Episodes

  • 2226: Wait a Minute Here: Promoting a Team Culture That Questions the Status Quo by Laura Stack on Business Leadership

    2226: Wait a Minute Here: Promoting a Team Culture That Questions the Status Quo by Laura Stack on Business Leadership
    Nov 4 2026
    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
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    10 mins
  • 2225: Should You Tell Your Employer About Your Side Hustle? by Daniella of I Like to Dabble on Career Advice

    2225: Should You Tell Your Employer About Your Side Hustle? by Daniella of I Like to Dabble on Career Advice
    Nov 3 2026
    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
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    7 mins
  • 2224: 7 Ways Productivity Is Failing You by Erica Layne with NoSidebar on Work-Life Balance

    2224: 7 Ways Productivity Is Failing You by Erica Layne with NoSidebar on Work-Life Balance
    Nov 2 2026
    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
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    8 mins
  • 2223: Two Essential Ingredients of Success by Jeff Goins on Mastering Your Craft

    2223: Two Essential Ingredients of Success by Jeff Goins on Mastering Your Craft
    Nov 1 2026
    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
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    8 mins
  • 2222: Overworking Can Be Deadly: It's Time To Take A Break by Dr. Jenny Brockis on Work-Life Balance

    2222: Overworking Can Be Deadly: It's Time To Take A Break by Dr. Jenny Brockis on Work-Life Balance
    Oct 31 2026
    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
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    10 mins
  • 2221: The Pre-Med and Ira Glass: Complicated Career Advice from Compelling People by Cal Newport on Finding Your Passion

    2221: The Pre-Med and Ira Glass: Complicated Career Advice from Compelling People by Cal Newport on Finding Your Passion
    Oct 30 2026
    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
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    11 mins
  • 2220: How to Process Email Like a Ninja by Rose Lounsbury on Inbox Zero

    2220: How to Process Email Like a Ninja by Rose Lounsbury on Inbox Zero
    Oct 29 2026
    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
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    12 mins
  • 2219: What I Learned From Two Frustrating Days of Not Working by Tynan on Overcoming Procrastination

    2219: What I Learned From Two Frustrating Days of Not Working by Tynan on Overcoming Procrastination
    Oct 28 2026
    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
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    7 mins