Beyond The To-do List

This week I was excited to speak with Melissa Urban about her new book, The Book of Boundaries: Set the Limits That Will Set You Free. Melissa and I had an extremely insightful conversation about how setting healthy boundaries with family members, co-workers, friends and even yourself can transform your relationships, eliminate stress and improve your daily outlook. In this chat, Melissa breaks down the vital steps towards identifying if a boundary needs to be set and the three unique levels of instituting a boundary with both honesty and kindness. Oftentimes we can think of boundaries as barriers towards achieving authentic relationships. Melissa is here to reveal why the exact opposite is the case and how when implemented properly boundaries can help save relationships and strengthen bonds.Melissa Urban is a six-time New York Times bestselling author and has been featured by Good Morning America, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and CNBC. She is based in Salt Lake City.Melissa is the co-

This week I am rereleasing an episode with Joey Cofone of Baron Fig in advance of his upcoming new episode where we talk about his new book: The Laws of Creativity: Unlock Your Originality and Awaken Your Creative Genius.Joey Cofone is the Co-Founder at Baron Fig. Baron Fig is a New York design startup that is rooted in it’s mission to champion thinkers around the world through inspiration, imagination and productivity.In this conversation Joey and Erik talk about how Baron Fig was founded, the meaning behind the name and their design workflow using digital and analog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week it was my privilege to speak with Alan Stein Jr. Allan is former professional performance coach and now serves as a public speaker and author. In this conversation we unpack a wide variety of lessons he has learned throughout his career including tips on how to avoid burnout and how to sustain a level of high performance by embracing the most fulfilling aspects of your work while not allowing that work to invade upon your personal and family time. Alan and I discuss a wide variety of techniques and teachings contained in the book while also discussing some of the practical strategies he has employed with former clients and world class athletes.Alan Stein, Jr. teaches proven strategies to improve both individual and organizational performance by empowering people to develop winning mindsets, rituals, and routines. As an internationally renowned veteran basketball performance coach, he spent 15+ years working with the highest-performing athletes on the planet (including NBA superstars Kevin Durant, St

This week I was privileged to be joined by Anita Stubenrauch. Anita is a former Apple Computers Executive and graduate of The Art Institute of Chicago. As a creative sojourner Anita is paving her own path towards both creative and professional success by thinking outside the bounds of typical corporate boxes. In this conversation Anita and I discuss the challenges that face creatives in today's workforce and how remote work is presenting both limitations and opportunities for creatively minded individuals.  Anita Stubenrauch is a former Apple Executive who was able to pivot her success and experience into creating her own creative business. As the founder of Cause:Effect Creative and the developer of the soon to be Land of Make+Believe, Anita is leading small business owners and entrepreneurs to an enlightened way of thinking and making decisions. Anita currently lives in Murphys, California, where she's building a beautiful retreat space, The Land of Make+Believe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega

This week I was excited to welcome Dr. Jennifer Heisz to the show to discuss her new book, Move the Body, Heal the Mind: Overcome Anxiety, Depression, and Dementia and Improve Focus, Creativity, and Sleep. This was a really motivating conversation about the incredible benefits of exercise and movement on not only our body's fitness but our brain’s functions. Dr. Heisz unpacks a host of benefits that exercise has on cognitive functions, memory, creativity, and of course productivity.In addition to discussing the many benefits that movement and exercise can have on creativity and focus in our work lives, Dr. Heisz also discusses the litany of ways that exercise can reward the pleasure centers of our brain helping to both prevent and assist various behaviors associated with addiction. Jennifer also addresses the relationship between exercise and depression and how important it is to be aware of the rhythms of our movement and how they can change throughout the seasons.Dr. Jennifer Heisz is a leading expert on th

Ryan McRae has had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder all of his life, but he wasn’t going to let ADHD run him down. He has worked to figure out how to take all the benefits and cancel out all the drawbacks.In this episode, Ryan and Erik discuss overcoming the productivity challenges of College and University Students. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week I was excited to welcome Todd Henry back to the show for the sixth time to discuss his latest book, Daily Creative: A Practical Guide for Staying - Prolific, Brilliant, and Healthy. Todd is a prolific author and speaker who focuses on the creatives and dispelling myths about who is and who is not “creative” within corporate or professional workforces. For over a decade Todd has helped readers unlock their creative potential and find new ways to apply their talents.  In this new book Todd explores the benefits of reflecting on creative practices on a daily basis by creating a daily guide which succinctly and contemplatively welcomes readers to reflect upon both their creative potential and the ways that creativity can be applied in the most unlikely of work and life circumstances.Todd Henry is the founder of Accidental Creative, a company that helps creative people and teams be prolific, brilliant and healthy. He regularly speaks and consults with companies about how to develop practices that lead to

This week I was so happy to welcome Jon Acuff back to the show to discuss his newest book, Your New Playlist: The Student Guide to Tapping into the Superpower of Mindset. This powerful new book which Jon co-authored with his two teenage daughters is a must read for parents, educators, and mentors seeking to empower young people with the mindset and tools that allow them to not only reshape their thoughts, but change the trajectory of negative voices that often plague young people’s everyday life.When Jon’s previous book, Soundtracks, came out, one reaction surprised him. Parents across the country all said the same thing: "Do you have a version for teenagers? If I knew how to change my mindset when I was that age, my entire life would have been different." Why did they say that? Because truth grows like compound interest. Saving money when you're young has a bigger impact than it does when you save in your 40s. A single new soundtrack--Acuff's phrase for a repetitive thought--believed when you're 14 or 18 can

This week I had a great conversation with Kim Rittberg about her new project the ‘Mom’s Exit Interview Podcast'. Kim and I discuss her checkered career and some of the reasons she chose to leave the corporate world and strike out on her own, producing and consulting on a range of content and media projects. Kim has a wealth of insights and tips for not just Moms, but anyone considering transitioning into a new career or entrepreneurial endeavor. We discuss the importance of establishing your priorities before you make any major career changes and what she has been learning from her guests on the new podcast. Kim Rittberg is a Video Marketing Strategy & Podcaster, former media executive, corporate quitter, and mom. She is an award-winning Video & Content Strategist, On-Camera Coach previously at Netflix, PopSugar, and Us Weekly. Kim is the host of ‘Mom’s Exit Interview Podcast’ where she interviews inspirational moms who are taking control of their lives while achieving (gasp!) true work-life balance:

This week I was thrilled to speak with Tiago Forte about his groundbreaking new book, Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential. In this conversation, I discovered just what a second brain is and how productivity-minded people like me, (and likely you) can benefit from the methodologies laid out in this book to more powerfully, creatively, and effectively capture life experiences, journal entries, and and musings in order to free our brains of needless clutter and begin to more effectively create and organize our thoughts. This is an exceptional book and has rocketed into my top 10 productivity books of all time and after you listen you will see why.Tiago Forte is one of the world’s foremost experts on productivity and has taught thousands of people around the world how timeless principles and the latest technology can revolutionize their productivity, creativity, and personal effectiveness. He has worked with organizations such as Genentech, Toy

This week I was excited to welcome Kate Tellers to the show to help us understand the power, purpose, and practicality of effective storytelling. Kate is the Director of Mothworks at the Moth, a live storytelling podcast that features everyday people sharing powerful, humorous, and insightful stories about their lives and experiences.In this conversation Kate shares her experiences with both helping to craft stories and why effective and well conceived storytelling is so important in both our professional and personal lives. We discuss how storytelling is not only a key element of empathetic, and impactful communication but also how it can be a key productivity tool for laying out your ideas, visions, and concepts in a way that is both authentic and relatable.Kate Tellers is the Director of MothWorks at The Moth, a host of their live storytelling series and Webby award-winning podcast, storyteller and director. Since then she’s developed stories with her heroes from her Pittsburgh childhood to the present day

This week I was excited to welcome Omar Zenhom to the show. Omar is the host of the award-winning podcast The $100 MBA Show and the creator of the popular software tool Webinar Ninja. In this conversation, we cover a range of business and entrepreneurial topics including preparing to make the leap from a nine to five job to an entrepreneurial lifestyle and the challenges involved in that process. We also discuss Omar’s personal journey toward becoming a successful podcast host and content creator as he reflects upon how his early setbacks were actually preparing and teaching him the skills he would need when the right opportunity came along. We conclude by reflecting on both of our journeys and the importance that mentorship, friendships, and support had in shaping our careers.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Phil Simon is a frequent keynote speaker, recognized collaboration and technology authority, and college professor for hire. He is the award-winning author of a dozen books, most recently Project Management in the Hybrid Workplace. He helps organizations communicate, collaborate, and use technology better. In this conversation Phil talks with Erik about the problem of getting things done in the new world of work. When it comes to project management, the issues breaks down into: Communication, Collaboration, Coordination, and Expectation. We talk about where we are, how we got here, and offer some solutions for moving forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week I had a wonderful conversation with Jason Harris about his new book The Soulful Art of Persuasion: The 11 Habits That Will Make Anyone a Master Influencer. In this chat, Jason dispels some of the toxic chatter about influencers in the internet age and reminds listeners that the art of influence and persuasion is more about compassion, empathy, and finding common ground than Instagram fame or soulless clickbait. We cover his four principles of persuasion: original, generous, soulful, and empathetic by breaking down how each principle is applied and how their application can transform organizations and workplaces from spaces of dysfunctional conversations into communities of healthy and sincere communication.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week I had a great conversation with John Brandon focused on his new book, The 7-Minute Productivity Solution: How to Manage Your Schedule, Overcome Distractions, and Achieve the Results You Want. This was an excellent discussion on the power of taking just seven minutes out of key moments of your day in order to more effectively plan for your day, achieve moments of self-reflection, and remove oneself from digital distractions and ubiquitous media and technology that is robbing us of achieving our goals and living a more productive and fulfilling lifestyle.John Brandon has written over 15,000 articles for major publications like Inc. Magazine and Forbes, Wired, Popular Mechanics, Entrepreneur, TechRadar, Popular Science. For the last 10 years before starting at Forbes, he wrote a daily column for Inc.com.His new book is The 7-Minute Productivity Solution: How to Manage Your Schedule, Overcome Distraction, and Achieve the Results You Want Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee

This week a had a wonderful discussion with Kendra Adachi both about her new book, The Lazy Genius Kitchen as well as her podcast The Lazy Genius, and her previous book The Lazy Genius Way. In this conversation, we discuss how vital it is to give yourself permission to be lazy about things that are not priorities while learning to manage and prioritize the things that matter most. This is truly a productivity lover's dream discussion that offers so many practical principles that can be applied to many aspects of your modern and busy lifestyle.Kendra Adachi is one part systems expert, and one part permission giver. As The Lazy Genius, she aims to help you be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. She is the host of The Lazy Genius Podcast, author of The Lazy Genius Way, and her new book is The Lazy Genius Kitchen: Have What You Need, Use What You Have, and Enjoy It Like Never Before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https:/

This week it was truly my privilege to speak with Dr. Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley about their new book, Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways to Be a Servant Leader and Build Trust. Ken Blanchard needs no introduction to many listeners as he has been a leading voice in business and leadership for decades. In this conversation, Ken and Randy share an abundance of wisdom regarding leadership principles of service, trust, and truth.Dr. Ken Blanchard is the cofounder and Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, an international management training and consulting firm that he and his wife, Margie Blanchard, began in 1979 in San Diego, California. In addition to being a renowned speaker and consultant, Ken also spends time as a visiting lecturer at his alma mater, Cornell University, where he is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees.Ken is a prominent, sought-after author, speaker, and business consultant, Dr. Blanchard is universally characterized by his friends, colleagues, and clients as o

This week I had an inspirational conversation with Julie Solomon about her new book, Get What You Want: How to Go From Unseen to Unstopable. Julie was refreshingly candid about her "origin story" and her struggles to break through into a lifestyle of more healthy habits and proper boundaries. This conversation covers a lot of ground as we unpack some of the myths regarding influence and the incredible benefits that can come from hitting rock bottom only to build yourself up stronger.For more than fifteen years, Julie Solomon has been empowering lives—including her own for more than 15 years. In her weekly chart-topping podcast, The Influencer Podcast, she offers up real-time coaching, straight talk, and conversations about business growth and personal development to her millions of listeners worldwide. From her start as a publicist representing some of the top music acts and thought leaders of our generation, Julie has grown to teach tens of thousands of students worldwide.Her new book is Get What You Want: H

This week I had a delightful conversation with Ashish Goel centered on his new book, Drawing on Courage: Risks Worth Taking and Stands Worth Making. Ashish and I explore ways in which we can summon our inner courage both in times of crisis and in our everyday work lives. Ashish also breaks down some of the ways that fear can deceive and even paralyze us and how we can learn to both cope with fear and deploy courage to overcome it.Ashish Goel is an entrepreneur, designer, former teaching fellow (at the d.school) and is the former head of design at Zomato (India's larger-scale Yelp!). He currently runs Boca, his sparkling water start-up, and advises some of India's top technology companies on design and product management.His new book Drawing on Courage: Risks Worth Taking and Stands Worth Making is packed with insights, tools and even comics for anyone who wants to jump this great divide. The book comes via the d.school: The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi

This week I was delighted to speak with Dr. Susie about her new book: Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities. We have a wide-ranging discussion on everything from the vital importance of design when developing team-building exercises and curriculums focused on the key role that empathy and belonging have in the modern workplace.In addition to discussing design basics, we also cover how technology has developed additional barriers toward belonging while increasing the odds of othering co-workers even without our awareness. In conclusion, Susie offers up simple techniques for combating this reality both when working from home and in the office.Dr. Susie Wise is a design leader with experience in the education, tech, and social sectors. She coaches leaders in equity design and innovation practices. She teaches at the d.school at Stanford. Previously she founded and directed the K12 Lab at the d.school and co-created Liberatory Design.Susie's new book is Design for Belo