OAO and Technology

**Summary:**

In Episode #188 Ari interviews Adam Stone of [Speedlancer](https://speedlancer.com/), a service that promises high-quality freelancing services and task completion in less than four hours of hire.

**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:**

– 14:13 – Introduction of Adam Stone

– 14:39 – The fastest freelancing on the planet

– 15:24 – Quality and speed rarely go hand in hand

– 15:40 – Acceptance time is usually within 10 minutes

– 16:17 – High-quality writing and graphic design is impressive given the short turnaround time

– 17:08 – How Adam got to a 10-minute workweek

– 17:40 – The more time Adam put into outsourcing, the more time he saved in the future – 18:50 – Speedlancer only uses native-English speakers form the US, CAN, UK, AU, and NZ

– 19:52 – How does the timing work out?

– 20:28 – Expansion plans

– 20:56 – Agencies, Start-ups and Small businesses are the target of Speedlancer

– 21:15 – Adam’s _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective_

– 21:18 – Start—you can’t be effective if you don’t get going

– 21:28 – Do everything yourself first—once you get the hang of it, document it down and get rid of it

– 22:09 – Be careful—outsourcing is a risky business

– 23:00 – Speedlaner is fully integrated with Slack thanks to a Speedlancer bot

– 24:11 – [www.Speedlancer.com](https://speedlancer.com/) or Adam@Speedlancer.com

**3 Key Points:**

1. The more you put into outsourcing today, the more you can get out of it tomorrow.

2. Just start working—you can’t get something accomplished if you never start.

3. When it comes to outsourcing, use varying degrees of caution—it can be risky.

**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 – [Kindara](https://www.kindara.com/home?utm_content=buffercd36b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer)

– An app synced to a Bluetooth oral thermometer to help people understand their _best_ times for conception – [Emergency Breather](http://mysafetyiq.com/?ref=producthunt&utm_content=buffer5c498&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer)

– A respirator that filters out toxic gasses and chemicals for up to 5 minutes in the event of an emergency – [Circle Medical](http://circlemedical.co/?ref=producthunt&utm_content=buffer15f11&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer)

– On-demand house calls for basic medical services, and it works with insurance carriers – [IFL Science](http://www.iflscience.com/brain/you-can-alter-your-mind-staring-someones-eyes-10-minutes)

– Staring into someone’s eyes for 10 minutes can alter consciousness – [The History of Obstacle Courses](http://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/09/10/the-history-of-obstacle-courses/)

– From Art of Manliness, the history of obstacle courses – [Thrive App](http://thriveapp.com/?ref=producthunt&utm_content=buffere9ec6&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer)

– An app designed to help small business owners streamline their operations – [Nootrobox](https://nootrobox.com/gocubes?ref=producthunt)

– Birch box for Nootropics – [Instawork](https://www.instawork.co/?ref=producthunt)

– Outsourced labor in less than 24 hours – [Sharalike](https://sharalike.com/?ref=producthunt)

– Music-laden videos made out of photos you submit to the service – [Visible.VC](https://visible.vc/?ref=producthunt)

– A way to manage the logistical aspects of investor communication

**Credits:**

– Audio Engineering provided — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

**Summary:**

In Episode #184 Ari interviews Doran Aldana, the founder of [My Testimonial Engine](http://mytestimonialengine.com/), a service that automatically collects testimonials from your customers and shares them on your social media channels.

Listen as Ari and Doran talk about everything from entrepreneurial roots in College Pro Painters to the importance of trust and endorsements in facilitating professional success.

**Special Announcements:**

[Freeing Finland](http://www.biohackersummit.com) Come watch Ari and a collection of other well-renowned biohackers free the people of Finland from their bodily limitations at the 2015 Biohacker Summit being held in Helsinki, Finland from September 23rd through September 24th.

Those interested in attending can [buy tickets here](http://biohackersummit.com/#pl_areauf9k2sm). [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:**

– 13:43 – Introduction of Doran Aldana – Founder of [My Testimonial Engine](http://mytestimonialengine.com/)

– 14:04 – Doran talks about his background

– 15:00 – Pivoting to life coaching

– 15:50 – The mortgage marketing coach

– 16:04 – Founding Testimonial engine

– 16:19 – Trust is the prerequisite to EVERY sale

– 16:31 – Borrowed endorsement is the catalyst for success

– 17:03 – College Pro Painters as a proving ground

– 17:58 – Don’t fly by the seat of your pants—get a system and get a mentor if you want to launch an entrepreneurial career

– 18:45 – Why are people so afraid to ask for testimonials?

– 19:12 – SYSTEM = Save YourSelf Time Energy Money & Stress

– 22:00 – Long story short, simplicity is KEY for obtaining testimonials

– 24:18 – The older, higher affluent clients are those that are hardest to obtain testimonials from

– 26:26 – Transform breakdowns into breakthrough for your clients

– 26:48 – The types of testimonials that are more effective than others?—Prior Problem. Solution. Result.

– 27:40 – The PSR formula is not without limitations

– 28:34 – Don’t be afraid to write the testimonial for a client and just ask them to sign off on it

– 29:07 – Doren’s _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective:_

– 29:40 – Identify a meaningful goal that you want to accomplish and why it’s important

– 30:07 – Create a plan

– 30:30 – Find a winning formula—borrow it if you need to—and then never quit

– 33:42 – www.MyTestimonialEngine.com/ARI

**5 Key Points:**

1. Winners never quit and quitters never win—it’s a cliché but it’s true.

2. Trust is the prerequisite for every sale.

3. Never ever underestimate the importance of planning—do not fly by the seat of your pants.

4. Find a mentor and hold on to them.

5. Simplicity is the key to getting a good testimonial.

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [Word’s Best Travel Jacket](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597538543/the-worlds-best-travel-jacket-with-15-features-bau?utm_content=buffer5afce&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer)

– A Kickstarter for the world’s most intelligent and optimized travel jacket – [Unified Weapons Master](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/unified-weapons-master/#/story)

– High-tech, martial arts body armor for use with REAL weapons – [Ease.ly](http://www.easel.ly/)

– Inforgraphics featuring intelligent, easy to use templates – [Inbox Vudu](http://www.inboxvudu.com/)

– Sits on top of your email and automatically pulls up emails with an action item, creates a summary, etc. – [Moo-Q](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id1012982181)

– Intelligent Mood Tracking – [List Your eBook](http://www.listyourebook.com/?ref=producthunt)

– A active database that can be used to promote eBooks for free or at a discount – [Slack as the Ultimate Tool for a Community](http://blog.usefedora.com/post/123639 — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

# Episode 182

**Summary:** In Episode #182 Ari – fresh off the Labor Day Weekend – interviews Russ Perry of [Design Pickle](http://www.designpickle.com/), the company that’s turning the world of graphic design on its head in favor of the consumer. Listen as Ari and Russ talk entrepreneurship, Optimized Dad, and discuss what makes outsourcing so effective.

**Special Announcements:**

##[Rockefeller Roundtable](http://helmsociety.com/ari-meisel-ceo-roundtable-nc/) Come watch Ari regale a roundtable of avid [Helm Society](http://helmsociety.com/) listeners with the lessons of Less Doing on September 9th from 10AM to 2PM in New York City.

[Freeing Finland](http://www.biohackersummit.com) Come watch Ari and a collection of other well-renowned biohackers free the people of Finland from their bodily limitations at the 2015 Biohacker Summit being held in Helsinki, Finland from September 23rd through September 24th. Those interested in attending can [buy tickets here](http://biohackersummit.com/#pl_areauf9k2sm).

## [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:**

– 20:04 – Introduction of Russ Perry, founder of [Design Pickle](http://designpickle.com/)

– 21:20 – Russ outlines the idea for Design Pickle

– 21:48 – Design Pickle is a way to get a graphic design done without the need to post jobs, etc.

– 24:36 – The specialization of outsourcing

– 25:55 – Complications drive up costs

– 26:22 – How can Design Pickle afford to provide unlimited Graphic Design

– 27:35 – Power users aren’t actually a huge problem

– 28:00 – Design Pickle runs on 1) a custom software solution, 2) Stripe, 3) Fresh Desk

– 29:25 – Design Pickle uses an “air traffic controller” to route the design need to the right designer

– 30:32 – Russ uses graphic designers all over the world, particularly in the Philippines

– 32:15 – The hope is that outsourcing can come full circle and companies like Design Pickle will be able to employ US-only workers

– 33:02 – The future of Design Pickle

– 34:30 – Russ’ _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective_

– 34:47 – Know your core values

– 35:18 – Delegate as much as possible to software and services

– 36:12 – Enjoy what you’re doing

– 37:15 – [www.DesignPickle.com](http://www.DesignPickle.com)

**5 Key Points:**

1. Outsourcing is specializing and it’s a welcomed change.

2. Knowing your core values will help you run a business more efficiently.

3. Complications increases costs—avoid them as best as you can.

4. Expect frequently outsourced tasks like manufacturing to come _back _to the US in the future.

5. Life is short—there’s no point in doing something you don’t enjoy every day.

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [Butter in Your Coffee and Other Cons](http://vitals.lifehacker.com/butter-in-your-coffee-and-other-cons-stories-from-a-fi-1724843201)

– Article attacked the Bulletproof Diet and other dietary/fitness phenomena – [Pull an All Nighter](http://greatist.com/grow/pull-an-all-nighter?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-)

– An article from Greatest highlighting ways to hack an all-nighter – [Get Graava](https://www.getgraava.com/)

– This is a GoPro that automatically pulls out the “best parts” and creates a fully edited video – [Mobile Passport](http://mobilepassport.us/)

– An app for the phone that lets you use your phone as a passport – [Tiny Nudge](http://www.tinynudge.co/pomello/?ref=producthunt)

– Pomello turns Trello cards into Pomodoro tasks – [Enlighten](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/enlighten/id695298744?mt=8)

– An app that uses GPS and math to predict when a red light will go green – [Ollert](https://ollertapp.com/?ref=producthunt)

– Learn what your Trello cards aren’t telling you —

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

**Summary:** In Episode

#176 Ari – joined by special guest host [Kavon](http://thesolefocus.com/) of the Less Doing Mastermind Group – interviews Jeremie Rodger, a [Couch Surfing](https://www.couchsurfing.com/) veteran and 26 year-old entrepreneur with a natural knack for taking roads less travelled in order to find success. Tune-in to hear Ari and Jeremie talk automation and outsourcing in meticulous detail!

**Special Announcements:**

##[Rockefeller Roundtable](http://helmsociety.com/ari-meisel-ceo-roundtable-nc/) Come watch Ari regale a roundtable of avid [Helm Society](http://helmsociety.com/) listeners with the lessons of Less Doing on September 9th from 10AM to 2PM in New York City.

##[Freeing Finland](http://www.biohackersummit.com) Come watch Ari and a collection of other well-renowned biohackers free the people of Finland from their bodily limitations at the 2015 Biohacker Summit being held in Helsinki, Finland from September 23rd through September 24th. Those interested in attending can [buy tickets here](http://biohackersummit.com/#pl_areauf9k2sm).

##Subscribe to the Podcast or [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:**

– 17:48 – Introduction of Jeremie Rodger

– 18:10 – Jeremie shares his background

– 18:33 – How Jeremie got into the business

– 19:12 – Spent 19-21 traveling around Europe via CouchSurfing.com

– 19:45 – Jeremie addresses the safety concerns of Couch Surfing

– 22:15 – As much as Jeremie enjoyed being a broke-hippie, he knew he would need the money and a professional future so he started looking at digital opportunities

– 23:10 – Started making websites and then started outsourcing website design

– 23:43 – Jeremie got into the Yoga niche on Amazon

– 24:25 – Sometimes the best ideas are reverse-engineered

– 25:50 – Get good at hiring people overseas to cut down on your costs and time

– 26:33 – What are the repeatable processes that happen and who’s going to do them?

– 27:21 – When you do something twice, it takes you more than 10 minutes, and/or you don’t like doing it, that’s a ripe opportunity for systemization

– 28:29 – Some people don’t realize how much time can be saved if they just shift their mindset

– 29:29 – Until people are forced to do something, they’ll often avoid doing it

– 30:30 – How Jeremie systemizes everything using: Google Sites, Dropbox, Slack, Asana, Screenflow

– 32:48 – Sometimes Ari creates a complicated process for automation to better pinpoint where problems are when they happen

– 34:50 – Talking about Slack

– 35:17 – MeeKan—a scheduling bot

– 37:00 – Jeremie makes screencasts of everything he does and then uploads said videos to a private YouTube Channel

– 39:50 – “Oh fuck, we need systems”—truer words were never spoken

– 41:00 – Jeremie’s _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective_

– 41:18 – Think more like a board member or shareholder than a manager

– 42:10 – The best productivity tool of all time is staff

– 43:19 – Have a great product

– 44:07 – [Sidekicks.Co](https://sidekicks.co/) and [Jeremie Rodger](http://www.jeremierodger.com/)

**7 Key Points:**

1. Don’t be stupid—you NEED systems and processes.

2. Don’t be afraid to drop everything and travel—some of life’s greatest insights, opportunities, and people are discovered that way.

3. Think like a shareholder, not a manager.

4. Learn how to hire people overseas.

5. If you do something twice, take longer than 10 minutes, or you don’t like doing it, find a way to automate or outsource.

6. Identify repeatable process and automate them.

7. Sometimes the best way to start doing something (or defeat a fear) is to intentionally put yourself in a hole with no other way out.

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [Vida](https://www.vida.com/) – — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

# Summary: In Episode

#166 Ari interviews [Stu McLaren](http://stu.me/), co-creator of the [WishList Member](http://member.wishlistproducts.com/), one of the most popular WordPress plug-ins of all time. During their conversation, Ari and Stu talk about getting clear on _real _wants, the nuances of entrepreneurship and the secret to running a _great _membership site.

**Special Announcements:

** ## Fuel the Fire Come watch Ari light-up the Drake Hotel in Chicago on Wednesday, August 5th as he delivers a rousing keynote speech for IPPA Business Excellence Conference: _Fuel the Fire_. This will be a great opportunity to watch Ari translate the lessons of Less Doing into terms business leaders can take to the bank.

##[Rockefeller Roundtable](http://helmsociety.com/ari-meisel-ceo-roundtable-nc/) Come watch Ari regale a roundtable of avid [Helm Society](http://helmsociety.com/) listeners with the lessons of Less Doing on September 9th from 10AM to 2PM in New York City.

##Subscribe to the Podcast or [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 [Stu McLaren](http://stu.me/), Co-Creator of the best-selling WordPress Plug-in [WishList Member](http://member.wishlistproducts.com/)

– 17:00 – Stu shares his story

– 18:00 – The first digital product Stu ever sold was an e-book

– 19:30 – The importance of buying ads and investing in traffic

– 19:59 – Stu’s #1 strength?—Positivity

– 20:44 – Stu’s first digital sale? $7.95

– 22:00 – That $7.95 cost Stu nearly $900

– 22:29 – Fast-forward a few years the truth comes out—Stu’s brother was actually responsible for that first sale

– 23:40 – One simple act can have lasting and majorly impactful consequences

– 24:05 – We all start somewhere

– 24:30 – The small things DO make a huge difference

– 25:37 – The profit margins with online business are greater than almost any other business someone can get into

– 26:45 – Stu started WishList out of personal necessity, not burning desire or passion

– 27:50 – See a problem, create a solution, a business is born

– 29:53 – Whenever you’re creating a product that is going to fulfill your needs, focus on what would make it “super awesome” for you—then find other people it can be adapted to

– 31:30 – [Essentialism](http://amzn.to/1HvY0rI) and [The One Thing](http://amzn.to/1dvp4t3)

– 32:06 – Whenever you’re looking at different opportunities, get clear on _how _you’re going to rank those opportunities—you need to clearly outline your criterion

– 33:55 – Mental bandwidth is your most valuable commodity

– 37:15 – If you have a big or even modest following, find a way to monetize it

– 39:09 – Stu shares his key advice for a membership site

– 39:34 – Get REAL clear on what your audience wants

– 41:25 – Batch create your content

– 41:33 – Do NOT provide your members with too much content

– 41:53 – Value isn’t in the volume of content, it is in content that can drive the results sought

– 43:18 – Do not avoid planning—if you do, everything will become _reactive_

– 44:17 – Stu’s _Top 3 Tips to be More Effective_

– 44:27 – Get clear on what matters most

– 46:54 – Create and design your life _around _what matters most

– 47:43 – Be generous

**7 Key Points:**

1. Mental bandwidth is your most valuable commodity.

2. See a problem. Solve a problem. Now you have a business.

3. Everyone starts somewhere and it’s usually somewhere way down at the bottom.

4. The small things really can have the biggest impact.

5. STAY POSITIVE.

6. Focus on what your customers WANT and be mindful of how you provide it to them.

7. Do not avoid planning—Take the time to plan. It pays dividends.

**Resources Mentioned:

** – [Ztailo — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message