Productivity

Aug 21

Tools For Entrepreneurs: Managing Software Development

By Dan Martell | Leadership, Productivity, Startups | No Comments

In 2001, I got a job I wasn’t qualified for.

I was hired by a big oil company to lead a new project with dozens of developers to build a product that would be used by every employee in the company.

No pressure, right?

On the first day, the hiring manager realized I was in way over my head and pulled me aside to tell me I had 2 weeks to “figure things out”.

Umm… ok?

I had no clue what that meant… but the stakes were clear, and I couldn’t lose this project.

I hadn’t worked in 2 months and if I failed, it meant moving back in with my parents. Read More

Jun 19

How To Create a Business Playbook™ (aka SOP’s: Standard Operating Procedures) for Your Startup

By Dan Martell | Productivity, Startups, Strategy | 7 Comments

Are you down with SOP’s?

Some call em’ Standard Operating Procedures, I call them Playbooks.

If you’re tired of putting out fires in your business, then you’ll need them to keep your sanity.

Recently I had the privilege of having dinner w/ the Godfather of system design for entrepreneurs, Michael Gerber (author of The E-Myth / 10M copies sold).

I shared my story of how his book transformed everything for me.

At 23 I was set on starting another company for the 3rd time (the first two failed), but I was deadset on doing it differently.

Listen to the full story on my Facebook page (10m21s).

Gerber’s book, taught me a new way to think about business. Read More

Jun 05

4 Critical Things You Need to Delegate to a Virtual Assistant

By Dan Martell | Leadership, Personal, Productivity | 7 Comments

Want to learn how I manage over 100 virtual assistants to manage all my work?

Watch this week’s video.

Now, I know what you’re thinking:

“Why the hell do you need 100 VA’s?” Read More

Apr 24

Time Management 101: Stop Managing Time

By Dan Martell | Personal, Productivity, Strategy | One Comment

How do you deal with shiny objects?

I was asked this question this past week while giving a talk at one of my portfolio companies.

It got me excited because I had a GREAT strategy to overcome it – more on that below.

But first, a story… Read More

Apr 17

Being a Great Entrepreneur & Present Parent: How To Have Both

By Dan Martell | Motivation, Personal, Productivity | 7 Comments

In my early 20’s I was a workaholic.

It took a toll on my health, my relationships and my business…

… although I didn’t know it at the time.

Even though the financial outcome of that work ethic resulted in the acquisition of my company Spheric at 28 years old…

… I wouldn’t do it again.

It was stupid. Read More

Mar 13

Focus Filters: How To Prioritize a Task List

By Dan Martell | Growth Engine, Productivity, Startups | 10 Comments

When I was 26 I spent $150K to hire a business advisor/coach named Stew.

It was almost all the cash I had left in my business at the time, but I knew if I wanted to play a bigger game I needed to invest in myself and my business.

Here’s one of the many big ideas he taught me:

“Right time, right action.”

This is the way it works… Read More

Feb 13

Distribution Days: How To Theme Your Work Days

By Dan Martell | Productivity, Startups, Strategy | No Comments

My hope for this week’s video is to help you avoid burnout.

A few weeks ago I was coaching a client, a modern day martyr who voluntarily went through a 5 year grind of 100+ hour works and missed out on watching his kids grow up.

He was first to leave in the morning and came home after they were in bed.

All in the name of “doing it all for his family.”

That’s such a tonne of crap.

Your family doesn’t want all the “riches”.

They want you.

A present parent. Not an inconvenienced entrepreneur.

No one told you you had to grow your business by 3X over the next 12 months…

… that’s a self inflicted wound.

The good news is I was able to show him a different way.

A more productive way.

One where you can still be driven, grow and build a great business… Read More

Jan 09

The Way To Measure Your Productivity As An Entrepreneur

By Dan Martell | Metrics, Productivity, Strategy | 12 Comments

How much value did you create today? What about yesterday?

Want to know the best way to score yourself?

You need to learn the Entrepreneurial Scorecard (all credit goes to Todd Herman, creator of the 90 Day Year).

This framework is the only one I’ve found that allows founders to self evaluate their daily activities and accurately measure how those tasks measure up with your business’s growth.

Warning: Read More

Dec 26

5 Lessons Learned After 100+ Videos on YouTube

By Dan Martell | Motivation, Personal, Productivity | 12 Comments

IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!

(and I’m wearing my party shirt today!)

It’s also the 100th episode of my YouTube business channel?!

Crazy, right?…

… both fell on the same day!

You think it’s a sign? You betcha!

So, today is a special video 🙂

Over the past 100 weeks I’ve published a video every Monday with insights and strategies to live a bigger life, and grow a bigger business.

Honestly, at first I was worried I’d run out of things to say… Read More

Oct 26

The Way Richard Branson Manufactures Time

By Dan Martell | Leadership, Productivity, Strategy | 4 Comments

Reading time: 10 minutes
Hours it will save you in 2017: 1,000+
Return-on-reading time: Infinite.

Only read if:

Your business is doing over $250K in revenue.

Must read now if:

You’re a busy, growth-minded founder of a quickly-scaling company with too many tabs open on their browser (yes, I can see you on your computer).

Download for later if:

You’re thinking of starting a business, don’t make any money, or spend all your time going to events.

—

On April 2014, I was invited to spend a week with Richard Branson at his lodge in Verbier, Switzerland, for the work I was doing to support entrepreneurship at a global level through my startup, Clarity.fm.

To say I was excited would be an understatement…up until I saw Richard walk into the living room for breakfast, I didn’t think the meeting was actually going to happen.

Over the next seven days, I got to spend time with some incredible entrepreneurs like Tim Ferris (4 Hour Work Week), Bryan Johnson (Founder of Braintree / Sold to PayPal for $850M), and Randy Reddig (Co-Founder of Square) just to name a few.
Read More