OK Productive

We're going to step away from the podcast, but the episodes, website, and social media accounts will remain.Reach out if you have questions or want to say hi, and thanks for listening!What led us to this decision...Well first, why did we start?We wanted to talk about things we're interested inWe wanted practical tips, not the productivity trapWe were feeling the courage to experimentWhat decisions made us want to stop?Growth was plateauingWe did the exercises in Traction by Gabriel WinebergLearned that growth would require more time and moneyWe were already constrained by bothWe both want to focus on fewer initiatives in 2020What we learned from the showStruggles that we learned fromFully understanding marketingProductivity is a diluted and saturated topicImportance of organizationBalancing guests and topicsThe happy, fun, growing, learning sideOver 5,000 downloadsDocumenting processes, scheduling, and contentLeo’s growthInterview skillsOrganizationRecruitmentSelf-reflectionErik’s growthLearning from guests and each otherImproved image design that continues to be used in other projectsChanneling nervous energy into talkative yip-yapRelated episodes001. A Sleepy Episode009. Working On Your Own Episode012. Saying No Episode025. Productive Podcasting031. Clear your Calendar! with Justin JacksonBig thanks to our listeners and these amazing contributors:❤️ Leah Fitch❤️ Jonathan Baillie Strong❤️ Will Gant❤️ Christian Genco❤️ Peta Sena❤️ Jessica D'Amico❤️ Tim Mitra❤️ Justin Jackson❤️ Allison Spooner❤️ Sophia Dagnon❤️ Laura Lopuch❤️ Julien Borrelli ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Differences between 2018 and 2019Erik fully embraced Notion for planningLeo switched from Todoist to a spreadsheetMastermind meetings for group accountabilityLeo's Year in ReviewImprovements to healthSuccessful speaking engagementsA consistent schedule with podcastsSuccessful at writing outputAudience improvements:+156.32% at Learning Swift+12.85% at BrightDigit+726.15% at LeoGDionFuture Improvements include email, more video, and audience researchErik's Year in ReviewCame up with whole-year goals and broke down into quarterly, monthly, and weekly listsAlso made weekly and monthly habits checklistsAbout 20-30% of the anticipated objectives and habits changed over the yearThe habits that stuck were those that Erik had the most direct control, like stretching and dietThe items that changed or were not met the most typically involved other people or deep researchErik's biggest regret: not enough "for-fun, but also is work" tasksErik's biggest desire to change: more regular date nightsLeo referred Erik to Derek Sivers' article: Stay in touch with hundreds of peopleWhat's being cut in 2020Leo's stepping away from organizing meetups and local networkingErik is getting away from nonprofit administration, business social media management, and the status quo of local tech eventsWe're stepping away from the podcast, too. More on that in the next episode! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

IntroductionLaura's first email tip: write so the recipient will imagine how their life could beHow to discover a love of email as a paralegalRealizing skills, eight years laterThe benefits of setting weekly email goalsTreat email correspondence as a journeyWait 2 to 3 business days before the first followupTwo types of cold email: making a pitch and making a connectionAnatomy of a Cold EmailWhere are people with your problem going to talk about their problem?  Explain why you chose the recipient over everyone elseStart a close relationship with your contact and compliment themProve a hypothesis, they should agree with each statement you makeAll of those small yesses lead toward a yes on the big askAvoid exit languageAvoid asking for more than one thingToolsStreak, CRM for GmailBoomerangCrystal KnowsLaura Lopuch online@waitingtoberead on Twitterlauralopuch.comHow to double your conversion rate on cold outreach, a recap of Laura's talk at MicroconfHow to Optimize for Replies on Your Cold Emails on Laura’s blogI used cold emails to 14x my freelance copywriting business. Here’s how. on Copy Hackers ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Getting your foot in the doorSophia's specialty and how she got there from archaeologyHow UpWork led to better pay in writingDealing with the lack of comfortAn approach to desiring income without being sleazyMaking transactions mutually beneficialPeople don’t buy stuff, they buy solutions to problemsHow does your customer think about the solutions to their problems?How to ask the right questions to better understand your customerImproving pitches by trying different thingsHow to reach your customersThe platforms with the lowest barriers or are easiest to self-promoteCopy Hackers (Joanna Web sp.?)Researching, writing a lot, and sharing content where it will be readUnderstanding your reader’s familiarity and how informed they areKnowing what it will take for a reader to take action (lots of specific tips here!)Focus on and measure one action that you want your readers to takeTips for getting startedLow-risk and simple ways a person can practice self-promotionReframe risk as an opportunity or something good for youWays to manage the ever-present emotions that come when taking chancesAre there books or other sources where people can learn more on the topicFollow Copy HackersRead Drive by Daniel PinkRead Influence by Robert CialdiniRead Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene SchwartzWhere to find Sophia Dagnon@SophiaDagnon on Twittersophiadagnon.comSophia Dagnon on LinkedIn ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

IntroductionsNaNoWriMo and flash fictionAllison Spooner is the author of Flash in the Dark and The Problem with HumansFind Allison online at spoonfulstyle.com or @allyspoonOutsource your writing parametersAccountability through writing groups, events, and contestsBenefits of deadlines, prompts, settings, and other writing constraintsOutlining and other ways to complete a novel in small piecesWriting exercises and parameters that help you get better with practiceTelling a story with Joseph Campbell's Hero's JourneyTips for writing when you need some structureMethods for practicing writingLook for random writing prompts online or in your physical environmentStart small, like 500 wordsGo to writing events near youTry writing at different times and with different techniques to find what works best for youDonald Miller's 5 Writing TipsMake your customer the hero of your business' storiesWrite for fun, define writing success for you, and a little progress is still progressScale up to make a novelOne flash fiction story per day will help you reach your NaNoWriMo goalCome up with writing prompts for the whole month in advance ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★