Productivity
631: How to Get More Organized with LastPass, Google Drive, Google Chrome, MindMeister & Upwork
Robert Plank, host of this podcast and author of The Checklist Mindset, is back to share with you a few powerful tools that will make a huge difference in your happiness, productivity, and throughput.
Quotes:
“If it's important, you'll find a way. If it's not important, you'll find an excuse.” – Robert Plank
“If something makes you uncomfortable or fearful, you should pursue it. Make an effort to face those challenges over and over again.” - Robert Plank
“Don't feel bad if you throw away most of what you write down. Whether it's ideas for information, products, websites, blog posts, or podcast ideas, you need to write down all the bad stuff to get to the good stuff.” - Robert Plank
Takeaways:
00:15 Facing your fears directly is the most effective way to overcome them, whether it's public speaking, money anxiety, or personal challenges.
02:30 Consistently checking and engaging with your finances reduces money anxiety and helps maintain better financial awareness.
10:13 Using digital tools like LastPass and Google Drive can significantly improve productivity, security, and organization in both personal and professional settings.
20:25 Outsourcing repetitive or time-consuming tasks through platforms like Upwork allows entrepreneurs to focus on high-value activities that truly matter.
33:41 Mind mapping is a powerful technique to unlock creativity, generate ideas, and organize complex thoughts, even if most initial ideas are discarded.
Resources
- LastPass (password manager)
- Google Drive (cloud storage & document sharing)
- Google Chrome (internet browser with add-ons including Permanent Clipboard)
- MindMeister (online mindmapping tool)
- Upwork (delegate)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:55 — 39.5MB) | Embed
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619: Ace the Game of Viral Content, Attention Getting, and Traffic with Vin Clancy
Infamous growth hacker Vin Clancy's went from being on social welfare in the UK to launching 2 online magazines that got over 20 million page views in their first two years with zero adspend.
He's since then won best speaker at SXSW V2V for his growth hacking talk, finished a 100-date world tour, made six figures on his debut growth hacking book, created one of the biggest marketing communities on Facebook, and moved to L.A., where he teaches companies how to rapidly grow their audiences and businesses.
Quotes:
“The secret is using the cheat codes of the internet to get a competitive advantage. I learned how to create viral content. I started to get people to write it for me and I learned how to make that go viral.” – Vin Clancy
“Growth hacking is doing whatever it takes to get a lot of traffic basically for free or cheap. And what's interesting about that is because we're all addicted to our phones and our screens, things can pass around very fast in a way that was never possible before.” - Vin Clancy
“Online magazines were my entrance into this world back when I was on welfare. Now, I guess, I'm a full stack business person.” - Vin Clancy
Takeaways:
03:00 Speed and timing are critical when creating viral content, with seconds mattering more than hours.
08:20 Growth hacking is about achieving significant results with minimal resources and creativity.
12:03 Always start marketing efforts by understanding and maximizing value from existing customer lists.
14:25 Using humor and unexpected approaches can help your messages stand out in professional communication.
17:47 Automated tools can dramatically streamline social media and networking efforts.
Resources
- Vin Clancy (Official site)
- Ace the Game (Book)
- Vin Clancy (LinkedIn)
- Vin Clancy (Twitter)
- Traffic and Copy (Facebook Group)
- LinkedHelper (Connect with LinkedIn users)
- ReBump (Email follow-up sales tool)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:57 — 55.0MB) | Embed
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594: Shiny Object Mastery: Discover Sustainable Motivation, Achieve High Productivity Excellence, and Conquer Your Inner Game with Productivity Expert Michael Montague
Michael Montague is the Amazon #1 best-selling author of the book Shiny Object Mastery: The Formula for Overcoming Distractions and Increasing Productivity. Michael’s mission is to help people transition from the confusion of the Information Age, into the clarity and aligned intention of the Age of Purpose.
Quotes:
“Evolution hasn't caught up to our modern day society yet, so our brains are not really designed to filter out the volume of information that we are bombarded with each day.” – Michael Montague
“Successful people understand that information must be implemented to have value, but most people are reduced to gathering more information rather than implementing the right information.” - Michael Montague
“When you wake up and you are living your purpose through your business, then that's going to give you the sustainable motivation and the enthusiasm to keep going.” - Michael Montague
Takeaways:
09:33 Keep your cell phone out of the bedroom to improve sleep and reduce morning distractions.
10:01 Develop a morning ritual that includes setting daily intentions, practicing gratitude, and forgiving yourself.
14:18 Focus on high-value activities during your most productive morning hours instead of checking emails.
17:22 Batch similar tasks together to minimize mental energy drain from constant task switching.
19:35 Align your business goals with your life purpose to create sustainable motivation and satisfaction.
Resources
- Shiny Object Mastery: The Formula for Overcoming Distractions and Increasing Productivity (Book)
- Michael Montague: The King of Productivity Excellence (Official Site)
- Michael Montague (Facebook)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:13 — 62.3MB) | Embed
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590: Family, Fitness, Finances and Friendships: The American Dream Realized Through Hard Work, Positive Beliefs, Sacrifices and Focus with Hayk Tadevosyan
Hayk Tadevosyan has an upcoming book called Mind Control: 14 Principles of Achieving The American Dream - Manual to why most successful people feel unfulfilled and what to do about it.
He's here to talk about his mindset, belief system including hard work and modeling, and compounding. He also shared the 4 pillars: Family, Fitness, Finances, and Friendships. He's all about dedication, simplicity, and course correction... and is here to explain what it takes to live a life of success and fulfillment.
Quotes:
“We don't attract what we want in life, we attract what we are.” – Hayk Tadevosyan
“Positivity takes practice, and a lot of it has to do with the information you're exposing yourself to.” - Hayk Tadevosyan
“To live in the future is to be in fear, and to live in the past is to live in regret. To be happy is to be in the moment.” - Hayk Tadevosyan
Takeaways:
04:40 Success isn't just about money, but about balancing family, fitness, finances, and friendships equally.
07:22 Temporary happiness from material things often leads to regret and emptiness.
12:57 Nothing substitutes good old-fashioned hard work and consistent effort.
19:12 We attract what we are, not what we want, so focus on personal growth and positive environment.
23:35 Be careful who you ask for advice, as not all mentors or supporters have your best interests in mind.
Resources
- Hayk Tadevosyan (Official Site)
- Hayk Tadevosyan (LinkedIn)
- Hayk (Facebook)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:47 — 70.5MB) | Embed
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589: Reversing Burnout: How to Thrive, Find Courage to Pull the Trigger, Regain Focus, Be All-In and Have a Greater Impact with Peter Atherton
Peter Atherton is a consultant, speaker, and author of the book "Reversing Burnout. How to Immediately Engage Top Talent and Grow! A Blueprint for Professionals and Business Owners." Pete is the President of ActionsProve, LLC and works with high-achieving professionals and business owners to create greater growth and profits through more effective employee attraction, retention, impact, and branding. For more than 20 years prior, Pete was a very successful and accomplished professional civil engineer focusing on designing sophisticated water treatment facilities and major public infrastructure projects.
Pete sold his engineering firm ownership to focus on designing systems for professionals and organizations to grow and succeed in more relevant and effective ways. Pete has also served in multiple capacities in the non-profit sector to achieve both local and global impact, and is a co-founder of the 100 Men Who Care chapters for Southern Maine and Knoxville, Tennessee.
Quotes:
“Money will never fully satisfy. Having the best products and services in our organization will never fully satisfy. We're made for more than that.” – Peter Atherton
“We're not made just for provision and being productive in our life. We're going to want to have a sense of mission. We're going to want to be connected to our community.” - Peter Atherton
“When people achieve success, many of us get trapped—caught in the comfort, money, and momentum that make it difficult to push forward and grow.” - Peter Atherton
Takeaways:
04:36 Having the courage to make career changes requires careful planning and understanding your skills' transferability.
08:26 Burnout isn't just feeling tired; it's a complex mix of work overload, losing passion, and missing out on life.
17:07 Creating daily margin - even just 30 minutes - for self-reflection can help prevent and address professional burnout.
20:45 Successful professionals should expect and plan for career shifts, understanding that being "all in" doesn't mean staying in the same role forever.
31:40 Money and comfort can trap you in a career that no longer serves your personal growth and happiness.
Resources
- Reversing Burnout: How to Immediately Engage Top Talent and Grow (Book)
- Peter Atherton (LinkedIn)
- Actions Prove: Strategic Planning & Executive Coaching (Official Site)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:01 — 73.4MB) | Embed
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587: Make Time for What’s Important: How to Get Motivated, Stay Organized, Time Block, Prioritize, Amplify Your Productivity and Hit All Your Goals with Robert Plank
Robert Plank from The Checklist Mindset is back with a solo episode to revisit your productivty, mindset, and goal setting!
If you'd like to schedule a call with Robert to get a better handle on your time management, delegation, and technology, then reach out at: Robert@RobertPlank.com
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:35 — 40.9MB) | Embed
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Must Have Tools
- Second monitor
- LogMeIn (set a conversion job, check on upload)
- LastPass (plus iPhone app)
- Google Drive (share files)
- Learn a few keyboard shortcut
Tool of the Day: Permanent Clipboard for Chrome
Making the Time
- Rewrite goals, write them over and over
- iPhone notepad, set to lock screen wallpaper
- Wake up one hour earlier or stay up one hour later, dedicate the time
- Time block (chunk), automate and schedule
- Google Calendar (take it seriously, keep the connection strong)
- The X Factor: 50 days of consistent (small) progress
- Four Daily Tasks: plan tomorrow, today.
Motivation
- Record a podcast episode or Facebook Live as a sort of talk therapy
- Four Daily Tasks: don't lose momentum & adjust
- Accountability partner: YouTube video, Skype call, text, follow-up at the end of the day
- Countdown timer
- Camtasia Babysitter
- Google Calendar
- Set work hours
- Time blocking: batching/chunking
Quotes:
“If you ever look up the difference between people who are frustrated and don't make money versus people who are happy and make a lot of money. One of the biggest correlations is that the people that make money read instead of watching TV.” – Robert Plank
“Not having a plan is as absurd as driving across the country—or through unfamiliar streets—without a GPS, a map, or even paying attention to street signs.” - Robert Plank
“We often complicate things for ourselves and hide behind that complexity. We say, "I've got so much going on." But is that really true? Did you actually accomplish a lot today, or did you just move things forward without real progress?” - Robert Plank
Takeaways:
00:24 Cutting out time-wasting activities like live TV can dramatically improve personal productivity and free up hours for meaningful work.
18:24 Using a password manager like LastPass helps create strong, unique passwords while simplifying online security.
24:05 The X Factor technique of tracking daily progress with a 49-day grid can help maintain motivation and build consistent habits.
33:55 Focusing on just four critical daily tasks prevents overwhelm and ensures meaningful progress in your work.
41:50 Batching similar tasks together is more efficient than switching between different types of work throughout the day.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:35 — 40.9MB) | Embed
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585: Write Your Book in a Flash to Create the Paint By Numbers Big Business Card of Your Dreams, Apply Structured Creativity, Grow Your Confidence, and Land Your Ideal Clients with Dan Janal
Dan Janal helps leaders build their brands with books. He has written more than a dozen books. His latest book is called "Write Your Book in a Flash: The Paint-by-Numbers Systems for Writing the Book of Your Dreams - Fast!"
When Dan helps thought leaders and business executives write their books, he helps them take their businesses to the next level and exert greater influence.
Dan has spoken everywhere from Beijing to Budapest, from Brazil to Boston. He taught classes at Berkeley and Stanford.
He was president of his National Speakers Association chapter in Minnesota. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Northwestern University.
Dan was an award-winning daily newspaper reporter and business newspaper editor who interviewed President Gerald Ford and First Lady Barbara Bush.
Quotes:
“Good is good enough and perfection is the enemy of done.” – Dan Janal
“The purpose of a book, especially for an entrepreneur, is a big business card. It's a way for your prospects to get to know, like and trust you, so they want to do business with you.” - Dan Janal
“No one wants to read the encyclopedia about a specific topic. The purpose of the book is to solve a problem. That's the only reason why anyone will read a book or buy a book is to solve a problem.” - Dan Janal
Takeaways:
04:18 Writing a book doesn't require being super motivated every single day; you can fill in outline pieces when inspiration strikes.
05:38 Overcoming mental blocks is crucial - writers shouldn't accept "writer's block" as a legitimate excuse to stop working.
17:29 A business book should solve a specific client problem and serve as a powerful marketing tool, not an exhaustive encyclopedia.
21:15 Books today are most effective when they're short, targeted, and quickly consumable by busy professionals.
26:55 You can write a book using existing materials like blog posts, quotes, and transcripts instead of starting from scratch.
Resources
- For Information About His Book Coaching, Developmental Editing Or Ghostwriting, Go To: Write Your Book In A Flash (Website)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:04 — 30.3MB) | Embed
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555: Goal For It and Bring Your A-Game: Imagine More Success By Following Your Intuition and Getting Out Of Your Own Way with Syndee Hendricks
Syndee Hendricks and her co-host Thomas Hydes run the Imagine More Success Podcast where they provide golden business and life nuggets to enhance your skills, fix current issues and manage new faces of your business. In this episode, Syndee talks about how to set yourself up for massive success, change your way of thinking, always do the right thing, and act without fear.
Resources
- Imagine More Success (Podcast)
- Syndee Hendricks (LinkedIn)
- Syndee Hendricks (Books on Amazon)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:54 — 35.7MB) | Embed
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551: Take Tactical Action, Become Personally Fulfilled, and Achieve Binary Stretch Goals with Legacy Coach Damon D’Amore
Damon D'Amore specializes in legacy coaching. By developing custom productivity systems for each individual client relating to their professional and personal development he enables C-Suite and senior executives to accomplish current tactical business goals that ultimately will facilitate their legacy.
He has more than fourteen years' experience working one-on-one with hundreds of the top CEOs, founders and executives in North America including high-profile entrepreneurs and Fortune 100 firms such as Walmart, PepsiCo, DirecTV, NASCAR, Subway and DreamWorks.
Mr. D'Amore is a serial entrepreneur, founder, board member and advisor to multiple international companies.
He also serves as a mentor and guest-lecturer to Top 25 MBA programs such as USC, NYU and Colombia, and acted as spokesperson and host for an American Express and Discovery Channel show promoting entrepreneurship.
Mr. D'Amore founded multiple startups after long careers deep in the media and entertainment sectors coaching C-Suite executives for programs such as Undercover Boss. He began his career in global finance building internal businesses for the market leading firm Cantor Fitzgerald.
Resources
- Legacy Mentor: Accomplish the Business Goals That Will Manifest Your Legacy (Website)
- Damon D'Amore (Official Site)
- Damon D'Amore (LinkedIn)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:43 — 24.5MB) | Embed
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550: Succeed Faster, Make Money Work For You, Manage Your Time Wisely and Stay Consistent on Your Goals with House Hacker Diego Corzo
Diego Corzo is a Millennial entrepreneur from Austin, Texas. Diego was born in Lima, Peru and moved to the United States with his family when he was 9 years old. Diego's parents told him that America was the land of opportunity and that with hard work and determination all of his dreams would be possible.
Diego graduated in the top 1% from Florida State University with 2 bachelor degrees in less than 4 years and no student debt. He started working in corporate America as a software developer for General Motors and soon discovered that he wanted a career shift. After realizing that corporate America wasn't for him, Diego pursued his passion in real estate.
Now, Diego is a Realtor® for Keller Williams alongside an incredible team, and currently owns 8 rentals properties, both in Texas and in Florida. Diego is on a path to financial freedom and aspires to help others, especially millennials, become financially free and reach their full potential.
Diego's system of House Hacking helps Millennials realize their dream of financial independence. House Hacking has allowed Diego to build a portfolio of 8 properties in just 4 years since he bought his first house.
Resources
- House Hacking Club (Website)
- Diego Corzo (Facebook)
- Diego Corzo (LinkedIn)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:54 — 26.5MB) | Embed
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