Communication

Michael Pryor and JD Peterson of Trello – Using Trello for Business

November 4, 2016 by

In this episode of the Less Doing Podcast, Ari and Nick sit down at the Trello headquarters with guests, Michael Pryor (CEO and Founder of Trello) and JD Peterson (CMO of Trello). Listen to learn Trello’s origin story—from concept to execution—how this once nascent company is quickly marching down the pathway to $100M in revenue. PS—don’t you dare call Trello a project management tool any more…find out why in this episode! **Key Quote** “Trello is a visual collaboration tool.

The three words that describe it are collaboration, organization, and perspective.” “The strength of Trello is how unstructured it is.” **What You’ll Learn** – How Trello was conceptualized – Why you shouldn’t crowd source for a name internally – Trello is NOT a project management tool but a visual collaboration tool – Why these – Collaboration, Organization, Perspective — are the best words to describe Trello. – Why there isn’t a “one way” to use Trello.

– Using Trello for communication and integration with Slack – The meta activities Trello is working on to indicate card status – What attracts people to Trello and why they are joining the movement – Learn how to see the really important things that are happening with your boards – How the road to $100M for Trello looks – How Trello meet-up events work – How to invite people to the platform and show them how to use it – The strength and weakness of Trello is being unstructured – Trello.com/inspiration is where people can share boards – Collecting concerns to see what issues there are – Why working at Trello is not a job, but a part of your life – How Trello can be used to make you more effective ——- [Get the FREE Optimize, Automate, Outsource Blueprint here.](https://go.lessdoing.com/blueprint?utm_campaign=blueprint-ari&utm_medium=link&utm_source=podcast) — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

Gary Charness – Economics and Psychology

September 29, 2016 by

## Guest Professor Gary Charness – [Economics University of California at Santa Barbara](http://econ.ucsb.edu/~charness/) ## Title Economics and psychology with Professor Gary Charness – The Less Doing Podcast

## Summary In this episode of the Less Doing Podcast, Ari and Nick sit down for a conversation with [Professor Gary Charness](http://econ.ucsb.edu/~charness/), professor of behavioral economics at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Listen in as they discuss Nick’s in-class experience at UCSB, the value of communication in facilitating better social outcomes, the disparity between behavioral economics, experimental economics, and game theory, and much, much more.

## Key Quote “When you start to identify with the team, you become more willing to take one for the team.”

## What You’ll Learn

1. What behavioral economics is at its core.

2. Why people are not and ever will be rational.

3. The secret to reestablishing habits after breaks or interruptions.

4. What makes grades such a critical component of education.

5. How to enhance ingratiation and identity.

6. The essence of cultivating competition at the individual level.

7. Experimental economics versus behavioral economics versus game theory.

8. The cognitive limitations associated with behavior.

9. How communication in games leads to better social outcomes.

10. The value of self-belief and asking for what you want. ——- [Get the FREE Optimize, Automate, Outsource Blueprint here.](https://go.lessdoing.com/blueprint?utm_campaign=blueprint-ari&utm_medium=link&utm_source=podcast) — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

Cameron Harold – “There needs to be true partnership between the vision person, and the person in charge of executing operations.”

August 31, 2016 by

## Guest Cameron Herold – [Double Double](http://www.cameronherold.com/about-the-book)

## Summary In this episode of the Less Doing Podcast, Ari sits down with Cameron Herold, author of the book, [Double Double](http://www.cameronherold.com/about-the-book), and the man who helps entrepreneurs turn their dreams into realities. Listen as Cameron discusses the overlooked value of meeting, highlights the importance of having operations people inside every organization, and why transitioning from startup to corporate in culture isn’t a bad thing.

## Key Quote “There needs to be true partnership between the vision person, and the person in charge of executing operations.”

## What You’ll Learn

1. How Cameron transforms dreams into realities.

2. What Cameron does to help businesses 10x their operations.

3. Being entrepreneurial versus staying entrepreneurial.

4. Why going “corporate” isn’t a bad thing IF it’s done in the right way.

5. The reality that meetings don’t suck—it’s just the way we run them sucks.

6. The value of developing a vivid vision.

7. All about Cameron’s [COO Alliance](http://www.cooalliance.com/).

8. The misunderstood role of the COO.

9. How remote workforces will impact culture and growth.

10. Why a willingness to admit vulnerability is essential. ——- [Get the FREE Optimize, Automate, Outsource Blueprint here.](https://go.lessdoing.com/blueprint?utm_campaign=blueprint-ari&utm_medium=link&utm_source=podcast) — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

Seth Godin – Meetings are a Festival to Avoid Responsibility

April 13, 2016 by

Summary:

In Episode #213 Ari welcomes [Seth Godin](http://www.sethgodin.com/), a man who needs no introduction. (Find his blog by typing “Seth G” into Google.) Seth’s a bestselling author, speaker, thinker and doer.

Listen as he and Ari talk about becoming more productive, why bigger isn’t better, and how to move past your fear and start _doing the work_.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

– 14:30 – Welcoming Seth to the show

– 15:41 – “Where we live is a state of mind”

– 17:40 – Eliminate meetings

– 19:30 – “Meetings are a festival to avoid responsibility”

– 21:10 – Don’t be busy to be busy

– 21:50 – “It can be entirely appropriate to be a meaningful specific”

– 23:00 – “Just because it’s important to you, doesn’t mean it should be on my agenda”

– 23:20 – Seth writes every day

– 24:50 – Writing forces you to have a point of view. That makes you meaningful.

– 25:50 – “A freelancer gets paid when she works. An entrepreneur builds a business bigger than herself”

– 27:00 – Seth is currently a freelancer – “I do all the work I get paid for”

– 27:40 – “You can’t do both at once…decide what you’re good at”

– 31:10 – “It doesn’t scale – so what? Bigger doesn’t have to be better”

– 33:10 – Seth sees his job as noticing and engaging with patterns

– 34:30 – “I’m always writing with my head and sometimes I’m writing with my fingers”

– 35:20 – Productivity tips help. But 90% is merely _doing the work_.

– 37:40– _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective:_

– Commit to ongoing education. Learn how to engage, connect, think and speak.

– Create a culture around you that reinforces the effectiveness you seek.

– Commit to strategy, not tactics. – [sethgodin.com](http://www.sethgodin.com)

Key Points:

1. Entrepreneurs create something bigger than themselves. Freelancers turn themselves into something big. You can’t be both at once.

2. _Do the work_. Write every day. Learn how to connect, engage, and make change happen. It’s as simple – simple, not easy – as that

3. Eliminate meetings. Communicate by email or one-on-one.

4. Look for truth, even when it’s difficult and frightening. Notice the world. Decide what kind of person you want to be.

Resources Mentioned: – [Enflux](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1850884998/enflux-smart-clothing-3d-workout-tracking-and-form?ref=producthunt)

– A suit that gives real-time feedback on your workout form – [Cola](http://cola.io/?ref=producthunt)

– A text app that lets you carry out tasks like surveys – in one message – [Video Slam](http://videoslamapp.com/?ref=producthunt)

– Make a movie from photos and videos in your camera roll – [Keezel](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/keezel-online-freedom-for-every-device-everywhere#/)

– Access American web content when you’re out of the country – [The Leader](http://theleader.io/)

– Feedback on satisfaction and leadership – [If You’re A Real Grownup Minivans Are Cool](http://jalopnik.com/if-youre-a-real-grown-up-minivans-are-cooler-than-cros-1764226230?utm_source=nextdraft)

– Article from Jalopnik – [Deep Gram](https://www.deepgram.com/) – Transforms transcription by letting you search audio files for keywords Sponsored By: [EarthClassMail](https://www.earthclassmail.com/)

– Earth Class Mail helps you move your snail mail to the cloud. Visit [www.LessDoing.com/postal](http://www.lessdoing.com/postal) to get signed up now! Text DOLESS to 33733 to sign up for the Less Doing Newsletter Credits

– Original Music provided by [Felix Bird](http://2014.felixbird.com/)

– Audio Production by [Chris Mottram](https://www.linkedin.com/pub/christopher-mottram/96/b12/708)

– Show Notes provided by [Mallard Creatives](http://www.mallardcreatives.com/Testimonials) ——- [Get the FREE Optimize, Automate, Outsource Blueprint here.](https://go.lessdoing.com/blueprint?utm_campaign=blueprint-ari&utm_medium=link&utm_source=podcast) — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

Blake Eastman – The Nonverbal Group

December 16, 2015 by

**Summary:**

In Episode #196 Ari interviews [Blake Eastman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/beastman), the founder of [The Nonverbal Group](http://www.nonverbalgroup.com/)—a group of academics and professionals who are dedicated to conducting research on nonverbal communication.

Listen as Ari and Blake talk about building the largest database of human behavior.

**Special Announcements:**

## [Leave Us a Review!](https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ari-meisel-less-doing/id605938952?mt=2&uo=6) Hey Less Doing Podcast Listeners, we want to hear from YOU! Visit us on iTunes and leave a review or subscribe to the podcast if you’re not already a dedicated follower.

**Time Stamped Show Notes:**

– 16:00 – Introduction of Blake Eastman

– 16:28 – The nonverbal group started through frustration in the process of publishing academic research – was too slow and bureaucratic.

– 17:16 – First studies conducted in 2008 when the group set up a bunch of blind dates and observed them.

– 18:00 – Their goal is to create the largest database of human behavior.

– 19:23 – The average person has no concept of what they look like in a social situation.

– 20:19 – People are constantly regulating their behavior in social interactions which creates an incongruence from their subconscious.

– 21:18 – Blake’s group aims to remove some regulations instead of adding them. Getting an individual to be authentic is a hard step.

– 22:03 – Blake explains how self-dialogue hinders an individual’s ability to be present in a situation.

– 23:36 – Largest behavioral study ever, the group brought in poker players and recorded them from different angles – over two years they analyzed their behavior meticulously.

– 24:10 – The scientific model of grounding theory in large studies

– 27:07 – Offshore workers are more adept at keeping focus when counting monotonous things like blinks.

– 28:00 – The nonverbal group treats individual as their own puzzle instead of generalizing certain behaviors as universal.

– 30:02 – Blake finds that not holding back makes him a much better communicator. He’ll address behavior immediately.

– 32:38 – To lower anxiety during presentations, it’s prudent to treat it more like an interactive conversation.

– 34:49 – Blake describes his “Wizard Principle” to catch people’s attention during a presentation.

– 37:27 – It’s important to tailor your perspective to an audience during a presentation.

– 38:11 – Everyone overestimates how much other people pay attention to them.

– 39:51 – According to Blake, people should express themselves much more often.

– 40:23 – It’s good to have a mentality of “never put stuff down.” Finish what you start no matter how small.

** 3 Key Points:**

1. The Nonverbal Group is dedicated to building the largest human behavior database and sharing the academic findings in the future. They also offer classes to teach reading human body language.

2. Getting an individual to be their authentic self is probably the hardest step.

3. Generally, people overestimate how much other people pay attention to them, underestimate the value of their expressed thought, and don’t finish things that they don’t get right the first time.

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [Beyond Tells](https://beyondtells.com/)

– Creating a new breed of poker through tell training, research and analysis – [The Nonverbal Group](http://www.nonverbalgroup.com/about)

– Blake Eastman’s social science group – [Capitan](https://t.co/g01G56TY2X) – AI powered shopping list – [Solid](https://t.co/sfeuvolXG5)

– Automates Your Meetings To Get The Most Out Of Them – [Howdy](https://t.co/GFu4saQ8Bg)

– Your new digital coworker for Slack! – [ResumUP](https://t.co/ajUFJFTD8F)

– Website that converts your resume into an infographic – [Amino](https://t.co/xHxlDu3MhE)

– Make more confident decisions about your health care – [Neutun](https://t.co/IDo66F9pkB)

– Smartwatch app for tracking seizures – [Website](https://t.co/FX4BwTIGg9)

– Hyper-local alerts target — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

Guillermo Miotti – LEGO Serious Play

November 4, 2015 by

# Summary:

In Episode #190 Ari interviews [Guillermo Miotti](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmiotti) of LEGO Serious Play, a consultancy designed to help multinational businesses improve internal communications and processes through creative, LEGO-based problem solving exercises.

**Special Announcements:**

This week’s episode of the Less Doing Podcast is brought to you by [JustWorks](https://www.justworks.com/), an innovative company striving to make payroll, benefits, and compliance management a seamless and stress-free process.

**Time Stamped Show Notes:**

– 0:32- Introduction of [JustWorks](https://www.justworks.com/) and Isaac Oats

– 0:39 – Payroll is obviously complicated and scalable

– 0:55 – Payroll is unfair for smaller businesses

– 01:15 – What JustWorks does

– 01:35 – JustWorks is built to work with employees more so than contractors

– 06:40 – The Less Doing Mastermind program is no more

– 07:35 – Calvin App has finally gone LIVE

– 10:40 – Many soldiers are NOT ready to enter the job market

– 11:40 – LDVA has opened up the hiring—if you are looking for a new opportunity, or know someone who is, send an email to [Jobs@LessDoists.com](mailto:Jobs@LessDoists.com)

– 13:00 – LDVA.com

– 27:05 – Introduction of Guillermo Miotti of LEGO [Serious Play](http://www.seriousplay.com/)

– 27:36 – Guillermo’s background as a psychologist and HR Specialist in Argentina

– 28:28 – Quickly became a “change management” expert

– 29:45 – How LEGO determined LEGOs can be effective in the workplace

– 32:28 – Testing included bouts at MIT and NASA

– 33:12 – LEGO Education is a HUGE business unit

– 33:45 – It’s all about being OPEN to learning

– 34:00 – What a “play” session looks like

– 34:20 – Start by DEFINING the problem

– 35:35 – Ask a question, provide an answer, analyze the answer, reflect as a team

– 36:30 – When we are using our hands to play, 100% of our attention is on the task at hand

– 37:55 – LEGO Serious Play engages EVERYONE in the room, not just the traditional decision makers

– 39:40 – Our hands share an intimate neural connection with our brains

– 40:32 – The LEGO sets are specifically designed for customers and are _not_ available in stores

– 41:22 – Guillermo works (primarily) for multinationals

– 42:17 – If you OR your organization created the problem, you also have the capacity to solve it

– 42:45 – We don’t normally conceptualize in 3D

– 44:30 – Story_making_ (not telling) is undervalued

– 45:32 – Part of the beauty of the program is the simplicity of LEGOs

– 45:45 – Guillermo’s _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective_:

– 45:56 – Be aware of what drives you—what is your passion?

– 46:21 – Have fun—PLAY!

– 46:35 – Try to create something new with others

– 47:00 – [www.SeriousPlay.com](http://www.seriousplay.com/) and [www.juegoserio.com](http://www.juegoserio.com/)

**5 Key Points:**

1. Define your problems explicitly—if you don’t you can’t solve them.

2. Find beauty in simplicity.

3. “Get in there with your hands!”—our hands share serious neural connections with our brains, helping us to think more effectively.

4. Don’t just story_tell_, story_make_.

5. If you created a problem you also have the capacity to solve it.

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [The Less Doing WODcast](http://lessdoingwodcast.com/)

– A FULLY AUTOMATED daily workout routine brought to you for FREE by Dave Rael and Ari – Call 1-844-i-do-less – Toll-Free number, Press “0” to speak with a Less Doing Certified Coach – Text DOLESS – Text DOLESS to 33733 – [Washing Dishes for Mindfulness](http://read.feedly.com/html?url=http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-014-0360-9)

– Washing dishes by hand is the first — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

Get Chapter 1 of my book, The Art of Less Doing:

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More Happiness

Connecting to Me Personally

Communication

Get Chapter 1 of my book, The Art of Less Doing:

Less Work, More Results, More Happiness

Connecting to Me Personally

Less Work, More Results,
More Happiness