Podcast – Work Awesome

Uncertainty: An Interview with Jonathan Fields

Podcast 24 – Podcasting Passion with Myke Hurley

Podcast 23 – Mac at Work with David Sparks

Podcast 22 – The Power of Paper with Adam King

Podcast 21 – Connect and Revolutionize with Pace and Kyeli Smith

The Work Awesome podcast welcomes Eddie Smith, the man behind the popular productivity site Practically Efficient. He describes himself as "an actuary, a thinker, an efficiency experimenter and a blogger—all in one." Eddie's work has attracted the attention (and praise) of many popular internet writers, including those who contribute to the Read & Trust network and Merlin Mann. Eddie and Work Awesome podcast prodigy Mike Vardy discussed a wide variety of productivity-related topics during this interview, well before Eddie had added the newest addition to his workflow: his child. We may shoot for a follow-up interview in a few months to see how he's adapted. . . Show Notes What Eddie was using before making his shift to OmniFocus, and why he decided to make the change. How he uses OmniFocus. What Eddie's secret is to finding "balance". Why he started writing in the first place. What "practically efficient" actually means to him. If you enjoy the podcast, please let us know. Leave us a rating and review in iTunes; it'll help people find us and build up our listenership. We're working hard to bring some great guests on -- and we've already had some great ones -- so if you have any suggestions on guests or what you'd like to hear, let us know in the comments. Subscribe to the podcast Play in podcast in new window Image courtesy of Flavors.me/jesmithiv

This week's guest on the Work Awesome podcast is Jen Bilik, the founder, CEO and "head honcho" of Knock Knock. Knock Knock makes fun (yet practical) productivity tools, so if you're new to the world of productivity tools or simply want to make getting stuff done more entertaining, then give Knock Knock a try. I've got a few of the file folders they make, and they've raised both eyebrows and laughter when they've caught attention from my colleagues. Jen was gracious enough to give me plenty of time to discuss how Knock Knock works, along with her own work habits. The podcast is one of our longer ones, but it really gives you an inside look as to how an idea that may seem off-the-cuff goes from concept to finished product. I think you'll be as surprised as I was. Show Notes Why Jen decided to start Knock Knock. How Knock Knock might just help people get stuff done. Her thoughts on the coverage (and success) of Knock Knock. Whether or not the digital realm is something Knock Knock is exploring. What her working environment is like, including musical preferences, drink of choice and much more. The winner of the Jason Womack prize pack from last episode is Daryl Tay. Daryl's name was chosen at random from the entrants, and he provided the correct answer: Jason worked for David Allen prior to striking out on his own. Congratulations, Daryl! If you enjoy the Work Awesome podcast, please let us know. Leave us a rating and review in iTunes; it'll help people find us and build up our listenership. We're working hard to bring some great guests on -- and we've already had some great ones -- so if you have any suggestions on guests or what you'd like to hear, let us know in the comments. Subscribe to the podcast Play in podcast in new window

On this week's episode of the Work Awesome podcast (the first under new ownership, I might add), we start a new era. A new theme will greet listeners as they tune in, but a familiar voice can still be heard as host. I continue my journey with this site in my new role as Podcast Prodigy, and every other week the Work Awesome podcast will bring tips, tricks, interviews and more. This week, I had the opportunity to speak with Jason Womack, noted productivity expert and author. Jason is one of the principals at The Womack Company, a company that aims to help those in all walks of business (and in life) "level up" their productivity. Jason recently inked a book deal with Wiley Publishing, and his first book under its banner, Your Best Just Got Better, will hit bookshelves later in 2011. Jason and I discussed his latest book, The Promise Doctrine, which he co-wrote with his father Craig Womack, as well as some of the advice he has for those seeking to level up their own work, life and passions. Through such tactics as sending clear and actionable emails to what aspect of The Promise Doctrine that he feels is the most crucial, our discussion covers a wide spectrum that offers both practical and inspirational insights from a man who has many years of experience in the productivity and self-development realm. Jason has offered one lucky WorkAwesome podcast follower an opportunity to win each item from The Womack Company library. This includes: DVD: 15 Tips for Time Management Audio CD: 20 Time Saving Tips Book: The Promise Doctrine In order to win, just leave a comment below telling us what well-known productivity expert (and past podcast guest) Jason worked with before forging out on his own. We'll select the winner at random by May 5th, 2011 at 12 noon PDT and announce the winner here when we post our next podcast episode. You can find out more about Jason 's products at: http://astore.amazon.com/jwc-20 If you enjoy the podcast, please let us know. Leave us a rating and review in iTunes; it'll help people find us and build up our listenership. We're working hard to bring some great guests on -- and we've already had some great ones -- so if you have any suggestions on guests or what you'd like to hear, let us know in the comments. Subscribe to the podcast Play in podcast in new window (Image courtesy of Womack Company)

This week's guest on the WorkAwesome podcast is James Shelley. James is a highly-regarded online writer, offering articles on productivity and time management -- as well as attention and willpower. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. That said, James is also a storyteller and speaker. He has spoken to high school students about the challenges the world has to offer as well as looking at lifestyles choices and decisions that need to be made. These kind of musings don't just apply to the youth of today; we all can learn from James' work online. His work at JamesShelley.net is a great place to start. Show Notes James discusses the differences between doing productive vs. being productive. What tools he uses in his workflow -- and how he doesn't use OmniFocus for everything. With multiple jobs, how he makes everything "fit". How James works his craft. What is the Attention Economy is. ...and James discusses his drink of choice, music of choice and other tools that he has in play in his daily life. If you enjoy the podcast, please let us know. Leave us a rating and review in iTunes; it'll help people find us and build up our listenership. We've recently been featured in iTunes' New & Notable under audio podcasts...and the highly-touted iOS app Instacast has us listed as one of the more popular podcasts going right now. (We've even had some of our episodes seen in the HuffDuffer space!) Let us know what we can do to keep improving the podcast -- we'd love the feedback! Subscribe to the podcast Play in podcast in new window (Image courtesy of JamesShelley.net)

This week's guest on the WorkAwesome podcast is Jesse Jacobs, founder of the Samovar Tea Lounge. Jesse also blogs at RealRitual, a website that discusses the power and joy of maintaining rituals in life. If you're looking to hear more of Jesse's backstory, I highly suggest you check out his interview with Dan Benjamin on The Pipeline -- as always, Dan does a great job interviewing Jesse. We don't go into his backstory too deep in our discussion, but focus more on the present. Specifically, how he stays productive, fosters his passions and his suggestions on how others can do the same. Jesse was kind enough to provide our listeners (and readers) with a 15% discount on all products at samovarlife.com. Just use coupon code drinktea upon checkout. This coupon is good until April 1st, 2011. Show Notes Jesse discusses how he got into the tea business -- from working his office job. What tools he uses to stay productive and on task. Why tea is fast becoming the drink of choice for those who want to stay productive. Jesse also outlines his morning routine, which includes getting up at around 3:30 am. What someonenew to the tea experience needs to get started with little to no barriers, including teas that are carried at Samovar. (Note: Here's where that coupon code can come in handy!) ...and, among other things, Mike and Jesse discuss their fondness for using old-fashioned shaving tools in their grooming ritual. Jesse's razor of choice is the Cobra Classic. Mike's is the Merkur 34C "Hefty Classic". If you enjoy the podcast, please let us know. Leave us a rating and review in iTunes; it'll help people find us and build up our listenership. We're working hard to bring some great guests on -- and we've already had some great ones -- so if you have any suggestions on guests or what you'd like to hear, let us know in the comments. Subscribe to the podcast Play in podcast in new window (Image courtesy of RealRitual.com)

Our guest on this week's episode of the WorkAwesome podcast is Adam Lisagor. Adam has a lot on the go, including developing iPhone apps (like Birdhouse with Cameron Hunt), being involved in a couple of podcasting projects (You Look Nice Today with Scott Simpson and Merlin Mann) and acting as what some may call as a "reluctant" pitchman for products such as Square and Flipboard. But what Adam primarily does is make video. Really good video. With clients that include the aforementioned Square and Flipboard, he also has created some great spots for Jawbone's JAMBOX and Peel. Adam's videos don't really feel like commercials, which is what may have led to a steady stream of work over the past few years. WorkAwesome editor Mike Vardy has more of a discussion than an "interview" with Adam about things like workflow, how he keeps on top of all that he has going on, and his particular drink of choice. (Hint: it's not coffee, tea, or soda...) Show Notes WorkAwesome Productivity Tip: Don't take yourself so seriously. Take breaks, breathe and have fun. That'll lead to better work and a better life. Adam discusses his workflow, including what he tells clients about his work habits from the onset. How he ended up becoming a pitchman and why he's still doing it. What types of companies that he likes to work with...and why. Why he really doesn't use any productivity tools. What tools he does use as part of his workflow. Why he worships email. What's the deal with You Look Nice Today? ...and Adam discusses his favorite drink, what he listens to and whether he stands or sits while working -- along with much more. This Week's Sponsor This week's episode is sponsored by Hover. Hover is offering a 10% discount available exclusively to WorkAwesome podcast listeners (and our readers, of course) when you go to their website to buy your next domain name. Just click here and enter the word awesome when checking out. You'll see that finding and registering a domain with Hover is fast, easy, friendly and secure. Hover makes domain names simple. Subscribe to the podcast Play in podcast in new window If you enjoy the WorkAwesome podcast, please let us know. Leave us a rating and review in iTunes; it'll help people find us and build up our listenership. And if you have any suggestions on guests or what else you'd like to hear, let us know in the comments. (Image courtesy of Flavors.me/lonelysandwich)

This week on the WorkAwesome podcast, our editor Mike Vardy had the opportunity to chat with Stever Robbins, better known as The Get-It-Done Guy. Stever's book has been reviewed here at WorkAwesome, and during this interview we dig a little deeper into the book, as well as other aspects of productivity and workflow that he offers on his website and his regular podcasts. Stever's practical and accessible advice on productivity makes what many consider a dry topic more entertaining and still very informative. In addition to the interview, we've started to implement some of our listener suggestions. This week we slowly venture into offering tips -- with just one tip offered. But it's a big one that can be challenging for many of us. Show Notes WorkAwesome Productivity Tip: Pick one productivity system/tool and stick with it for a minimum of 90 days. Stever Robbins discusses his "origin story"; how he got started in the realm of productivity. Why books on productivity aren't as accessible and fun as they should (and could) be. Which of the 9 steps that he offers in his book is the most important. His opinion of Inbox Zero. Stever discusses if -- and if so, how -- people can be overproductive. ...and he answers some of our regular questions regarding working environments, early rising/night owl, paper or digital and much more. If you enjoy the podcast, please let us know. Leave us a rating and review in iTunes; it'll help people find us and build up our listenership. We're working hard to bring some great guests on -- and we've already had some great ones -- so if you have any suggestions on guests or what you'd like to hear, let us know in the comments. Subscribe to the podcast Play in podcast in new window (Image courtesy of SteverRobbins.com)

WorkAwesome editor Mike Vardy had the pleasure to interview Lifehacker founding editor and highly-regarded developer Gina Trapani on this week's episode of the podcast. Gina's got a ton of projects on the go on the web, all of which are awesome in scope and in nature. She's regarded as one of the top productivity experts on the web today (one could go as for to say that her reach expands well beyond the Internet realm as well), and it was truly a privilege to have her on as a guest. Show Notes Gina discusses the reason behind starting started Lifehacker and the reason for eventually leaving the site. Why Gina believes that productivity has had (and still does have) such an appeal to so many on the Internet. Todo.txt app, Gina's self-developed task list application, is discussed. Gina gives a rundown of her daily workflow, including IRC, email and other tools she uses. What is ThinkUp? Gina spills the beans. Mike and Gina offer a requiem for the late, lamented Google Wave. The status of Gina's standing desk experiment. Apparently, Gina occasionally dances while she works. So what's on her playlist? Gina digs Gmail...she explains her reasons, what aspects of Gmail's features she uses and some of the other apps she has to keep tabs on things. There was a lot more that went down in this brief -- yet informative and entertaining -- discussion, including Gina's drink of choice and sleep habits. Check out this episode by subscribing through your favorite podcast aggregator or by listening to it right here on the website. Please note that there were some slight issues with Skype on occasion during the interview. There wasn't much that could be done about that, and since Gina's time is at a premium, there was little choice but to let these rare imperfections slide. If you enjoy the podcast, please let us know. Leave us a rating and review in iTunes; it'll help people find us and build up our listenership. We're working hard to bring some great guests on -- and we've already had some great ones -- so if you have any suggestions on guests or what you'd like to hear, let us know in the comments. We're starting to roll out some of the suggestions we've received as of this week's podcast, such as the expanded show notes. There's more improvements to come. Our goal...to be the podcast destination for those who want to do (and are doing) awesome work. Subscribe to the podcast Play in podcast in new window (Image courtesy of The SetUp)

This week's episode of the WorkAwesome podcast features a "less than minimal" interview with renowned minimalist and talented writer Patrick Rhone. Patrick's writing covers the landscape of productivity, technology analysis and practical tips, all with a tremendous amount of articulation, thoughtfulness and flair. Patrick is the writer and curator at Minimal Mac, a website that promotes subjective simplicity to Mac users everywhere. However, Patrick's philosophy goes beyond the Mac platform alone (although admittedly, it is his platform of choice) and he has taken it to the next level with his new podcast, entitled Enough - The Minimal Mac Podcast. Patrick and WorkAwesome editor Mike Vardy discuss the nature of minimalism (what it is and, more importantly, what it really is), workflow and the crux of the term "enough" as he sees it. Since Patrick is a busy guy, we delve into how he achieves balance in all that he does -- both in work and life -- and the shift that has been happening for him with the rising success of his writing career. He also mentions some of those that he thinks are doing awesome work with their writing these days. We even talk about email strategies. If you enjoy the podcast, please let us know. Leave us a rating and review in iTunes; it'll help people find us and build up our listenership. We're working hard to bring some great guests on -- and we've already had some great ones -- so if you have any suggestions on guests or what you'd like to hear, let us know in the comments. We want to be the podcast destination for those who want to do (and are doing) awesome work. Subscribe to the podcast Play in podcast in new window (Image courtesy of

This week's episode of the WorkAwesome podcast features an interview with productivity consultant Stephen Smith. Stephen has been involved in the productivity realm for many years, and his most recent endeavour is the work.life.creativity site, which is described as: ...an open community and are looking forward to hearing new ideas and perspectives. We are not tied to any one system, methodology or answer. We are simply interested in finding solutions that help us get the most out of life. We wish to spend less time “doing” and more time “living”. In our minds, the goal of life is not about doing, it is about being done. Stephen has also been involved with SOBCon, an annual event "where some of the best minds in the Internet space gather to present models, discuss insights, and determine best practices." It has been growing every year -- in both size and number of occurrences. WorkAwesome editor Mike Vardy discusses with Stephen the various projects he has on the go and how he manages to keep all of these projects alive -- and thriving -- with a full time job on his plate as well. If you enjoy the podcast, please let us know. We're working hard to bring some great guests on (with upcoming episodes featuring Stever Robbins, Patrick Rhone and Dan Schawbel to name a few), so if you have any suggestions on guests or what you'd like to hear, let us know in the comments. We've already started to receive some great suggestions -- thanks to those who've already connected with us! Subscribe to the podcast Play in podcast in new window You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes here. Leave us a rating and review as well in iTunes...it'll help people find us!