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? We wanted to talk about things we're interested in We wanted practical tips, not the productivity trap We were feeling the courage to experiment What decisions made us want to stop? Growth was plateauing We did the exercises in Traction by Gabriel Wineberg Learned that growth would require more time and money We were already constrained by both We both want to focus on fewer initiatives in 2020 What we learned from the show Struggles that we learned from Fully understanding marketing Productivity is a diluted and saturated topic Importance of organization Balancing guests and topics The happy, fun, growing, learning side Over 5,000 downloads Documenting processes, scheduling, and content Leo’s growth Interview skills Organization Recruitment Self-reflection Erik’s growth Learning from guests and each other Improved image design that continues to be used in other projects Channeling nervous energy into talkative yip-yap Related episodes 001. A Sleepy Episode 009. Working On Your Own Episode 012. Saying No Episode 025. Productive Podcasting 031. Clear your Calendar! with Justin Jackson Big thanks to our listeners and these amazing contributors:❤️ Leah Fitch❤️ Jonathan Baillie Strong❤️ Will Gant❤️ Christian Genco❤️ Peta Sena❤️ Jessica D'Amico❤️ Tim Mitra❤️ Justin Jackson❤️ Allison Spooner❤️ Sophia Dagnon❤️ Laura Lopuch❤️ Julien Borrelli★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

OK Productive

036. When to Quit

We're putting the show on hiatus, so how did we make the decision and what have we learned?

Differences between 2018 and 2019 Erik fully embraced Notion for planning Leo switched from Todoist to a spreadsheet Mastermind meetings for group accountability Leo's Year in Review Improvements to health Successful speaking engagements A consistent schedule with podcasts Successful at writing output Audience improvements: +156.32% at Learning Swift +12.85% at BrightDigit +726.15% at LeoGDion Future Improvements include email, more video, and audience research Erik's Year in Review Came up with whole-year goals and broke down into quarterly, monthly, and weekly lists Also made weekly and monthly habits checklists About 20-30% of the anticipated objectives and habits changed over the year The habits that stuck were those that Erik had the most direct control, like stretching and diet The items that changed or were not met the most typically involved other people or deep research Erik's biggest regret: not enough "for-fun, but also is work" tasks Erik's biggest desire to change: more regular date nights Leo referred Erik to Derek Sivers' article: Stay in touch with hundreds of people What's being cut in 2020 Leo's stepping away from organizing meetups and local networking Erik is getting away from nonprofit administration, business social media management, and the status quo of local tech events We're stepping away from the podcast, too. More on that in the next episode! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

035. Year in Review, 2019

Some reflection on our OK 2019 and a glimpse at 2020

Introduction Laura's first email tip: write so the recipient will imagine how their life could be How to discover a love of email as a paralegal Realizing skills, eight years later The benefits of setting weekly email goals Treat email correspondence as a journey Wait 2 to 3 business days before the first followup Two types of cold email: making a pitch and making a connection Anatomy of a Cold Email Where are people with your problem going to talk about their problem?   Explain why you chose the recipient over everyone else Start a close relationship with your contact and compliment them Prove a hypothesis, they should agree with each statement you make All of those small yesses lead toward a yes on the big ask Avoid exit language Avoid asking for more than one thing Tools Streak, CRM for Gmail Boomerang Crystal Knows Laura Lopuch online @waitingtoberead on Twitter lauralopuch.com How to double your conversion rate on cold outreach, a recap of Laura's talk at Microconf How to Optimize for Replies on Your Cold Emails on Laura’s blog I used cold emails to 14x my freelance copywriting business. Here’s how. on Copy Hackers ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

034. Crafting a Great Email, with Laura Lopuch

Laura Lopuch shares how to craft a great email and get the responses you want.

Getting your foot in the door Sophia's specialty and how she got there from archaeology How UpWork led to better pay in writing Dealing with the lack of comfort An approach to desiring income without being sleazy Making transactions mutually beneficial People don’t buy stuff, they buy solutions to problems How does your customer think about the solutions to their problems? How to ask the right questions to better understand your customer Improving pitches by trying different things How to reach your customers The platforms with the lowest barriers or are easiest to self-promote Copy Hackers (Joanna Web sp.?) Researching, writing a lot, and sharing content where it will be read Understanding your reader’s familiarity and how informed they are Knowing what it will take for a reader to take action (lots of specific tips here!) Focus on and measure one action that you want your readers to take Tips for getting started Low-risk and simple ways a person can practice self-promotion Reframe risk as an opportunity or something good for you Ways to manage the ever-present emotions that come when taking chances Are there books or other sources where people can learn more on the topic Follow Copy Hackers Read Drive by Daniel Pink Read Influence by Robert Cialdini Read Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz Where to find Sophia Dagnon @SophiaDagnon on Twitter sophiadagnon.com Sophia Dagnon on LinkedIn ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

033. Writing to Stand Out, with Sophia Dagnon

Positioning yourself and your product to stand out in the market

Introductions NaNoWriMo and flash fiction Allison Spooner is the author of Flash in the Dark and The Problem with Humans Find Allison online at spoonfulstyle.com or @allyspoon Outsource your writing parameters Accountability through writing groups, events, and contests Benefits of deadlines, prompts, settings, and other writing constraints Outlining and other ways to complete a novel in small pieces Writing exercises and parameters that help you get better with practice Telling a story with Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey Tips for writing when you need some structure Methods for practicing writing Look for random writing prompts online or in your physical environment Start small, like 500 words Go to writing events near you Try writing at different times and with different techniques to find what works best for you Donald Miller's 5 Writing Tips Make your customer the hero of your business' stories Write for fun, define writing success for you, and a little progress is still progress Scale up to make a novel One flash fiction story per day will help you reach your NaNoWriMo goal Come up with writing prompts for the whole month in advance ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

032. Flash Fiction with Allison Spooner

Author Allison Spooner shares tips and tools to complete your writing

In this episode What 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-employed A clear calendar is open to interruptions and stimulates creativity How to stay focused and avoid getting lost in free time How to be healthy active on social media An experiment that you can try at home or at the office How clearing the calendar can be used by employees at traditional or regimented offices How to observe the benefits of unstructured or free time Other ways to experiment with your calendar and free time Related links Justin’s talk on YouTube Justin is the co-founder of Transistor.fm Learn more about Justin at JustinJackson.ca Follow @mijustin on Twitter Justin (megajustin) livestreams on Twitch Books by Basecamp Shape Up by Ryan Singer 11 Reasons Why You Should Schedule Free Time For Yourself by Glenn Santos Related Episodes 003. Goals and Actions Episode 006. Top Disciplines Episode 009. Working On Your Own Episode 019. The Optimization Trap 020. Multitasking 021. Staying Organized with Idea Management 023. 3 Hat Productivity with Christian Genco 027. Productive Creativity with Pete Sena ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

031. Clear your Calendar! with Justin Jackson

Clearing your calendar can boost productivity, from the co-founder of Transistor.fm

Where to find Tim Mitra online @TimMitra on Twitter Host of the More Than Just Code Podcast and Spockcast Cohost of RoundaboutFM it-guy.com Author of How to Keep Learning After 50 Tim's SwiftTO talk about Neuroplasticity Neuroplasticity Why should we keep learning? Neuroplasticity in simple terms The advantage of learning in 45-minute spurts Compound learning: Short-term memories Long-term memories through repetition Micro-skill development (building functions in the brain) Breaks help move memories from one level to the next Use communication to reinforce learning Explain and seek confirmation The rubber ducking technique Using emoji to punctuate words with emotion What the ~ at the end of a Tweet or text means Applying learning concepts to unlearning The amygdala typically makes statements The neocortex typically asks questions Self-monitor and ask yourself questions to consciously replace habits Related links Brainjo's Breakthrough Banjo Course Dr. Lara Boyd's TEDx Talk about Neuroplasticity Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch Related episodesMultitasking★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

030. Neuroplasticity with Tim Mitra

Tim Mitra shares simple approaches for learning at any age

In this episode The value in public speaking for you and your audience How to understand your audience by researching the conference Different ways to organize a talk: story-telling, LEGO instructions, fireside chat, speed dating, and more How to handle interruptions and questions Following up with your audience after your talk Tips for promoting yourself and your work without giving a sales pitch Practice: it smooths out the wrinkles and lets your confidence shine Different ways to practice your talk before the big event Use simple slides, don't switch apps, use a clicker, more words, fewer pictures, use notes Observe your body language, tone, pace, and filler words How to turn your nervousness into confidence and excitement Get extra practice at Toastmasters, meetups, and lunch-and-learns, but remember to get feedback Figure out what to speak about by considering past conference topics, your own expertise, whatever excites you, and where you want to grow How to find speaking gigs and tips for getting accepted to speak Special thanks to Justin Jackson Kristen Belcher Mohammad Faani Olivia Liddell Patrick Masi Related episodesEvent Planning with Jessica D'Amico★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

029. Public Speaking

a podcast of banter and being productive enough

hubhopper

OK Productive

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