“How do you decide who has the power to judge you? Who are you seeking to please? Is that validation... more

Hi Friends! Although the podcast is still paused, I'm dropping into the feed this week and next with two very... more

As I round the corner into this ninth year of podcasting and after over 700 episodes, today I’m announcing a... more

“I don’t get on the airplane—and definitely not the stage—unless all invoices are paid in full.” When my friend and fellow... more

What mysterious ingredients make a book launch successful? What number of first-week and first-year sales truly make a difference to... more

Laura Mae Martin has a fascinating role as the Executive Productivity Advisor at Google in the Office of the CEO—one... more

While the title of this episode, The Framework Framework™ is tongue-in-cheek, I’m pulling this out of the BFF bonus vault... more

What do you do when you lose your biggest client? If you haven’t already, listen to part one for some... more

What do you do when you lose your biggest client? That was my Spotify search query for podcast episodes on... more

“I am great in the early, messy days and I know that about myself, so I designed my business around... more

“Things today are waaayyyyy better than Things have ever been. Cavemen had sticks. In the Middle ages they had typhoid. We... more

If you’re anything like me, you may find conducting online launches for your programs or events exhausting and sometimes even... more

“Whenever you have a choice of what to do, choose the more interesting path." In honor of our upcoming Free Time... more

Before you post anything, ask: Why am I posting this? Is this within my brand guardrails? Even still, you may... more

What’s on your business owner to-do list? Here’s a peek at mine, full of items large, small, and existential. This... more

“We don’t want our time to be spread thin like peanut butter on a slice of toast. You will have... more

I'm so excited to bring you a listener submission today from Renee Rubin Ross about my summer Voxer coaching pop-up.... more

“It wasn’t about being better than others, it was being ourselves, and true to our ideals in our work.” That’s... more

Today is a crossover episode from the Pivot podcast celebrating eight lessons learned from over eight years of podcasting. The Free... more

“’Something I always say: at the very least, do it for the plot. Do it for the story. Be bold... more

”In a society that glorifies titles, visibility, reach, and the grind, taking a beat to opt out of all that... more

Just because you use pretty words that sound nice doesn’t mean they are effective. Although we know what we do... more

The phrase is emblazoned at WeWorks across the globe: in large neon lights across lobby walls, bedecking laptops via swag... more

“The biggest breakthroughs came from the random side projects that I had no expectation would turn into anything.” Josh Kaufman... more

Are you running a Franken-Brand? A quick, inexpensive logo here. And then someone a few months later tries to write... more

Has your business brand become stale, perhaps to the point of being a liability? After a few years, especially with... more

What do you do when a business area becomes energetically draining, or the income isn’t flowing? Today’s guest has many... more

How can you get paid for who you are, not just what you do? Today’s guest, Terry Rice, is teaching... more

“What am I pretending not to know?” There is tremendous power in asking better questions, whether it comes to ideal... more

"For the first time in a decade, I feel free again." That’s how one of my earliest blogging friends, longtime... more

“The world doesn’t need another expert.” So says today’s guest, Andrew Davis. Experts rely on hacks, tips, tricks, teaching, preaching,... more

“You do not need to cannibalize your healing for content.” Today, I’m in conversation with longtime blog-turned-IRL friend Nic Antoinette,... more

If you have been in business for any amount of time, then you know the feeling when a launch just... more

“I only write books for problems I can’t otherwise solve,” Nir Eyal says. “I don’t write my books for my... more

Abundance was my word of 2019. I’d love to tell you I meant abundance in the broadest possible sense, appreciating the bounty... more

What is your relationship to rest? How about your caretakers’ relationship to rest while you were young? What examples did... more

“Startup CEOs should not play the odds. When you are building a company, you must believe there is an answer... more

You can calm chaos at work, but it starts with a reality check from Charlie Gilkey, delivered with his signature... more

“As long as we settle for thinking inside the brain, we’ll remain bound by the limits of that organ. But... more

I’m excited to bring you this crossover episode with Rose Cox, founder of The HSP Business School and host of... more

Intuition is always speaking to you in subtle ways. Are you listening? Intuition isn’t a gift that is only bestowed on... more

“Let’s build ESPN.com for strength, and convince everyone they can lift weights.” With this mission in mind, the first six... more

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” —Maya Angelou Earlier this summer, I arrived late... more

When we say trusting ourselves, which self are we talking about? Which parts of ourselves can’t be trusted? That’s what we’re exploring... more

This is a free preview of this month's bonus episode for paying Free Time subscribers. Listen to the full episode... more

“I’m at my wit's end.” That was the conclusion of a text message that broke my heart a little bit.... more

“Nobody’s soul is moved by swag.” So says longtime friendtor of the pod, John Ruhlin, founder of strategic gifting company... more

I used to refer to myself as a hot mess often in the early blogging days circa 2008, until someone... more

“A book is not about something. A book is for someone.” That’s the mantra that drives AJ Harper’s work, that... more

Do you already have an elegant way of wrapping up with clients? If you work with people one-on-one, it's important... more

“Have you ever looked at someone else, someone you admire, who has accomplished a lot, and just assumed they must... more

Now that I’m one month into Rolling in D🤦🏻‍♀️h, I’m sharing my reflections on Substack as a software platform for personal writing (and potentially... more

“I see in books,” says today’s guest. “Every book is, at its heart, an argument for something—for a belief, a... more

I broke one of my own big rules this summer. For the last few weeks, I've been kicking myself, saying,... more

Since launching this show in September 2015, the podcasting landscape has grown and changed tremendously. What was once a niche... more

“Cultivate 12 people who love you, because they are worth more than 12 million people who like you.” That’s just one... more

Self-doubt isn’t all bad. It means you’re stretching outside of your comfort zone, that you’re willing to learn, and that... more

As “recovering people pleaser” Natalie Lue opens her book, The Joy of Saying No, “Suppressing and repressing my needs, desires,... more

I'm super excited to pilot a "what would we invent if anything were possible" experience this quarter—and you're invited! Join me and... more

Today’s solo riff is on a three-word phrase that has helped quell countless waves of anxiety in the decade since... more

Who is sitting in the boardroom of your brain? Who is sitting around the table, challenging your decisions, making noise,... more

As the saying goes, “Worrying is praying for what you don’t want.” A close cousin is future-tripping: projecting and living... more

Attending conferences can be overwhelming — even for the most excited extroverts among us—let alone the introverts who challenge their... more

“My little pirate.” That’s the nickname Michael has given me this summer, as it feels like many of my corporate... more

“When you’re in debt to the truth, the interest rate sucks.” That’s just one of many so-true-it-hurts gems in Rand... more

What do Manuka honey, brown M&Ms, chocolate milk, vanilla gelato, rose petals, fair trade bananas, and Twizzlers have in common?... more

The best systems aren’t cumbersome sources of frustration collecting dust in the cloud—they save you so much time, that creating... more

In 2021, I paid nearly a thousand dollars to hire a plumber to fix something that wasn't absolutely necessary and... more

From a certain outside perspective, turning down a $200,000 two-book deal from a traditional publishing house makes no sense. But... more

Today, I’m sharing eight reasons I really appreciate having a team inbox using HelpScout. They’re not paying for this episode;... more

Today we’re going behind the scenes of book launching, sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly (cries) resulting from... more

Welcome to our #200 celebration...part two! 🎉 These next 20 permission slips all about mindset, staying in the game, and the spiritual... more

You’ve heard of buyers remorse—but what about new hire’s remorse? That is the feeling of worry, regret or uncertainty that... more

Hey, hey, Free Timers, we have arrived at episode 200! 🎉 To celebrate, I’m giving you the ultimate permission slip compilation... more

What’s the daily free time sweet spot? Between two to five hours, according to today’s guest, professor and researcher Cassie... more

When you catch a wishie, what do you yearn for? Today’s book club episode might shift your “wish” hereafter to... more

“Liking is the great fog of the mind.”—Todd Herman You’ve heard the adage that people need to know, like, and trust... more

What’s it like to be at a conference with “fancy” people, when you’re the one feeling like you snuck in... more

Does the world really need this? This is one of the inevitable existential dilemmas of creative work. You have to... more

Today I'm sharing ten more of my favorite recent GPT4 prompts and experiments for creative business owners. This episode originally aired... more

The average American worker gets 11 days of paid vacation per year. Among those with unlimited paid time off (PTO), the... more

Today I'm sharing five creative ways to better organize your phone contacts. I hope it’s helpful and time-saving toward a... more

“Small hinges move big doors.” That one thought helped Karen Allen pick herself up from the depths of grief after... more

Hi friends! A quick in-beteween-isode to let you know about a special opportunity to work with me 1:1 :) Back by... more

Time- and money-based targets don’t always serve the purpose we intend. In fact, sometimes, they actively work against us. Today... more

In episode 181: Be Irreplaceable, you heard from my creative coach, Jay Acunzo about how to prioritize resonanceover reach. I’ve been working with Jay for... more

When today’s guest, Kelli Thompson, was overwhelmed by opportunity—a level of success she had been dreaming of and working diligently... more

Today’s episode is the second half of an in-depth Licensing Q&A prompted by BFF Al Dea, host of the MBA Insider podcast. If you haven’t... more

“A shoe is just a shoe until my son steps into it.” —Deloris Jordan When negotiating Michael Jordan's famous shoe deal with... more

I'm excited to bring you an episode from the Pivot podcast vault today—this is a conversation with a longtime friendtor,... more

It was a hot summer day, and I’m grumbling while dragging a rolling carry-on suitcase full of books to sign... more

“You have to live spherically—in many directions. Never lose your childish enthusiasm—and things will come your way.” —Federico Fellini This week’s... more

📣 We’re publishing this week’s solo episode a day early as a friendly reminder that the Free Time podcast is nominated... more

Hi Friends! I'm re-airing this announcement as a friendly reminder that the Free Time podcast has made it to the... more

📣 The Free Time podcast is nominated for a Webby Award, the "Oscars of the Internet!" Please visit http://itsfreetime.com/webby to cast... more

📣 The Free Time podcast is nominated for a Webby Award, the "Oscars of the Internet!" Please visit http://itsfreetime.com/webby to cast... more

📣 The Free Time podcast is nominated for a Webby Award, the "Oscars of the Internet!" Please visit http://itsfreetime.com/webby to cast... more

📣 The Free Time podcast is nominated for a Webby Award, the "Oscars of the Internet!" Please visit http://itsfreetime.com/webby to cast... more

Friends!! I can't believe it!! The Free Time podcast has made it to the nomination stage of the Webby Awards,... more

I’m delighted to welcome Daniel Doyon to the pod this week, co-founder of one of my favorite software services, Readwise.... more

“Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It's that simple, and it's that hard.” —Danny Meyer,... more

“You are making a choice every time you undercharge.” How’s that for a splash of cold water to the face?!... more

🎉 This week marks the one-year bookiversary of Free Time making its way into the world, and the two-year podiversary of... more

“How did you go bankrupt?" Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” —Ernest Hemingway That’s the kick-off quote from returning guest Khe Hy’s... more

Free Time. The phrase connotes, leisure, fun, time off, vacation—as if we're skipping through meadows with butterflies! 🦋and unicorns!🦄 But if... more

“What’s the highest level I can serve?” That’s one of the driving questions that today’s guest, Melissa Hughes, helps business... more

Feeling slow, stuck, uncertain, or in the midst of a morale dip? If so, today’s minisode is for you—or for... more

Stephen Shapiro is a quintessential Free Timer. Throughout his 20+ year self-employment tenure, he has run a variety of experiments... more

One of the biggest lessons I learned from author Nassim Taleb is that whenever he finds himself bored with what... more

How do we use technology to facilitate real relationships? That’s the big question driving Gina Bianchini’s epic entrepreneurial quest. Today... more

How many times have you gone skidding into vacation, arriving exhausted from trying to “earn” it before you leave? Then... more

Here are a few food-for-thought reflection questions, inspired by today’s guest: Are you working with amateur clients or ones who... more

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “A book is a business card.” That’s because what you don’t hear is that a... more

Prolific punchy pontificator Khe Hy—creator of the $10K work accelerator and Supercharge Your Productivity—returns to the pod to share his... more

Should you self-publish? This is a big debate among aspiring authors, and there is no one right answer. Today I’m... more

Processing email and social media inboxes is overwhelming enough for one person — can you imagine creating an entire company... more

Do you ever feel like you’re just not good with systems? If so, then this episode is for you. The... more

Juggling a schedule for one person is tricky enough; for a two-entrepreneur household with kids, it’s another thing altogether! Learn... more

One of the most common questions from those accessing the Author Toolkit (an assembly of my best-open-sourced templates and processes... more

What type of business would you build if you no longer needed the money? After a life-changing exit from her... more

I had high hopes for the first couple of weeks of the year, but I rang in 2023 in bed,... more

What’s the right thing to do, and how do we do it quickly? In this conversation with Strategy Sprints founder... more

As I shared in last week’s solo episode, Free Time isn’t about time management or productivity, or even simply doing... more

Imagine my surprise when, on the Saturday before I was set to be interviewed on a podcast last summer, my... more

As I share in Free Time, nowhere is entropy more visually evident than in older homes or ones in nature.... more

If life is a circus, then maybe there’s a way to get better at performing in it. As Laura shares... more

Welcome Deep Questions with Cal Newport listeners! I had so much fun recording the "Help me do less!" episode —... more

"I never serve from my reserves" is just one of countless gems from one of my wisest friends, Christine Arylo.... more

Free Time for Your Future Self: For any area of your business that causes friction, run through these systems-thinking questions... more

What is your relationship to information? Scattered and chaotic, or clear and navigable? Do you have streamlined systems for saving,... more

This best of episode is a replay of the 100th episode of this show since launching on March 21, 2021.... more

How has Alexandra Franzen built two thriving businesses without social media? By delivering work with a quality I like to... more

Just a few days after launch, Free Time topped many Amazon charts! Although "making the lists" is not something I... more

“Stab the Hydra in the heart.” Cal Newport is not pulling any punches with his latest treatise on how we... more

What steps can you take now to free your time far into the future? Long-time listeners know this is one... more

According to SignalFire, the fastest growing type of small business is one that revolves around content creation, also known as... more

Your creativity and entrepreneurial spirit got you here. Smarter systems will take you there. There is less friction in your operations... more

If you’re a business owner thinking, “My platform is too small to land sponsors,” today’s guest will encourage you to... more

There’s a missing chapter in Free Time that, over the course of editing, got condensed down into a single bullet... more

For many of us running Delightfully Tiny Teams, the ideal team set-up is one where no one works full time... more

How do you define enough? Today, Jenny is sharing a bonus episode from the private BFF podcast feed where she’s... more

Do we really all have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé? That’s our tongue-in-cheek title, pulled from Tara McMullin’s new... more

You’ve heard the term low-hanging fruit: the easiest thing you can do to make the biggest possible impact in your... more

What do you do when your business model is no longer working for you? When your current income streams and... more

Licensing your IP to companies can be lucrative and a tough nut to crack. Pricing is opaque, deliverables and tracking... more

“Build an email list,” is business advice equivalent to “Make sure you breathe.” We all know it’s a best practice... more

Today I’m sharing a section from Free Time about one of the topics interviewers ask me about most: Sailing the... more

As you all may well know by now, I am a social media curmudgeon. But that doesn’t mean I’m not... more

In the spirit of “truth while it’s fresh,” one of my core values for this podcast, today I’m sharing a... more

Creating online courses does not require a huge investment in time or money. Although they certainly can cost tens of... more

My heart was thumping out of my chest as I sat at the front of the room for my first... more

Are the systems I share on this show and in Free Time just a “Jenny Blake Thing?” Rest assured, the... more

It is a small miracle of motivation that you are listening to this episode. When it was time to record,... more

Would earning $1 million dollars in revenue this year solve all of your problems? It might, but it could also... more

Consistently creating high-quality content can be challenging. To practice what I call ongoing original public thinking, I am often brainstorming... more

Think of your day-to-day work as fitting into one of four quadrants, as defined by today’s guest Khe Hy in... more

Nothing makes me more frustrated than poorly run companies that essentially steal time and money from the customers through bureaucracy... more

Today’s guest is an expert in cultivating creativity — and in remaining consistent over the long arc of content creation.... more

“If you’re on time you're late.” That’s one of my favorite mantras that I picked up from my dad, second... more

If there’s one software question that invokes a near-universal groan among small business owners, it’s “What do you use for... more

How often do you feel blocked when it comes to creating new content? If you want to be more consistent... more

“Time collapses when something you think takes 100 steps takes only one.” That’s just one of many gems from this... more

As I ask in the introduction to Free Time: What revenue streams are in that oh-so-sweet-spot of profit, ease, and... more

Take it from a self-described “recovering micromanager,” Annie Hyman Pratt: people are the most underleveraged, underutilized asset you have in... more

Is your to-do list piled to the sky with uninspiring tasks? Wait until you hear this listener submission from Leanne,... more

“Why would someone fly you across the world to do business with them?” That powerful question from a mentor in... more

Living in New York City for over a decade, I’ve woken up to many a strange sight over the years:... more

Do you shy away from marketing and metrics, or have trouble figuring out more of your ideal clients? If so,... more

“If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.”... more

We talk about The Fiji Test often here at Free Time HQ on documentation and making ourselves replaceable every day.... more

We’ve got a Grab Bag this week with three favorite time-saving techniques, starting with an image I can’t get out... more

Sometimes it seems like being a jerk pays off. Society often seems to reward the leaders who don’t mind stepping... more

As tough as it is to stomach sometimes, regret can be a helpful catalyst. As Daniel Pink shares in his... more

What is your relationship to information? Scattered and chaotic, or clear and navigable? Do you have streamlined systems for saving,... more

Are your business activities at the intersection of revenue, ease, and joy? If not, are you aware of what does... more

“A big life can weigh a lot . . . That’s why I was overworked—I was chasing the long-tail of... more

If you’re the bottleneck in a service-based business, consider freeing your time by building your bench. That is what I’ve... more

Are you pricing your products and services in an abundant sweet spot or a scarcity-inducing sink hole? How can you... more

Have you ever driven down a highway and gotten a whole bunch of bugs sadly splattered on your windshield? Eventually,... more

Are you winding down the path of writing the wrong book? What does it take to create a marketing tipping... more

So you’re getting good at saving yourself time; but what about saving other people’s time? How creative are you at... more

What takes a book proposal past the slush pile onto a publisher’s deal sheet? How do you get the attention... more

Free Time for Your Future Self: For any area of your business that causes friction, run through these systems-thinking questions... more

How has Alexandra Franzen built two thriving businesses without social media? By delivering work with a quality I like to... more

Dearest Free Timers: I can’t believe it, but this marks the 100th episode of this show since launching on March... more

Finding the perfect problem is like falling in love. You can’t always choose the when or the what, but when... more

There is a Goldilocks quality to designing a Delightfully Tiny Team, a horseshoe of team happiness. Too small, and you... more

How can you find — and attempt the great feat of solving — your perfect problem? That’s what I’m talking... more

Today I’m sharing the recording from our second-to-last book launch team Q&A one month after Free Time launched. I share post-launch... more

Do you feel like you are wasting precious moments just finding things? Today, I’m speaking with Nick Sonnenberg, CEO of... more

It’s time to stop Franken-stringing software together. If you've read Free Time or been listening to this podcast, you know... more

Could you sell your business? Would you even want to once it’s optmized enough to make selling an option? Today... more

Stress, frustration, overwhelm: These are systems flags from your business asking for renewed attention on a bottleneck or inefficiency. In... more

“I’m always stumping quarterly planning for business owners. It’s the Goldilocks horizon for strategy execution, project scoping, and team alignment.”... more

There is a chicken-and-egg problem in the early days (and transitional moments) of any business: you need to earn more... more

Don’t bother starting a {business, blog, podcast}, the market is already too saturated! That limiting sentiment gets thrown around a... more

If you’ve been in business for more than a few years, you’re probably well-versed in the perils of switching costs... more

What are your business goals for your current or potential podcast? If you are like many business owners, you may... more

How valuable is your time? Are you conveying that value to your potential clients? In the first five years of... more

“If you build an audience, you can figure out how to build a business.” That has been the guiding mantra... more

There's so much energy and attention that swirls around during a launch, and I cannot thank you enough for helping... more

“Brain science teaches that even if a prospect knows, loves, and believes in a company’s offerings, after they become a... more

Today we have a favorite time-saving strategy from listener Liron on keeping a Mess Page at your desk to free... more

Leadership and org design always involve tradeoffs. Which ones are you willing to make? Are you building traffic lights in... more

Just a few days after launch, Free Time is already topping many Amazon charts . . . although "making the... more

Thank you all so much for the incredible book launch support this week!! Because of you, Free Time is topping... more

I love mastermind groups, and how they create the space to support and learn from fellow business owners. They come... more

Today kicks off another exciting chapter of life and business because the Free Time book is officially out! There’s no... more

Hi friends! Just a quick four-minute thank you message to celebrate the official launch day for my brand new book—the... more

Without conscious reframing, launching can quickly tip toward stressful. Writing and launching a book is a privilege, so I hesitate... more

Have you fallen out of love with something in your business? Something you want to be doing in theory, like... more

If the thought of success sometimes feels more stressful than exhilarating, you’re not alone. Many business owners are interested in... more

What if this is the moment that changes everything? That question can be exhilarating or terrifying—or both. And there are... more

Going from “zero to one” on a big creative project can be intimidating. If you want to write a book... more

Did you know that we can predict a leader’s charisma based solely on five seconds of exposure? That nonverbal signals... more

Do you fret about why your own work never seems to be as good as what you read, watch, or... more

“If you don’t have a system…you are the system.” That’s just one of Allan’s brilliant gems from this conversation on... more

Every interaction with your customers offers an opportunity to be warm and welcoming. It's also easy to make them feel... more

For founders who value freedom, one question looms large: How do you keep overhead low while still generating abundant revenue?... more

Are you working in tasks or on templates? For anything you repeat, take a little time up-front to design a... more

How do you decide what to delegate, and what to keep doing yourself? What are the best ways to build... more

When is good enough good enough? When is it important to stick to a creative vision, down to every last... more

The mic tables are turned this week, with Azul Terronez, cofounder of Authors Who Lead interviewing me for his fantastic... more

Mark Twain once said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you... more

What's the difference between a lifestyle boutique and one that is built to scale and sell? Between a commoditized "body... more

As my dad (an architect) always reminded me when I was growing up, clients often want it all — quality,... more

What is the difference between uniqueness, talent, and onlyness? Nilofer Merchant is here to help us figure out how the... more

Today's episode builds on 56: Systems vs. Goals. Now let's talk about how to build smarter systems by looking for... more

If it weren't for my longtime mentor MBS and our tiny sprints, sending each other daily check marks via Marco... more

Welcome Deep Questions with Cal Newport listeners! I had so much fun recording the "Help me do less!" episode —... more

Today I'm sharing an easy technique (and some of my favorite tools) for claiming your free time now for the... more

Early reviews are in! Kirkus calls Free Time, "An entertaining, instructive reading experience . . . an invigorating and informative... more

🎉 Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business launches on 3/22/22!  Give the gift of free time to yourself and others... more

What gets in the way of deep, intentional focus? Hint: the phone sitting right at your desk. Even though we... more

Jon Kabat Zinn says, "Overwhelm means life is unfolding at a rate that neither my psyche or my nervous system... more

After building Box of Crayons for nearly twenty years, Michael Bungay Stanier hit a fork-in-the-road: he knew that for his business... more

Metaphors are powerful drivers for our mind—they allow us to quickly convey complex information to better understand abstract ideas. How... more

"We don't write books, we craft spreads." Dr. Alex Osterwalder and his book co-authors pioneered the landscape, full-color, creative visuals... more

After reflecting on last week’s episode, here’s how I’m reducing friction and designing smarter systems for ongoing content creation.  📘 Books... more

Steven Morris's new book, The Beautiful Business, is an actionable manifesto to help business leaders and entrepreneurs work and live... more