OAO and Technology

# Episode 106

**Summary:** In Episode #106 Ari talks with Benjamin Rubin of the [Change Collective](https://www.changecollective.com/), a platform specifically designed to help people change themselves by creating new habits and employing technology to their advantage. During the interview, Ari and Ben exchange thoughts on the keys to facilitating change, the strategy behind the Change Collective platform and the real value of _Inbox Zero_.

**Sponsored By:** [Calton Nutrition](https://www.caltonnutrition.com/) – One of the best resources available for weight management, lifestyle medicine and micronutrient deficiency. Jayson and Mira Calton are the authors of [Rich Food, Poor Food](https://www.caltonnutrition.com/rich-food-poor-food/)and the creators of [Nutreince](https://www.caltonnutrition.com/nutreince/), [SKINNYFat](https://www.caltonnutrition.com/skinnyfat/) and [IN.POWER](https://www.caltonnutrition.com/inpower/). Go to [LessDoing Live](https://lessdoinglabs.businessresearchgroup.org/sales/live-event-optin) and sign up for an informational call about the LessDoing Live Event in May 2015 to receive a free gift from Calton Nutrition. Also, enjoy these complementary coupon codes for Nutreience ($10lessdoing) and SKINNYFat/IN.POWER ($5lessdoing).

**Time Stamped Show Notes:**

– 25:11 – The introduction of Ben Rubin and his business, the Change Collective

– 26:15 – Ben discusses how he stumbled upon the importance of behavior change

– 27:45 – The types of behavior that Change Collective is looking to change

– 27:56 – Health and Wellness

– 28:09 – Personal Development

– 28:20 – Professional Development

– 28:48 – Emotional self-regulation is a behavior Ben continues to struggle with and work on

– 29:35 – Ben explains how the platform of Change Collective actually works

– 32:12 – Ben lists the five courses currently available on the Change Collective platform

– 33:55 – Ben discusses the courses to be added to the Change Collective platform in the future

– 35:27 – The techniques for staying on the most effective path

– 35:50 – There are generalities, but it’s genuinely entirely dependent on the individual

– 37:00 – Tailoring the right message to be delivered at the right time is the ultimate goal of the Change Collective platform

– 37:55 – The challenge in finding the _balance_ between going too hard and too soft in facilitating change

– 39:39 – The _Captain _versus the _Claw_

– 41:41 – Ben talks about the _timing _behind changing a habit

– 44:03 – Ari asks Ben about the importance of _Inbox Zero_

– 45:28 – Ben identifies the changes that have occurred for him after reaching _Inbox Zero_

– 46:34 – Ari explains why he sees _Inbox Zero _as a keystone habit

– 48:21 – Ben’s Top 3 Personal Tips for Being More Effective

– 48:33 – Meditation

– 49:07 – Weightlifting

– 49:33 – A daily and weekly review system

– 50:30 – [ChangeCollective.com](https://www.changecollective.com/)

**7 Key Points:**

1. The Change Collective looks to improve upon health & wellness, personal development and professional development
2. The path to effective change is entirely dependent on the individual
3. Tailoring the right message to be delivered at the right time is key to facilitating change
4. When seeking change, strike a balance between the _hard _and the _soft_
5. _Inbox Zero_ is a keystone habit that _everyone _should prescribe to
6. Meditation and exercise are key to being more effective
7. Establishing a daily review system, even a journal, is a great way to track and encourage change

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [Calton Nutrition Vitamin Quiz](https://www.caltonnutrition.com/multivitamin-quiz/) – A quiz from Calton Nutrition designed to evaluate strength of your multivitamin

– [Change Collective](https://www.changecollectiv — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

# Episode 104

** ** **Summary:** In Episode #104 Ari talks with [Ronda Collier](http://www.sweetwaterhrv.com/about.shtml), CEO of SweetWater Health™, a company striving to revolutionize mobile health monitoring and stress management by combining verified medical research with the most recent mobile-tech innovations. During their conversation, Ari and Ronda touch on the frequently overlooked value of Heart Rate Variability and the future of health technology. ** **

**Sponsored By:** [BulletProof Chocolate Bars](https://www.evernote.com/OutboundRedirect.action?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.upgradedself.com%2Fchocolate-bars) – _Bulletproof Chocolate Bars are made from the best organic raw cocoa powder and cacao butter available. These chocolate bars are sugar-free, low-glycemic alternatives to the low quality, sugary chocolate bars you can find anywhere._ ** **

**Time Stamped Show Notes:**

– 02:05 – Happy Thanksgiving from Ari and the Less Doing Team!

– 02:55 – Felix and Ari address tryptophan – Editor’s Note: Ari mentions that tryptophan occurs _naturally _in the body – this is **not-accurate**

– 03:25 – Tryptophan is not what makes us tired…overeating makes us tired

– 07:56 – June 9th-12th of 2015, Ari will speak at the _Fortune_ Leadership Summit

– 19:27 – Ronda discusses her background and the journey to founding [SweetWater Health](http://www.sweetwaterhrv.com/sb.shtml)

– 20:40 – HRV: Heart-Rate Variability

– 22:28 – It’s not that stress is a _bad_ thing of and in itself…it’s how quickly we can recover from that stress.

– 23:00 – Why should we care about HRV? Why even track it?

– 25:55 – [SweetBeat](http://www.sweetwaterhrv.com/sb.shtml) and how the SweetWater apps work

– 27:00 – The SweetWater and the Vital Connect [HealthPatch](http://www.vitalconnect.com/healthpatch)

– 29:57 – HRV has been used by athletes for decades to help them mitigate the risks of overtraining

– 29:05 – How can HRV monitoring work for a non-athlete?

– 30:50 – SweetBeat can alert people to everyday behaviors that induce commonly overlooked stress

– 32:10 – Meditation has _always_ been a challenge for Ari

– 33:15 – How Ronda personally uses her HRV monitoring tools

– 33:39 – _The bucket of willpower_

– 34:30 – When HRV is low; do busy work. When HRV is high; do creative work

– 34:45 – When you are “in-flow”, HRV starts to go up naturally

– 35:32 – Food sensitivity and how it relates to stress

– 39:10 – Most people are not aware of modest heart rate spikes

– 40:23 – The future of SweetBeat

– 41:35 – The value of correlation

– 43:27 – Ronda’s Top 3 Tips for Being More Effective:

– 43:43 – Improving nutrition; eating fresh

– 44:00 – Being self-aware of what’s going on inside your body

– 44:30 – Exercise, even minimally, every single day –

– 45:10 – BeatHealthy.com ** **

**7 Key Points:**

1. The heart does not beat at a consistent interval like a metronome
2. Stress isn’t “bad”; How we react to it – our inability to come down – is what makes it bad
3. People who are in constant “fight or flight” mode normalize stress in their brains, which makes it difficult for them to institute change because these individuals don’t “feel” stressed
4. Monitoring HRV is a great way to maximize recovery from physical training _and _keep track of stress
5. When HRV levels are low do “busy work”; When they are high do “creative work”
6. Sensitivity to certain foods can significantly impact stress and HRV levels
7. Good nutrition, consistent exercise and self-awareness are the pillars of healthy living ** **

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [Import.IO](https://www.evernote.com/OutboundRedirect.action?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fimport.io%2F) – A — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

Subscribe to the podcast on [iTunes](https://www.evernote.com/OutboundRedirect.action?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fari-meisel-less-doing%2Fid605938952%3Fmt%3D2) Also Check out Ari’s book “[Less Doing, More Living](http://www.lessdoingbook.com/)” Leave Your Questions for the Podcast [HERE](https://www.evernote.com/OutboundRedirect.action?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.speakpipe.com%2FLessDoingPodcast) Get More Great Content and Full Show Notes with Transcript at [LessDoing.com](http://www.lessdoing.com/)

# Episode 100 **Summary:** In Episode #100 Felix sits down to interview regular host and _Less Doing, More Living_ founder, Ari Meisel to celebrate the 100threcording of the _Less Doing_ podcast. During their discussion, Ari touches on his battle with Crohn’s disease, the origins of _Less Doing_ and how he facilitates success.

**Sponsored By:** [BulletProof Unfair Advantage](https://www.evernote.com/OutboundRedirect.action?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.upgradedself.com%2Funfair-advantage) – A mini-shot of ActivePQQ™ formulated to promote heart, cell, nerve and general bodily function [Dave Asprey](https://www.evernote.com/OutboundRedirect.action?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bulletproofexec.com%2Fabout-dave-asprey%2F) – Founder of The Bulletproof Executive and BulletProof Coffee

**Time Stamped Show Notes:**

– 03:40 – The _Less Doing_ podcast will no longer offer complete transcriptions

– 04:33 – The _Less Doing_ podcast will now provide annotated show notes and episode summaries

– 05:40 – Ari details his recent issues with Amazon

– 08:57 – In all likelihood, Ari will be using [Fetch](https://www.evernote.com/OutboundRedirect.action?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buywithfetch.com%2F) moving forward as opposed to Amazon

– 35:55 – Interview begins with Ari detailing _how_ he got into_Less Doing_

– 37:00 – Less Doing is about helping people save time, reduce stress and better use their brain

– 39:20 – Auto-immune issues effect the body in many, many ways

– 39:45 – How Ari essentially cured himself from Chron’s disease

– 43:38 – Ari considers a vegetarian, fish-infused diet to be one of the healthiest if not the healthiest diets available

– 44:26 – The big kicker for the success of any diet?—High fat, low sugar.

– 44:55 – Avoiding pre-packaged and processed foods

– 46:33 – “You have to eat seasonally”

– 47:14 – _Perfection_ isn’t necessary for comprehensive dietary success, but eating right _90% of the time_ is key

– 47:40 – Bad foods are designed to be addictive

– 47:50 – Limiting variety is advantageous to finding dietary success

– 50:03 – Ari explains how he got into pushing productivity

– 51:57 – Ari explains how he got into coaching people

– 52:37 – [SkillShare’s](http://www.skillshare.com/) role in helping _Less Doing _take flight

– 52:50 – The first EVER LessDoing class

– 55:08 – How Ari gets by with so few apps on his smartphone?

– 55:30 – The 4 folders of Ari’s smartphone home screen: productivity, utilities, audio/visual and home control

– 55:46 – The secret to reducing phone clutter is taking advantage of mobile site bookmarks—You don’t need the app!

– 57:35 – Why having a minimalist approach to apps is advantageous

– 58:00 – The importance of Evernote for helping Ari streamline life

– 60:30 – Clients, projects and the future of Less Doing

– 63:01 – Words of wisdom from previous podcast guests

– 63:14 – Successful Habit and Resource #1 – [Ben Greenfield](http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/) – Recharge in the afternoon by taking a 20-40 minute powernap. Also, make workouts more effective by wearing a weighted vest and an elevation training mask (75:55)

– 64:30 – Successful Habit and Resource #2 – [Hal Elrod](http://halelrod.com/) — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

Subscribe to the podcast on [iTunes](https://www.evernote.com/OutboundRedirect.action?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fari-meisel-less-doing%2Fid605938952%3Fmt%3D2) Also Check out Ari’s book “[Less Doing, More Living](http://www.lessdoingbook.com/)” Leave Your Questions for the Podcast [HERE](https://www.speakpipe.com/LessDoingPodcast) Get More Great Content and Full Show Notes with Transcript at [LessDoing.com](http://www.lessdoing.com/)

# Episode 97 **Summary:** In Episode #97, Ari has an opportunity to speak with Christian Smith, Co-Founder of TrackR, a California-based startup dedicated to helping people keep track of their most valuable personal items. During the interview, Christian reveals the origins of the TrackR concept, how the company got started and how he uses TrackR in his personal life.

**Sponsored By:** **Time Stamped Show Notes:**

– 14:50 – Introduction of Christian Smith

– 15:04 – Christian explains what Trackr _is_

– 17:22 – Range of Bluetooth technology

– 18:09 – The concept of using a mesh network of users to find “lost” items

– 19:41 – Trackr has a global audience

– 22:20 – Christian’s background and how Trackr came to be

– 24:19 – The size and battery life of a Trackr specifically mentioned

– 24:41 – Trackr raises $1,000,000 in a crowd-funding campaign

– 26:13 – Christian discusses the key traction points of their crowd-funding campaign

– 27:50 – Trackr has reached the status of “forever-funding” on Indie Go-Go

– 28:30 – Affordability of Trackr is key to its appeal

– 29:14 – The unusual uses for Trackr in the future

– 31:59 – How is Trackr working to grow the network of users?

– 33:22 – What is the road map for Trackr?

– 36:15 – More information and pre-ordering available at TheTrackr.com

**7 Key Points:**

1. TrackR is a revolutionary new way to keep track of valuables

2. The business employs a “mesh network” or users to increase the effectiveness of TrackR devices

3. Maximizing device range and battery life have been the two biggest obstacles to the business

4. TrackR raised over $1,000,000 in crowd-funding and are one of the few companies to reach “forever funding” status

5. Having key traction points is essentially to successfully crowd-fund

6. Affordability is key to the marketability of TrackR

7. TrackR isn’t just about keeping tabs on keys or wallets, it’s applicability is endless

**Resources Mentioned:**

– [Christian Smith](http://www.thetrackr.com/team) – The President and Co-Founder of TrackR – [TrackR](http://www.thetrackr.com/#whatistrackr) – A Bluetooth enabled device designed to help people find lost valuables

– [Unfair Advantage](https://www.bulletproofexec.com/be-first-in-line-to-get-the-newest-bulletproof-supplement-that-gives-you-an-unfair-advantage/) – A specially designed supplement for increased mental performance

– [Eat Your Greens](http://eatyourgreensapp.com/) – An app designed to tell you how healthy your meal is based on the color

– [Mood Print](https://beta.moodprint.com/) – A mood tracker that sends an email to users requiring them to respond with a note about their mood

– [Track Memo](http://superbcrew.com/trackmemo-get-updates-from-all-your-cloud-apps-in-a-single-news-feed/) – Allows users to track collaborative data across the cloud

– [Meadow](http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/14/uber-for-weed-startup-meadow-lights-up-in-san-francisco/) – An on-demand delivery service for medicinal marijuana

– [Flare Down](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/flaredown-decode-your-chronic-illness) – An Indie GoGo campaign for an app that will provide people with a simple way to track chronic illness

– [The Clean Cube](https://www.thecleancube.com/) – A private drop-box for on-demand services l — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lessdoing/message

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes(http://bit.ly/1q1ODr6) Also Check out Ari’s book “Less Doing, More Living” (http://amzn.to/WcwbP3) Get More Great Content and Full Show Notes with Transcript at LessDoing.com In

Episode #84 of The Less Doing Podcast (http://bit.ly/1xJenw7), Ari talks with Nick Gray, founder of Museum Hacks, about a $45 million dollar painting, productivity software Ari never heard of, and a new way to enjoy museums.

Links:

MuseumHack (http://bit.ly/1tPvFCm)

Nick Gray (http://bit.ly/1BsrT5C)

JustWorks (http://bit.ly/1nOZq1f)

Zerve (http://bit.ly/1nLBRXH)

Peek (http://bit.ly/1i88GNa)

LegalSifter (http://bit.ly/Yx4NNl)

mTailor (http://bit.ly/Yx4Us5)

Place Me (http://bit.ly/WU2LVY)

Spire (http://bit.ly/1qfGMSd)

Lets Make (http://bit.ly/1uIJguU)

Shop And Box (http://bit.ly/1pPtNo5)

Ari on I Love Marketing Podcast (http://bit.ly/1rWssDC)

Mountain Home Farm (http://kck.st/WJbE4z)

Less Doing Bootcamp (Pre-Launch) (http://bit.ly/1r2bT2F)

MailBox App (http://bit.ly/1aDUIMB) ——- [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