Based on the title of this article, you would think that I work 24/7/365 (that’s me relaxing by the dock, BTW).
Yes, I do work a lot, and while I’m not necessarily at a desk or in a meeting, I spend much of my spare time thinking about how to improve or become an expert at a certain aspect of entrepreneurship.
I want to share and give back to other like-minded entrepreneurs and wealth creators. I want to help you improve, and for that reason, I share some of the business and productivity hacks I’ve adopted over the years.
So what method do I use to improve continuously?
Stick with me for a minute, and I’ll explain.
I tend to hyper-focus on a specific issue, which could involve finding out how to build a better landing page, improve cash flow, conduct a better interview, or improve my one-on-one meetings. So I try to become an expert in that area.
It takes anywhere from a month to a year to feel I’ve gained enough knowledge, have done enough research, and tested my findings in that area before I feel like I’m an expert.
Over my lifetime, I’ve studied dozens and dozens of disciplines, and one method of learning has provided me more value than any other … podcasts.
I listen to podcasts while I’m driving, at the gym, or on a walk, and sometimes, that’s 2 to 3 hours of my day. So needless to say, that’s a lot of podcasts.
In fact, based on some back-of-the-napkin math, I estimate I’ve listened to no fewer than 4,000 hours of podcasts in the last seven years. And all of those hours have been much more valuable to me than my four-year business degree.
Two Examples of Ways Podcasts Have Helped Me
I sold my business in October 2017. At the time, I wanted to get into property management, specifically because I own a number of apartment buildings, and I enjoy investing in real estate.
During that time, I listened to The Property Management Show, a podcast hosted by Alex Osenenko.
I started with his first podcast and listened to at least forty more.
The more I listened, the more I realized that I didn’t want to become a property manager, even though I enjoy investing in real estate.
In early January 2018, I decided that property management wasn’t for me.
Listening to Alex’s podcasts wasn’t a waste of time. In fact, it saved me from making a huge mistake. Not that there’s anything wrong with property management, but the more I listened, the more I came to realize that it wasn’t something I wanted to do.
I changed my trajectory on January 8, 2018.
On that day, I decided to write a book or blog, and help other entrepreneurs.
Then I found Chandler Bolt’s podcast Self-Publishing School.
Inside of 4 weeks, I listened to every single one of his 44 podcasts, many of them twice or three times. Add to that the guests he interviewed had their own books and podcasts, and by mid-February 2018, I felt I knew enough to self-publish a book.
Along came Podcast #28, an interview Chandler did with Nick Stepenson.
Nick has his own business called “Your First 10K Readers.” Researching this business started me down another path, which ultimately led me to release a smaller, 20,000-word book in late May 2018: The Kickass Entrepreneur’s Guide to Investing.
The research worked.
For about three consecutive days in mid-June, the book was #1 in all of Amazon’s Business sections, and #2 in all nonfiction sections. Many, many thousands of copies were downloaded, and as of the time of this writing (only eight weeks after launching my book), I’m up to thousands of email addresses and Facebook followers.
Am I a master self-publisher?
Absolutely not, but I certainly know enough to speak about how and what to self-publish knowledgeably. And now that I’ve gained that knowledge, I’m off to the next challenge.
So on that note, I’m going to give you my Top 5 Favorite Podcasts from the Last 5 Years:
5) Self-Made Man
Mike Dillard interviews interesting, accomplished, successful business owners. By listening to his podcast, I’ve picked up many tips and tricks.
David Stein discusses investments, the economy, and ways to create wealth. He rarely, if ever, does an interview. But he does discuss business and investments through his years of investment experience as a financial planner.
3) Chandler Bolt’s Self-Publishing School
Unfortunately, it seems that Chandler has stopped producing podcasts. But I found them helpful, and not just in terms of learning how to self-publish. He often interviewed other entrepreneurs, who discussed general business issues and challenges in a very conversational and informative tone. If you’re looking to publish a book, Chandler’s podcast is excellent.
Of course, you would expect an excellent podcast from The Harvard Business Review. There’s always an interesting strategy or business idea presented in a short, easy-to-follow format.
James interviews dynamic personalities who present meaning-of-life discussions in long-form dialogue. I almost always feel like I’ve learned something about how to be a better person, and apply it to my own life.
So there you go. You now know how to become more productive while you drive, work out, ride the subway, wait for the bus, or take a walk. And yes, you can make productive use of your idle time.
If you study the how and why of some of the world’s most accomplished individuals, you will almost always find they are on a quest for knowledge that never ends. I’ve adopted this tactic into my own life with great success, and I attribute podcasts to being my #1 source of learning.
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Want to know more about me and read some of the other interesting small business growth, profit and wealth stories I’ve written.
Here’s one of the first articles I wrote: My Journey Post Business Sale as I Sail Into a New Harbour.
Are you a younger entrepreneur? Here’s another interesting article I wrote:
My Response to an 18-Year-Old Who Wants to Become a Millionaire by the Time He’s 30.
My goal is to help entrepreneurs scale their business, improve profitability, and then, use those profits to create massive wealth. Subscribe to my blog to receive my latest thought on scaling your business and creating wealth.
Download my book and Amazon bestseller (number 1 in business, number 2 in non-fiction). You can get your FREE copy here.
