Leadership

Jesse Yandell – The Resiliency of the U.S. Army Ranger

# Summary:

In Episode #207 Ari welcomes [Jesse Yandell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseyandell), an NCO and US Army Ranger who’s successfully transitioning from life as a Special Forces operator, to life as an entrepreneur.

Listen as Jesse and Ari talk about what it takes to make it as an US Army Ranger, how military training is _perfect_ for any aspiring entrepreneur, and why doing the routine things routinely is of the utmost importance.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

– 31:15 – Introduction of Jesse Yandell

– 31:45 – NCO and US Army Ranger

– 32:02 – What the Rangers do

– 33:05 – When much is given, much is expected

– 34:10 – _The Standard_—there’s no grey area…it’s pass or fail in the Special Forces

– 35:35 – What the Rangers specialize in? What’s their talent?—The Ranger Fire Team

– 37:04 – Turning fear into courage

– 37:55 – Jesse has done 15 tours

– 39:15 – Describing the week of recovery

– 40:50 – The resiliency of the Ranger

– 41:50 – The Special Forces community uses PT to handle the recovery process

– 43:03 – Rangers are responsible for making sure their teammates get the help they need when they need it

– 43:52 – You need to take your recovery as seriously as your training

– 44:22 – No one ever sees their own warning signs

– 45:00 – _Do the routine things routinely_

– 45:22 – Waking up at 5:30 AM every day

– 47:47 – Jesse’s Ranger Buddy in Business

– 48:05 – [AmericanDreamU.com](http://www.AmericanDreamU.com)

– 49:20 – [The Uncommon Human](http://www.uncommonhuman.com/)

– 51:00 – Don’t put yourself in a compromising situation

– 51:24 – _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective:_

– Become confident, than become self-reliant

– Live with discipline and humility

– Maintain balance

– 52:25 – [uncommonhuman.com](http://www.uncommonhuman.com)

3 Key Points:

1. Do the routine things routinely.

2. Understand that when much is given to you, much is expected of you.

3. Never intentionally put yourself into a situation where you’re questioning your morals or integrity.

Resources Mentioned:

– [SirCa](http://sircanav.com/?ref=producthunt)

– Helps you find services and facilities along your route, regardless of your mode of transit – [What the Productive Won’t Do](http://www.marcandangel.com/2016/01/31/10-things-enormously-productive-people-refuse-to-do/)

– A great article from Marc and Angel – [How to be a Better Parent](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2016/01/how-to-be-a-better-parent-2/)

– From Barking Up the Wrong Tree – [Hail Overman](http://www.hailoverman.com/flowstate?ref=producthunt)

– A flow-state writing app that will keep you writing – [True Bill](https://www.truebill.com/?ref=producthunt)

– Find, track, and cancel all your subscriptions in one go – [Workato](https://www.workato.com/workbot-slack?ref=producthunt)

– Like Zapier, but you’re talking to a bot to create the automation in slack – [Knote](http://knote.com/2016/02/02/want-creative-dont-sleep/)

– Want to be creative? Don’t sleep – [SethGodin](http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2016/02/fit-and-finish.html)

– An upcoming interview with Ari – [The Uncommon Human](http://www.uncommonhuman.com/)

– Jesse’s Company 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

Taylor Pearson – Complex Work is What Moves Us

**Summary:**

In Episode #206 Ari welcomes Taylor Pearson, author of [The End of Jobs](http://taylorpearson.me/the-end-of-jobs-book/) one of the most highly rated books of 2015.

Listen as Ari and Taylor talk about our transition away from a service based economy to an entrepreneurial economy, and the monumental significance of addressing the bottlenecks in your business.

**Time Stamped Show Notes:**

– 27:44 – Introduction of Taylor

– 28:00 – Taylor shares his background

– 28:44 – The new life script thanks to automation and outsourcing

– 29:55 – What people can extract from Taylor’s book—[The End of Jobs](http://taylorpearson.me/the-end-of-jobs-book/)

– 30:11 – Automation and outsourcing

– 31:50 – Safe and secure careers are not safe and secure anymore

– 32:13 – There is always ONE bottleneck—if you don’t clear the limit, you’re wasting resources

– 35:10 – Complex work is what moves us forward—work without clear outcomes is how we find true success

– 35:45 – Definition is the hardest thing

– 36:08 – Can you figure out what’s worth doing and can you figure out how to do it?

– 36:29 – [OmWriter](http://www.ommwriter.com/)

– 37:48 – How Taylor arranges his day

– 38:40 – _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective:_

– Mediate – Establish and hold to a morning ritual – Have more structured, non-work social time

– 41:11 – [www.TaylorPearson.me](http://www.taylorpearson.me/)

**3 Key Points:**

1. If work is constantly creeping into all aspects of your life, establish structured social times where you _can’t_ work.

2. There is a bottleneck in every business—any resources you dedicate that don’t address that bottleneck are being wasted.

3. Agrarian economy à industrial economy à service economy à we are not in the Entrepreneur Economy

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [Hack your Stress](https://www.bulletproofexec.com/hack-your-stress-and-sex-with-these-7-adaptogens/) – Using sex—Yay!

– [Lose weight with cake?](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/12/30/a-simple-way-to-lose-weight-while-eating-cake-sort-of/)

– From the Washington Post, and article talking about weight loss and cake – [Get Movi](https://getmovi.com/)

– Gives the illusion of having multiple cameras at an event

– [Cultivating Serendipity](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/03/opinion/how-to-cultivate-the-art-of-serendipity.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=0)

– Take 10 minutes to space out after finishing some intense activity – [Reginald](http://reginald.io/?ref=producthunt)

– Automated passive aggressive emails

– [Optimal Energy Measurement](http://www.fastcompany.com/3055045/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/how-i-learned-to-measure-my-optimal-energy-and-put-it-to-u)

– From Fast Company, how to measure optimal energy

– [Thermo](http://www.withings.com/us/en/products/thermo?clickid=wF92qOyf30xvzc5VSVSJlVzQUkSxYVWpyyYJXM0)

– A bad ass thermometer

**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

Geoff Woods – Return the Favor

# Episode 205

**Summary:**

In Episode #205 Ari welcomes [Geoff Woods](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mentee-podcast/id957438503?mt=2), host of [The Mentee Podcast](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mentee-podcast/id957438503?mt=2).

Listen as Geoff shares how he transitioned from employee to entrepreneur in just ten months, and his advice for improving personal efficiency and effectiveness.

**Time Stamped Show Notes:**

– 13:56 – Introduction of Geoff Woods

– 14:11 – What Geoff does and what he’s been doing

– 14:59 – _You’re the average of the 5 people you spend most of your time with_

– 15:05 – The world is chalk-full of amazing people, but if they’re not living the life you want to live, they shouldn’t be giving you advice on how to get where you want to go

– 15:40 – Geoff talks about his media company and repurposing of content

– 17:15 – Still developing that systematic approach

– 18:05 – The first hire

– 18:38 – Identifying mentors that can be impactful

– 18:45 – Commit to yourself, your goals, and the changes necessary to get where you want to be

– 19:01 – Getting clear on where you need the most help is _vital_

– 19:35 – Ask yourself, who would my _ideal_ personal guide/mentor be?

– 20:15 – Drawing inspiration from [Jeff Hoffman](http://www.jeffhoffman.com/jeffs-full-bio.html) founder of [priceline.com](http://www.priceline.com)

– 20:55 – “Return the favor” and mentor someone else

– 21:10 – The mentor gets more from the mentor-mentee relationship

– 21:45 – Coming for mentorship

– 22:10 – Expressing interest in the person you’d like to mentor or be mentored by

– 23:33 – Get in to the habit of taking action _consistently_

– 24:00 – _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective:_

– Plan with structure and priority – Surrounding yourself with the right people all the time – Make time for meaningful thought and meditation

– 26:45 – [mentors.com](http://www.mentors.com)

**3 Key Points:**

1. You’re the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.

2. Commit to making a change and hold yourself accountable.

3. Consistent action is the only way to facilitate success.

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [Alert](https://www.alert.email/)

– The best way to get important emails – [Productivity Magic Hour](https:/whatmybrosaid.wordpress.com/2015/11/02/the-magic-time-frame-for-maximum-productivity/)

– They key time for productivity – [TrueBill](https://www.truebill.com/) – The easiest way to cancel paid subscriptions – [Entro](https://www.producthunt.com/tech/entro-2)

– The Holy Grail of email introductions – [Drift Daily](http://www.drift.com/daily?ref=producthunt)

– The easiest way to generate new leads – [All Set](https://allsetnow.com/?ref=producthunt)

– The easiest way to get lunch done – [Negative Food?](http://greatist.com/eat/negative-food-messages-make-us-eat-more?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-)

– Does bad food compel us to eat more of it? – [Try Tara](http://trytara.com/chat-with-tara/) – your LIVE on-demand team – [SeedFeed](http://www.seedfeed.com/)

– Crowdfunded real estate deals

**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.

**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

Shari Alexander – Suspend Your Ego to Succeed

**Summary:**

In Episode #204 Ari shares the Less Doing Podcast with speaker, writer, and coach, [Shari Alexander](http://www.shari-alexander.com/).

Listen as Ari and Shari discuss the power of persuasion, the importance of remaining curious at heart, and why _believing_ in someone’s values and _leveraging_ someone’s values are not the same thing.

**Time Stamped Show Notes:**

– 21:18 – Introduction of persuasiveness coach Shari Alexander

– 21:30 – What a persuasiveness coach does

– 22:50 – Anybody can learn to be more persuasive—observe, connect, influence

– 23:49 – Entrepreneurial leaders are the majority of Shari’s clients

– 24:40 – Time, preparation, methodology

– 26:50 – You cannot influence somebody you’re judging

– 27:18 – Stay in a curious mindset like a scientist

– 27:46 – You cannot influence yourself into new ideas or beliefs if you’re self-flagellating

– 28:09 — There is no ONE influential technique

– 29:05 – If you have ONE mark to hit with, you need multiple techniques—if you have multiple marks, you can use ONE technique

– 29:50 – Pay attention to the influential V.I.B.E.S. of somebody

– 30:30 – Just because you don’t believe in someone’s values, doesn’t mean you can’t leverage them

– 31:41 – Talking neuro-linguistic programming

– 34:25 – Look for patterns in body language if you’re trying to determine if they’re being honest

– 34:53 – Shari’s _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective_

– 34:58 – Suspend your ego

– 35:22

– We are all anchoring in emotional states with our behaviors//be what you want to see

– 36:13 – Words have magical powers so pay attention to what you’re saying every day

– 36:45 – [Shari-Alexander.com](http://www.Shari-Alexander.com)

**3 Key Points:**

1. Anybody can learn to be more persuasive.

2. Stay curious—be a scientist!

3. If you’re judging someone, you cannot influence them or yourself.

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [How to Bootstrap Prison](https://t.co/1FTgCiyopV)

– An article from Entrepreneur magazine about the savviness of the incarcerated – [Informed Delivery](http://realmail.usps.stfi.re/box/pages/intro/start.action?sf=lavrle&utm_content=buffere1ce4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer)

– By signing up with USPS you can see what letters, packages, etc. are coming in-advance – [Stringify](https://t.co/UOob9fmp3O)

– Basically IFTTT but way more complicated – [Roger App](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/roger-talk-your-favorite-people/id943662312?mt=8)

– Basically a walkie-talkie app – [iCliniqi](https://t.co/zZ1GFjc7uu) – An add-in for paid-slack that basically acts as an on-demand doctor – [Shelfie](https://t.co/J79JsW9r7N)

– An app for cataloguing eBooks – [Stacktive](https://t.co/jox3y1zUmk)

– Like Class Pass but on-demand and cheaper – [Chat by KeyReply](https://t.co/1R6dLXmbE9) – A free, crazy-easy-to-integrate app for inflowing chats into slack – 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

**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.

**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

Floyd Marinescu – Ask Yourself “Am I Stuck?”

**Summary:**

In Episode #203 Ari shares the Less Doing Podcast with [Floyd Marinescu](http://www.floydmarinescu.com/), CEO and Founder of [C4Media](http://c4media.com/about.html), a media company that focuses on delivering unbiased content and information in the enterprise development community, through two main platforms, [InfoQ](http://www.infoq.com/) and QCon Conferences.

Listen as Ari and Floyd discuss the challenges of running a company in the virtual space, and the tricks they use to make it all work.

**Time Stamped Show Notes:**

– 12:55 – Introduction of Floyd Marinescu, CEO and Founder of [C4Media](http://c4media.com/about.html)

– 13:40 – At the age of 37, Floyd has only had eight months of in-office experience—he’s always worked virtually

– 14:19 – Floyd defines what C4Media does

– 14:45 – [www.InfoQ.com](https://www.evernote.com/www.InfoQ.com)

– 15:03 – Floyd is based in Toronto—his company is based EVERYWHERE

– 17:51 – Floyd’s company has yet to find a reason to pivot from Skype and Hangouts instead of Slack

– 18:48 – Slack doesn’t support threading really well which can be a problem

– 19:19 – Running a virtual company is all about understanding rhythm—without rhythm it doesn’t work

– 21:23 – Make your employees actively ask the question “Am I stuck?”

– 22:12 – When people are left alone, their productivity soars

– 22:55 – When you’re not forced to commute, when you’re not force to interact with co-workers merely for the sake of sustaining social norms/etiquette, your energy levels and focus remain high from sunup to sundown

– 24:24 – Floyd breaks down his day in detail

– 26:26 – If it’s not on the calendar, it doesn’t exist

– 28:31 – On-boarding and transparency are integral to the success of any business, not just a digital business

– 29:50 – Be bottom-up in every respect, encourage employees to self-report

– 33:10 – The one quality Floyd looks for in employees joining his virtual environment?—transparency and accountability

– 33:55 – [www.InfoQ.com](http://www.infoq.com/)

**5 Key Points:**

1. Once your employees are ramped-up, give them your trust, give them autonomy.

2. Encourage your organization to operate from the bottom-up.

3. Transparency and accountability are the two things your employees MUST have—everything else can be taught.

4. Never be afraid to ask yourself “Am I stuck?” and “Do I need help?”

5. If you need your conversations stacked, don’t use Slack.

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [How to Bootstrap Prison](https://t.co/1FTgCiyopV)

– An article from Entrepreneur magazine about the savviness of the incarcerated – [The Interest in Having Children](https://t.co/68qR5jZlhq)

– A questionable test comparing reactivity to porn in men, and their desire to have children – [Beepi](https://t.co/XPhGRxc1Oe)

– A new service that makes it easier to buy and sell your car – [CodeDesign](https://t.co/MMZvH0Xrvm) – a plug-in for Google Chrome to help web designers – [Mezi](https://t.co/aylo0AqDMB)

– Your personal shopping assistant – [Esper](https://t.co/04BozirKOB)

– How you spend your time each week – [OverLap](https://t.co/ix9BSo4Sjd)

– An AI scheduling assistant – 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

**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.

**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_ — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

Mike Goldman – Focusing on Improving Weaknesses is Inefficient

**Summary:**

In Episode #202 Ari shares the Less Doing Podcast with Mike Goldman of [Performance Breakthrough](http://www.performance-breakthrough.com/), a company that helps mid-sized businesses achieve dramatic growth through leadership development, and habit/culture optimization.

Listen as Ari and Mike discuss the importance of culture, core values, and the danger of over-emphasizing company strategy.

**Time Stamped Show Notes:**

– 13:01 – Introduction of Mike Goldman of [Performance Breakthrough](http://www.performance-breakthrough.com/)

– 13:18 – Mike describes his background

– 13:30 – First 17 years of career involved consulting for Fortune 500 companies

– 14:00 – How Mike got into [Gazelles](https://gazelles.com/)

– 15:32 – The impetus for creating the Performance Breakthrough book

– 17:17 – _Culture eats strategy for lunch_

– 17:43 – Finding, keeping, and leveraging A-players

– 18:02 – [Kongo Gumi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kong%C5%8D_Gumi)

– 19:14 – Creating a sustainable culture

– 19:52 – Define what you want your culture to look like—don’t let them evolve organically—define them early on

– 21:06 – Mike defines what some non-negotiable behaviors are

– 21:52 – The power of continuous leaning

– 23:18 – Are you committed to firing _anyone_ for violating your core values?

– 24:00 – Are you willing to take a financial hit in order to maintain your core values?

– 24:15 – Are you currently practicing your core values?

– 25:14 – Mike talks about leveraging _positives_

– 26:28 – When you focus on being a well-rounded individual, you’re focusing on improving your weaknesses which is highly inefficient

– 27:18 – You’re A-Players have the greatest room for growth

– 28:46 – [www.performance-breakthrough.com](http://www.performance-breakthrough.com/)

– 29:22 – 201-301-2841

**5 Key Points:**

1. Don’t just absentmindedly select the core values for your business—really sit down and iron them out.

2. Create an environment of continuous learning.

3. To generate success and growth, focus on positives, not negatives…strengths, not weaknesses.

4. When engineering your company culture, engineer it with sustainability in mind.

5. Always remember that your “A-Players” are the ones with the most room for improvement.

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [SmartRope](https://t.co/NXa2NRSx9z) –

An intelligent jump rope designed to help you optimize fitness – [Mummo](https://t.co/7cgJuYwAbb)

– Helps you help people who simply are NOT tech savvy with a simple text – [6 Secrets to be More Creative](https://t.co/RSgFFiTgI0)

– From Barking Up the Wrong Tree, an article with tips to improve creativity – [TripDelta](https://t.co/c1fvKxmdMk)

– Guarantees the cheapest trip possible, but not the most convenient – [Total Recall Sounds Great](https://t.co/5yqqyI2x7c)

– An article from I-Fing-Love-Science talking about the risks of having a memory that’s too good (aka you need to forget) – 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

**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.

**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