What if the most valuable thing you did all year was stop and look at your life? In this episode, I sit down with Tiago Forte, author of Life in Perspective and creator of the Building a Second Brain method. Tiago has had a huge impact on how I work and live, and we use this conversation to walk through the annual life review, a ritual I've done for years and he has now turned into a book.

We talk about why modern work has stripped away the natural off season, and what happens when years blur together. Tiago breaks down his ARC framework: appreciate the past, reflect on the present, and create the future. We get into the traps to avoid, the role your environment plays in your mindset, and how to turn big ideas into weekly behaviors you can track. I also share a personal story about a decision that shifted how I see myself and how I show up.

Topics We Cover in This Episode:

• Why every professional needs an off season, and what happens without one

• The three D's of life: drift, driven, and design

• Why the best time to gain perspective isn't during a crisis

• The easiest cheat code for changing your mindset

• Why planning your life is an emotional exercise before it's an analytical one

• How a single weekly number can reveal what really matters to you

• Two emotions high achievers tend to avoid, and what they can teach you

• The question that can show whether your projects and your priorities actually fit together

If you've ever wondered whether your life is moving in the direction you want, this conversation gives you a way to find out.

Resources Mentioned:

Get Tiago's book, Life in Perspective: lifeinperspective.com

Learn about Tiago's AI Second Brain cohort: buildingasecondbrain.com/ai-second-brain

Connect with Tiago on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiagoforte

100s of Infographics: https://bunnell-idea-group-inc.kit.com/a9d68c6c15

Sign up for Bunnell Idea Group's free AI Business Development tool, GrowBIG AI: growbig.ai

Sign up for Mo's weekly newsletter: GrowBigPlaybook.com

Free Give to Grow Training and Downloadable Materials: Givetogrow.info

Give to Grow Amazon Order Link: https://a.co/d/ec8DTzc

Follow Mo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mobunnell/

What if the secret to getting more done has less to do with working harder and more to do with how you focus, handle stress, and rest? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Christian Poensgen, executive coach and co-author of Ultra Productive with Eric Partaker, to look at productivity through a much wider lens. Christian did his PhD on the interplay between stress and performance, and he applies the research to the moments our audience faces every day: preparing for a pitch, following up with a client who went quiet, and protecting time to think when the calendar never stops filling up.

We talk about why so few of us ever reach real deep focus, how to work the edges of the day to carve out that time, and what it looks like to choose what you'll fail at so you can succeed at what matters. Christian explains the difference between stress and anxiety, why each calls for a different response, and a simple breathing technique to use minutes before a high-stakes meeting. We also get into sleep, why seven hours isn't the whole story, and what a rainmaker's ideal day could look like from start to finish.

Topics We Cover in This Episode:

• The 60 to 90 minute daily habit that can double what you get done

• Why a 5 to 9 mindset doesn't mean waking up at 5 a.m.

• What it means to choose what you'll fail at each day

• The hidden cost of replying within five minutes

• How stress and anxiety differ, and why it matters before a big pitch

• Three questions that take the sting out of waiting on a client's reply

• Why seven hours of sleep can still leave you running on empty

• What a high-performing relationship builder's ideal day looks like

If you've been living in back-to-back meetings with no room to think, tune in to learn how to protect your focus, use stress to your advantage, and treat rest as part of the job.

Resources Mentioned:

Preorder Ultra Productive and get 9 free infographics plus a free seat in the Ultra Productive Accelerator: ultraproductive.com

Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianpoensgen/

Alison Wood Brooks Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cracking-the-code-to-great-conversations-with/id1504330338?i=1000686081141

Johnny Miller Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nervous-system-mastery-science-backed-secrets-to-energy/id1504330338?i=1000673961607

100s of Infographics: https://bunnell-idea-group-inc.kit.com/a9d68c6c15

Sign up for Bunnell Idea Group's free AI Business Development tool, GrowBIG AI: growbig.ai

Sign up for Mo's weekly newsletter: GrowBigPlaybook.com

Free Give to Grow Training and Downloadable Materials: Givetogrow.info

Give to Grow Amazon Order Link: https://a.co/d/ec8DTzc

Follow Mo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mobunnell/

What if the habits that made you successful are now holding you back? I sit down with Darrell Vesterfelt to unpack 10 signs you may be the bottleneck in your own growth, from struggling to delegate and feeling guilty about rest to having a packed calendar while your most important work remains unfinished.

We dig into what's underneath these patterns, including fear, identity, and the systems we create around ourselves. We also talk about recovery, creating space for meaningful work, and why getting better results may have less to do with working harder and more to do with changing how you work.

Topics We Cover in This Episode:

• The 10 signs you may be the bottleneck

• Why success can eventually become a constraint

• What's really behind resistance to delegation

• Why recovery matters for high performers

• What your calendar may be telling you

• How to make room for your most important work

• Why small experiments can create meaningful change

• When the system you're using needs to change

If you're working harder but not getting the results you want, this conversation will give you a new way to look at what's getting in the way. Tune in and see which patterns might be showing up in your own work.

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Darrell: https://darrellvesterfelt.com/

Follow Darrell on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dvest/
Connect with Darrell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellvesterfelt

100s of Infographics: https://bunnell-idea-group-inc.kit.com/a9d68c6c15

Sign up for Bunnell Idea Group's free AI Business Development tool, GrowBIG AI: growbig.ai

Sign up for Mo's weekly newsletter: GrowBigPlaybook.com

Free Give to Grow Training and Downloadable Materials: Givetogrow.info

Give to Grow Amazon Order Link: https://a.co/d/ec8DTzc

Follow Mo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mobunnell/