Productive Flourishing Podcast

Kathleen Kelly Janus is a social entrepreneur, author, and lecturer at Stanford University. She recently released her book called Social Startup Success. She joins Charlie today to discuss how nonprofits maximize their impact by adopting some of the same strategies that modern, for-profit organizations are using. They also touch on how the non-profit sector unintentionally reinforces the same ineq...

Bryan Falchuk is the author of Do a Day, a book that shows readers how to learn to make each day contribute to the life they want to live. He joins Charlie on the show today to talk about how his transformation - from being obese and depressed, to a marathon-running, top executive - gave him the insights to write Do a Day. They also dive into how changing externally doesn’t always lead to internal...

On today’s episode, Angela returns to the show to talk with Charlie about boundaries. They did a joint presentation at the Think Better, Live Better conference, which was an interesting process for them. Since not all of their listeners were at the conference, they decided to bring a taste of their presentation to the podcast and share some of the concepts and lessons learned. Key Takeaways: [4:05...

Sharon Rowe is the founder of EcoBags, and an award-winning entrepreneur. She joins Charlie today to talk about what she’s learned in steering her almost 30 year career as an entrepreneur. They also discuss what’s different about today’s business landscape, the relationship between your why and your financial metrics, and how important going is for getting your business going. Key Takeaways: [2:00...

Tama Kieves is the best-selling author of four books, with her latest being Thriving Through Uncertainty: Moving Beyond Fear of the Unknown and Making Change Work for You. She joins Charlie on the show today to talk about the mindset and practice shifts that we need to embrace to not let fear of uncertainty keep us from moving forward to the life that awaits us. The conversation is full of creativ...

Christina is an attorney who wanted a more creative path, and started The Contract Shop, a contract template store for creative entrepreneurs, wedding professionals, and coaches. In this episode, Christina and Charlie discuss her transition from the risk-averse field of law into entrepreneurship, the challenges she faces as a new entrepreneur, and how the way many of us think about the legal aspec...

Today’s guest, Debbie Reber, is a New York Times best-selling author, podcaster, and speaker. She joins Charlie today to discuss how she made the transition from working in television to becoming a best-selling author, and how the birth of her neurologically-different son altered her body of work and how she got it done. While her work is geared toward parents of neuro-diverse children, this is a...

Ryan Haack is a writer, speaker, and blogger who was also born with one hand. Today’s episode is a re-run of episode 45, which is a Productive Flourishing favorite because it highlights that we’re each different, but it’s how we handle our differences that makes all the difference. Ryan uses what makes him different to inspire kids, parents, and teachers to explore how being different isn’t just s...

Carey and Demir Bentley are the founders of Life Hack Bootcamp. This husband and wife team joins Charlie to talk about how radical self-care is the key to unlocking better work and more happiness. This topic is important to us all, because so many people think about their work as getting more work done – often, at the expense of living a better life. Both Charlie’s and Carey and Demir’s businesses...

Barb Suarez is a health educator who specializes in the transformational events of pregnancy, birth, and parenting. She joins Charlie and Angela today to talk about the often unspoken realities of new parenthood, including how the process is identity-shaping for all three people, how to have a smooth transition that increases bonding, and how parenting and childbirth have shifted since the rise of...

Today’s show features Andrea Owen, proud author of 52 Ways to Live a Kick-Ass Life and How to Stop Feeling Like S**t: 14 Habits That are Holding You Back From Happiness. Andrea joins Charlie today to talk about the habits and shame stories that hold us back from success. In this episode, they discuss how our stories, habits, and coping mechanisms lead us further away from being able to catch ourse...

Today’s guest, Kerra Bolton, is a journalist turned political communication strategist turned consultant who helps people and businesses get involved in their communities through business activism. Kerra joins Charlie on the show today to discuss what business activism is, and how it’s easier and safer than people think it is. You don’t have to pick the biggest and most controversial topics and al...

As the year comes to a close, we have a natural inclination to look back on what’s happened over the past year. Many of the Productive Flourishing readers and listeners have been asking questions about ways to do annual reviews or think about assessing the year. In today’s episode, Angela and Charlie talk through their new annual review worksheet, and share several tips on reviewing your year, as...

Lee Rankin, owner of Apple Hill Farm, an award-winning agri-tourism business in North Carolina. Lee joins Charlie on the show today to talk about the challenges and triumphs of starting a farm from scratch, and growing it while being a single mom in the middle of North Carolina. While the story is primarily about the farm, she encounters many of the same patterns and principles that we see in all...

Mike Vardy, a show regular, joins Charlie to jam about using energy as the basis of your plans and reflections, rather than just time. They also talk about using feelings as a gauge for productivity, rather than mere output. A key goal of their work is to feel better physically and emotionally, and it’s important to address those aspects just as much, and maybe more, than what we’re getting done....

Courtney Carver returns to the show today to talk about some of the ideas in her new book, Soul Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More. Many people think of minimalism and un-stuffing as merely a way to get rid of stuff, but there is actually a very important tie between how much excess stuff we own and pursue, and how much room we’re making for the things that matter. Charlie a...

Today’s guest, Penelope Trunk, was diagnosed with Asperger’s when she was 37 years old. She joins Charlie on the show today to discuss how and why women with autism are massively under-diagnosed. They also discuss how schools aren’t built to foster creativity. Penelope is the founder of four start-ups, and has been named one of the Top 10 Most Influential Women in Tech and the World’s Most Influen...

Both Charlie and Angela work as coaches. In this episode, Angela and Charlie talk about how to know when it’s time to work with a coach or a consultant. The conversation gets to the heart of some of the ways that we don’t allow ourselves to get the help and support that we might be needing. Key Takeaways: [2:28] - What Charlie and Angela often find in their work is that people will put the support...

Today’s jam is all about stepping out of your comfort zone: why it’s challenging, how we avoid it, and how people do it successfully. Our guest, Andy Molinsky, will also share some of the surprising revelations of his research findings. Andy is the author of the books Reach and Global Dexterity, and is a professor at Brandeis University International Business School. Key Takeaways: [2:30] - Andy b...

In today’s episode, Leah and Charlie discuss an array of topics, like how mindfulness may be unintentionally excluding people from different religious faiths, and how people in organizations can make room for an inclusive conversation about introspective practices that respect everyone’s beliefs. They also discuss the traps of creating “universal” solutions that stamp out individuality in other cu...

Sometimes, we’re in a business or a career, and it’s not suiting us for one reason or another, but we’re not sure in which new direction to move. In this episode, Charlie and Breanne explore what to do when you need to make a shift, but you’re not sure what to shift into. They focus on their work with growing other businesses, as well as the growing pangs they are each going through in their own l...

In today’s episode, Charlie and Angela discuss what it means to live away from family when they are dealing with health challenges and medical issues. Whether you are close or far from your relatives, you may have to be part of the healthcare journey of aging parents or grandparents. Charlie and Angela talk about different ways to determine your values, how to work with others in the family to com...

In today’s episode, Jacquette Timmons and Charlie discuss how the ways we make and spend money are more based on our feelings and identities than on cold, hard logic. They also talk about how to pay attention to the data we’re getting as we make decisions about earning and spending. Jacquette Timmons is author of the book Financial Intimacy, and has also appeared as a guest on Oprah.com and CNN. K...

ADHD can make focusing on creative work particularly difficult. Today’s guest, Ryan McRae, was diagnosed with ADHD and works with people who have ADHD. In today’s episode, Charlie and Ryan explore what it’s like when you have ADHD and you’re trying to be productive and focused. While people with ADHD have a harder time focusing, their challenges and the strategies they use to overcome them can wor...

Jessica Abel is the author of La Perdida, and the Chair of the illustration program at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Both within and outside the academy, she helps creative people with big ideas get past procrastination and anxiety, and get on to do their best work. In today’s episode, Jessica and Charlie talk about what happens when creativity and productivity teachers get stuck, and how...