Category: Podcast

You’re Too Easily Distracted and It’s Ruining Your Life with Nir Eyal

Put down that phone! How many times a day do you find yourself scrolling Instagram or Facebook? If you are hopelessly addicted, don’t feel too bad. These apps are designed to get you hooked and keep you coming back for more. You’re just one of the millions who spend their days staring at a screen. But to believe that these apps have figured out some magic formula that we will never be able to escape is simply not true. It turns out that, instead, they’ve just learned to manipulate our personal triggers. Thankfully, we can hack our own triggers to remove distractions to live more intentionally, and to live a more fulfilling and productive lives. 

My guest today on this episode number 218 is Nir Eyal, and his new book is about this exact topic. It’s called Indistractable, and it’s all about how you can regain control over the technology that is trying to control you. Nir is also the author of Hooked, the founder of two tech companies, and has taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. The MIT Technology Review dubbed Nir as the prophet of habit-forming technology. Join us for a fascinating discussion that dives deep into the psychology of attention and why our apps have such an insidious hold over us. The secrets to being more productive, and why you should always plan out your workweek.

Beating Cancer with Michelle Patterson

There’s an Indian proverb that goes something like, “A healthy person has many wishes, but the sick person has only one.” Statistically speaking, we in the Western world are most likely to die from cancer. Yes, cancer recently surpassed heart disease as the biggest killer. It really is no longer viable to stand idly by without taking some proactive actions to prevent cancer and to innovatively treated if you have it. We all have cancer cells in our bodies circulating in our bloodstream. It’s just that our immune system is keeping that in check. Well, until it doesn’t. 

My guest today for this episode number 217 is Michelle Patterson. Michelle is the founder and CEO of the California Women’s Conference. If you’ve ever gone you know how huge this event is. But now Michelle is on a wellness sabbatical from her business, as she was diagnosed earlier this year with stage four breast cancer. Don’t worry about her though, as she is defying the odds and you’re about to learn how. Michelle was on a mission to help women truly own their health and put their own oxygen mask on first. Her goal for 2020 is to build a community of 1 million women united by cannabis as a healing plant medicine. Get ready for a frank discussion that may just one day save your life.

Unlocking Your Highest Potential with Steve Glaveski

Are you born an entrepreneur? Or is it something that can be learned? If you take Steve Glaveski’s success as an indicator then it’s definitely the latter. Steve is the founder of several companies including Collective Campus and Lemonade Stand. They’re all underpinned by the philosophy of making the world a better place by teaching more people to embrace an entrepreneurial mindset. It’s a powerful idea and one that I personally find inspirational. One of Steve’s arguments is that we not only need more entrepreneurs, but more entrepreneurial employees and organizations like businesses, nonprofits, and governments. It’s an idea that I wholeheartedly agree with.

Steve is also the author of Employee to Entrepreneur, a great book published by Wiley that explains the methods and tools that freed him from the nine to five grind. And he’s the host of Future Squared Podcast, where he explores the future of business and emerging technologies like AI and Bitcoin. Steve, like me, is also a contributor to Harvard Business Review. As you’ve probably guessed, Steve likes to think big. So strap yourself in, for this episode number 216, as you’re in store for a fascinating discussion on how to really refine that entrepreneurial mindset and build a thriving, adaptable business.

Mastering Your Time, Attention, and Productivity with David Allen

We all love that satisfying feeling of getting things done. Unfortunately, clearing off your to-do list often seems like an epic task without any end. If you’ve struggled with this problem yourself, you probably realize that if you want to maximize your productivity, you need a system.

My guest for this episode number 215 also came to this realization and the system he developed became a global phenomenon. I’m talking about David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, creator of the GTD or Getting Things Done Methodology, and one of the most influential thinkers on productivity in the world.

David needs no introduction, but if you’re looking for street cred, he was named one of the US’ top five executive coaches by Forbes and one of the top 10 business leaders by the American Management Association.

David’s common sense approach to productivity has not only made him a bestselling author, it also has made him a sought after keynote speaker and created massive demand for his accredited training program in dozens of countries around the world. If there’s only one podcast episode you listened to on productivity this year, make sure it’s this one. And if it’s only two then add in my previous interview of David episode number 26. It’s an oldie but goodie, trust me on this one. And now on with the show.

The Antidote to Burnout with Alex Pang

If you want to succeed, you need to work hard right? Hustle. It’s all about cramming in as much as you can in each day, working long hours, and even pulling that occasional all-nighter, at least when you have to. Wrong! At least according to my guest for this episode number 214. Well, and me too, for that matter. 

In his new book Rest, Alex Pang argues that you actually get more done when you work less. It sounds counterintuitive, but when you think about it, it makes total sense. How can you perform at your best when you’re constantly tired and burned out? Instead, by blocking up parts of your week for intensive deep work and then looking after your body and mind by resting, napping and taking a day off when you need it, you can consistently operate at peak performance. 

Alex is the author of four books that have been translated into a dozen languages. He’s the founder of the Restful Company and a sought after consultant and expert on rest and productivity. He’s been profiled in the New York Times, The New Yorker, Financial Times, Guardian and is a visiting scholar at Stanford University. If you’re ready to revolutionize your work-life balance, stick around because we’re going to be discussing the most cutting edge strategies for improving your productivity while also living an amazing and fulfilling life. Stay tuned.

The Web of the Future Is Already Here with Gabriel Rene

We’re entering a new phase of the World Wide Web and most of us aren’t even aware of it, or at least not aware of the full extent of it. It’s referred to by many as Web 3.0 and it will shepherd in a new era of AR, VR, mixed reality, AI, IoT, and blockchain. This new iteration of the web will be a spatial web, where there are no boundaries between digital space and physical space. I’m excited for you to learn in this episode how much of your daily life will be impacted by the spatial web. We will be immersed in a layer of rich dynamic data, which will revolutionize how we work, live and interact with others in profound new ways. For all these technologies to work seamlessly together though, there must be standards and protocols that everyone adopts. 

That’s where my guest for this episode number 213, Gabriel Rene, comes in. Gabriel is the Executive Director of VERSES Foundation, a nonprofit that’s leading the charge and developing open standards for the web 3.0 era, making sure everything is interoperable, and encouraging global adoption and the ethical use of all these emerging technologies. Before his work with VERSES, Gabriel was a thought leader in the tech and entertainment industries for over 25 years, running several companies and consulting for such brands as Verizon, Sony, Coca-Cola, Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft. 

Join us for a mind-expanding conversation about this new era of the web that we are entering. In this episode, we’re covering everything from the future of nation-states, and indeed of the Earth itself to the Digital Gaia Theory. If you’re looking to keep your finger on the pulse of this rapidly changing world, this episode is going to deliver some powerful insights. Let’s get this show started.

Wisdom from Another Realm with Paul Selig

What exists beyond our physical reality? Is it possible to connect with other realms of existence and the beings that inhabit them, including loved ones who have moved on from our world? These are esoteric questions, but some have made it their life’s work searching for answers to them. One of these people is Paul Selig, psychic, medium teacher, and award-winning author. Paul was educated at Yale and served on the faculty of NYU for over 25 years. In 1987, a spiritual experience left him with clairvoyant abilities, and he decided to dedicate his life to channeling the messages he hears telepathically. These unique powers have brought him massive success, including praises from top executives and celebrities.

Paul is a regular guest in the mainstream media and has appeared on Nightline, Fox News and The Biography Channel, to name a few. In his latest book, Beyond the Known, Paul channels the wisdom of higher realms via his connection with mysterious beings known as the guides, and invites his readers to move beyond the perceived limitations of their current reality. Whether you’re a skeptic or deeply spiritual, I invite you to join us on this fascinating journey where we tackle some of the big questions and tune our minds into a higher vibration and joy.

Disruption: Your Key to Success with Jay Samit

A lot of people in business can talk a good game about disruption, but how many can say they actually personify it? If there’s one person who can lay a rightful claim to the title of serial disruptor, it’s my guest for this episode number 211, Jay Samit. Jay advances the gospel of disruption everywhere he goes and his radical approach to business has transformed entire industries. As a consultant has spurred innovation in major brands like American Express, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Disney, and LinkedIn to name a few. 

In his best selling book, Disrupt You!, Jay lays out a blueprint for becoming a disruptor in your own life with lessons from major innovators like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. According to Jay, anyone can become a disruptor. The key is learning to see that there are unmet needs everywhere in society. All you have to do is just simply solve one of these problems and you might just become a billionaire. Whether you’re a successful entrepreneur or a dreamer in the 9-to-5 grind, this inspirational episode we’ll get you up off the couch and get you motivated to change the world.

Easy-to-Form Habits That Will Transform Your Life with BJ Fogg

What makes us behave the way we do? Why do our brains keep defaulting back to the same old bad habits? And why is it so hard to scrap those bad habits and replace them with new ones? Why can’t we just stick with these new habits that we tell ourselves we want to form? Installing and uninstalling habits sounds easy, but boy, is it a challenge. Whether you want to hit the gym, wake up earlier, quit smoking, or simply be more productive at work, behavior change can feel like pushing against a brick wall. Or worse, pushing a boulder up a mountain. 

For entrepreneurs, the stakes are even higher. Your habits determine your behaviors, which determine your outcomes, which determines your business, which ultimately determines your destiny. The secret to your destiny, the destiny of your wildest dreams is to start small, specifically with tiny habits. Today’s guest on this episode number 210 is BJ Fogg, PhD. BJ is the top expert in the world when it comes to habits. He’s the author of the upcoming book, Tiny Habits, due out later this year. He is a behavior scientist, a professor at Stanford and founder of the Stanford Behavior Design Lab. For decades, he’s been digging into the science of behavior change and has developed an important body of scientific research on how you can rewire your brain. 

His work on persuasive technology has also been highly influential in Silicon Valley, making him one of the most sought after academics in the world. Outside of his work at Stanford, BJ spends a good chunk of his time working with innovative businesses to apply his research to real world situations. As you may have guessed, BJ’s research has so many applications and everything from health to productivity to sales. In this episode, you’re not only going to learn about reprogramming your brain with awesome new habits, but you also get a crash course in the fundamentals of human behavior. You’re even going to learn about an important emotion that was up until recently unnamed until BJ named it. Truly, this is invaluable knowledge that could change the way you think about business and even life itself. Oh, and by the way, BJ and I are teaching a workshop together at Stanford on October 1 called The Optimized Entrepreneur. You won’t want to miss that more details at bitly.com/getoptimizedworkshop. And now, on with the show.

The Biohacker’s Guide to Optimized Sleep with Claus Pummer

You might have a business coach, you might have a life coach. But do you have a sleep coach? You might say, “Why would I need a sleep coach?” Well, here’s one reason. If you live to 75, and I do hope you live a lot longer than that, you will have spent about 25 years of your life sleeping. 25 years. Not only that, but the quality of your sleep will have a huge impact on the quality of your life. Lack of sleep can lead to poor mental performance, low sex drive, and even serious health problems like strokes and heart disease. An investment in your sleep is an investment in your health and your wellbeing. 

Sleep is something that my guest for this episode number 209, Claus Pummer, takes very seriously. Claus is president of SAMINA North America, which in my words, is a biohacker’s dream bed. It was through the original biohacker Dave Asprey, founder of Bulletproof and past guest on this show, episode 38, that I learned of SAMINA and Claus. In fact, Claus taught a sleep workshop hosted by Bulletproof and Upgrade Labs that I attended, and it was excellent, which is why I invited him onto the show. Claus’ involvement with the business of sleep began many years ago with a woodworking business he founded that designed and built beds. From there, his interest in sleep grew, he studied the science of sleep and he became an accredited sleep expert through the Austrian Institute for Sleep Psychology. 

Achieving the perfect night’s sleep can take a lot of work. It’s all about creating the right routine and paying attention to details in your environment, including light sources, background noise, and temperature. If you’ve had trouble sleeping in the past or just want to improve your overall quality of life, Claus will be revealing some powerful hacks that will revolutionize the way you think about sleep and ensure you are well-rested and ready for anything. And now, on with the show.