Fast Company, The Muse, and Quartz.Listen to the What Works Podcast here.Learn more about Tara's work and read her writing here.Key Takeaways00:11:58 Community management and the emotional labor it requires.Discover how the emotional labor involved in moderating online spaces can shape our digital experiences. Tara dives into the crucial yet often overlooked roles of moderation and community management in today's digital landscape. She also opens up about her personal journey, grappling with mental health and a sense of identity, which led to a significant awakening regarding self-care and how she engages with online communities.0:33:23 How do you define community?Tara shares how she finds a sense of community by immersing herself in the work of others, such as reading books, listening to podcasts, and engaging with writers on platforms like Substack. Her goal is to create work that resonates with and serves others, even if it's not through direct interactions like DMs or comments. Community doesn't require a minimum number of interactions or minimum criteria as long as mutual concern exists.00:40:00 “Where am I drawing attention to my human value?”Tara emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the humanness of individuals in online interactions. She discusses the need to move beyond perceiving others as mere users or avatars and instead engage with them on a deeper level. By embracing our shared humanity, Tara believes we can foster authentic connections that transcend the limitations of platform-centric interactions.Additional ResourcesWhat Works? A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting by Tara McMullin: Tara McMullin shows you how to transform the way you set and achieve your goals to create a gentler and more fulfilling way to work toward what you truly want. In the book, you'll explore what's driving your pursuit of “more” (more money, more things, more prestige, etc.), set commitments to help orient your growth, and organize your actions as part of a holistic learning process.Immunity to Change Framework by Robert Keegan...

Have you ever felt like you needed more? More money, more prestige, more status, and more accomplishment? In this week's podcast episode Tara McMullin, the author of What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting, helps us peek behind the curtain. Listen in as she unpacks the programming creating this lack of satisfaction and gives us important clues about how to de-program ourselves. Tara will help us focus on being in process with ourselves instead of seeking ever more, ever more.Join Tara McMullin and Dr. Amanda Crowell as we discuss:How our culture creates a need for more, more, moreHow to help our children avoid the burnout and overworking programming from the startHow to use technological tools as tools, instead of as further indications that we aren't doing things right

Tara McMullin is the author of What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. The book examines the social and economic systems that influence what we strive for. It guides the reader through turning an achievement-oriented life into a practice-oriented life, reshaping how they set goals, make plans, and execute daily work in the process.Links and ResourcesMore on Tara McMullinLead to Soar SummitLead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host live-streaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“This cancerous economic principle means that executives and venture capitalists have abandoned the concept of value within a business. Through decades of corporate greed, production has become almost entirely separated from capital, meaning that executives (and higher-ups) are no longer able to understand the nature of the businesses they are growing.”— Ed Zitron, “Absentee Capitalism”This might sound weird—but most companies today aren't in the business it appears they're in. Netflix isn't really in the content business. Facebook isn't in the social media business. Etsy isn't in the handmade marketplace business. Instead, companies are in the growth business. And this impacts all of us, tying how we work not to the production of valuable products and services but to the potential for capital growth. Even for independent workers and small businesses, the capital growth game sets the rules and obstacles for the game we play.Today's episode is about gaming the system—how the game we play dictates the decisions we make and the actions we perform. After all, you have to know what game you're playing to know how to win. And you also need to decide whether that's the game you want to play.Footnotes: Games: The Art of Agency by C. Thi Nguyen “Bent but Not Broken: The History of the Rules” via NFL Operations CBS Sports: “Results of 2023 Rule Change Proposals” MSNBC: “BuzzFeed News to shut down” “Absentee Capitalism” by Ed Zitron "Amazon's Trickle-Down Monopoly" by Moira Weigel “The Valuable Business of Maintenance Work” by Tara McMullin What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting by Tara McMullin Support independent research and analysis about the future of work and business by becoming a paid subscriber of What Works! For just $7 per month, you help make my work possible. Click here to pledge your support! ★ Support this podcast ★

In our one-year anniversary episode, Jennifer talks to Tara McMullin about our relationship to work, how we make & find meaning, and and begin to feel emotionally sustainable in all aspects of our lives all the through the lens of curiosity, context, and care. They talk about work-life integration, understanding our capacity, how to allocate resources and how small adjustments can make a huge shift. They also talk about how identities are not defined by the doing, present questions like, “who am I without the doing” and “do I have what I need to do this well,” and begin to offer alternate ways of approaching a more satisfied life.    About Tara: Tara McMullin is a writer, podcaster, and producer. For over 14 years, she's studied small business owners—how they live, how they work, what influences them, and what they hope for the future. She's the author of What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. The book challenges the lessons we've learned about goals and productivity through culture and proposes a radical shift: structuring our lives around practice rather than achievement. She's the host of What Works, a podcast about navigating the 21st-century economy with your humanity intact. Tara is also co-founder of YellowHouse.Media, a boutique podcast production company. Her work has been featured in Fast Company, The Muse, and Quartz.   Tara's IG: @Tara_McMullin Tara's Website: www.explorewhatworks.com Want to coach with Jennifer? Schedule a session here! https://appt.link/jenniferapple Monologue Sourcing Promo Link! https://empoweredartistcollective.com/podcastpromo Learn more: https://www.empoweredartistcollective.com/podcast EAC IG: @EmpoweredArtistCollective  EAC TikTok: @EmpowerArtistCollective EAC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empoweredartistcollective/ Sign up for our newsletter! https://mailchi.mp/8e72e8dcb662/stay-in-touch Check Out Our Merch! https://www.empoweredartistcollective.threadless.com/ Any thoughts you'd like to share? Email us at EmpoweredArtistCollective@gmail.com

Join Tara McMullin and Dr. Amanda Crowell as we discuss:How our culture creates a need for more, more, moreHow to help our children avoid the burnout and overworking programming from the startHow to use technological tools as tools, instead of as further indications that we aren't doing things rightHave you ever felt like you needed more? More money, more prestige, more status, and more accomplishment? In this week's podcast episode Tara McMullin, the author of What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting, helps us peek behind the curtain. Listen in as she unpacks the programming creating this lack of satisfaction and gives us important clues about how to de-program ourselves. Tara will help us focus on being in process with ourselves instead of seeking ever more, ever more. Resources Mentioned: Get Tara's book: What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-SettingClick here to get your own copy of Amanda's book, Great Work.About The Guest:Tara McMullin is a writer, podcaster, and producer. For over 13 years, she's studied small business owners—how they live, how they work, what influences them, and what they hope for the future. She's the author of What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. The book challenges the lessons we've learned about goals and productivity through culture and proposes a radical shift: structuring our lives around practice rather than achievement. She's the host of What Works, a podcast about navigating the 21st-century economy with your humanity intact. Tara is also co-founder of YellowHouse.Media, a boutique podcast production company. Her work has been featured in Fast Company, The Startup, The Muse, and The Huffington Post.http://explorewhatworks.com/bookhttp://explorewhatworks.com/weeklyhttp://twitter.com/taragentilehttp://instagram.com/tara_mcmullinAbout The Host:Dr. Amanda Crowell is a cognitive psychologist, speaker, author and coach changing our perspective on the world of work. It IS possible to do Great Work-- launch a successful business, make a scientific discovery, raise a tight-knit family, or manage a global remote team-- without sacrificing your health, happiness, and relationships.Amanda is the Author of the book, Great Work: Do What Matters Most Without Sacrificing Everything Else, and the creator of the Great Work Journals. Amanda's TEDx talk has received more than a million views and has been featured on TED's Ideas blog and Ted Shorts. Her ideas have also been featured on NPR, Al Jazeera, The Wall Street Journal, Quartz, and Thrive Global.Thanks for listening!Thanks so much for listening to the Unleashing Your Great Work Podcast!If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast edits, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or in your favorite podcast app.Leave us a tip to Support The Podcast!Leave us an Apple Podcasts reviewRatings and...

Well, it's the first week of January. And whether you're back to work or eking out a few more hours of unstructured liminal time, the arrival of New Year energy is imminent. You know what I mean by New Year energy—it's that annual infusion of urgency, striving, and discipline that comes crashing down on our post-holiday mellowness. And if we're not paying attention, that New Year energy will sweep us out to sea. What if this year, we embraced patience?  In this piece, I share how baking has helped me feel good about going slow and why that's crucial to the way I work. Footnotes: You Belong by Sebene Selassie “The Human-Built World Is Not Built For Humans” by L. M. Sacasas Music available on Track Club by Marmoset  Essay versions of podcast episodes are released every Thursday on the website. Sign up for What Works Weekly to have them delivered to your inbox: explorewhatworks.com/weekly Start the new year with a radically different approach to goal-setting. Grab my new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting: explorewhatworks.com/bookOr join me for a brand-new live workshop on January 10, 17, and 24 called Work In Practice: workinpractice.life Today's episode is an edited and updated version of a piece that was originally published in December 2021. ★ Support this podcast ★

Today I am bringing back my annual debrief to the podcast. Looking back on 2022 has been fruitful and offered a lot of data collecting. You know I love to collect data and review what choices, behaviors, and commitments were kept and which of them were not honored.  But looking back has not always been a practice or something I enjoyed. In fact, it felt counterintuitive to me. I know many business spaces normalize this practice but a trauma-informed lens, plus working with hundreds of people over the years, has taught me that practices which in theory should be filled with ease can really stir up whatever echoes of burdens we are carrying. I feel like for most of my life has been forging ahead with little reflection on looking back. As a result, my inner system felt like it was dangerous to look back. But when I shifted to looking back as data collection, and not connected to my identity, worthiness, or safety, looking back became a part of my practice of curiosity, noticing, and integration. In fact, I can't not look back now, as I want to reflect on patterns, habits, experiences, and changes.The deep change we want in our lives, in our business, in our relationships, and in our well-being comes with regular reflection and data collection so we can make the needed tweaks and adjustments over time.Taking time, even into the new year, to truly reflect can even lead to unburdening. Protect this time. And honor the dreams and desires you have for the upcoming year by taking the time to collect the much-needed data that will help download what is in your head and heart into a lived experience. Listen to the full episode to hear:The many reasons I worked to embrace “slow” in 2022Why “space” and “pace” are my words for 2023How committing to space and pace will encompass honoring boundaries and commitmentsMy favorite movies, TV shows, books, and experiences of 2022Learn more about Rebecca:rebeccaching.comWork With RebeccaSign up for the weekly Unburdened Leader EmailResources:The BearThe Good FightSeveranceShining GirlsMiss MarvelShe-HulkStranger ThingsThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerLootWednesdayTurning RedNopeElvisLicorice PizzaThe SandmanSpiritedJuliaThe WatcherFor All MankindFrom ScratchEssential Labor: Mothering as Social Change, Angela GarbesConfidence Culture,Shani Orgad and Rosalind GillJournal of Radical Permission: A Daily Guide for Following Your Soul's Calling, Sonya Renee Taylor and adrienne maree brownWhat Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting, Tara McMullinThe Pain We Carry: Healing from Complex Ptsd for People of Color, Natalie Y GutiérrezStart Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done,Charlie GilkeyEasy Beauty: A Memoir, Chloé Cooper Jones

If 2020 was the year people asked, “Can we really work from home?” and 2021 was the year people asked, “How might we return to the office?”, then 2022 was the year people started asking, “Why do we put up with this crap?”If like me, you've been working from home for many years, maybe this shift in discourse felt irrelevant. You've got your own gig; you make your own rules; you create your own working conditions. But I believe this larger shift transcends the divisions created by our tax codes—contractor, employee, sole proprietor, member of an LLC, and even employer. Whether we have obligations to an employer or rely on some of the world's largest corporations for “free access” to the software products they create to harvest our personal data, we are workers.The way we think about work and workers is changing because work changed and is still changing.In this quick bonus episode, I lay out a vision for work in 2023 and beyond that defies the structures and assumptions that keep us focused on productivity and efficiency, despite our best efforts to prioritize creativity, collaboration, and care.Look for the written version of this episode at explorewhatworks.comReady to transform the way you work? I have two recommendations:The first is my new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. It's a fundamental rethinking of why we choose our goals, why we're always striving for more, and how we might create work and life structures that don't revolve around achievement or the relentless pursuit of growth.You can grab your copy—or gift one to a friend—at explorewhatworks.com/book.And the second is a brand-new workshop that I'm teaching January 10, 17, and 24th called Work In Practice. This 3-part workshop builds on the themes of the book and applies them to our daily work. On January 10, we'll tackle job crafting so we can do better work with less stress. On January 17, we'll embrace our limits so we can make reasonable and sustainable plans for the year ahead. And on January 24, we'll creates systems of care for ourselves and others to increase our access to resources, as well as increase what we have available to give and share.To find out more, go to workinpractice.life. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this interview you'll learn about how to make decisions that fit your personality and values. Tara McMullin is the author of What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting and entrepreneur. One of my favorite parts of this interview is learning how she encourages herself to build good habits. Highlights from the interview: What would Tara's nine-year-old self think of her today.How to stay true to yourself.Getting comfortable making her own decisions.Developing the ability to understand what is important.How to be aware of what matters to you.The importance of pattern recognition.Understanding pattern: What is going on? Why did it come up? How can I relate it this stimulus differently?How to stop judging others when they trigger anger within us.Our tools have a big effect on our happiness.How to make a list that your future self will thank you for.Having context is key before you start your tasks.How to use energy management to get the most out of your work.The technology we use can hold our productivity back.Navigating her weaknesses to help you stay on track with her important work.Acknowledging our limitations is important to functioning well.How she can get back to doing deeper work when she is going through a difficult time.How she practices the commitment to belongings.How she encourages good behavior so she can install new habits in her life.Seeing your decisions as a symphony instead of random choices.How she noticed that she was playing small in the game of life.Most impactful book in her career. You can learn more about Tara over at his website Explore What Works. You can also connect with her on Linkedin.  And as always if you have any questions or want to submit a guest for the podcast that you think would be amazing just reach out on Dig to Fly and I'll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview please take 30 seconds to rate the Dig to Fly podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!

This is one of my all-time favorite episodes!!  Do. Not. Miss. It!The New Year is almost upon us…and so is the “new year, new you” marketing. We're taking a fresh look at this concept, as well as goal setting with today's guest, Tara McMullin. Tara has recently published an incredible new book entitled: “What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting.”We discuss topics such as the: Challenge that occurs when you base your identity on your accomplishmentsDichotomy of personal types when it comes to goal settingQuestion of “What does growth without striving look like?”Difference between “achievement orientation” vs. “practice orientation.”Approach you can take going into the new year that will work for YOUMental Health Stigmas that stop us from appreciating people's uniqueness------------------------------------------------------Interested in hiring Michelle as a coach, educator, or speaker? Click HERE. ------------------------------------------------------Looking for a great gift for your clients, colleagues, or team members? How about Tara's new book, What Works? It's a great way to spread the message that we don't have to do things the way they've always been done. And you can provide a little relief when it comes to all that "New Year, New You" garbage.Grab your copy here!Learn more about our incredible guest, Tara McMullin, by visiting her website. You can also connect with Tara through her LinkedIn,Instagram, or Twitter. 

We all connect with the power of vulnerability in ourselves and in others. And vulnerability continues to be misunderstood and misappropriated in marketing businesses and services, political campaigns, legislative agendas, and leadership, to name a few. These days, discerning between true vulnerability and what today's guest calls #vulnerability can become a real challenge.When vulnerability is used with an agenda to acquire more community, brand awareness, or social capital, this agenda moves us away from the heart of this courageous state. Vulnerability is complicated because it RARELY feels good. But what leads us to vulnerability often is good, because it means we are following our integrity even when there's a lot to lose. Many of us struggle with vulnerability because we struggle with knowing ourselves. All too often, we know more about who we think we should be, than who we really are.This becomes extra challenging when the expectation to “just be vulnerable” as a tool to lead and to sell continues to increase. But if we do not have our own clarity of values, clarity of our identity, then vulnerability turns into a commodity to use.#vulnerability is so attractive–even seductive–because it draws us in with stories and experiences that evoke emotion. And it usually draws the likes, follows, shares that so many covet. And today's guest digs deep with me #hashtag vulnerability today.Tara McMullin is a writer, podcaster, and producer who's been making business make sense for small business owners for over 12 years. She's the host of What Works, a podcast about entrepreneurship for humans that's been downloaded over 4 million times. She's also the co-founder of Yellow House Media. Her new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting, was released in November 2022. Listen to the full episode to hear:How economic uncertainty plays into the way we leverage vulnerability for social capitalHow social media algorithms take advantage of vulnerability and heightened emotions to keep us scrollingHow privilege, marginalization and risk intersect with vulnerability onlineThe difference between self-disclosure and true vulnerabilityHow both performative confidence and performative vulnerability can lead to self-alienationWhy we need to account for emotional labor and capacity when we're considering our resourcesLearn more about Tara McMullin:What WorksYellow House MediaWhat Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal SettingInstagram: @tara_mcmullinLearn more about Rebecca:rebeccaching.comWork With RebeccaSign up for the weekly Unburdened Leader EmailResources:Confidence Culture, Shani Orgad and Rosalind GillThe Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling, Arlie Russell HochschildExhalation, Ted ChiangHow to Read Now: Essays, Elaine CastilloDave Matthews BandThe Serpent QueenVikingsThe Princess Bride

Over the last two years, I've transitioned from identifying as a business owner first to identifying as a writer and podcast first. In the first year—2021—I didn't realize that's what I was doing. But over the course of this year, it was quite intentional. Making that shift has allowed me to explore creative territory that I didn't think I could explore when my primary function was content marketing. In this week's episode, I talk with India Jackson about transitioning from content marketer to writer and podcaster. I share what it's meant for my work, my sense of identity, and my mental health. Plus, we talk about some of the difficult decisions I had to make on this journey.Tune in to India's show, Flaunt Your Fire, wherever you listen to What Works or at flauntyourfire.comFootnotes: Find out more about India Jackson and Flaunt Your Fire Find out more about Pause On The Play Hear India on EP 398: Good Bodies and EP 294: Offering Bespoke Services Jay Acunzo's LinkedIn post Grab your copy of my new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting! ★ Support this podcast ★

Today I'm joined by Tara McMullin, a writer, podcaster, and producer, to discuss her new book, “What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting.” Tara has also studied small business owners for over 13 years. She's been an inspiration to me, and her wisdom has helped tremendously on my own journey of self-employment, getting me to rethink and figure out what works for me.Her book is for anyone looking for a new approach to goal-setting, one that you might find better aligned to who you are and more satisfying, while still producing results. In this conversation, we discuss what brought Tara to rethink her approach to goal setting, the importance of examining one's life and making conscious choices, the power of reframing towards practice and commitments, and why she's found the new approach much more satisfying while helping her create substantive results.Tara - I absolutely loved being in conversation with you! And I loved the book and appreciate the perspectives and practices you are offering people to help them live a life and do work that is more in sync with who they are, what they want, and how they want to live in the world. So good!Resources MentionedAbout Tara and What Works: http://explorewhatworks.com/about/About the Book: http://explorewhatworks.com/book/The Website: https://explorewhatworks.com/The Podcast: https://www.whatworkspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara_mcmullin/Twitter: https://twitter.com/taragentileLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taragentile/The Passion Paradigm by Lindsay DePalma: https://explorewhatworks.com/the-passion-paradigm/Thanks for Listening!If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and share the episode. Thank you so much!Get show notes for this episode at https://sustainableambition.com/podcast I'd love to hear what's on your mind! Take the Sustainable Ambition Listener Survey: http://bit.ly/sapodcast-survey Submit a question or comment for future episodes at podcast@SustainableAmbition.com Get my curated bi-weekly Sustainable Ambition Forum newsletter. Sign up https://sustainableambition.com/subscribe

What is a goal really? What purpose does a goal really serve? And is that purpose truly benefiting us, the goal-setters?These are big, messy questions. But they are far from abstract. Our answers to these questions—whether we know it or not—shape the way we work and live on a daily basis. This intermediary space—the space between philosophical questions and practical implications—is a place I happily hang out in all day long. Luckily, I know someone who likes hanging out in that place as much as I do!His name is Charlie Gilkey. He's a friend of the pod—as well as the co-founder of Productive Flourishing and author of Start Finishing. He's also the host of the Productive Flourishing podcast.Today's episode is a rebroadcast from the Productive Flourishing feed. Charlie and I talk about why in the world I wrote a productivity book, how the cultural code we operate in impacts the way we plan and set goals, how that code disproportionately harms some more than others, and much, much more.Footnotes: What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting by Tara McMullin More about Charlie Gilkey Start Finishing by Charlie Gilkey Listen to Productive Flourishing Broken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny by Kate Manne Written versions of each episode drop on Thursdays at explorewhatworks.com. Get them deliverable to your inbox by subscribing at explorewhatworks.com/weekly.Introducing Recovering Overachiever ClubRecovering Overachiever Club is a 3-week deep dive into why we strive and what we can do differently in the new year. Join us November 29-December 20 for exclusive essays, podcast episodes, and conversation—oh, and earn a few merit badges, too. Learn more! ★ Support this podcast ★

Do we really all have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé? That's our tongue-in-cheek title, pulled from Tara McMullin's new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting, for a recent Spotify Live conversation. In this replay, Charlie Gilkey, Tara McMullin, and I explore the nuances of calculating time, money, and energy capacity so that we don't tip into boredom or burnout. We share strategies for saying no, and discuss the costs of saying yes when we shouldn't. One caveat: pardon our less-than-perfect audio quality! Because we're calling in via mobile, this one is a little rougher around the edges than typical episodes. If you haven't already, be sure to check out my previous conversations with Tara and Charlie in episodes 091: Quarterly Planning and 141: Process, Permission Slips, and Business Pivots. Your Cohosts: Tara McMullin, host of the What Works podcast and author of What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting Charlie Gilkey, host of the Productive Flourishing podcast and author of Start Finishing: How to Go From Idea to Done Jenny Blake, host of the Free Time podcast and author of Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business and **Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One.

Do we really have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé? Yes. And no. And… it's complicated.There is a never-ending stream of advice about how to make the most of your time. And honestly? Most of it is just bullsh*t. That's because there is no way to hack yourself or your work to produce more in less time if your emotions are fried, your energy is drained, or you're dealing with the effects chronic illness.This conversation—originally broadcast as a Spotify Live—is an unflinching look at what it means to consider our multidimensional capacity in the realms of work and life. You'll hear from my friends Jenny Blake, author of Free Time, and Charlie Gilkey, author of Start Finishing—and me, too!Note: the audio quality on this episode is totally listenable—but it's not our normal podcast quality.Footnotes: Get What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting by Tara McMullin Find out more about Jenny Blake Buy Free Time by Jenny Blake Find out more about Charlie Gilkey Buy Start Finishing by Charlie Gilkey Written versions of our podcast episodes land on Thursdays at explorewhatworks.com. Get them delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing at explorewhatworks.com/weeklyIntroducing Recovering Overachiever ClubRecovering Overachiever Club is a 3-week deep dive into why we strive and what we can do differently in the new year. Join us November 29-December 20 for exclusive essays, podcast episodes, and conversation—oh, and earn a few merit badges, too. Learn more! ★ Support this podcast ★

How do you build a more intentional relationship with work in a way that honors your values, neurology, strengths, and interests?  If you're wanting to incorporate more purpose and meaning into the way you approach work, this episode of the Lead with Love podcast is for you.   In this conversation, I get cozy with Tara McMullin and we talk about redefining how we approach goal-setting, achievement, and productivity.   Tara is a writer, podcaster, producer, and co-founder of YellowHouse.Media, a boutique podcast production company. For over 13 years, she's studied small business owners—how they live, how they work, what influences them, and what they hope for the future–– she shares her findings on her podcast What Works. Tara has been featured in Fast Company, The Startup, The Muse, and The Huffington Post.    She's also the author of What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting.   Are you ready to join the Anti-Hustle movement? Preorder my new book She Builds: The Anti-Hustle Guide to Grow Your Business and Nourish Your Life at shebuilds.com.   What you'll hear (and don't want to miss!): :: The way that self-assessment helped Tara find her new strengths that she is carrying forward on her journey  :: What it looks like to face resistance when pivoting  :: Tara's tips on scheduling, time management and setting parameters for energy management  ::  Why we need to change the way we approach goal setting  :: What the process of shifting from achievement-based satisfaction to self-satisfaction looks like  You can find the full show notes from this episode over at jadahsellner.com/192

It's been almost exactly 7 years since this podcast first launched as Profit. Power. Pursuit. Since then, we've produced 400 regular episodes (with some bonuses here and there). You know, I've written many more than 400 blog posts and emails. But we don't number those—plus, they are published across different sites on the web, so I never have a handled on just how many times I've hit “publish.”400 episodes is a lot. It's more than the vast majority of podcasters will ever make. The only reason I bring that up is because today's episode is about the power of practice. Developing a podcasting practice is the only way to consistently put out a strong episode week after week. But developing a practice of any kind was not something I knew how to do 7 years ago.This episode dives into what I've learned about practice from 7 years of podcasting. Plus, I share an excerpt from my book (out today!) about the satisfaction of practice in an achievement-oriented world.Footnotes: Join Tara TODAY for a live reading and Q&A about the book Buy What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting wherever you buy books! Listen to Tara's interviews about the book on this Spotify playlist ★ Support this podcast ★

This week I was excited to welcome Tara McMullen to the show to hear her insights, research, and reflections on her new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting. Tara is a writer, podcaster, and producer who for over 13 years has studied small business owners - how they live, how they work, what influences them, and what they hope for the future. In this conversation Tara shares with us how to transform the way you set and achieve your goals to create a gentler and more fulfilling way to work toward what you truly want. In the book, you'll explore what's driving your pursuit of “more” (more money, more things, more prestige, etc.), set commitments to help orient your growth, and organize your actions as part of a holistic learning process. In addition to writing and speaking Tara is the host of What Works, a podcast about navigating the 21st-century economy with your humanity intact. Tara is also the co-founder of YellowHouse.Media, a boutique podcast production company. Her work has been featured in Fast Company, The Startup, The Muse, and The Huffington Post. What Works Podcast:: https://www.whatworkspodcast.com Website: https://explorewhatworks.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hustle. Grind. Boss up. Do more. Love them or hate them, these words are embedded into the ways we think about work and entrepreneurship. But as we've seen with the enormous growth of the r/anti-work subreddit and the panic about quiet quitting, more people than ever are thinking about different ways to go about building their lives, careers, and businesses.As we close out the Self-Help, LLC series, I wanted to address where our productivity hang-ups come from, who our productivity really benefits, and how we might go about doing things differently. This episode is in 2 parts. The first half or so is an introduction to how employers (including self-employers) profit from unpaid work and why the productivity-wage gap has become so immense. The second half of the episode is my conversation with Jadah Sellner, about the vision for business she lays out in her new book, She Builds.Footnotes: Find out more about Jadah Sellner and her new book, She Builds. “TikTok ‘5-to-9' Trend Shows Quiet Quitting Hasn't Killed Hustle Culture” on Bloomberg Dolly Parton rewrites her working woman's anthem for SquareSpace THE ULTIMATE MORNING ROUTINE (parody) Revolution at Point Zero, essays by Silvia Federici Data on the productivity-wage gap (Economic Policy Institute) Self-Help, INC by Micki McGee Debt: The First 5,000 Years by David Graeber Essay versions of each episode of the podcast come out on Thursdays at explorewhatworks.com and in my newsletter. Sign up free: explorewhatworks.com/weeklyRadically rethink how you set goals: pre-order Tara's new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. Find it anywhere books are sold or at explorewhatworks.com/book. ★ Support this podcast ★

My approach to goal setting and productivity have changed in a big way based on what you're about to hear. Listener favorite Tara McMullin is back on Rebel Therapist Podcast, talking about a huge pivot she's made in her work life. She's also sharing her new book, What Works, A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. A bit more about her: Tara McMullin is a podcast host, writer, and speaker who's been making business make sense for small business owners for over 12 years. She's the host of What Works, a podcast about entrepreneurship for humans that's been downloaded over 4 million times. She's also the co-founder of YellowHouse.Media, a podcast production agency. Tara brings a unique perspective to business thinking informed by her background in theology, interests in endurance training and critical theory, and strengths as an autistic creator. Also, Tara was my business coach/strategist for as long as she WAS a business coach/strategist. Here's some of what we talked about: Making a big pivot by leaving her role as the leader of the large and thriving business community she'd built Why acknowledging our limits and depleted reserves is powerful Leaving behind big-G Goal setting on the path to becoming self-transforming subjects with agency Annie's sabbatical and how it set her up perfectly for this book and an overhaul of her goal-setting practices How the Positive Thinking movement (Capital P, Capital T) has been harming us and how to resist it How to recognize when you're in the Validation Spiral and move out of it What Tara's working on now and how she manages her capacity One thing you can do to increase your sense of agency starting today Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/187

I wanted to include an episode on bodies in the Self-Help, LLC series because so much of our modern discourse around productivity, empowerment, entrepreneurship, and personal growth includes messages about our bodies. These messages might not be explicit, but the messages are there—and our brains pick them up loud and clear.Similarly, we might not realize that we're sharing messages that insert themselves into how others perceive their own bodies—but many of us are. It's impossible to talk about self-discipline, accountability, or efficiency without those concepts leaving their marks on our flesh.This episode covers a tiny sliver of all the ways that the medium of self-help acts on our bodies. But my hope is that it will encourage you to think critically about the messages you receive about your body and the messages you share that might impact others' bodies.You'll hear from independent beauty culture journalist Jessica DeFino, body confidence influencer Tiffany Ima, and Flaunt Your Fire founder India Jackson.This episode contains frank talk about bodies, weight, beauty, dieting, and related topics. I know that these subjects can trigger harmful thoughts and behaviors for me if I'm not careful. So please, take care while listening to this episode.Footnotes: Subscribe to Jessica DeFino's newsletter about beauty culture and the beauty industry. Follow Tiffany Ima on Instagram. Listen to the Flaunt Your Fire podcast and learn more about India Jackson. Erica Courdae on reconsidering your normal, as well as “Normal is a Life with Michelle Kuei” on the Pause on the Play podcast. “Body acceptance stops at the skin. Why?” by Jessica DeFino “The Skin as an Antidote to Consumerism” by Jessica DeFino “How White Supremacy and Capitalism Influence Beauty Culture” by Jessica DeFino in TeenVogue What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon “Postscript on Societies of Control” by Gilles Deleuze Self-Help, INC by Micki McGee “Rachel Hollis Part 1: Hashtag Relatable” on Maintenance Phase “The Trouble with Calories” on Maintenance Phase “Bodybuilding vs Powerlifting vs Weightlifting” on Shape Confidence Culture by Shani Orgad and Rosalind Gill Let's Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World by Danielle Friedman 3 Books for Remembering “You Have a Body”: On disability, on chronic illness, and on our bodies in society Radically rethink how you set goals: pre-order Tara's new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. Find it anywhere books are sold or at explorewhatworks.com/book. ★ Support this podcast ★

We form an impression of our voices early in life. While it might shift some as we age, those impressions tend to stick with us. For many of us, what we learn about our voices is how their don't quite measure up to the ideal: too high, too low, too soft, too loud, too this, too that. This is especially true for women, queer people, transgender people, non-native English speakers, Black people, people of color, indigenous people, and really anyone whose voice doesn't fit into the white, male baritone mold.So what do we do? We try to sound more like everyone else. And that can not only mess with our ability to use our physical voices, but it messes with our ability to use our metaphorical voices and confuses our sense of self.Samara Bay, a Hollywood dialect coach who's worked on blockbusters like Wonder Woman and Guardians of the Galaxy, is on a mission to help everyone find “permission to speak.” In this episode, we dig into how the self-help imperative to “own your voice” might be more complicated than it sounds.Footnotes: Find out more about Samara Bay Pre-order Samara's book Permission to Speak “I still have a voice” by Alice Wong Samara Bay on Anna Sorokin and Elizabeth Holmes's voices Women and Power by Mary Beard More about African American Vernacular English on Pause on the Play College students talk about their relationships to their Southern accents on Dolly Parton's America “The Magic of Voice Transitioning with Nicole Gress” on Camp Wild Heart with Mackenzie Dunham “Me minus me” on This American Life (Sandy Allen's vocal transition) “If you don't have anything nice to say” on This American Life (complaints about female voices) More on the mid-atlantic accent Radically rethink how you set goals: pre-order Tara's new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. Find it anywhere books are sold or at explorewhatworks.com/book. ★ Support this podcast ★

There's an influencer for every thing these days. Camping equipment? Sure. Nutritional supplements? You bet. Miniatures? You know it. College admissions? But of course. In this episode, though, we're going to focus on one of the original influencer niches: MOMS.The rise of the influencer ushered in a new outlet for self-help. Now, not only are there motivational books and talks, there's a product endorsement to help you live your best life. Influencers give us, perhaps, the direct line between personal growth and consumer capitalism. I talk with the author of the forthcoming Momfluenced, Sara Petersen, about all of that and more.Footnotes: Subscribe to Sara Petersen's newsletter Pre-order Momfluenced “Life After Lifestyle” by Toby Shorin “The Rhetoric of the Image” by Roland Barthes The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord Episode 393 with Kelly Diels Episode 395 with Steph Barron Hall “The Influencer Industry: Constructing and Commodifying Authenticity on Social Media” by Emily Dean Hund Radically rethink how you set goals: pre-order Tara's new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. Find it anywhere books are sold or at explorewhatworks.com/book. ★ Support this podcast ★

Tara McMullin loves talking about the intersection of work and culture. She has been studying how small business owners build their companies, present themselves online, and interact with the culture at large for over 14 years. "Shoulds" and "supposed-tos" are exactly what keep us from radical audacity. Those stories reside in what we've learned about power, status, and how to achieve them. We go with what we're supposed to do so that we can feel like we have some control in a world that would prefer to control us. Tara's book,  "What Works: A Comprehensive Framework To Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting" is an antidote to the relentless pursuit of "more" and the culture of striving that we live in.  Tara's goal is to help people dismantle those "should" stories and rebuild an infrastructure for growth that's not based on climbing the ladder or achieving individual success at the expense of others.Tara is a speaker at the Raise Your Volume Summit on October 19, 20 & 21. Register for the Summit here.Preorder Tara's book hereContact Tara here:Instagram: @tara_mcmullinTwitter: @taragentileLinkedIn: @taragentileListen to Tara's Podcast: What WorksOther Episodes you will enjoy:Raise Your Volume So Your Voice Can Be HeardWhat is Your Purpose in Life?Flying Free & UnchainedContact Tiphany:DM me on IG @tiphanykane Check out my website: www.tiphanykane.comRegister for the Raise Your Volume SummitMake a deposit for the Life in Technicolor Retreat

If your Instagram feed or Explore page looks anything like mine, then you likely see a preponderance of posts about personality types, conditions, or other self-knowledge. We're hooked on learning about ourselves! And perhaps even more hooked on sharing what we've learned—which means that the Instagram algorithm (as well as TikTok's and Pinterest's algorithms) has learned to love this kind of content, too.In this episode, I explore discovering ourselves versus making ourselves, why self-knowledge is big business on Instagram, and how creating viral personality content can wreak havoc on the creator's psyche. To dig into this with me, I invited @ninetypesco creator, Steph Barron Hall, onto the show.Footnotes: Find Steph Barron Hall on Instagram (@ninetypesco) Learn more about working with Steph How to be Authentic by Skye Cleary Learn more about the Enneagram and find your type The Nine Types of Rest Self-Help, INC by Micki McGee “Double consciousness” “Looking glass self” Essay versions of each episode are posted at explorewhatworks.com every Thursday. Or, sign up FREE at explorewhatworks.com/weekly to get them delivered straight to your inbox.Radically rethink how you set goals: pre-order Tara's new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. Find it anywhere books are sold or at explorewhatworks.com/book. ★ Support this podcast ★

Footnotes: Edelman Trust Barometer 2022 “Confidence in US Institutions Down; Average at New Low” Gallup “Fatigue, traditionalism, and engagement: the news habits and attitudes of the Gen Z and Millennial generations” American Press Institute “We've stopped trusting institutions and started trusting strangers” by Rachel Botsman (TED Talk) “The Change Rules of Trust in the Digital Age” by Rachel Botsman (HBR) “Gun Culture and Wellness Culture Come From the Same Place” by Alan Levinovitz (Huffington Post) Radically rethink how you set goals: pre-order Tara's new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. Find it anywhere books are sold or at explorewhatworks.com/book. ★ Support this podcast ★

Welcome to the last Summer Skill Session of 2022.I hope that you've gotten a fair amount of vitamin D and you were able to take some time off this summer to relax. And, of course, I hope that you found this series helpful.Summer is winding down and we're getting in those last ice creams, popsicles, and cold drinks, squeezing out the last of the sunscreen from the bottle, and starting to put away bathing suits and beach towels. But we've still got fall and winter ahead.I don't know about you, but the start of fall usually leaves me feeling super recharged and ready to tackle the rest of the year with a lot of enthusiasm and really, really big plans.If you feel that way too, this episode might be super relevant for you and hopefully just what you need to get back into the swing of things.Today, we're talking about productivity.But first, a confession. I may not be the best person to talk about productivity. I do think I am very productive! But I haven't quite figured out how to be productive without also working myself into the ground. And admittedly, I'm not always the best at taking my own advice when it comes to how to be productive.Which is to say, I need this episode as much as you do.Listen to the full episode to hear: Why I always put the personal stuff first when I'm building my calendar How to use each quarter to get more detailed with your plans and reflect on what you can realistically accomplish in 30, 60, and 90 days How to cluster your week to avoid bouncing between tasks and projects all day Why you should leave your emails for later in the day My best advice for taking breaks, creating rituals, and making your to-do list work for you Learn More About Anika Horn: Website: www.socialventurers.com  Instagram: SocialVenturers Newsletter: Sign up for Impact Curator Resources: Racheal Cook The 5am Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life, Robin Sharma Bullet Journal Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, James Clear What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting, Tara McMullin

It's not only self-help or entrepreneurship products that are sold as tools for “empowerment” today. It's just about everything: makeup, clothing, workout equipment, vitamins, office supplies… Whole brands are built around the promise that a purchase won't just solve your problem, it'll make you a better, more fulfilled person. But empowerment isn't for sale—only the status quo.In this episode, I talk with writer and coach Kelly Diels about empowerment marketing and what she calls the “female lifestyle empowerment brand.” You'll also hear from independent beauty writer Jessica DeFino about how empowerment is leveraged by the beauty industry.Footnotes: Learn more about Kelly Diels Learn more about Jessica DeFino Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino Thick by Tressie McMillan Cottom How to be Authentic: Simone de Beauvoir and the Quest for Fulfillment by Skye Cleary Helen Gurley Brown as quoted in Self-Help, INC by Micki McGee “The Rhetoric of the Image” by Roland Barthes Radically rethink how you set goals: pre-order Tara's new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. Find it anywhere books are sold or at explorewhatworks.com/book. ★ Support this podcast ★

It's hard to escape the language and politics of self-help today. Whether you're browsing your LinkedIn, Instagram, or even TikTok feed, there's a very good chance that the first post you see offers up some idea for living a better life or growing a more successful business. Shoulds and supposed-tos are cultural currency. We gain social capital sharing advice or “giving value.” And that's left me wondering: are we all in the self-help business now?Today's episode kicks off an 8-part series called Self-Help, LLC which will explore that question from a number of different angles. In this episode, I'm taking a close look at a particular construction of personal growth and entrepreneurship culture: winners and losers.Footnotes: Dr. Rick for Progressive Why does the insurance industry have so many mastcots? on Planet Money Self-Help, INC by Micki McGee More about Marshall McLuhan (”The medium is the message”) Nixon's universal health care plan proposal Reaganism & Thatcherism The Old is Dying & the New Cannot be Born by Nancy Fraser Radically rethink how you set goals: pre-order Tara's new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. Find it anywhere books are sold or at explorewhatworks.com/book. ★ Support this podcast ★

The economy seems like a monolithic entity we measure, manage, and adapt to. But really, economics (as a field) and the economy (as a system) is really just an agglomeration of human decisions. What's in? What's out? What's up? What's down? And most importantly: Why? In this episode, I talk with Stacey Vanek Smith, a co-host of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money and this summer's guide for Planet Money Summer School. We talk about how someone with no economics background can get so obsessed, how the economy is a profoundly human system, and, of course, inflation.Footnotes: Planet Money Summer School “GDP & What Counts” (Summer School 2) “Why is the Fed so boring?” The Indicator from Planet Money More about Stacey Vanek Smith Episodes of What Works are published as articles every Thursday. Get them delivered straight to your inbox at explorewhatworks.com/weekly Leave a review, browse old episodes, or leave a voicemail at whatworkspodcast.com Pre-order What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting at explorewhatworks.com/book Radically rethink how you set goals: pre-order Tara's new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting. Find it anywhere books are sold or at explorewhatworks.com/book.★ Support this podcast ★

What's a Big-G Goal? Well, those are the kind of milestone targets we set. At that time, my Big G Goals were about how many new members I could enroll or what kind of stages I could speak on. At another time in my life, writing a book was a Big G Goal of mine. And before that, completing a Ph.D. was my Big G Goal. They're the kind of goals that make you feel validated for about 24 hours after you achieve them—or make you feel like a failure if you don't.Well, "a failure" was exactly what I felt like. So I went back to the drawing board. I wiped the slate so clean that I started to question whether Big-G Goals were helping me make my life better or whether they were simply squeezing me into stories someone else was telling.My new book, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal-Setting, arrives on November 1. But you can pre-order wherever you buy books: explorewhatworks.com/bookMy guess is that, as a listener of this podcast, you're interested in approaching life and work in new ways. You think critically about the shoulds and supposed-tos you grew up with. You notice how it always seems to be “up to you” to fix yourself, rather than questioning whether you're broken at all.You question conventional ideas of success and achievement. You notice when conventional wisdom starts to infringe on your values.This book is for you.I can guarantee you that it's different than any other book on goal-setting—because it's not really about goal-setting at all. It's not a thinly veiled pep talk. It's not about turning structural problems into your personal to-do list.What Works will change the way you think about goal-setting—but it will also change the story you live in. Life and work don't have to be structured around the next achievement or milestone.What Works will help you take on the big questions that bubble under the surface of most advice on success and productivity—the philosophical, cultural, and political discourses that unconsciously shape how we think.But in the end, What Works will also offer you a practical framework you can use to discover what works for you.Pre-Order What Works today!★ Support this podcast ★