Learn and Work Smarter
Learn and Work Smarter is a practical podcast hosted by Katie Azevedo, an executive function coach and educator. It offers strategies for time management, productivity, focus, and study skills, grounded in neuroscience and behavioral psychology. The show aims to help students and professionals develop sustainable habits for reducing stress and getting things done.
Episodes
148. 5 Note-Taking Myths that Backfire Every Time
Send me a message!🤓The thing about myths is they’re hard to get rid of. Even when we know they’re myths, we still sometimes fall for them.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I’m debunking the five note-taking myths that I have seen nearly every student I’ve worked with fall for at some point.What makes these note-taking myths so tricky is that, on the surface, they seem like sma
147. Office, Remote, or Hybrid? Pros, Cons, and the Hidden Skills You Need to Thrive in Each
Send me a message!🤓Most of us know the obvious pros and cons of various work environments. If you work in an office, you have a clear separation of personal and professional life. Working remotely means you can wear your comfy pants during all your Zoom calls. And hybrid essentially means you get to do what you want.But there's a lot more to each of these work environments than meets the eye.
146. How to Make Work Interesting Again and How to Handle "Lazy" Colleagues (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓Falling out of love with your job and dealing with unmotivated colleagues can make your workday long and have you questioning your career. In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I answer two questions submitted by listeners who are dealing with those exact issues. Question 1: How to make work interesting again when it's getting boring.Question 2: How to hand
145. Why Your Shortcuts Are Making Things Harder
Send me a message!🤓Using AI to avoid reading the book. Getting homework answers from a friend just to get the check mark. Building complex automation agents that take weeks to set up and generate data you never actually look at.These are the kinds of shortcuts that feel smart in the moment — and completely backfire every single time.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I'm m
144. 3 Productivity Traps That Even Smart People Fall For
Send me a message!🤓Automated AI agents that let you nap while your work is done for you, the latest project management software that promises you'll never be overwhelmed again... color-coded email inboxes with rules that drag every new message into its own folder so you'll never have to deal with another message.Ugh. These are some of the things that are sold to us as productivity strate
143. 3 Power Moves of Productive People
Send me a message!🤓Productive people aren't productive by accident. Their ability to get the right things done on time – without burning out – is a result of a few particular actions they take every day.In this quick, strategy-packed episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I share three productive power moves of people who get things done. The power moves are for students and professio
142. Handling Work-From-Home Distractions, and Re-Evaluating Grad School (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓Losing focus midweek when working from home? Debating whether changing grad programs is worth it?In this Q&A episode of the podcast, I answer two questions submitted by listeners of the show. Question 1: A listener asks for strategies to maintain their focus when working from home, especially during the second half of the week.Question 2: A listener, who's a working pro
141. The 2-Minute Rule: A Productivity Strategy That Really Works ... Until It Doesn’t
Send me a message!🤓The Two-Minute Rule is a popular productivity strategy that's been around since the early 2000s. It can be a terrific tool for feeling less overwhelmed, moving your to-do list forward, and generally feeling more in control of school, work, and your personal life. However, using the Two-Minute Rule in the wrong scenario can make things worse than when you started.In this epi
140. The "Secret Code" to School + Work: Cracking the Unwritten Rules Nobody Talks About
Send me a message!🤓Like it or not, there’s a “secret code” for how to act and what to say at school and work—and not knowing it can cost you opportunities and your reputation.Saying the right thing at meetings, responding to emails the way others expect you to, understanding how to read the room ... all of these are part of the "secret code" nobody talks about.In this episode of the Lear
139. The 5 Hardest Lessons I Learned as an Entrepreneur: A Peek Inside the Difficult, Honest Parts of My Business Journey
Send me a message!🤓Starting my own business out of absolutely nothing has been the single greatest professional accomplishment of my life. Every single day, I think about where I started and where I am now — and the journey continues to amaze me.However, it hasn’t been easy. For every breakthrough, new successful idea, and client success story, there has been a lesson that tried to knock me down.I
138. Planning All Day Study Sessions, and Tips for Job-Hopping (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓Studying for 12 hours a day? Being a serial job-quitter?In this Q&A episode of the Learn and Work Smarter Podcast, I answer two questions submitted by listeners of the show.Question 1: A busy graduate student (who's also working full time) asks me for strategies for planning epic, all-day study sessions.Question 2: A working professional asks for advice about his job-ho
137. How to Capture Your Ideas Before You Forget Them (Micro Strategy)
Send me a message!🤓Ideas are only good if we remember them, am I right? Right. So why do we keep telling ourselves that we’ll remember something “later” when we never do?The idea that occurred to us in the shower? Gone.The thought we had lying in bed? Gone.The task we want to do later? Gone.In this micro strategy episode, I share a nifty little hack for how to capture these ideas when they occur t
136. Productivity Tools Are Useless (Unless You Do This...)
Send me a message!🤓Productivity tools come with big promises. Planners, apps, devices, software…they can all genuinely help you get things done – and they claim to do so.BUT, the tool itself never gets you the outcome you want. I know, the irony.In this week's episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I reveal why productivity tools are useless (yes, even the ones I love and recommend),
135. The Effort Trick (That Gets You Everything You Want)
Send me a message!🤓Don’t get me wrong – goals are awesome to have. They can inspire hope and dreams and cool visions we have for our futures.But focusing on the outcome we want (aka our goal) never gets us the outcome we want. I know, the irony.In this week’s episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I reveal why outcome-based goals are designed to make us fail, and the mistake I see students
134. Behind-the-Scenes of Real Student Coaching (Sneak Peek Access)
Send me a message!🤓Come peek behind the curtain of SchoolHabits University! Every month inside my signature study skills program, I offer live coaching on Zoom so student never get stuck navigating the program, school, their courses, or anything else on their minds.In this special episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I’m sharing a Q&A call from a few months back when the calls weren’
133. Study Breaks and Finishing Projects Without Deadlines (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓In this Q&A episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I answer two questions submitted by listeners of the show.Question One: A student asks for study break ideas that will increase his focus when he returns to the work.Question Two: A professional asks for strategies for completing projects that don’t have deadlines, but that are still important to finish.What You Lear
132. The DO Date Hack that Makes DUE Dates Easy (Micro-Strategy)
Send me a message!🤓Most people focus on due dates -- as in, this final deadline. But the due date of a project has nothing to do with you actually getting it done.Enter the DO date.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I make the case that focusing on DO dates is far more effective than wasting our energy stressing about DUE dates. In fact, DO dates make DUE dates just ... happen.
131. Why We Know What to Do But Still Don't Do It
Send me a message!🤓It’s one thing to know what to do, but it’s a whole other thing to actually DO it.This is a struggle that so many of my private clients – students and professionals – deal with. They have the information, they’ve been instructed on what to do … and yet, they still aren’t taking action.For people with ADHD, this phenomenon is even worse.There’s a reason why this is happening, and
130. How to Ask for Help in College – with Psychologist Dr. Susan VanScoyoc
Send me a message!🤓College can make students feel all kinds of ways: thrilled at the freedom, excited at the possibilities, and overwhelmed with the independence that's suddenly expected of them.In my conversation with board-certified psychologist Dr. Susan VanScoyoc, we talk about how to ask for help when college gets hard — and why most students (and their parents) are getting this wrong.Dr
129. Homework Management Tips + Starting Over as an Adult (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓In this Q&A episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I answer two questions submitted by listeners of the show.Question One: A high school student asks for tips for actually doing the work he has tracked in his homework management system.Question Two: A young woman asks for advice about moving into adulthood when she was under-resourced as a child.What You'll Lear
128. ADHD and the Hidden Shame of Falling Off Track – And How to Start Again
Send me a message!🤓People with ADHD know this situation all too well: they start a project with enthusiasm, then lose motivation and stop halfway through, and then struggle to ever restart because of the shame and embarrassment they feel about abandoning their work. Stopping projects halfway through is hard enough. But then not knowing how to get back on track and drowning in shame is a whole othe
127. 5 Invisible Forces That Make You Always Feel Behind
Send me a message!🤓You know that feeling when you’re super busy, you have a million things to do … but you still feel behind and like you got nothing done at the end of the day?It’s not your imagination. In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I reveal the 5 secret (and oh so sneaky!) invisible forces that destroy productivity and keep you running on a to-do-list treadmill to nowher
126. Top 5 Secret Skills of Adulting (At Any Age)
Send me a message!🤓“Adulting” has nothing to do with age. Instead, it has to do with the ability to operate independently and function in a way that supports your goals. In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I reveal the top 5 secret skills of adulting that, when they’re mastered, make everything else about school and work (and life) so much easier and less dramatic.This episode i
125. Making Your Commute Productive and Leading When You're Unmotivated (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓In this monthly Q&A episode, I answer two questions submitted by listeners of the show.Question 1: How can I make my commute to and from work more productive?Question 2: How can I be an effective leader when I’m burned out and unmotivated?What You'll Learn:A unique commute strategy that can clear your head, increase your clarity, and improve your productivityA counterin
124. How to Meet Tight Deadlines (Without Losing Your Mind)
Send me a message!🤓Deadlines don't care how overwhelmed you feel. Tight deadlines? Those require a completely different approach — more urgency, more intensity, and a clear plan for execution.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter Podcast, I break down six strategies for meeting tight deadlines without losing your mind. Part one covers three pre-work strategies that take maybe 10 minut
123. 5 Steps for Applying for Scholarships – with Expert Dave Peterson
Send me a message!🤓⭐Get the Scholarship Summer Camp + Note-Taking Power System Bundle right here: https://www.scholarshipgps.com/katie (you get my whole note-taking course for free!)It’s a common misunderstanding that scholarships are only for graduating students headed right to college. In fact, students of all ages can and should apply for scholarship money as soon as possible.In this episode of
122. The Biggest Lie We Tell Struggling Students: Why Studying MORE Isn't the Answer
Send me a message!🤓⭐FREE Parent Training: How to Help Your Teen Handle School Like a ProMost struggling students are in the situation they’re in because no one ever taught them how to actually DO school. We expect them to learn, but nobody ever teaches them HOW.Therefore, the "just study more" might be the most well-meaning, unhelpful advice we keep giving them.In this episode of the Lea
121. Frustration Tolerance: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Build It
Send me a message!🤓Frustration tolerance is one's ability to sustain attention, endurance and emotional composure during frustrating tasks.While we all get frustrated from time to time, having a low frustration tolerance can have a serious impact on our work, school and personal lives.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I dive deep into frustration tolerance, its connection
120. Note-Taking During Phone Calls, ADHD Accommodations at Work and School, and Supporting College Students (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓In this Q&A episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I answer three questions submitted by listeners of the show.Question 1: How to take notes during phone calls.Question 2: How to support a struggling college studentQuestion 3: How to ask for ADHD accommodations (in graduate school and work)What You Learn:Why capturing notes is only half the job, and what the more imp
119. My Top 10 Favorite Tools for Productivity and Organization
Send me a message!🤓The work we do is more important than the tools we use. But that said, having the right tools can make a difference in how productive and organized we are.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I’m sharing with you my 10 favorite tools that I use nearly every single day to manage a busy business, family and life. No affiliate links or promotions here … just an ho
118. The Real Reason for Test Anxiety — And Why It Has Nothing to Do With Nerves
Send me a message!🤓Sweaty palms. Racing breath. A pit in your stomach. And the worst one of all, a blank mind.Test anxiety does not feel good, and it most certainly doesn’t help your grades. But in this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I make the (controversial?) case that test anxiety is the result of something you have complete control over.What You Learn:The most common misunderst
117. Building a Personal Operating System to Manage Information
Send me a message!🤓The way I teach it, a personal operating system is a set of systems and routines we use to manage the information that comes at us all day long.Whether we're students or professionals, we're constantly bombarded with information we can ignore, information about tasks we need to act on, and information we might need in the future.And if we don't have a way to captu
116. Understanding What You Read and How to Know If You're Performing Well at Work (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓You're putting in the work. You're doing the readings. You're showing up. So why does it still feel like you're missing the mark?In this month's Q&A episode, I'm answering two listener questions that are completely different on the surface, but have the same root issue.Question One is from a grad student who's annotating and highlighting ev
115. How to Be Dangerous at School and Work (10 Traits of People Who Are Hard to Overwhelm)
Send me a message!🤓The most dangerous people in school and work aren't always the smartest in the room or the ones grinding the hardest. They're the ones who are steady, focused, and nearly impossible to knock off course.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I'm sharing 10 characteristics of people who are hard to overwhelm — and spoiler: underneath all 10 of them a
114. Working Late AGAIN? 5 Reasons Why You're Still at the Office that Have Nothing to Do With Workload
Send me a message!🤓It's 5 PM, everyone is leaving the office, but you’re staring at your to-do list thinking, “Oh my gosh, I’m going to be here all night.”When we regularly can’t get our work done within typical office hours, we’re quick to think it’s because we have too much work. And while that might sometimes be the case, usually there’s another reason (or 5) at play.In this episode of the
113. The 6-System Ecosystem for School and Work (And Why Working Harder Isn't Enough)
Send me a message!🤓Struggling to perform in school or work is rarely the result of just one missing skill. Sure, your procrastination tendencies might have to do with poor time management skills, but that's not the full picture. Academic and professional success is the result of having a functioning ECOSYSTEM of skills that not only work by themselves but also interlock together.In other word
112. Office Transition Strategies and the Power of Color in Study Methods(Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓In this monthly Q&A episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I answer two questions submitted by listeners of the show.Question 1: A working professional asks for tips as he transitions back to in-person office work after years of working from home.Question 2: A student asks about the benefits of using color (specifically colored index cards) in his study methods.What
111. What to Do When You Don't Like Your Boss or Teacher
Send me a message!🤓ALL relationships are hard. But the hardest ones are those we can't avoid, like at school and work. In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, we dive into the reality that sometimes we don't like our boss or our teacher. Whether it's a personality clash or differences in communication, sometimes people just aren't compatible.But what do we do whe
110. How to Think: Why It's Hard, Why It Matters, and How to Do It in an AI World
Send me a message!🤓Thinking is supposed to be hard. It's supposed to be messy and fragmented and dead-endy. It's supposed to make us feel vulnerable and like we don't know the answer, the solution, or the idea.That's the nature of thinking. It's SUPPOSED to be that way.But more than ever, I see students and professionals quit the thinking process before they've even b
109. Work-Life Balance Is a Lie: 3 Better, Way More Practical Ways to Think About Balance
Send me a message!🤓Everyone says you need balance. But what if the entire concept of “balance” is nonsense in the first place?In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I break down why traditional work-life balance theory doesn't work, and more importantly, what you should do instead. Specifically, I'm giving you three practical frameworks that are way more realistic than tr
108. Three Things You’re Overcomplicating About Getting Things Done (That Should Be Simple)
Send me a message!🤓We tend to make things way more complicated than they need to be. And honestly? It's because thinking and planning feels easier than actually sitting down and doing the thing.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I reveal the three areas that we tend to WAY overcomplicate more than anything else. And when we do, we prevent ourselves from taking action on wh
107. Simplifying Multi-Client Task Management and Managing Afternoon Energy Slumps (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓In this monthly Q&A, I answer two questions submitted by listeners of the show. While the questions are different in their details, the fundamental theme of today’s show is consistent: the key to learning and working smarter is knowing what’s in our control and what’s not, and optimizing everything we have the power to change.What You Learn:The real reason juggling multiple
106. The Anti-Goal Goal-Setting Strategy: 3 Tweaks That Change Everything
Send me a message!🤓Most people set goals completely wrong. They focus on outcomes they can't control, ignore their real schedules and energy levels, and wait for January 1st like it's some magical reset button. Then they wonder why they quit by February.In this episode, I'm showing you a different approach: the anti-goal goal-setting strategy. This isn't about avoiding goals al
105. The High Performer's Trap: Why Being Capable is Exhausting You
Send me a message!🤓Are you someone who says yes because you can see exactly how to make it happen? Do people come to you because they know you'll deliver? And are you so darn exhausted because of it?In this episode, I'm diving into the high performer's trap, a pattern where your competence becomes the primary reason you say yes to everything. The better you get at something, the mor
104. 3 Reasons Your Study Methods Stopped Working (And How to Fix Them)
Send me a message!🤓You had a study system that worked perfectly. Then suddenly... it didn't. What happened?In this episode, I'm breaking down the #1 reason why legitimate study systems stop working: developmental transitions. Whether you're moving from high school to college, freshman to upper-level courses, or undergrad to grad school, the academic demands don't just get harde
103. How Long Should I Study and How Do I Stay Motivated? (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓In this month's Q&A episode, I'm answering two questions that hit on some of the biggest study and productivity myths out there. Question One: A college student asks how to study for six to eight hours straight without crashing. My answer? Don't. Question Two: Someone asks about staying motivated to finish projects once the initial excitement wears off. Spoile
102. The Friday Review: A Simple Weekly Habit for Calm Productivity
Send me a message!🤓Most of us end our week by simply stopping, closing the laptop, and walking away. But then we wonder all weekend long why we can’t stop thinking about work or school.That’s where the Friday Review comes in.This simple 5–10 minute habit helps you close the loops from your week, get some clarity about what your weekend work schedule might be (or not be!), and set up next week so y
101. Digital Declutter Strategies for School and Work: 5 Clutter Zones and How to Handle Them
Send me a message!🤓Digital clutter is easier to ignore than physical clutter, because we can hide it behind folders and tabs. But eventually, digital clutter builds up so much that it impacts our focus and productivity even more than the physical mess around us.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I'm diving into the hidden consequences of digital clutter, the 5 zones digita
100. 100 Tips to Learn and Work Smarter (Celebrating 100 Episodes!)
Send me a message!🤓This is our 100th episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast! To celebrate this cool milestone, I've gone back into every single episode and extracted one key tip to re-share with you.Grab your pen and paper (or grab the transcript at learnandworksmarter.com/podcast/100) and be prepared to get inspired. I read each episode number, the episode title, and the key takeaway
99. Traditional Jobs vs. Entrepreneurship, and Preparing for What Comes After College (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓In this Q&A episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I’m answering two listener questions from college students who are both wondering what comes next.One student is deciding between a traditional job and entrepreneurship, and the other is trying to make the most of college while figuring out her future path.We’re diving into the myths around entrepreneurship, the valu
98. Secret Meeting Skills Nobody Teaches (But Everybody Notices)
Send me a message!🤓There’s more to meetings than just showing up and trying to sound smart. In fact, there’s a whole hidden curriculum in most meetings that is more about how you act than about what you say.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I’m sharing the secret meeting skills that nobody talks about, but that everybody notices. When you know these skills, you’ll start using
97. How to Fix a Bad Day: Practical Strategies You Can Use When Your Day Falls Apart
Send me a message!🤓All the strategies in the world won't protect you from having an occasional bad day. Bad days are just ... part of being human. But how we respond to a bad day can make all the difference in the world.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I dig into the two options you can choose from when your day begins to tank: quit the day (this is actually a legitimate
96. Bad Productivity Advice You're Probably Following
Send me a message!🤓You're following all the productivity advice you see on the internet, you're waking up early, and getting to inbox zero, and doing all the "right things" ... but still, you're stressed out and overwhelmed. The problem just might be that the advice you're following is ... bad.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I'm sharing 9 p
95. Why You Always Think Things Will Take Less Time Than They Do: Time Estimation Tips (ADHD Friendly)
Send me a message!🤓Accurately predicting how long tasks will take to complete is a core skill related to time management. It’s called time estimation, and many of us are terrible at it.If you want to improve your time management skills, you can’t ignore the power of learning how to accurately estimate how long common school or work tasks take you to finish. If you’ve struggled with time management
94. Simplifying Task Management and Staying Focused Despite Disruptions (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓Two of the biggest barriers to our productivity as students and professionals are over-complicated systems that don’t work and disruptions to our focus.In this month’s Q&A episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I answer two listener questions about those exact two roadblocks.Question One: How do I know if my task management system is working?Question Two: How do I ge
93. The 10-Minute Habit That Makes Every Day Less Stressful and More Productive
Send me a message!🤓Beating procrastination and lowering stress at school and at work requires getting crystal-clear about what you’re doing. Without clarity, your mind spirals with anxious questions (What do I have to do? Am I missing something?) and you’re more likely to waste time on the wrong things.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I teach you a practical 10-minute habit t
92. Your Kid Needs THESE Skills to Be Okay
Send me a message!🤓Many smart students struggle in school because no one ever taught them the actual skills of learning.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I’m sharing highlights from a larger free parent training I created. You’ll hear why “study harder” is bad advice, why motivation isn’t the magic fix we think it is, and what students really need to thrive in school and beyon
91. Why “I’ll Remember That” Is a Lie: Working Memory Strategies and Tips (ADHD-Friendly)
Send me a message!🤓Our working memory has many strengths, like doing mental math and remembering the first part of a sentence as we read the second part. But the one thing it’s NOT good at is the one thing we keep asking it to do: remember information for longer than a brief moment.That’s NOT what our working memories are designed to do. In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, we ta
90. Building a Reading Habit and Chronic Illness Work Tips (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓Getting more reading into your life isn’t just about willpower, and working productively with chronic illness isn’t just about “pushing through.” Both require smart strategies that fit your real life.In this month’s Q&A episode, I answer two listener questions: how to finally build a consistent reading habit, and how to adapt productivity systems when chronic illness is part
89. The 4-Stage Funnel for Finishing Work on Time: A System for Students and Professionals
Send me a message!🤓Getting work done and completed on time isn’t just about motivation or working harder. (It rarely ever is.) Instead, it’s about whether your tasks move smoothly through a hidden but super-powerful funnel.In this episode, I break down the 4 stages of the Assignment Funnel for students and the Project Funnel for professionals, showing how both systems explain why some people finis
88. Background Tasking: A Smarter Approach to Focus
Send me a message!🤓Multitasking feels productive, but the science says otherwise. Every time we switch between tasks, we lose time, accuracy, and energy — up to 40% of it. No wonder so many of us end the day feeling exhausted but not actually accomplished.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I dig into why multitasking doesn’t work (even if you think you’re the exception) and sha
87. Should You Take a Gap or PG Year?
Send me a message!🤓The most traditional journey after high school is directly to a 4-year college. But for many students, there's a smarter path.In this expert interview with education consultant Annie Reece, we demystify the gap year and PG year options for students.Never considered these options? This episode might change everything you thought you knew about this magical year.You Learn:The
86. Underrated College Resources and Using Blank Planners for Task Management (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓In this monthly Q&A episode, I answer two questions submitted by listeners of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast.Question one comes from a student. He asks me to weigh in on the most underrated parts of college. (Oof, there are a lot!)Question two comes from a working professional. She asks for some ways to use her blank (untimed) planner to manage work tasks without using t
85. 3 Invisible Blocks to Motivation and Success
Send me a message!🤓Some of the most powerful influences on your success aren’t your calendar, your study techniques, or your productivity apps. They’re quieter, more hidden, and easier to overlook. In this episode, we explore three surprising areas of life that deeply affect how well you show up at school and work… even though they have nothing to do with school or work on the surface.If you'
84. How to Fail Smarter: The Secret Skill of Bouncing Back
Send me a message!🤓Failing hurts. But the better we can extract meaning from our failures, the faster we can bounce back from them. In this (slightly vulnerable) episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I share my personal experiences with failing and the strategies I use to now view those “failures” as some of the best things that have ever happened to me.What You'll Learn:Why failure
83. Anxiety’s Hidden Cost in School and Work (And What to Do About It) - with Dr. Jackie Parke
Send me a message!🤓In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I interview Dr. Jackie Parke, founder of Through the Waters and a psychologist who specializes in helping teens and college students cope with anxiety. In this value-packed and emotional episode, Dr. Parke shares important insights that can help both students and professionals suffering from anxiety at school or work. The ke
82. Post-Grad Gap Years + Should You Check Email in the Morning? (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓In this monthly Q&A episode, I answer two questions submitted by listeners of the show. Question One: A college student asks whether taking a year after graduation to travel will impact their hiring prospects. My answer might surprise you!Question Two: A professional asks me to weigh in on some common productivity advice about email. I'll bet you've heard this advi
81. Is Grad School Worth It? How to Decide If It's Right for You
Send me a message!🤓Grad school can be a terrific way to gain industry knowledge, career advancement and a financial bump. But it’s also expensive, time-consuming, and not always necessary.In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I share a unique framework (the WNC Framework) for deciding whether graduate school is the right option for you. We also discuss alternatives to grad school
80. How to Do a Work Sprint (And Make Massive Progress Fast)
Send me a message!🤓Got a big project you’ve been avoiding? Or one you just need to make massive progress on, fast? In this episode, I walk you through one of my favorite strategies for intense productivity: the work sprint.I’ll define what a work sprint is, walk you through exactly how to set one up (logistics, mindset, and all), and share real-life examples of using this method to get massive thi
79. Rejection Sensitivity and The Missing Piece in ADHD Productivity Advice — with Lindsay Roberts
Send me a message!🤓Most ADHD productivity advice skips something essential: the internal dialogue, the fear of being judged, and the deep self-doubt. In this episode, I’m joined by ADHD thought leader and creator of ADHDKlub Lindsay Roberts to talk about what happens beneath the surface of an ambitious ADHD mind. We have a raw and honest conversation about rejection sensitivity, identity wounds, a
78. Weekend Work: Smart Move or Bad Habit? And How to Regain Weekday Focus (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓Is it okay to work on weekends? And what’s going on when you sit down to work during the week but just… can’t? In this Q&A episode, I’m answering two listener-submitted questions that get at the heart of time, focus, and burnout.We’ll talk about when weekend work can actually serve you, and when it’s just masking deeper problems. I’ll also walk you through the most common re
77. How to Use Time-Blocking for Better Focus and Productivity
Send me a message!🤓If you’re overwhelmed, distracted, or constantly wondering where your day went, time-blocking can help. And if you've tried time blocking before and thought it “didn’t work”, I invite you to try it again using the strategies I teach in this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast.Listen in as I break down how to use time-blocking to improve focus and productivity with
76. 10 Digital Calendar Power Moves for Students and Professionals
Send me a message!🤓Most of us have a digital calendar… but few of us are using it to its full potential. In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I’m walking you through 10 practical ways to turn your digital calendar into a true productivity tool.Part 1 covers 6 calendar power moves. These are simple but game-changing ways to make your calendar work for you instead of against you.Pa
75. How to Pay for College with Scholarships — with Expert Dave Peterson
Send me a message!🤓What if your college education could cost just $1,500? Seem too good to be true?In this expert interview episode, I chat with Dave Peterson of Scholarship GPS about how he helped his own son do exactly that. Now, he now helps other families across the country find and win scholarships to pay for school without student loans.What You’ll Learn:✅The actual best time to start applyi
74. Should You Change Jobs or Change Companies? And Protecting Your Time at Work (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓Should you change jobs or change companies? And how do you protect your time at work without feeling guilty? In this Q&A episode, I answer two powerful questions submitted by listeners. The first question dives into a major career decision: whether to change jobs within your current company or look for new opportunities elsewhere. I share practical steps for making this deci
73. How to Get Better at Something: A 2-Pronged Approach that Works
Send me a message!🤓Want to get better at something, but not sure how? Do you read more about it? Practice more? Ask someone for help? Close your eyes and wing it?In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, I share a two-pronged strategy for improving at anything, whether it’s a skill for school, a work task, or a personal goal.You’ll learn why most people only use one side of the strate
72. How to Finish Unfinished Projects (Or Let Them Go Without Guilt)
Send me a message!🤓In this episode of the Learn and Work Smarter podcast, we tackle one of the biggest energy drains no one talks about: unfinished projects.You’ll learn how to get clarity on your half-done tasks, make intentional decisions about what to finish (and what to release without guilt), and reignite your momentum for what matters most.Whether you’re a working professional with unfinishe
71. Task Management Gaps and Grad School Overload (Q&A)
Send me a message!🤓Why do you still forget tasks even though you write everything down? And how are you supposed to keep up with grad school reading when there’s more than you could ever finish — and you’re already behind?In this Q&A episode, I answer two listener questions that hit close to home for so many of us. The first question comes from a professional who says his system feels “full of
70. Managing People and Projects: Real-World Leadership Lessons from Richard Regitano
Send me a message!🤓What makes someone a strong leader? How do you manage people without micromanaging? And how do systems help you lead with clarity and calm?In this expert interview, I talk with Richard Regitano, Managing Director of Engineering and Operations, about the real-world habits and mindsets that support effective leadership. We talk about emotional intelligence, team trust, recurring o
69. Top 10 Executive Function Skills You Need in the Real World (And How to Build Them If You Don't Have Them)
Send me a message!🤓Ever feel like you're smart and trying—but still constantly behind?You might be missing the one set of skills that makes everything else possible: executive function.In this episode, I break down the 10 executive function skills you actually need in the real world—skills like starting tasks, managing your time, organizing your space, regulating emotions, and following throu
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