December was anything but slow at RaderCo!

Our Speakers With Impact mastermind's quarterly retreat left me bursting with ideas to fine-tune my upcoming #TEDxNCSU talk. Speaking of exciting encounters, I enjoyed meeting two former clients in town for work. It's always a delight to see familiar faces in 3D! Isn't it funny how our perceptions of people can change when we meet them in person? People often think I'm much taller, but as you can see in this picture with the mastermind, I'm proudly fun-sized.

On another note, our RaderCo Concierge, _Lisa Veronica Wood and I had a fantastic year-end Design Days retreat at the lake.

We immersed ourselves in revamping our conference proposals and gave a makeover to all our topic descriptions. As always, it was a super-successful venture, and we managed to log about 8 miles of walkie-talkies.

One of my standout gifts this year was the Time Timer, recommended by our very own RaderCo Team Specialist, Elisabeth Galperin . It's a visual timer, especially helpful for those dealing with ADHD or time-blindness issues. Trust me, when you think something "only takes a few minutes," set a timer— you'll be amazed at how time flies!

I had the pleasure of presenting Focus Power-Ups: Escape the To-Do List Trap to Madison Logic . Several people expressed willingness to delay their morning coffee for an hour. Check out my tip below before you start cursing me!

I attended the National Speakers Association Certified Speaking Professional conference to mastermind for 2.5 days and I left with the task of writing a new book in 2024. My previous books have been for the consumer, but this one will be geared towards helping companies move from an always-on culture.

Speaking of books...

The Better Gift Coach newsletter is one of the few newsletters I allow in my inbox. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from none other than the coach himself, Patrick Kucharson , on what he's implemented from my book, "Work Well. Play More!"

Productivity Quick Tip: Benefits of delaying that first sip of coffee.

You're not gonna like me, but waiting 1-2 hours to drink that first cup of joe is a productivity secret that can boost the cognitive benefits and keep you from needing more. In this blog post, we discuss why this works and how to train your cortisol to work for you. If you really want to up the game, cycle off all caffeine every 6-8 weeks for about a week. You'll get all those benefits back and more! No time to read? Watch the 1-minute video.

In the News: Shoutout NC - work-life balance with Marcey Rader.

ShoutOut NC asked my perspective on work-life balance (hint - it's different for corporate than business owners) and the best way to spend a day in #Raleigh hint - nature, coffee, art, and music...

Read about it here.

Book Review: Indistractable: how to control your attention and choose your life by Nir Eyal

This book offers a fantastic intro to productivity, distraction, and triggers. I appreciate his holistic approach, not just fixating on external triggers like phones, Slack, and email but also delving into our behaviors and responsibilities in managing these triggers effectively. Get the book.