OK Productive

We're going to step away from the podcast, but the episodes, website, and social media accounts will remain.Reach out if you have questions or want to say hi, and thanks for listening!What led us to this decision...Well first, why did we start?

035. Year in Review, 2019

Dec 8th, 2019 50m 22s

Differences between 2018 and 2019Erik fully embraced Notion for planningLeo switched from Todoist to a spreadsheetMastermind meetings for group accountabilityLeo's Year in ReviewImprovements to healthSuccessful speaking engagementsA consistent

034. Crafting a Great Email, with Laura Lopuch

Nov 24th, 2019 36m 43s

IntroductionLaura's first email tip: write so the recipient will imagine how their life could beHow to discover a love of email as a paralegalRealizing skills, eight years laterThe benefits of setting weekly email goalsTreat email correspondenc

033. Writing to Stand Out, with Sophia Dagnon

Nov 10th, 2019 45m 19s

Getting your foot in the doorSophia's specialty and how she got there from archaeologyHow UpWork led to better pay in writingDealing with the lack of comfortAn approach to desiring income without being sleazyMaking transactions mutually benefic

032. Flash Fiction with Allison Spooner

Oct 27th, 2019 34m 19s

IntroductionsNaNoWriMo and flash fictionAllison Spooner is the author of Flash in the Dark and The Problem with HumansFind Allison online at spoonfulstyle.com or @allyspoonOutsource your writing parametersAccountability through writing groups,

031. Clear your Calendar! with Justin Jackson

Oct 13th, 2019 49m 45s

In this episodeWhat does a "cleared" calendar look like?How can clearing the calendar improve one's productivity?Why you shouldn't fill up your calendar with work if you are self-employedA clear calendar is open to interruptions and stimulates

030. Neuroplasticity with Tim Mitra

Sep 29th, 2019 32m 8s

Where to find Tim Mitra online@TimMitra on TwitterHost of the More Than Just Code Podcast and SpockcastCohost of RoundaboutFMit-guy.comAuthor of How to Keep Learning After 50Tim's SwiftTO talk about NeuroplasticityNeuroplasticityWhy should we k

029. Public Speaking

Sep 15th, 2019 43m 58s

In this episodeThe value in public speaking for you and your audienceHow to understand your audience by researching the conferenceDifferent ways to organize a talk: story-telling, LEGO instructions, fireside chat, speed dating, and moreHow to h

028. Event Planning with Jessica D'Amico

Sep 1st, 2019 53m 7s

Where we plan eventsErik: Lansing CodesLeo: Lansing Marketing HackersJess: Peers ConferenceAs self-employed folks, events are a great way to get feedback from others and learn new things. Part of productivity isn’t just about doing it all yours

027. Productive Creativity with Pete Sena

Aug 18th, 2019 45m 18s

IntroductionPete Sena (@petesena) is the founder, CEO, and CCO of Digital Surgeons, a design, branding, and digital marketing consultancyPete explains his responsibilities as Chief Creative OfficerThe intersection of creativity and productivity

026. Morning Momentum - The Post-Sleepy Episode

Aug 4th, 2019 29m 39s

How to build momentum in your dayFirst, have a good night of sleep (see episode 1)Erik drinks a high-calorie, low-sugar coffee shake (thanks, gallbladder) before doing anything else in the morning.Energy (calories) and caffeine work well to kic

025. Productive Podcasting

Jul 21st, 2019 34m 4s

IntroductionLeo recently presented and wrote about getting started with podcastingLeo's motivation for taking a holistic look at what it takes to create, publish, and promote a podcastThe overall processOur overall publishing process, from brai

024. Mid-Year Grab Bag and Review

Jul 7th, 2019 34m 46s

IntroductionAny active desktop issues with Endgame?The unexpected is so memorable, even for simple things like going to the moviesSleep, habits, and appsHow we've been sleepingWhat we've tried from Atomic HabitsWhat we're using besides Google I

023. 3 Hat Productivity with Christian Genco

Jun 23rd, 2019 53m 19s

IntroductionA little about Christian and how he first met LeoMister Money Mustache, spending lessPatrick McKenzie, inventor of Bingo Card CreatorA day in the life of Christian GencoPrepopulate your task list, start with your most important task

022. Journaling with Will Gant

Jun 9th, 2019 43m 56s

IntroductionWill Gant is a co-host of the Complete Developer PodcastHow Will and Leo met Will's lightning talk at MicroConfWhat's in Will's journalWill's familial history of journalingUnknown stresses as the impetus to start journalingWill's or

021. Staying Organized with Idea Management

May 26th, 2019 32m 25s

IntroductionA little about Jonathan Baillie Strong and how he met LeoJonathan's best practices for attending a conferenceJonathan's daily workInbox managementHow Jonathan got interested in inbox managementHis general system for inbox management

020. Multitasking

May 12th, 2019 38m 41s

First, some revelations:Apparently, Leo doesn't like cupcakes 🧁12 habits that destroy your focus and productivity, by Jari RoomerMultitasking, definedMultitasking is trying to accomplish two or more tasks by quickly switching back and forth be

019. The Optimization Trap

Apr 28th, 2019 39m 54s

One way to be ok at productivity is to avoid the premature optimization trap.Premature optimization is when you try to improve a process before knowing how to measure the results of the change.An idea to improve your productivity can sound real

018. Atomic Habits by James Clear - Part 2

Apr 14th, 2019 22m 17s

Motivation, Motion, and ActionBe specific about your habits!From the book:People who make a specific plan for when and where they will perform a new habit are more likely to follow through. Too many people try to change their habits without the

017. Atomic Habits by James Clear - Part 1

Mar 31st, 2019 30m 52s

Overall Review Leo's take:I have read many self-help books. I have never found a book so condensed with information. This is a book I found with many takeaways and lessons. I can tell this is a book James had been working on as a series of blog

016. Productivity Apps Episode

Mar 17th, 2019 16m 48s

RedditWe tested Alarmy and share our thoughts. This app was recommended to us more than once on r/productivity as a great way to jumpstart your day.We have our own subreddit now. Check out r/okproductive for more discussion about topics covered

015. The One Thing Episode

Mar 3rd, 2019 30m 3s

We asked /r/productivity on Reddit what one thing has had the most benefit to productivity. Lots of great answers and explanations, some answers came up multiple times (we'll explore those another time), and very few folks could pick just one t

014. Project Breakdown Episode

Feb 24th, 2019 27m 3s

Breaking down large projectsWork is rarely handed to us in small, easily achievable piecesBreaking a project down into small pieces gives you a mapMeasuring your progress improves your odds of succeedingKnow your limitationsYou only have so muc

013. Productive Parenting Episode

Feb 3rd, 2019 26m 23s

Adjust your definition of "productive"Raising and loving children is productiveDon’t over strain yourselfYour priorities change once you have kids, too, and sometimes it's difficult to imagine just how much the little ones can change your world

012. Saying No Episode

Jan 27th, 2019 24m 29s

How to decide when to say noThe Derek Sivers way: “Hell yeah” or “No”If you're in unfamiliar territory: “Hell no” or “Let’s try”Many decisions aren’t permanentFinish what’s on your plate firstIdentify the commitments that are important to you a