Podcast 171: Rework with Jason Fried

Jason FriedI thoroughly enjoyed my interview with author Jason Fried and founder of 37 Signals.  I have been a raving fan of his company’s software products for several years now.

37 Signals makes such great products as Highrise, Basecamp, Campfire and Backpack.  These subscription based services help the business owners organize and run their business more smoothly and effectively, (for more information on this business application software go to www.37Siginals.com).

Jason has co-authored this new book, “Rework“,  with his partner, David Hansson.  “Rework” is one of the best and most practical business books I have ever read. More importantly  Rework has been categorized as a business book, but it really  is no-nonsense advice, ideas, tools and practical applications to help anyone run both their personal and business lives with more sanity.

Jason’s motto is, “It’s simple until you make it complicated“. That statement really sums up what Rework is all about.  How to simplify and conserve energy so that you can be the most productive while still having fun.

In my interview we discuss the simple concept of embracing the idea of having less mass, which refers to the concept of not acquiring additional baggage, as you build your business.  Keep your contracts, inventory, people and staff to a minimum.  Keep your business streamlined, don’t get it over complicated and overweight with the complexities that businesses seem to acquire as they grow and prosper.  Keep lean, don’t get fat!

Jason says that less is a good thing, and that constraints are advantages in disguise. Limited resources force you to make do with what you’ve got.  I always heard the statement, “do what you can with what you got now.”

Many business owners, and especially in our current economic environment, are complaining about lack and limitation.  If you follow the advice of Jason,  you will probably look back at these economic times as an opportunity to be the most resourceful and creative, and probably come up with some awesome breakthrough ideas.

I can’t say enough about this book.  It truly is a must read for anyone in business or getting ready to start a business who wants sound practical advice on ways to control your destiny.  This book encourages you to take an introspective look at how you best should run your life and your business.

If you want to learn more about Rework and Jason Fried, I have provided several links to videos with additional information about Jason’s philosophy and a smart creative video that will touch your funny bone .

Big Think video

Rework Video’s

So do yourself a favor and get a copy of Rework, you will be glad that you did.

Podcast 166: Master Your Workday Now! with Michael Linenberger

Michael LinenbergerIf you are feeling overworked and stressed out these days, then join the crowd.  Most white collar workers are attempting to figure out how to manage the besiege of email, voice mail, text messaging, and just keep up.  For the most part we are not doing a very good job of it.

If you want to learn more about mastering your work day, then I encourage you to listen to my interview with Michael Linenberger the author of a new book entitled, “Master Your Workday Now!”.  Michael has developed proven strategies to control the chaos and create outcomes, and connect your work to who you really are.

In my interview with Michael we discuss the proven strategies such as his simple Now Task List.  This wonderful idea does more than just prioritize your to-dos, it provides a system for breaking them down into three simple sections: Critical Now, Opportunity Now and Over the Horizon.

Michael’s  system of getting your Workday mastered revolves around a simple pyramid which at the foundation is control, then moves to create and at the top of the pyramid is connect. He wants people to get control of the workday by managing their urgency zones. Once this is mastered you create your outcomes by using Now Goals and Goal Activation.  Then you move on to connecting your work with who you really are.

His program is easy to understand and he connects all of techniques to Microsoft Outlook if you are using this desktop manager.  As many of you are aware with the massive amounts of data that we are responsible for managing, it is almost impossible to do it without some type of software system.

But, just in case you are not using a computer to manage your contacts, information, etc.,  Michael’s system will work without Outlook or any other desktop manager for that matter.

I highly recommend “Master Your Workday Now!”. If you want to take back control of your day, and all of the to-do’s that are keeping you from really focusing on the most important aspects of your life then read Michael’s book and practice his mastery techniques.

You can get more information at Michael’s website by clicking here.

Podcast 163: Life Is Tremendous with Tracey Jones

Tracey Jones

I was recently introduced to Tracey Jones the daughter of Charlie “Tremendous” Jones.  Charlie recently passed away, and Tracey has taken over the publishing business which is now called Tremendous Life Books.  It was a pleasure doing this podcast with Tracey and learning what it was like to be the daughter of such an icon in the speaking and motivation business.

If you have never read a Charlie “Tremendous” Jones book, I can highly recommend one of his greats, ” Life is Tremendous”.   In my interview with Tracey we speak about the simple yet valuable lessons that Charlie was always teaching as he would speak and meet with his audiences.  His passion for life was contagious, and he always had a way of helping one see life from a positive and different perspective.  As Charlie says in the front of his book ” Life is Tremendous! It really is.  You can be happy, involved, relevant, productive, healthy and secure in the midst of this high pressure, commercialized, automated, pill-prone society.  It’s not easy nor automatic, but it’s possible through the development of certain personal qualities which make up the traits of leadership.  And you can be a leader, because leaders are made, not born.

Tracy and I speak about the Seven Laws of Leadership that Charlie so passionately spoke about for so many years. The Seven Saws of Leadership are: 1) Learning to get Excited About Your Work 2) Use or Lose 3) Production or Perfection 4) Give or Get 5) Exposure or Experience 6) Flexible Planning 7) Motivated to Motivating.

Please enjoy my interview with Tracey as we explore her father’s work, and how the passion for what he started has transferred a generation to Tracey as she carries on the Jones legacy through Tremendous Life Books.

If you would like to learn more about the book titles that Tremendous Life Books has published please click here to access the Tremendous Life Book website.  I know you will enjoy this interview with Tracey Jones.

Podcast 143: The Answer with John Assaraf

John AssarafI know that many of us are looking for “The Answer“, and I am not certain if it exists or not but the message that John Assaraf has for you could just be what you are looking for.

His new book, “The Answer“, with co-author Murray Smith, is an intriguing look into the personal power of attraction as well as how to reprogram your unconscious brain.

The Answer combines decades of research from neuroscience and quantum physics with practical, hands-on business know-how to give you the confidence you need and the specific step-by-step actions to follow to build the business, and the life, of your dreams.

In my interview with John we explore the basic building blocks of what is required to rethink, relearn, and reprogram our brains so that we can manifest both the life we want, and the business that we desire.

John states that, everything you need to build your dream business, all the tools, resources, capital, people, ideas, expertise…… it all surrounds you today.  You just need to learn how to tap into that personal power.

Through new findings in neuroscience, scientists have discovered that we can override our own genetic codes.  If we learn how to gain access to the power of our brain, where our attitudes, beliefs, and established thought patterns are stored, we can create new neural pathways that can actually rewrite our genetic code.

Creating a clear business vision is the critical first step to your success.  If you are truly passionate and want to create enormous amounts of success for yourself, then you must have five key elements in place.

  1. You must find something that stirs your soul
  2. You must become excellent at it
  3. You must recondition your mind to believe you can have it and achieve it
  4. You must understand how to make money at it
  5. you must take daily action

Come explore with John Assaraf and myself  “The Answer”   to many of the challenges most entrepreneurs face upon starting, building and maintaining a successful business and personal life.

If you would like more information on John Assaraf and One Coach please click here to access his website.

Podcast 134: Inner Productivity with Chris Edgar

Chris Edgar Author Chris Edgar was an attorney with a busy career before starting an inner journey toward peace, happiness and spiritual awakening.  His new book entitled ,”Inner Productivy-A Mindful Path to Efficiency and Enjoyment in Your Work“, is about cultivating what Chris refers to as “inner productivity”–the mental and emotional state that allows you to get the most done and find the most enjoyment in your work.

Inner Productivity-A Mindful Path to Efficiency and Enjoyment in Your Work helps the reader develop the mental discipline they need to get the most out of their work.  Chris offers techniques that range from meditations and visualizations  to forms of conscious breathing to help the reader  hold their attention on projects, reconnect with their passion and overcome fears of limiting beliefs.

In our interview together we speak about our own personal fighting and fleeing from our mental and emotional clutter because of the pain associated with it.  Chris exposes techniques on how we can be with it and learn to let go.

He speaks about:

  • How to enter a “flow” state of effortless attention and efficiency.
  • Quiet stray thoughts and feelings that tend to disrupt our focus.
  • How to stay connected with our passion and motivation in our work.
  • How to transcend fears and limiting beliefs that hold us back from performing at our best.
  • How to stimulate our creativity when we are feeling uninspired or mentally blocked.

If you are like most people today who work in a job where we are under the pressure of the “constant doing” and preforming at our highest level, then Inner Productivity-A Mindful Path to Efficiency and Enjoyment in Your Work is a must read.  Once you pick up this book you won’t want to put it down, for it is going to assist you in finding the inner peace and calm that is so needed when we are under stress and pressure.  It will make you more productive, efficient and effective while at the same time keeping you calm in the eye of the storm.

I hope that you enjoy my interview with Chris Edgar, and if you are interested in learning more about Chris please click here to visit his website.

Podcast 115: Illuminate, Harnessing The Positive Power of Negative Thinking with David M. Corbin

David M. CorbinMy good friend David Corbin has just released his new book entitled, “Illuminate: Harnessing the Positive Power of Negative Thinking”.  Isn’t that a great title for a book?  Not only is it a great title, the concepts presented here are wonderful.

How many of you when you have been challenged or confronted with a negative situation take the time to learn from it?  Many times we divert our energy and move in the opposite direction of the challenge hoping that it will go away.

In David’s new book he dispels the myths about constantly remaining positive to find solution.  This is very contradictory to the traditional Positive Mental Attitude approach.  David believes that if you illuminate the negative and question authority, become proactive and think outside the box that it will help you find solutions to your challenges. He states that we need to develop critical thinking skills and be unafraid to face the truth.

David’s book is filled with examples and experiences of countless individuals who have discovered that negative thinking can bring about unparalleled positive results in anyone’s work and life.  So if you want to make breakthroughs in your life look at what is not working and learn from your mistakes.  I love the analogy in this book about Thomas Edison.  If you remember Edison took 300 tries to develop the light bulb.  He was reminded about how many times he failed.  And his answer was, “I now know over 300 ways not to make a light bulb.”  What a great analogy for life, just keep trying even if you are failing at something and at some point you are going to have a breakthrough.

I am sure glad that Edison illuminated the negative, because if he had not we would all probably still be in the dark.If you want to know more about my good friend and author David Corbin you can visit his website by clicking here.  He is really a wonderful man with a big heart and lots to teach us about harnessing the positive power of negative thinking.

Podcast 103: Be Unreasonable with Paul Lemberg

Paul Lemberg I have known Paul Lemberg for many years.  He is definitely an out-of-the-box thinker.  His concepts about how to market yourself and your business have always been cutting edge.  In my interview with Paul he will explain what he refers to as “Being Unreasonable.”

In Paul’s book Be Unreasonable – The Unconventional Way to Extraordinary Business Results, he states that it is about a liberation that comes from shaking off the shackles of normality and being Unreasonable in your demands on yourself and your work.   He says that extraordinary accomplishments begin with extraordinary actions.  Extraordinary in itself mean “extra” ordinary as in above the ordinary.  Being unreasonable means achieving the extraordinary by doing things beyond what people consider normal.

We have the opportunity in our interview together to discuss some of the 20 key points he makes about people who practice extraordinary action,
and the benefits they gain both personally and professionally.  In these unusual times Paul’s approach just might make sense for many of you seeking to improve your bottom line while at the same time grow your business.  He is a true master of marketing and sales and has some wonderful ideas.  I hope you enjoy our interview together, and I encourage you to visit his website by clicking here for more information about his teleclasses, books and coaching programs.

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