Category: Podcast

Productivity Versus Distraction with Chris Bailey

In talking with various branding experts over the years, I have heard many definitions of the word, brand. My favorite of these definitions is this: A brand is a promise fulfilled. It is so short and so elegant. I have rebranded. The Optimized Geek Podcast is no longer. Welcome to Get Yourself Optimized. The reason for the rebrand is simple. I want to appeal to more than just geeks. My brand promise is to help you get optimized, regardless of whether you identify as a geek or not. This wider audience will allow me to make a difference for many more people. Speaking of which, if you know anybody who could benefit from this podcast, please share it with them. That will help them out and it will help me out.

Every week, I send out an email newsletter called the Thursday Three. If you are not on my list, you should be. I have gotten a lot of positive feedback from subscribers about the impact my newsletter has had on them. One subscriber emailed me to say, “I take advantage of your sharing every week. Super thanks for your emails.” This week, special thanks for the HBR article on productivity. I spent the last seven days revamping my systems in this regard. The article was very timely and helped me with some important insights and nuances. To get on my list, simply email me at Su*******@******************ed.com. Productivity is something a lot of people dabble in. Maybe you have bought a book on the topic or tried the Pomodoro Technique or even downloaded an app to help keep you on the straight and narrow.

My guest for this episode is someone who did not dabble. He went all in. Chris Bailey turned down lucrative job offers and spent a year conducting rigorous experiments to find out what works and what doesn’t. He documented it all in a blog that eventually became a book, The Productivity Project, which is a must own for anyone interested in the topic. It includes interviews with experts like David Allen and Charles Duhigg. His latest book, Hyperfocus looks at how to manage your attention in a world that is filled with distractions. It is a great read with some powerful insights. One of the more alarming arguments he makes is that distraction doesn’t just affect productivity, it affects our memory, our creativity and ultimately, it makes our lives less meaningful. Join us as we take a deep dive into productivity and distraction and reveal some practical secrets that will help you regain your focus and live a more productive and fulfilling life.

Secrets to Supercharging Your Health with Dr. Chris Zaino

Do you feel like you have a secret identity? Maybe we all have a Superman or Superwoman inside us waiting for the right moment to leap out and save the day. My guest for this episode, Dr. Chris Zaino, certainly believes that. He’s the Creator of the “I Am HERO” Movement, where he helps people shed their complacency and tap their inner superhero to win heroic victories in their lives. He is also a speaker, entrepreneur, author and former Mr. America and Mr. Universe. In his late twenties, he became a hero himself when he defied a terminal disease, which inspired him to get his Doctorate and found a wellness clinic that would expand worldwide to help thousands of patients. If you’re interested in changing your mindset, looking after your long-term health or unleashing your inner hero, stick around for some hero-sized insights from Dr. Zaino.

Increasing Your Business’s Value with John Warrillow

If you own a business or thinking of starting one, then you’re going to want to hear what my guest in this episode has to say. John Warrillow is the author of Built To Sell and of The Automatic Customer. He’s also the Founder of the Value Builder System, which has helped thousands of business owners drastically increased the value of their companies. John is also the host of Built To Sell Radio, which I’ve had the pleasure of appearing on as a guest. He’s a general expert in all things business and finance. How can you make your business more valuable and how do you set things up to ensure that you can make a smooth exit if and when you decide to sell? We’ll be talking about these topics and more including valuations, earn-outs, company structures, investment and plenty of other good stuff to make your business better. Stick around because this episode might just make you a lot of money.

The Path to Mastery with Bettie Spruill

It’s easy to let others define what success, happiness and value look like for us. When we try to live our lives using a framework that doesn’t resonate authentically with who we are, it will only lead to disappointment. My guest for this episode is an expert in personal transformation and communication. She has helped thousands of people from Russia to Ghana move towards success, leadership, mastery and redefine their lives around their own personal vision. Bettie Spruill is a certified Master NLP Practitioner, entrepreneur, coach and consultant, whose clients include Northwest Airlines, United Airlines, the Harlem Globetrotters and Honeywell. She is someone who has thought deeply about the human condition and how to help others solve the major problems in their lives. She’s also an award-winning educator and someone who believes in giving back. Whether you want to be a more successful leader or simply want to live a more fulfilling life, stick around. You might be about to hear something that changes your life forever.

Wellness Doc to Hollywood’s Biggest Stars, Dr. Matea

My guest for this episode is one of the best-kept secrets in Hollywood, someone many famous athletes, celebrities and executives would rather you didn’t know about. Dr. Matea is a doctor who’s trained in both Western medicine and natural therapies. She’s also a musician and vocalist, and the Founder of a line of aromatherapy products. Dr. Matea’s work taps into both science and spirituality, allowing her to provide a more holistic approach to healing, enhancing or maintaining her patients’ health. Her specialties include IV vitamin therapy, nutritional supplements, custom herbal medicines and meal plans. She often develops innovative treatments for conditions that have responded poorly to conventional remedies. If you’re someone who’s serious about your health and general well-being, then the advice you’re about to hear will be invaluable.

Steal These Leadership Strategies with Scott Eck

Do you want to be a better leader? Then it’s time you join the theater. My guest for this episode number 170 is Scott Eck, Founder and CEO of Leadership Masters. A company that creates leadership theater experiences for Fortune 100 clients such as Coca-Cola, 3M, Boeing, State Farm and Lockheed Martin. You may be wondering what theater has to do with leadership. It’s all based on an idea called sociodrama, developed by a student of Freud’s years ago. By roleplaying key figures in high stakes situations such as the British government during World War II or the African National Congress during the trial of Nelson Mandela, Scott is able to completely immerse the students in extraordinary circumstances to help them understand the actions and behaviors of great leaders firsthand. Learning in this way can affect deep personal change and develop leadership and communication skills in a way that’s not possible in more conventional approaches to education.

I got to know Scott at one of Doug Allen’s masterminds where we both were speakers. If the name Doug Allen is familiar to you, it may be because he was also a guest on my other podcast, Marketing Speak. I have to say, if you aren’t listening to Marketing Speak, you are missing out on a free university-level education in marketing. It is fantastic and yes, I’m biased. Prepare as Scott reveals some profound insights into behavior change, education and leadership. In the process, I bet you’re going to learn how to facilitate true innovation in your organization.

The Story of Your Blood with Mary Beth Kauffman Mittleman

The food we eat has a profound impact on our bodies at the cellular level. In the long-term, it can even lead to a serious illness and disease. Some of these illnesses may even be caused by the acidity of our highly processed diets. Your blood provides important clues to understanding what’s going on inside your body, specifically through live blood microscopy. My guest for this episode is Mary Beth Kauffman Mittleman. She happens to be an expert in live blood microscopy. Mary Beth has helped thousands reevaluate the way they eat, live and even think through testing, counseling and promoting an alkaline lifestyle. If you think you can be healthier and more vital than you are now, stick around and learn some valuable tips on how to cleanse your cellular environment and rebalance your body.

Painful Lessons Growing an 8 Figure Business with Rand Fishkin

Imagine the euphoria of learning that an investor is willing to bet $20 million on your company. Then imagine the stress that sets in after you realized what you’ve just signed up for. After all, that investor is expecting you to quadruple their money. My guest on this episode has been there. He not only lived to tell the tale, but he also wrote a book about it. Rand Fishkin is the author of Lost and Founder, which charts to rise on his multimillion-dollar company Moz and his rocky dealings with venture capitalists along the way. Rand is my co-author on The Art of SEO, which is considered to be the bible on search engine optimization. Back in 2009, that book put me on the map and I’m forever grateful for our collaboration. If you’ve ever considered growing your business or courting investors stick around. You’re about to learn some valuable advice and uncomfortable truths you won’t get from anywhere else.

Supercharge Your Memory and Learning with Jonathan Levi

Would you say you have a great memory or just a so-so memory? Would you like to improve it? Everybody could improve their memory and there are some pretty straightforward tools, tips and techniques that will help you to improve your memory. You’re going to learn all about it in this episode number 166 from one of the world’s experts on memory and learning, Jonathan Levi. Jonathan is our guest and he’s the author of the bestselling book, Become a SuperLearner. He’s a serial entrepreneur, published author and lifehacker. He’s one of the top performing instructors on Udemy, which is an online learning platform. He’s hosted the award-winning Becoming SuperHuman Podcast. Jonathan’s media products have been enjoyed by over 150,000 people in 203 countries and territories.

Breaking The Mentality Of Scarcity with Sharon Lechter

Two books have had a profound impact on my life: Rich Dad Poor Dad and Outwitting the Devil. There are more than that, but these two are particularly pertinent to this episode. The authors of these two books, Robert Kiyosaki and Napoleon Hill respectively, have become household names but someone else had a hand in both books and she doesn’t get the limelight. Her name is Sharon Lechter and she’s our guest in this episode number 165. Sharon is an entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, international speaker and licensed CPA. She’s regarded as a global expert on financial literacy. She served as a national spokeswoman and presidential advisor on the topic. She co-authored Rich Dad Poor Dad with Robert Kiyosaki and edited Napoleon Hill’s Outwitting the Devil, which incidentally sat for 70 years without getting published. Both books have been pivotal in my life and you’re about to learn why.