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Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2229: Michael Levitt explains how businesses can uncover customer insights using tools they may already have, from Google Analytics and purchase tracking to customer interviews, online surveys, and reviews on sites like G2 and social media. He also shows how studying competitors' keywords and their customers' reviews can reveal expectations no one is meeting yet. For entrepreneurs, the takeaway is that understanding the audience builds loyalty, boosts retention, and gives a business a real competitive edge. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.breakfastleadership.com/blog/how-to-uncover-customer-insights-for-your-business Quotes to ponder: "Your customers are the reason your business is still on its feet." "Keep in mind that not every business is a competitor." "A deep dive into competitor reviews could uncover client expectations you didn't know." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2228: Julie Morgenstern covers two drains on a workday. In the first article she explains how invisible emotional and logistical load shrinks what gets done in a day, and why a shorter to-do list and a new definition of a successful day restore a sense of accomplishment. In the second she shows how to push back on back-to-back meetings by speaking up, starting with small wins, and building buffers into the calendar for better time management and productivity. Read along with the original articles here: https://www.juliemorgenstern.com/tips-tools-blog/getting-less-done-in-a-day and https://www.juliemorgenstern.com/tips-tools-blog/back-to-back-meeting-productivity-insanity Quotes to ponder: "If you can only get nine things done in a day, put nine on your to-do list." "Unfortunately, we're still applying old principles of productivity to a completely new world." "We don't have as much control as we'd like, but we actually have more control than we think." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2227: Eileen Habelow shares survey findings on the workplace pet peeves that irritate colleagues most, with poor time management at the top, followed by gossip and messy shared spaces. She explains how people typically respond to these frustrations and why raising an issue directly, in a respectful tone, protects both productivity and your working relationships. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://digtofly.com/whats-quickest-way-to-irk-co-worker/ Quotes to ponder: "However you decide to address the problem, approach the matter in a respectful tone." "How would you most favorably receive the news that your daily habits are making others unhappy?" "More often than not, we tend to be unaware of the little things we do, and would be genuinely sorry for annoying others, if only someone would tell us." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2226: Laura Stack explains why strong leaders want people who question the status quo rather than yes-men, drawing on how Zappos and Intuit keep reinventing the way they work. She shows how anyone on a team can pose a "Grand Challenge," keep best practices from going stale, and pair every question with an answer that improves productivity and results. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://theproductivitypro.com/blog/2015/11/wait-a-minute-here-promoting-a-team-culture-that-questions-the-status-quo/ Quotes to ponder: "But decent leaders don't want yes-women and yes-men." "What would happen if we are constantly willing to question how things are done? Not necessarily make constant changes but be open to them." "Don't just question, though: offer answers that will move your team forward." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2225: Daniella shares how she decided to tell her employer about her side hustle, and the three questions to answer first: whether side hustles are allowed, whether there is a non-compete clause, and whether there is a conflict of interest. She describes what a typical HR approval process looks like and why consulting a lawyer is the safe move when a company has no clear policy, practical career advice for anyone building income outside their day job. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://iliketodabble.com/employer-side-hustle/ Quotes to ponder: "Where it gets especially tricky is if your side hustle is either for a competitor or poses as direct competition to your employer." "If they don't have a clear policy, I recommend consulting a lawyer for their point of view. It's better to be safe than sorry." "It's always a good idea to protect yourself from getting fired or even worse, sued." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2224: Erica Layne explains how a constant push to stay busy and productive can quietly backfire, and walks through seven warning signs, from burnout and guilt about time off to dormant friendships and sagging self-worth. She argues that productivity has to be balanced by rest, play, and connection for a sustainable work-life balance. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://nosidebar.com/productivity/ Quotes to ponder: "In the long run, productivity desperately needs to be balanced out by rest, play, and connection." "Slumps are bound to come when you're overworking, and they feel all the worse when your self-worth is tangled up with your productivity." "I have to actively remind myself that sharing restful moments with my loved ones is actually the best use of my time." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2223: Jeff Goins explains that success comes down to two ingredients: passion and practice. Drawing on the apprenticeship he found in a job he almost didn't take, he argues that passion without intense, deliberate practice leads to failure, and that practice is often how people discover what they are meant to do. The takeaway for anyone building a career is that the two work together, and neither is enough on its own. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://goinswriter.com/success-ingredients/ Quotes to ponder: "Turns out, we don't find our passion and then practice it. Rather, practice is what helps us discover what we ought to be doing in the first place." "Discovery accompanies dedication; it doesn't precede it." "Intensity and frequency matter more than mere quantity of hours." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2222: Dr. Jenny Brockis explains how overwork, from Japan's karoshi to a culture of chronic tiredness and stress, harms both health and performance. She shows how sleep debt and constant worry erode attention, memory, and productivity, and why longer hours deliver far less extra output than expected. The takeaway is that regular breaks, especially time away from screens, restore brain health and a better work-life balance. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://drjennybrockis.com/2017/3/7/overworking-can-be-deadly-its-time-to-take-a-break/ Quotes to ponder: "Extended working hours are counterproductive and potentially deadly." "Our best thinking time is limited to between 2-3 hours each day." "It allows you to regain control of your own time, rather than being at the beck and call of someone else's agenda." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2221: Cal Newport explains why the popular advice to follow your passion is too simplistic, drawing on Roadtrip Nation interviews with Ira Glass, astrobiologist Andrew Steele, and surfboard shaper Al Merrick. None of them planned their path, and each built skills through years of hard work before finding a niche. The career lesson is to get good first, because passion tends to bloom surprisingly late in the process. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://calnewport.com/the-pre-med-and-ira-glass-complicated-career-advice-from-compelling-people/ Quotes to ponder: "The key thing is to force yourself through the work, force the skills to come. That's the hardest phase." "Amidst this nuance, however, one conclusion is stark: the canonical advice to follow your passion is way too simplistic." "It is here, it seems, surprisingly late in the process, that passion reaches full bloom." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2220: Rose Lounsbury explains how to stop treating the email inbox as a to-do list and process it to zero every day. Her system rests on two rules, no cherry picking and the two-minute rule, plus three folders: Action, Awaiting Response, and File. Processing email this way cuts digital clutter and frees up mental energy for more productive work. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://roselounsbury.com/how-to-proces-email-like-a-ninja/ Quotes to ponder: "The best way to process email is to start at the top and work your way down, one email at a time." "This rule states that if a task will take less than 2 minutes, do it now." "The key to making this system work is processing your inbox to zero, and then checking ACTION and AWAITING RESPONSE." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2219: Tynan shares what happened when he spent two full days avoiding the most important work on his plate. He traces the stall to a daunting task and a growing fear that his hard-won discipline had slipped, a fear that only deepened the procrastination. The fix was asking himself why he was stuck and what the solution was, then simply starting, which restored his productivity within hours. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://tynan.com/nowork/ Quotes to ponder: "So often we search externally for solutions to our problems when the greatest authority on the subject is ourselves." "We know logically that something won't be so bad, and might even be good, but we work ourselves up and attach all sorts of undeserved meaning to it." "This simple process of asking yourself why you aren't doing what you want to be doing, and then asking yourself what the solution is, is remarkably effective." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2218: Nicki Dee explains how a friend's offhand warning about workaholism made her rethink an identity built almost entirely around work. As she starts her first job, she lays out four commitments for a fuller life: knowing her limits, making healthy decisions, fostering the relationships that matter, and remembering that who she is counts for more than what she does. Her conclusion is that work-life balance means making time to play as well as to work. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://tinybuddha.com/blog/we-are-more-than-what-we-do/ Quotes to ponder: "When people strive for success in what they do and do not strive for balance, workaholics are created." "I now know that I don't want to be a shell of a person." "I now know that I need to make time to not only work, but to play as well." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2217: Carl Pullein shares the practices he uses to stay productive when travel, business trips, or holidays throw him out of his regular routine. He schedules his most important work on his calendar, protects one or two blocks of focused work each day, and parks everything else in his to-do list until he returns. Ending each trip with a free day and a full weekly review puts his time management back in control. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.carlpullein.com/blog/how-to-stay-productive-when-you-get-thrown-out-of-your-routine/24/4/2019 Quotes to ponder: "These are my core pieces of content I produce each week and they are important to me. Because they are important they get scheduled. No excuses." "But none of that will happen by accident. I have to schedule deliberate time to get it done." "An hour or two, scheduled, each day for focused work will give you the time you need to stay up to date." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2216: Tex Freitag explains how to overlap a day job with entrepreneurship by growing a side hustle into a full-time business. He covers building a savings cushion first, choosing a venture with a small entry point that draws on existing job skills, and reclaiming evenings and weekends through better time management. The takeaway is that a side hustle is the low-risk way to start a business, but only for those willing to sacrifice the free time it demands. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://lenpenzo.com/blog/id49055-the-art-of-the-side-hustle-overlapping-your-day-job-with-entrepreneurship.html Quotes to ponder: "In almost all circumstances a side hustle shouldn't require large amounts of money to begin, and you should identify a small entry point which you can expand from." "Every minute counts when you're working a job and running a business, so doing things like bulk cooking on the weekends can save you valuable hours each week." "If you want to succeed and eventually transfer that side hustle into a full-time business, you need to make the sacrifices necessary to provide yourself more time and financial flexibility." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 2215: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner finishes her guide to quitting a day job and becoming self-employed. In this second part, she explains why self-employed people should save six to twelve months of expenses in an emergency fund, why setting aside around 30% of income for taxes matters, and how forming an LLC or S-Corp separates business and personal assets. She closes with the final step of giving notice, and notes that paying down debt first makes the leap into entrepreneurship far less stressful. Read along with the original article here: https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2022/01/how-to-quit-your-job-and-become-self-employed.html Quotes to ponder: "An emergency fund is extremely important when running your own business." "Don't let this part of running your business prevent you from starting one." "It may sound like being self-employed is scary or stressful (it can be at times), but it's mostly amazing." Optimal Work Daily is a daily career advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on productivity, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance, read to you by a professional narrator so you can grow your career a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices