155: 12 Favorite Problems

FromFocused

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155: 12 Favorite Problems

FromFocused

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Length:

79 minutes

Released:

Jul 5, 2022

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

David & Mike explore the idea of favorite problems and identify a dozen of their own in a quest for self-discovery.

Released:

Jul 5, 2022

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

David Sparks and Mike Schmitz are not nearly as productive as they’d like to be. Join these fellow travelers (and a bunch of special guests) as they share the best ways to get focused, and talk though their successes and failures along the way. Hosted by David Sparks and Mike Schmitz.

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12: Right Now It's Only Me, with Katie Floyd: David's Mac Power Users co-host Katie Floyd, a very recent Free Agent herself, tells us about the early days of her independent life. by Focused
43 min listen
4: Location, Location, Location: Deciding where to get your work done can be a difficult challenge for an independent worker. Can you work out of the house? Does renting office space make sense? What about co-working spaces, or that long wooden table at your neighborhood Starbucks? by Focused
39 min listen
1: The Temptation of Yes: In our very first episode, David and Jason discuss narrowing scope and taking on too much work. by Focused
36 min listen
6: The Shawshank Redemption, with Shahid Kamal Ahmad: PlayStation veteran Shahid Kamal Ahmad left Sony to become an independent game developer. We discuss why he left and how he schedules his workday in his garden shed, the ShaShed. by Focused
48 min listen
9: The Feedback Episode: In a wide-ranging episode, David and Jason answer your letters and tweets. by Focused
52 min listen
7: Be Like a Duck: So you've decided to leave the nest. What can you do to prepare while you're still working for the man? What's the right way to give notice, and prepare for the aftermath? by Focused
40 min listen
2: Booked Up With Myself: Just because you're independent doesn't mean you don't need a schedule. This episode is about building (and breaking) routines. by Focused
25 min listen
29: The Spreadsheet: So you're thinking about going out on your own. It's time to build The Spreadsheet, a tool to let you gauge your potential income and expenses and give you a realistic view of what it will take to succeed. by Focused
40 min listen
56: Iterate in Public, with Sean McCabe: Sean McCabe has built a successful online business through teaching what he knows. He joins David and Mike to talk about the lessons he's learned along the way, including the power of rest and why he takes a sabbatical every 7 weeks. by Focused
79 min listen
8: Email Is Not Your Job: Managing email and setting rules about how you use it. by Focused
28 min listen
19: Nobody Grades You on the Scaffolding: Should you adopt an organizational system? How can these systems help you, and are they worth the investment? Jason and David detail their own personal organization systems and discuss approaches to getting more organized. by Focused
60 min listen
18: A Series of Logical Decisions, with Greg Pierce: Agile Tortoise's Greg Pierce discusses what he's learned in a decade as an independent developer and consultant. by Focused
45 min listen
15: Put on the Business Hat: You can't earn a living as a Free Agent if you don't get paid. In this episode we discuss why true professionals ensuring they're being compensated. When you're on your own, you're the one who has to make sure that the money is flowing in. by Focused
42 min listen
14: Putting Numbers in Boxes, with Andrew Carroll: A new year brings accounting and tax challenges for independent workers, so we asked accountant and financial advisor Andrew Carroll to join us. by Focused
39 min listen
10: Indie Vacation: Planning and taking vacations as an independent worker. by Focused
37 min listen
13: Promotion Can Feel Gross: Being good at what you do isn't enough. You also need customers, clients, or whatever else you need to pay for shoes. That means you need to promote yourself. But you can be really great at what you do and still be terrible at self-promotion. by Focused
40 min listen
3: My Curse and My Reward, with Myke Hurley: Myke Hurley, co-founder of Relay FM, discusses transitioning from his bank job to a full-time podcaster, including the inherent contradictions in working a dream job that never lets you take a vacation. by Focused
43 min listen
23: It's Hard To Get on a Different Train: When should you form a corporation, and if so, what kind? David has some broad advice, though you should be sure to consult with a local attorney and your accountant before making any final decisions. by Focused
40 min listen
5: Envision a Bonfire by Focused
31 min listen
34: I Think I Just Got Fired, with Marco Arment: App developer, podcaster, analyst, and secret entrepreneur Marco Arment joins us to discuss his journey from college to Tumblr, building Instapaper, getting quit-fired, setting out on his own, and working in bursts of productivity. by Focused
51 min listen
24: Take Care of Yourself: What happens if you're a lone-wolf independent operator, and then you get sick? We discuss staying healthy, getting help, and buying insurance. by Focused
44 min listen
17: Stop Digging: Not all clients are good clients. If you don't manage the herd, you could lose the farm. This is why it's important to consider the right time, and right way, to fire a client. by Focused
29 min listen
16: R2-D2 on My Desk: Jason and David discuss their home-office set-ups and the challenges they face when working in a house they share with other people. by Focused
54 min listen
41: A Walk on the Beach: David has a big birthday and joins Jason in discovering the value of embracing a lull; David's wife gets a new job, leading to changes in working at home; and Team Sparky expands as David gets some help with his business. by Focused
47 min listen
50: Bet on Yourself: Mike Schmitz joins as the new Free Agents co-host. In this episode, we get to know Mike better, learn about his journey, and discuss the show format going forward. by Focused
45 min listen
25: Breadcrumb of My Life, with Stephen Hackett: Relay FM co-founder Stephen Hackett discusses his origin story, including the personal challenges he first encountered when he went independent. by Focused
57 min listen
20: Jason's Origin Story: David asks Jason to explain where he came from, the background of his career, and what the circumstances were that led him to become an independent worker, and then asks him to reflect on his two-plus years no longer being employed by a big corporation. by Focused
60 min listen
27: Bird in the Bush: Passion projects can be an enjoyable outlet. But how do you balance the work that pays the bills with the work that feeds the soul? by Focused
44 min listen
36: My App Story, with John Voorhees: John Voorhees of MacStories is a brand-new free agent, a lawyer who left his job in Chicago to set out on his own as a writer and app developer. He tells us how he decided to leave the legal profession and go full time as an independent worker. by Focused
40 min listen
32: It's Scary, Dude! with Kathy Campbell: Unicorn Sidekick Kathy Campbell joins us to discuss how she ended up becoming a Free Agent while behind a desk at her "real job," when having her new career discovered her. by Focused
47 min listen

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202: Slow Productivity: David & Mike consider Cal Newport's philosophy on organizing knowledge work in a sustainable and meaningful manner. by Focused
76 min listen
201: What to Do When Things Don't Go Your Way, with Haemin Sunim: Bestselling author & Zen Buddhist teacher Haemin Sunim joins David & Mike to talk about gratitude, mindfulness, compassion, and dealing with disappointment when things don't go your way. by Focused
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200: Favorite Productivity Hacks: David & Mike celebrate 200 episodes by sharing their favorite productivity hacks. by Focused
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199: Repotting & Retirement, with Jim Eager: Jim Eager joins us to talk about how to navigate the 4 phases of retirement with meaning and purpose. by Focused
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198: Revisiting Journaling: David & Mike revisit the topic of journaling for personal growth and share how their workflows have evolved. by Focused
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197: Feel Good Productivity: David & Mike consider the role of happiness & joy in meaningful productivity. by Focused
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196: Focus & The Reading Life, with Maryanne Wolf: Cognitive neuroscientist and reading warrior Dr. Maryanne Wolf joins us to talk about the science of reading and how what we read changes our brains. by Focused
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195: The Productivity Field Guide: After several years in production, the Productivity Field Guide is here! Mike interviews David about what's in it, how much went into it, and why it's so important to David. by Focused
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194: I'd Like to Take a Mulligan: David & Mike reflect on everything that happened in 2023 and share their intentions for 2024. by Focused
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193: The Problem with Mise en Place, with Justin Khanna: Chef, creator, and entrepreneur Justin Khanna joins us to share focus lessons from the culinary world. by Focused
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192: Flow State: David & Mike consider the benefits of the flow state and what we can do to achieve it more consistently. by Focused
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191: Multi-Scale Planning: David & Mike unpack the concept of multi-scale planning and share how they are both using it to live in alignment with their vision and values. by Focused
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190: Overdosing on Gratitude, with Karl Staib: Process Consultant Karl Staib joins us to talk about process design, delegation, and the power of gratitude. by Focused
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189: Focus & AI: David & Mike consider how various AI tools can help protect our focus and share what they're using to boost their productivity & creativity. by Focused
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188: Q4 Planning & The PKM Stack: David & Mike revisit the topic of toxic productivity, discuss choosing apps & tools that support your intentions, and share their plans for the last quarter of 2023. by Focused
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187: Drop Zones & Launch Pads, with Jesse J. Anderson: Jesse J. Anderson is back to talk about troubleshooting productivity systems and his new book for helping adults with ADHD find focus. by Focused
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186: The Burden of Opportunity, with Shawn Blanc: The Focus Course creator and small business owner Shawn Blanc is back to talk about margin, sabbaticals, and focusing like a boss. by Focused
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185: How to Be Miserable: David & Mike discuss the satirical self-help book How to Be Miserable by Randy J. Paterson and share the dysfunctional skills they are particularly good at. by Focused
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184: Solving Problems, with Jay Clouse: Jay Clouse of Creator Science joins us to talk about the sawdust problem, the focus benefits of community, and finding the balance between quality and quantity. by Focused
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183: Practicing Focus: David & Mike discuss how they inject focus into their workdays & Mike shares about his tiny house retreat experience. by Focused
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182: Building Focused Flywheels, with Nathan Barry: ConvertKit CEO Nathan Barry joins us to talk about the power of focus and how it helped save his company. by Focused
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181: Walking Your Own Path, with Justin Moore: Sponsorship coach Justin Moore joins us to talk about his journey from medical devices to Creator Wizard founder, avoiding the comparison trap, and finding your niche. by Focused
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180: A Focused Hodgepodge: David reflects on 18 months of freedom, Mike reports back from Craft + Commerce, and they both share their best advice for teaching kids how to focus. by Focused
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177: The Care and Feeding of Technology, with Mike Rohde: Mike Rohde is back to talk about the role of analog and digital tools in maintaining creative focus. by Focused
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176: Doing Less: David & Mike revisit the importance of saying no and discuss how to prevent taking on too much. by Focused
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175: The To-Don't List: David & Mike get caught up on listener feedback as they discuss journaling data, power naps, and choosing the things you aren't going to do. by Focused
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174: Deep Work, with Cal Newport: Computer scientist & author Cal Newport joins us to talk about the impact of technology and culture on productivity and shares what we can do to protect our ability to focus. by Focused
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173: Life Has Lifed You, with Mark Metzger: Business lawyer Mark Metzger joins David to talk about false urgency, the power of having a coach, and getting back on the wagon when life happens. by Focused
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155: 12 Favorite Problems

155: 12 Favorite Problems

Description

Titles in the series (100)

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