Mikes on Mics

“The Mikes” sit down for a one-on-one chat about making time for the things that matter: our families, our jobs, our projects and, occasionally, even ourselves (although Schechter’s already pretty darn good at that last bit). What Mikes Are Drinking Mike Vardy - Baby Tree | Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project, Inc. Michael Schechter - Old Grand-Dad 114 Barrel Proof Bourbon Links Make Time | A Better Mess I’m A Failed Writer #14: Project Mismanagement — yuvi zalkow A Brilliant Novel in the Works by Yuvi Zalkow The 4x6" Emergent Task Planner StickyPad No more yes. It’s either HELL YEAH! or no. | Derek Sivers The Journal of Best Practices by David Finch OneThirtySeven by Matt Alexander Follow Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by: The all new Squarespace 6! Go try out the new secret behind exceptional websites. Go to squarespace.com/70decibels to start your free trial and use the offer code '70decibels8' at checkout to get 10% off your first order. Download Subscribe in iTunes

"The Mikes" are joined by Andrew Carroll, a.k.a. CPA Andrew, to discuss when to shift from BSing on the internet to building your online efforts into a business. What Mikes (and Andrew) Are Drinking Mike Vardy - The Colbert Bump Michael Schechter - Steam Whistle Pilsner Andrew Carroll - Macallan 21 Year Fine Oak Links Cooking With... - S02E10 - Apples And Oranges What do I do First? | CPA Andrew It’s A Part-Time Gig; But A Full-Time Frustration | 512 Pixels How to do Annual Planning for Your Business | CPA Andrew NCH Wealth Advisors, Inc. Follow Andrew, Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by: The all new Squarespace 6! Go try out the new secret behind exceptional websites. Go to squarespace.com/70decibels to start your free trial and use the offer code '70decibels8' at checkout to get 10% off your first order.

“The Mikes” talk about finding the time to get things done with special guest Davy Buntinx. Schechter, Vardy and Davy also touch on their own routines and more importantly, their morning coffee rituals. What Mikes Are Drinking Mike Vardy - Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon Michael Schechter - 120 Minute IPA | Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales Davy Buntinx - Coffee and milk Links Brewing Up a Business by Sam Calagione Writing In The Margins Clever Coffee Dripper Aerobie AeroPress Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield Follow Davy, Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. Download Subscribe in iTunes

“The Mikes” drag author, writer and schmo, Yuvi Zalkow into Schechter’s hotel room to talk about the upcoming release of his first novel (which will be officially released on Monday, August 14th, go buy it!). Along with Vardy (who go the only actual chair in the room), we discuss the final throws of a massive project (in this case Yuvi’s new book. Have we mentioned Yuvi’s book, cause you should totally buy it) and the harsh truths that often come after you think you’re done. What Schechter and Yuvi Drank (after the show) Gin and Drinking Vinegar at Whiskey Soda Lounge Links Yuvi’s Book (in case we haven’t mentioned it) Yuvi’s Videos Episode 13: How Packed Is Yuvi Zalkow’s Mac? Episode 18: Fear and Self-Loathing with Yuvi Zalkow Crowdsourcing My Anxiety by Yuvi Zalkow I’m A Failed Writer #10: Big Projects, Small Lists by Yuvi Zalkow The Front Nine - Vardy’s Upcoming Book! World Domination Summit Follow Yuvi, Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. Download Subscribe in iTunes This episode is brought to you by: The all new Squarespace 6! Go try out the new secret behind exceptional websites. Go to squarespace.com/70decibels to start your free trial and use the offer code '70decibels8' at checkout to get 10% off your first order.

“The Mikes” sit down as Schechter (along with a random blog commenter) calls Vardy out on his recent decisions to come back to both OmniFocus and Gmail. Much as Schechter wished calling out Vardy would never end, they inevitably move on to the tools they use to plan their respective days. What Mikes Are Drinking Mike Vardy - OTIMA by Warre’s Michael Schechter - Baby Tree by Pretty Things Beer Links Pretty Things Ale Project | Macdrifter Goodbye Google: The Epilogue | Vardy.me A Return to OmniFocus | Vardy.me Frictionless | Do more. Better. Episode 12: Experimenting With Patrick Rhone Getting Things Done with Asana | Vardy.me Tweaking vs. Fiddling | Vardy.me Getting Off of the Google Juice | Macdrifter Google+ for Business by Chris Brogan 30/30 | You have never experienced a task manager like this! How 30/30 Fits Into My Productivity Workflow | Vardy.me The Emergent Task Planner | David Seah How to Stop Time | Vardy.me Using TextExpander and OmniFocus for tracking… | Simplicity Is Bliss Money | Jumsoft Andrew Carroll | CPA Andrew Simple | Worry-free Alternative to Traditional Banking Back to Work That’s Fine for Merlin T-Shirt | 5by5 A Beginners Guide To Planning On Paper | BetterMess.com Follow Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. Download Subscribe in iTunes This episode is brought to you by: The all new Squarespace 6! Go try out the new secret behind exceptional websites. Go to squarespace.com/70decibels to start your free trial and use the offer code '70decibels8' at checkout to get 10% off your first order. And Docusign, the easiest and most secure way to append a signature to a document, no matter where you are.

Jean MacDonald from Smile, the makers of TextExpander and PDF Pen sits down with “The Mikes” for a casual chat at the World Domination Summit. Join us as Schechter and Vardy as Jean talks about the latest version of TextExpander, the collective power of nerds and shares her super not-so-secret-anymore upcoming project. What Mikes (and Jean) Drank Vardy, Schechter and Jean - I2PA - Rogue Ales Links Smile Software TextExpander 4.0 | MacSparky Automate the Easy Stuff | Chris Brogan Sweating Commas | Jason Rehmus Productivity: The Next Big Thing | Vardy.me guest post from Dan Gordon TextExpander Tools | Brett Terpstra Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls App Camp For Girls - | Jean’s Project Big Nerd Ranch Follow Jean, Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. Download Subscribe in iTunes This episode is brought to you by: The all new Squarespace 6! Go try out the new secret behind exceptional websites. Go to squarespace.com/70decibels to start your free trial and use the offer code '70decibels7' at checkout to get 10% off your first order. And Docusign, the easiest and most secure way to append a signature to a document, no matter where you are.

David Sparks (a.k.a. MacSparky) joins “The Mikes” to discuss just how it is he manages to get everything done. Follow along as Schechter expresses his awe for David’s ability to balance a challenging day job and a family while managing to be prolific in his online offerings. Vardy dives deeply into how David is evolving his writing with his first self-published release, Paperless. What Mikes (and David) Are Drinking Mike Vardy - Hoparazzi - Parallel 49 Brewing Company Michael Schechter - Poperings Hommel Bier - BeerAdvocate David Sparks - Monkey Picked Oolong Tea (Yes, you’re reading that right) Links Mac Power Users Rob Corddy on His Love of Productivity, Coders and the Mac MacSparky - Blog - The No Journal MacSparky - OmniFocus Screencasts OmniFocus for Mac - The Omni Group 2x4: An Interview with David Sparks MPU 079: Hazel 3.0 « Mac Power Users MacSparky - iPad at Work MacSparky - Mac at Work Welcome to BrettTerpstra.com, home of Brett Terpstra and his nerdery Follow David Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. Download Subscribe in iTunes This episode is brought to you by: The all new Squarespace 6! Go try out the new secret behind exceptional websites. Go to squarespace.com/70decibels to start your free trial and use the offer code '70decibels7' at checkout to get 10% off your first order. And Mailchimp. Easy email Newsletters.

“The Mikes” discuss the importance of and best practices for attending a conference while actually attending a conference together. Join Schechter and Vardy for their first face-to-face conversation while at the World Domination Summit. Note: This episode was recorded in Schechter’s hotel room so please forgive any sound inconsistencies. What Mikes Are Drinking Mike Vardy and Michael Schechter - Total Domination IPA - Ninkasi Brewing Company Links World Domination Summit 2012: The First Event I’ve Cried At (Twice) - Vardy.me Brett Kelly - Bridging the Nerd Gap Jean MacDonald Smile: Mac Software I’m Fine, Thanks Cal Newport Jason Rehmus - Sweating Commas Kate Swoboda -Your Courageous Life Yuvi Zalkow - novelist, failed writer, schmo Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky XOXO Festival by Andy Baio — Kickstarter Follow Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by: Squarespace, the secret behind exceptional websites. Go to squarespace.com/70decibels to start your free trial and use the offer code '70decibels7' at checkout to get 10% off your first order. And Hover. Simple domain management. Use the offer code 'Tallyho' at checkout to recieve 10% off your next purchase. Download Subscribe in iTunes

David Barnard of App Cubby joins “The Mikes” for a candid conversation on the creation of Launch Center and its recent evolution into Launch Center Pro. What Mikes (and David) Are Drinking Mike Vardy - Sodastream Michael Schechter - Also Sodastream David Barnard - A cup of cold coffee Links Launch Center from App Cubby Going Pro - App Cubby Blog We Were Wrong - App Cubby Blog Launch Center Pro: A Productivityist’s Best Friend - From Vardy.me Speeding Up OmniFocus on iOS with Launch Center Pro - From A Better Mess Launch Center Pro Review - Macstories Launch Center: An Action and Shortcut Hub for your iPhone - Macstories Urban Dictionary: sherlocked Apple Keynote - June 2012 Remember geeks, iOS wasn’t made for us | iMore Schechter’s rant on Sandboxing - From A Better Mess MikeVardy.com - Vardy’s DRAMATICALLY improved Squarespace site Launch Center Pro on Twitter AppCubby on Twitter Follow David, Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by: Squarespace, the secret behind exceptional websites. Go to squarespace.com/70decibels to start your free trial and use the offer code '70decibels7' at checkout to get 10% off your first order. And Zoompf, who provide solutions to improve the speed of your website. Go to zoompf.com/free to get a free performance analysis and to get 20% off the lifetime of your account sign up at zoompf.com/70decibels Download Subscribe in iTunes

“The Mikes” decided to dive into the idea of quality, not only regarding the type of work produced by people but the quality of the tools used by said people to make quality work. We talk about how we come to the decision of what tools we use, the value we place upon the tools themselves and the work that comes from using them. The emphasis is often placed on speed when productivity gets talked about, but we decide to go in a different direction and wind up with a “quality” discussion as a result. (Note: While this may seem like a bonus episode this week, it's really not. Mikes on Mics is moving to Fridays, so rather than have you wait nearly two weeks to get another does of Schechter and Vardy, we thought we'd do this instead.) What The Mikes Are Drinking Mike Vardy - Magic Hat #9 Michael Schechter - Steam Whistle (FINALLY!) Links Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield Mark Tosczak: The Ultimate Lifehack Moleskine Frictionless | Aaron Mahnke Emergent Task Planner | David Seah Field Notes Evernote 30/30 | Binary Hammer Fantastical | Flexibits Patrick Rhone: Final Choices Pat Dryburgh Follow Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by Harvest, a service that’s so intuitive and easy to use that you can spend less time worrying about your timesheet, and more time focusing on your work. Go to getharvest.com to start your free 30 day trial and use the offer code '512' at checkout and receive 50% off your first month! (Note: This offer expires August 1st, 2012.)

“The Mikes” are joined once again by Stephen Hackett of 512 Pixels and the author of Bartending: Memoirs of an Apple Genius, to discuss his blatant curiosity for, well, just about everything. (Just a quick heads up...we recorded this before the retirement of Ungeniused.) What Mikes Are Drinking Mike Vardy - Tranquility from Moon Under Water Michael Schechter - Scrimshaw - Pilsner (good, but no Steam Whistle) Links The Ungeniused Podcast The 512 Podcast Mikes On Mics - Episode 16: How Packed is Stephen Hackett’s Mac? Steve Hackett - Google Search 512 Pixels — The Dogcow Shrine Start Here — 512 Pixels Generational « Macdrifter A Magazine Is an iPad That Does Not Work.m4v - YouTube 2×4: An Interview With Stephen Hackett It Wasn’t A Sophomore Slump - How Stephen came to the Mac 70Decibels - Donate Support — 512 Pixels Follow Stephen, Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. Download Subscribe in iTunes

This week “The Mikes” take a step back to discuss what they’re doing with all of the time they spend online creating on their blog and recording this very podcast. With Vardy, the connection is clear. His work online is an direct part of the way he makes his living. In Schechter’s case it’s a bit more challenging to draw a straight line from this podcast and his site to his everyday life. Join “The Mikes” for an honest and self-reflective discussion on the purpose of their online efforts and how do they fit into the context of their personal and professional lives. What Mikes Are Drinking Mike Vardy - Dr Pepper - Products: Dr Pepper Cherry Michael Schechter - Greenflash Brewery - Our Beers Links ‘Supporting Characters’ Reviews – Tribeca Wrap-Up 5 Lessons From Blogging 5 Days A Week For A Year | A Better Mess A Year Of Blogging By The Numbers | A Better Mess Vardy’s Upcoming Book Project Observation Paper by Todd Chandler OK Go: Why I’m Leaping | Vardy.me Follow Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by: Squarespace, the secret behind exceptional websites. Go to squarespace.com/70decibels to start your free trial and use the offer code ‘70decibels6’ at checkout to get 10% off your first order. As well as Igloo Software. With Igloo you can create spaces for each of your departments or teams. Visit IglooSoftware.com/70 you can sign up for a free 30-day trial. AND Igloo is also giving away a Field Notes National Crop set. You don’t have to sign up for a demo to enter the contest, you can just go there and enter. And by Treehouse. Build your own app, launch your own startup, or get that dream gig. At Treehouse, they help you bring your ideas to the light of day. Excuses not included. Download Subscribe in iTunes

“The Mikes” are joined by Patrick Rhone of the Minimal Mac blog as well as the Enough Podcast on the 70Decibels network. We break open his applications folder and share just how packed his Mac is. Join Vardy and Schechter as we hear Patrick drop from 86 applications to 79 in the span of a podcast episode. What Mikes (and Patrick) Are Drinking Mike Vardy - Nikka Whiskey Michael Schechter - Oskar Blues | Mama’s Little Yella Pils (Good, but not Steam Whistle) Patrick Rhone - 2010 Campo Viejo Tempranillo Patrick's Mac 11" 64GB MacBook Air Links Enough – The Book by Patrick Rhone (go get it!) Patrick's Journal Enough Podcast 70Decibels Wet Frog Studios CrashPlan Backup Software SuperDuper! DragonDrop, from ShinyPlasticBag Hibari: A Mac Twitter client Quicksilver — Mac OS X at your Fingertips Kaleidoscope — File comparison for Mac MacJournal | Mariner Software Marked - Markdown Preview App from Brett Terpstra nvALT 2.1 - Notational Velocity Fork from Brett Terpstra OmniOutliner for Mac Paperless | Mariner Software PopClip for Mac PostWarden - The best way to care for your Tumblr posts. Strongspace - Secure offsite rsync backup and sharing Bare Bones Software | Yojimbo Follow Patrick, Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by Squarespace, the secret behind exceptional websites. Go to squarespace.com/70decibels to start your free trial and use the offer code '70decibels6' at checkout to get 10% off your first order. This episode is also brought to you by Harvest, a service that’s so intuitive and easy to use that you can spend less time worrying about your timesheet, and more time focusing on your work. Go to getharvest.com to start your free 30 day trial and use the offer code '512' at checkout and receive 50% off your first month! (Note: This offer expires August 1st, 2012.)

“The Mikes” are joined once again by novelist, failed writer and schmo Yuvi Zalkow for a boozy and breezy discussion of how to work through crippling fear and failure. Yuvi talks about the inspiration behind his “I’m a Failed Writer” series and the irony of getting his novel published as he continues to work on it. We also discuss how, with the right framework, little steps can add up to become big projects. And speaking of failure, Vardy’s mic comes unplugged at some point in the episode. We apologize for the sound and assure you that Schechter will not let him live it down. What Mikes and Yuvi Are Drinking Mike Vardy - Forty Creek Barrel Select Whisky Michael Schechter - Organic Ur Pils (Still not Steam Whistle) Yuvi Zalkow -  Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon Links Yuvi’s BookA BRILLIANT NOVEL IN THE WORKS (go buy it!) 70Decibels - Mikes On Mics - Episode 13: How Packed Is Yuvi Zalkow’s Mac? A Better Mess by Michael Schechter Vardy.me: The Personal Weblog of Mike Vardy Social Media Explorer | Jason Falls Four Roses Bourbon Jonathan Coulton and friends | JoCo Cruise Crazy II The I’m A Failed Writer Series - yuvi zalkow I’m A Failed Writer #4: Failed Book Trailer (& Literary Agents) - yuvi zalkow All of Yuvi’s Videos John Gruber & Merlin Mann’s Blogging Panel at SxSW | 43 Folders I’m A Failed Writer #10: Big Projects, Small Lists - yuvi zalkow Writing a Novel When Busy - yuvi zalkow Follow Yuvi, Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. - This episode is brought to you by Squarespace, the secret behind exceptional websites. Go to squarespace.com/70decibels to start your free trial and use the offer code '70decibels6' at checkout to get 10% off your first order. Download Subscribe in iTunes

Join “The Mikes” as they set out to discuss disruption and distractions. Vardy wanted to examine the difference between the two, but Schechter (hopefully) made him realize that the difference doesn’t matter nearly as much as how you deal with them both. Follow along as what could have been a semantic debate evolves into an examination of how you can deal with the all of the disruptions and distractions that tend to get in your way. What Mikes Are Drinking Mike Vardy - Hop Circle IPA - Phillips Brewing Company - Michael Schechter - Schonramer Pils (It’s still not Steam Whistle) Links 70Decibels Podcast Network Inside My ADHD Using Your Distractibility To Your Benefit Geeky Quick Tips | Forcing Focus With OmniFocus and Keyboard Maestro BetterMess.com The Problem with The Pomodoro Technique | Vardy.me Pomodoro Technique - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Procrastination hack: ‘(10+2)*5’ | 43 Folders Cool Running | The Couch-to–5K ® Running Plan Trusted System | BetterMess.com Mikes On Mics - Episode 12: Experimenting With Patrick Rhone The Wrench | Vardy.me The Truth About Productivity Systems | BetterMess.com Bending the stiffest arrow | Practically Efficient Mikes On Mics - Episode 5: Taking You To Task Blue’s Clues: Season 2, Episode 18 “Blue is Frustrated” Follow Schechter and Vardy on Twitter. This episode is brought to you by Squarespace, the secret behind exceptional websites. Go to squarespace.com/70decibels to start your free trial and use the offer code '70decibels5' at checkout to get 10% off your first order. Download Subscribe in iTunes