A Productive Conversation

This episode is sponsored by Focusaur — an AI-powered focus console built for deep work and daily habits. If your phone keeps pulling you away from your best work, Focusaur creates the physical friction that gives you your focus back. They're in the final days of their Kickstarter campaign. Visit mikevardy.com/focusaur to learn more.Patrick Rhone is back, and so is PM Talks — the monthly series where Patrick and I take our time with one idea and actually see where it goes. This is Season 3, Episode 5, and Patrick has just returned from a trip to Greece with his family — a trip built around anniversary celebrations, Mamma Mia filming locations, and the kind of serendipitous moments that only happen when you're open enough to notice them. It was a perfect setup for the conversation that followed.Because the thread running through everything we talked about — travel, family dynamics, technological change, self-judgment, and the way small kindnesses move through the world — turned out to be the same one: grace. Grace is also one of the principles at the heart of my upcoming book, Productiveness, which made this one feel especially fitting to sit with. If you've been wondering what that book is actually about, this episode gives you a meaningful glimpse.Six Discussion Points:Grace starts with goodwill — not as a feeling, but as a practice. We dig into what it actually means to operate with grace day to day, and why it takes more intention than most people give it credit for.Travel is one of the best teachers of grace around. From adjusting to late dinner culture in Greece and Portugal to ordering a chicken by pointing at the ones still running around a yard in the Philippines, travel asks you to meet the unfamiliar with openness rather than resistance.Balancing everyone's needs on Patrick's Greece trip required grace in a very real, logistical way — from his daughter's Mamma Mia pilgrimage to his and his wife's 20th anniversary. The fact that everyone left feeling like the trip was complete says a lot about how that went.I share a real-time example of reacting instead of responding — a strongly-worded email, a refund request, and some after-the-fact digging that made me feel briefly foolish before I decided to give myself some grace about the whole thing.We get into grace and cancel culture, and the difference between holding someone accountable and refusing them any room to grow or change. It is okay to change your mind. In fact, it might be one of the most graceful things a person can do.Small acts of grace echo further than you think. Patrick's daughter writing thoughtful notes to the colleges she's declining. Paying for a stranger's coffee without mentioning it. You don't know what someone is carrying, which is exactly why grace doesn't need full information to operate.Three Connection PointsPatrick Rhone's website — the best place to start to find everything Patrick has going on.Productiveness — my upcoming book, where grace appears as one of its core principles.New to the show? I've been putting out solo episodes of A Productive Conversation as well — here's one right here. You can also find them in your podcast app of choice.Patrick and I covered a lot of ground this month, and I think that's because grace is one of those ideas that shows up everywhere once you start looking for it. Whether you're navigating a foreign dinner schedule, giving someone the benefit of the doubt, or just deciding not to beat yourself up over a to-do list that didn't get finished — grace is the practice underneath all of it. We'll be back next month for another round of PM Talks, and in the meantime, I hope this one gives you something worth sitting with.

This episode is sponsored by Focusaur — an AI-powered focus console built for deep work and daily habits. If your phone keeps pulling you away from your best work, Focusaur creates the physical friction that gives you your focus back. They're in the final days of their Kickstarter campaign. Visit mikevardy.com/focusaur to learn more.Working from home sounds simple—until kids, calendars, meals, meetings, and relationships all collide. In this episode, I sit down with Thom Gibson, a work-from-home dad and social media strategist, to talk honestly about what it really takes to make remote work and family life coexist.Thom is the founder of WFH Dads, and his perspective is grounded not in theory, but in lived experience—raising two young kids, navigating shared schedules with his wife, and building a workday that leaves room for presence, not just productivity.Six Discussion PointsHow Thom transitioned into working from home during the pandemic—and why he stayedWhy default schedules matter more than perfect plansThe overlooked power of clear boundaries between “work time” and “family time”How simplifying meals reduces daily decision fatigueWhy Thom changed his journaling practice after 15 yearsThe thinking behind the Six-Hour Workday Playbook for dadsThree Connection PointsWFH DadsGet The Six-Hour Workday PlaybookHow to Build a Powerful Journal in 3 Steps (Starting Today)This conversation reinforced something I’ve believed for a long time: structure isn’t the enemy of freedom—it’s what makes freedom possible. Thom’s approach to work-from-home life is thoughtful, practical, and refreshingly human, and I think a lot of parents—especially dads—will see themselves reflected in this episode.

This episode is sponsored by Focusaur — an AI-powered focus console built for deep work and daily habits. If your phone keeps pulling you away from your best work, Focusaur creates the physical friction that gives you your focus back. They're in the final days of their Kickstarter campaign. Visit mikevardy.com/focusaur to learn more.There are moments when a conversation slows you down in the best possible way. My discussion with Brad Farris was one of those moments—a reminder that growth isn’t just about doing more, faster, or harder, but about becoming the kind of leader who can sustain momentum without burning everything down in the process.Brad has spent decades working alongside agency and expert-firm owners, helping them move past the $1M–$2M ceiling and into healthier, more durable growth. What stood out to me wasn’t just his experience—it was his insistence that the real work happens internally. The biggest constraint to progress, he argues, isn’t strategy or systems. It’s what’s happening between your ears.Six Discussion PointsWhy agency growth stalls at the $1M–$2M mark—and why effort alone won’t fix itThe hidden cost of hurry, speed, and “getting through the list”Why leadership is about choosing, not clearingHow inbox habits reveal whether you’re managing or leadingThe role of presence, energy, and reflection in better decision-makingWhy leading yourself is the first step to leading othersThree Connection PointsAnchor Advisors – Brad’s home base and advisory workBrad Farris on LinkedInHow To Transform A Single Daily Theme Into An Everyday FocusBrad’s perspective reinforces something I’ve seen repeatedly: sustainable growth isn’t about squeezing more output from yourself or your team. It’s about creating the conditions where clarity, rest, and intention can do their work. This conversation is an invitation to slow down just enough to lead better.

This episode is sponsored by Focusaur — an AI-powered focus console built for deep work and daily habits. If your phone keeps pulling you away from your best work, Focusaur creates the physical friction that gives you your focus back. They're in the final days of their Kickstarter campaign. Visit mikevardy.com/focusaur to learn more.In this episode of A Productive Conversation, I sit down once again with author and researcher Chris Bailey to explore what it really means to live—and work—intentionally. This conversation centers on his latest book, Intentional: How to Finish What You Start, and the decade of curiosity that led him there.We dig into why goals often fail us, how culture shapes our relationship with productivity, and why values—not habits, hacks, or willpower—sit at the core of meaningful progress. This isn’t a surface-level productivity chat. It’s a thoughtful examination of why we do what we do, and how to align our days with who we actually are.Six Discussion PointsWhy values—not goals—are the true drivers of intentional actionThe “intention stack” and how daily actions connect to lifelong directionWhy SMART goals aren’t as smart as we’ve been led to believeCultural differences in how productivity and calm are valuedNight owls, morning routines, and the danger of “sepia-toned” goalsThe role of reflection in escaping default behavior and finishing what mattersThree Connection PointsBuy the bookCheck out Chris's websiteListen to Chris's first appearance the podcast (from October 2014!)This episode is a reminder that productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what fits. If you’ve ever felt friction between your goals and your values, or wondered why “good habits” still leave you unsatisfied, this conversation will give you plenty to reflect on—and return to.

This episode is sponsored by Focusaur — an AI-powered focus console built for deep work and daily habits. If your phone keeps pulling you away from your best work, Focusaur creates the physical friction that gives you your focus back. They're in the final days of their Kickstarter campaign. Visit mikevardy.com/focusaur to learn more.In December 2024, Erik Fisher and I sit down to explore the alphabet of productivity — a tradition that started as a one-off idea and has now become an annual ritual. This year, we dove back in to see how our thinking has shifted, sharpened, or completely transformed. Turns out, a lot can change in a year… especially when life, work, and expectations rearrange themselves without asking permission.In this special episode of A Productive Conversation, Erik joins me to unpack the first half of our A-to-Z list – the second part is featured on Eriks' podcast, Beyond the to-Do List. It’s a rich mix of practice, philosophy, and the very human realities that shape how we show up to our work. If you’re craving a more grounded, nuanced approach to productivity, this conversation is an invitation to rethink your rhythms.Exploring productivity through the alphabet isn’t about clever wordplay — it’s about noticing how our relationship with work evolves year after year. Erik and I always walk away from these conversations reminded that productivity isn’t fixed; it’s lived. And in that spirit, we’ll pick up with N to Z on his show next. I hope you’ll join us there.

This episode is sponsored by Focusaur — an AI-powered focus console built for deep work and daily habits. If your phone keeps pulling you away from your best work, Focusaur creates the physical friction that gives you your focus back. They're in the final days of their Kickstarter campaign. Visit mikevardy.com/focusaur to learn more.This episode marks the final PM Talks conversation of the 2025 calendar year, and it’s a fitting one: Patrick and I explore legacy — not as something we engineer, but as something that unfolds in the stories others tell about us. As always, this episode is part of our monthly PM Talks series, and it might be the most reflective note we’ve ended on so far.We talk about time, presence, family, uncertainty, and the way small choices echo long after we’re gone. This one weaves philosophy into the everyday in a way that feels real, grounding, and honestly necessary as we close out the year.Six Discussion PointsWhy time feels like it’s accelerating as we age, and how presence slows the smaller slices of our daysThe balance between certainty and agency — and how we navigate what we do and don’t controlWhy trying to “control” your legacy is ultimately a losing battleHow stories — both true and inferred — shape the legacies we inherit and the ones we leaveThe importance of documenting your own story so others don’t have to invent one laterHow everyday tasks, decisions, and moments of presence quietly become the stories others use to remember usThree Connection PointsPatrick’s workThe Productivity DietOur episode on uncertaintyLegacy isn’t a monument — it’s a story, shaped by moments we’re often too busy to notice. This conversation reminded me that what endures isn’t the grand plan, but the small choices, the presence we bring, and the stories people choose to carry forward. Thanks for being with us through another year of PM Talks. There’s a lot more ahead in the next season.

This episode is sponsored by Focusaur — an AI-powered focus console built for deep work and daily habits. If your phone keeps pulling you away from your best work, Focusaur creates the physical friction that gives you your focus back. They're in the final days of their Kickstarter campaign. Visit mikevardy.com/focusaur to learn more.In this episode of A Productive Conversation, I sit down with Quang X. Pham — entrepreneur, author, and the first American of Vietnamese descent to become a U.S. Marine Corps aviator. Quang’s story is the definition of an underdog’s rise — from a young refugee in America to leading a Nasdaq-listed biotech company. His new book, Underdog Nation: Zero in on Effort and Results for Success, captures the lessons learned through perseverance, purpose, and performance.Our conversation dives into what it truly means to be an underdog — not just in sports or business, but in life. We explore the power of confronting limitations, committing with conviction, and using adversity as fuel for achievement. Quang’s experiences in the Marine Corps, pharmaceutical industry, and biotech leadership bring nuance and depth to the conversation on resilience, effort, and results.Six Discussion PointsHow arriving in America as a 10-year-old refugee shaped Quang’s early understanding of effort and resultsLessons from his time as a U.S. Marine Corps aviator and how “reading the room” became a leadership skillWhy underdogs must balance confidence with humility — and learn to show up when no one’s watchingThe four “Avenues of Approach” from Underdog Nation: Commit, Confront, Course Correct, and Build CredibilityThe role of patience and decision-making in both biotech innovation and personal growthWhy ego and insecurity are the biggest internal battles underdogs face — and how to replace them with clarity and focusThree Connection PointsVisit Quang's websiteGet Quang's bookWhile you're buying Quang's book, buy Hugh MacLeod's book tooThis conversation reminded me that success isn’t about where you start — it’s about what you choose to confront, commit to, and continue refining. Quang’s story proves that perseverance and patience go hand-in-hand, and that results come to those who focus not on optics, but on outcomes.