528: The Only Business Metric That Matters is Ideaflow with Jeremy Utley (an Encore Presentation of Episode 446)

My guest today asserts that we all want great ideas, but few of us actually understand how great ideas are born. Innovation, he says, is not an event, a workshop, a sprint, or a hackathon.

It’s a result of mastering ideaflow, a practice that elevates everything else you do.

His name is Jeremy Utley, and he is the coauthor, along with Perry Klebahn of IDEAFLOW: The Only Business Metric That Matters.

They advocate a simple core principle: ideas matter. Instead of focusing on output, innovators focus on input. Instead of obsessing over quality, innovators generate quantity.

They argue that every problem is an idea problem at its core, and changing the way you think about any problem will unleash success. Innovation is a volume game, and the quantity of ideas drives quality.

Intrigued? Click the play button below to learn more Jeremy and his book.

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527: 7 Biblical Principles for Being Purposeful, Present, and Wildly Productive with Jordan Raynor (an Encore Presentation of Episode 422)

I love books on the topic of productivity. It’s a topic about which plenty of books have written. Some might argue we don’t need any more books on productivity.

jordan raynor

That is not the case for the latest productivity book I read. It’s now at the top of the list of best all-time productivity books in my view.

It’s written by author Jordan Raynor and it’s called Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for Being Purposeful, Present & Wildly Productive.

Jordan is a serial entrepreneur. He also serves as executive chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech start-up that has built the world’s largest library of 360-degree virtual experiences of hotels, restaurants, and attractions.

He’s a highly sought-after speaker on the topic of faith and work; he has spoken at Harvard University, SXSW, and many other events around the world.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Jordan and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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526: The Truth About AI and the Future of Humanity with Steve Shwartz (an Encore Presentation of Episode 384)

My friend and former mastermind group member, Steve Sponseller, was kind of enough to introduce me to today’s guest a few months ago and I am thrilled he did.

steve shwartz

His name is also Steve. Steve Shwartz to be specific: AI expert, investor, and serial entrepreneur.

Steve began his AI career working with Roger Schank as a postdoctoral researcher in the Yale University Artificial Intelligence Lab. Steve was a founder or cofounder of several AI companies, one of which created the award-winning Esperant business intelligence product. 

As the AI Winter of the 1990s set in, Steve transitioned into a career as a successful serial software entrepreneur and investor and created several companies that were either acquired or had public offerings. 

His new book has probably my favorite title of the last couple of years. It’s called Evil Robots, Killer Computers, and Other Myths: The Truth About AI and the Future of Humanity.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Steve and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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525: Extending Your Mind Through Connected Notes with Jorge Arango

If there is a topic that has captured my attention more in the last three to four years, I don’t know what it is. I’m talking about the art of note-taking or, as I like to call it, note-making.

jorge agango

It’s a phrase that makes a subtle distinction between notes we capture for learning (note-taking), and notes we write to help us think (note-making).

Better thinking makes you a better person.

And few things extend your mind as quickly and powerfully as the humble note. Notes let you fulfill commitments, manage complicated projects, and make your ideas real.

Digital notes take you even further.

By using the right tools and a bit of discipline, you can cultivate a “personal knowledge garden” where your thinking will blossom.

With this in mind, I’m excited to introduce to you the new book from Jorge Arango called Duly Noted: Extend Your Mind Through Connected Notes.

Jorge and I think a lot alike when it comes to this topic. We even use many of the same tools to capture notes, to store notes, and to do our thinking.

If you’re looking to get out from under the plethora of information coming out you every single day (and isn’t going away any time soon), then you’re in the right place.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Jorge and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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524: How to Find What You Love, Love What You Do, and Do It for the Rest of Your Life with Marcus Buckingham (an Encore Presentation of Episode 417)

What an awesome and incredibly important discussion I have for you today! It’s my long-awaited sit-down with none other than Marcus Buckingham.

marcus buckingham

I first got the chance to hear Marcus speak fifteen, or maybe, twenty years ago at the annual Global Leadership Summit in Chicago. Marcus was captivating AND inspiring that day.

His new book is fantastic! And, the good news for you is, it officially releases TODAY! It’s called Love + Work: How to Find What You Love, Love What You Do, and Do It for the Rest of Your Life.

So, say you’ve long been told to “Do what you love.” Sounds simple, but the real challenge is how to do this in a world not set up to help you.

Most of us actually don’t know the real truth of what we love—what engages us and makes us thrive—and our workplaces, jobs, schools, even our parents, are focused instead on making us conform.

Sadly, no person or system is dedicated to discovering the crucial intersection between what you love to do and how you contribute it to others.

But Marcus shows you how to break free from this conformity—how to decode your own loves, turn them into their most powerful expression, and do the same for those you lead and those you love.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Marcus and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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