Focused
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 through their successes and failures along the way. Hosted by David Sparks and Mike Schmitz.
Episodes
Chenell Basilio joins us to talk about cultivating curiosity, finding your people, and avoiding burnout.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
- Cleft: Capture and Share Notes With Cleft's AI Scribe.
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
Gue...
Ian Byrd is back to talk about flexibility, focus traps, and finding balance.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
Guest Starring:
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content.
<...David reflects on a year of teaching the Productivity Field Guide, talks about what's new and what's changed, and Mike shares the details of his interesting twist to time-blocking.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Jelly: A better way to share an inbox. Get 15% off your first year.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
Links a...
David & Mike consider the relationship between productivity & creativity, how focus plays a role in the creative process, and the details of their own creativity systems.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
Links and Show Notes...
David & Mike reflect on the things that worked (and the things that didn't) in 2024 and set their intentions for 2025.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content.
Practical PKM (Mike's Newsletter)
Mike's Yo...
David & Mike catch up with listener feedback regarding the use of AI, reading workflows, anxious parenting, and what the heck even is a sabbatical.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Fo...
Stephen Hackett joins us to talk about his recent sabbatical experience and share what he learned from taking an extended break.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
Guest Starring:
...David & Mike consider the hidden costs of prioritizing the virtual world over the real world and discuss ways that we can fight for focus in an age of distraction.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
Links and Show Notes:
...Business and life coach Amy Wicks joins us to talk about the Enneagram personality assessment and showing up as our true selves.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
Guest Starring:
...David & Mike revisit the topic of AI to consider what's changed in the last year and discuss how it can be helpful for those of us who strive to live a focused life.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 milli...
Clarke Ching ("The Bottleneck Guy") joins us to talk about finding solutions and fixing systems, both personally and professionally.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
Guest S...
David & Mike discuss deliberate practice and the art of skill development — for both fun and profit.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- Vitally: A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
- ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra...
Llama Life founder Marie Ng joins us to talk about the relative time-boxing, the importance of systems, and eating your productivity vegetables.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
- Vitally: A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
David & Mike consider the role of Margin, Ownership, and Boundaries in the pursuit of living a focused life.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
David & Mike share the different ways they apply intentionality to their media consumption.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
- Vitally: A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using In...
Writer Bob Doto joins us to discuss creative systems, connecting ideas, and why you really should care about zettlekasten.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
David & Mike revisit the topic of moving the needle to discuss what's working and what's changed.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Vitally: A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
Links and Show Notes:
D...
In this feedback episode, David & Mike revisit scheduling, journaling, delegation, and lots of listener thoughts on slow productivity.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
- Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
Links and Show Notes:
Deep...
David & Mike read Rapt by Winifred Gallagher and discuss how to protect your attention and cultivate a focused life.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Harvard Business Review: The leading destination for smart management thinking. Subscriptions start at just $10/month with code FOCUSED.
- Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
- Vitally: A new era for customer success ...
David & Mike consider their use of tasks and calendars and share their workflows for how they tie these two essential productivity tools together to get things done.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Nom Nom: Healthy, fresh food for dogs formulated by top Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists. Prepped in our kitchens with free delivery to your door. Get 50% off.
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your f...
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