Episode #081: Smartcuts with Shane Snow [Podcast]

How Hackers, Innovators and Icons Accelerate Success

shane snowThe new book from today’s guest is one of my favorite to come along in a while. I honestly had no idea I would enjoy it as much as I did.

It wasn’t until after I’d read Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators and Icons Accelerate Success, the first but most certainly not the last book from Shane Snow, that I realized I was far from alone. Bestselling author Adam Grant calls it, “One of the most entertaining and thought-provoking books of the year.”

David Carr of the New York Times calls Shane, “A clear, beautiful writer who does not succumb to aphorism and business gobbledygook.”

In short, this is a narrative adventure that bucks common sense about success. Like computer hackers, a handful of innovators in every era use lateral thinking to find better routes to stunning accomplishments. Shane tells the stories of innovators who dared to work differently and lays out practical takeaways for the rest of us.

If you’re ready to “make a dent in the universe” and buck the norms doing it, this is  your book.

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Episode #080: Time Management Magic with Lee Cockerell

lee cockerellFor about as long as I can remember, I’ve been an early adopter.

Remember those things called PDAs? No, not that kind of PDA. Personal Digital Assistants. I was one of the first people I knew who had one. I got the strangest looks when I came into meetings tapping away on my new toy with that stylus thingy. But boy did I love it. Now, in a world of smartphones and apps, the PDA seems quite quaint.

It seems nearly everyone, myself included, wen all digital long ago. In fact, not since the year 2000 have I used an analogue system to keep track of appointments and to-dos. But, I must admit, not since the year 2000 have I felt truly organized. Mind you I’ve experimented with just about every productivity app there is. I’ve even tried to adopt iPad apps that mimic the appearance and feel of a traditional day planner. No matter what I’ve tried, I’ve eventually stopped using it. Every. Single. Time.

So, after finishing Time Management Magic: How to Get More Done Every Day and Move from Surviving to Thriving, the new book from today’s guest Lee Cockerell, I’ve decided to go back to using a traditional day planner for my day-to-day schedule, to-do list, notes, and more. I’m not foregoing digital systems entirely. My online calendars will continue to be central to my system. However, for me, and maybe for you, there’s just something about writing things down that makes a huge difference.

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Episode #078: How to Book Yourself Solid with Michael Port

Michael PortEver since I launched the Read to Lead Podcast, I’ve wanted to have Michael Port on the show to talk about his latest book.

The original version of Book Yourself Solid was first released in 2006. Then, in 2010, it was updated with additional content. However, it was the illustrated version – released in 2013 – that convinced me to buy it.

Supposedly, 84% of us prefer to learn visually. I can certainly say I’m in that camp. Along with books like Dan Roam’s Back of the Napkin (and subsequent Show and Tell), and Sunni Brown’s The Doodle Revolution, I found Book Yourself Solid Illustrated an easily digestible read. And, it’s not only be packed with amazing insights and strategies, but it’s just downright fun to read.

What’s more, it’s essentially an entire service business coaching program wrapped up in a single book. A very cool, and hip book.

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Episode #077: How the World’s Best Marketers Get Us to Believe

Tom AsackerToday, my guest is author and popular speaker Tom Asacker.

Tom writes and teaches about radically new practices and ideas for marketplace success in times of uncertainty and change. He has lectured on marketing, innovation, and marketplace trends to corporate, association, and  university audiences around the world.

He’s written six groundbreaking books that redefine business for the new millennium, the latest of which is The Business of Belief: How the World’s Best Marketers, Designers, Salespeople, Coaches, Fundraisers, Educators, Entrepreneurs and Other Leaders Get Us to Believe.

Tom’s book will challenge your assumptions about leadership and the art of influence, and give you invaluable insights required to understand and move others.

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