Episodes

  • Dopamine Discipline: How to Do Better Work by Doing Less with Emily Heird

    Dopamine Discipline: How to Do Better Work by Doing Less with Emily Heird
    Aug 26 2025
    I talked with cognitive performance strategist Emily Heird about how professionals can avoid burnout and perform at their best by understanding how our brains respond to stress and distraction. We dug into how busyness has become a toxic badge of honor, why rest and recovery are essential for real productivity, and how chasing dopamine through devices or overwork is quietly wrecking our focus and mental well-being. Emily shared a practical system for building healthier habits so we can get more done with less strain.

    Some of my biggest takeaways:
    • Cognitive performance is about applying mental skills with intention. You don’t have to be in someone’s profession to help them do that well.
    • Burnout isn't just a personal issue. For lawyers and others who use their brains as their main tool, failing to take care of yourself can lead to serious mistakes and ethical problems.
    • The constant pull of email, social media, and "just one more thing" creates dopamine spikes that lead to anxiety, irritability, and distraction. Then we reach for another hit. It’s a loop that drains us.
    • Emily teaches four pillars she calls dopamine discipline: regulate your inputs, get real rest, build recovery rituals, and grow resilience by building identity outside of work.
    • Real productivity is about efficiency, not how many hours you grind. When you give your brain space to recover and focus, you do better work in less time.
    To connect with Emily, visit vantageviewcoaching.com, find her on LinkedIn under Emily Heird, or subscribe to her newsletter through her website.



    Charles Alexander has been a full-time Business Coach since 2007. He has coached over 2,000 entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and helped over 250 people start businesses. Then he decided to practice what he preached. After years of seeing the need for video marketing, he started creating Explainer Videos for Busy Professionals in 2015. That part-time business is now a full-time business with proven systems and a team.

    Using those real-world experiences, I have created a boatload (well not a real boat, but you get the picture) of resources for you below, so you can start doing more by doing less!

    Website - https://www.yourcharlesalexander.com/
    Time Freedom Community - https://www.yourcharlesalexander.com/
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    35 mins
  • Stack Your Wins - Small Victories Lead You to Momentum!

    Stack Your Wins - Small Victories Lead You to Momentum!
    Aug 12 2025
    Man, I just had a bad week. It sucked.

    I needed to hear about what was going well in my life.

    Then I remembered a brief LinkedIn Live I did a couple of years ago, on this exact topic.

    In fact, it went viral (well, LinkedIn's version of viral:) Coincidentally, it was the same day I launched this podcast.

    So instead of reinventing the wheel, I'm sharing it here; both for you and me:)


    Time Freedom Community - https://www.yourcharlesalexander.com/
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    5 mins
  • Spend 5 Minutes Planning Your Week

    Spend 5 Minutes Planning Your Week
    Jul 29 2025
    Most people spend more time planning a kitchen remodel than they do planning their business.

    My beautiful wife Sarah and I have lived in four homes together, all of them fixer-uppers with their own quirks and challenges. We never had the skills of a professional crew, but we always had a plan that started with a clear budget, a timeline, and a realistic understanding of what we could actually get done. It still amazes me how much more planning we put into fixing up a house than most people put into launching or running a business.

    Takeaways:
    • You do not need to be a renovation expert if you start with a clear plan and stick to it.
    • Your business deserves the same kind of structure as a home project: map the budget, timeline, and responsibilities.
    • Pick one short-term goal each week, block time for it on your calendar, and treat that time like a non-negotiable appointment.


    Time Freedom Community - https://www.yourcharlesalexander.com/
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    5 mins
  • Helping Overthinkers and Overdoers Not Beat Themselves Up with Lauren Ruth Martin

    Helping Overthinkers and Overdoers Not Beat Themselves Up with Lauren Ruth Martin
    Jul 15 2025
    In this episode, I chat with Lauren Ruth Martin, LPC-MHSP, to discuss the challenges of overthinking, overdoing, and burnout. Lauren shares her insights on how perfectionism, people-pleasing, and overachieving show up in people's lives and how they can address these struggles. From personal experiences to actionable strategies, this episode dives into the importance of setting boundaries, identifying your core values, and embracing self-compassion.

    Key Points:
    • Overthinking & Overdoing: Lauren discusses the cost of constantly pushing for perfection and how it affects mental health and productivity.
    • The Price of Overachieving: How being an overachiever often leads to burnout, guilt, and shame, even when you're successful.
    • The Importance of Values: Learn how identifying your core values can help you align your life with what truly matters, leading to more ease and fulfillment.
    • Setting Boundaries: Practical advice for setting and maintaining boundaries, both in business and personal life, to preserve your time and energy.
    • The Role of Self-Compassion: Why being kind to yourself is key to preventing burnout and living a balanced life.
    Practical Takeaways:
    1. Recognize when you're overdoing it and explore why you're pushing yourself so hard.
    2. Use a values list to help prioritize what matters most to you and let go of things that drain your energy.
    3. Start small with boundary-setting. Communicate clearly with others about your availability and stick to it, even when it's uncomfortable.
    4. Stop comparing yourself to others. Focus on your own journey and remember that doing less can often lead to more.
    5. Embrace that sometimes, the best thing you can do is simplify your life and focus on what truly brings you joy.
    Resources Mentioned:
    • Lauren Ruth Martin’s 9 to Kind Planner: A tool to help you live with more compassion, balance your personal and professional life, and stay aligned with your values.
    You can find Lauren on Instagram @LaurenRuthMartin or visit her website at laurenruthmartin.com for more information on her work, the planner, and her speaking engagements.
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    30 mins
  • How to Simplify and Streamline Your Business with Lauren V. Davis

    How to Simplify and Streamline Your Business with Lauren V. Davis
    Jun 24 2025
    In this episode, I chat with Lauren V. Davis, an entrepreneur who took her business on the road.

    After years of running a successful record store and coaching others on personal branding, she and her partner decided to travel the country in a van. We dive into how she made it all work. Getting the bandwidth for client calls, simplifying systems, and managing her business while living off the grid. Plus, we discuss the importance of having boundaries, simplifying your schedule, and knowing when to take action.

    Key Takeaways:
    • Simplify Systems for Flexibility: Lauren shares how she had to streamline her business to make it work while living on the road. She used Pep Link for internet and blocked out her days to make sure she stayed productive.
    • Time Blocking for Neurodivergency: Instead of traditional time blocking, Lauren creates blocks of days, focusing on CEO tasks, calls, and creative work.
    • Sacred Sundays: Lauren prioritizes “Sacred Sundays,” where she takes a break from work to reset and recharge.
    • Eliminating Distractions: From scrolling through endless media to over-committing to tasks, Lauren discusses how important it is to recognize when you’re doing too much and when it’s time to take action.
    Actionable Advice:
    • Create an ideal day or week plan and set boundaries to protect your time.
    • Embrace simplifying your work systems—use tools like Calendly to automate scheduling and apps to take over repetitive tasks.
    • Use the Pomodoro Technique to stay on track and avoid burnout.

    If you’re feeling overwhelmed and want to streamline your business to create more time for what you love, head over to yourcharlesalexander.com and grab the exclusive toolkit to help you get started.

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    About our guest: Lauren Davis is the founder of Lauren Davis Creative, a marketing and branding consultancy that will help you create memorable personal branding messages that convert to engagement and life-long clients.

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    Time Freedom for You:

    Charles Alexander has been a full-time Business Coach since 2007. He has coached over 2,000 entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and helped over 250 people start businesses. Then he decided to practice what he preached. After years of seeing the need for video marketing, he started creating Explainer Videos for Busy Professionals in 2015. That part-time business is now a full-time business with proven systems and a team. Using those real-world experiences, I have created a boatload (well not a real boat, but you get the picture) of resources for you below, so you can start doing more by doing less!

    Time Freedom Community - https://www.yourcharlesalexander.com/
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    31 mins
  • Marketing Smarter with AI and Still Sound Like You with Kathryn Good

    Marketing Smarter with AI and Still Sound Like You with Kathryn Good
    Jun 10 2025
    How do you use AI to enhance your marketing without losing your voice?

    Show Summary:

    In this episode, I talk with Kathryn Good of Good Circle Marketing about how she and her team are using AI to serve small businesses and nonprofits in smarter, more authentic ways. We cover everything from how to get started with AI, to building a strategy-first marketing plan, to creating long-form content that can be repurposed across platforms. Katherine shares real examples of how AI saves her time, helps her clients shine, and frees her up to focus on what matters most. If you’ve been overwhelmed by AI or aren’t sure how to use it well, this one’s packed with ideas you can run with.

    Key Takeaways:
    • AI works best when you pair it with your own voice, strategy, and point of view.
    • Use tools like ChatGPT as a brainstorming partner, not a replacement for your creativity.
    • Building a strong foundation—like knowing your audience and message—makes AI tools 10x more effective.
    • Repurposing long-form content into smaller pieces is key to marketing efficiently.
    • The more you outsource and automate, the more you free up time for strategy, family, and what you love.
    Marketing doesn’t have to be overwhelming when you combine smart systems with your personal touch.

    About our guest

    Kathryn Good is a 20-year marketing expert with experience leading marketing tactics and teams for small businesses, nonprofits, and corporations. She is passionate about helping businesses become more aware of and secure in their marketing efforts. She lives in Gallatin with her husband, Seth, and their two children, Caleb and Clara.

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    Charles Alexander has been a full-time Business Coach since 2007. He has coached over 2,000 entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and helped over 250 people start businesses. Then he decided to practice what he preached. After years of seeing the need for video marketing, he started creating Explainer Videos for Busy Professionals in 2015. That part-time business is now a full-time business with proven systems and a team.

    Using those real-world experiences, I have created a boatload (well not a real boat, but you get the picture) of resources for you below, so you can start doing more by doing less!

    Website - https://www.yourcharlesalexander.com/
    Time Freedom Community - https://www.yourcharlesalexander.com/
    Start Now Quit Later Book - https://a.co/d/3xPW1Hs
    Explainer Videos for Your Business - https://www.yourcharlesalexander.com/videopackages
    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/yourcharlesalexander/
    Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yourcharlesalexander/
    YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/yourcharlesalexander
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    33 mins
  • When You Do Too Much, You Get Less Done

    When You Do Too Much, You Get Less Done
    May 27 2025
    More isn't always better...in fact, more is usually worse.

    Summary:
    In this episode, I talk about the Law of Diminishing Returns and how too much can lead to less progress. Using a story from my dad’s furniture store, I explain how adding more people or tasks often creates chaos instead of better results. I share practical examples, like over-seasoning food or over-editing content, to show how this law plays out in everyday life and business. Key Takeaways:
    • More Isn’t Always Better: Whether it’s moving furniture, training kids, or micromanaging, doing too much can backfire.
    • Four Tips to Do Less and Get More:
      1. Set a Deadline – Create urgency.
      2. Start Small – Don’t fear mistakes.
      3. Eliminate, Automate, or Delegate – Free up time.
      4. Focus on the Big Picture – Keep your eyes on why you’re doing this.
    • Embrace Imperfection: Done is better than perfect. Stop tweaking endlessly and start shipping!

    If you’re constantly over-editing, micromanaging, or obsessing over tasks, it’s time to simplify. Focus on completing tasks, not perfecting them.

    Join the Time Freedom Community to learn how to work on your business instead of in it. Visit yourcharlesalexander.com or connect with me on LinkedIn to get started!
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    17 mins
  • How To Get Paid for What You Know In Less Time with Peter Thomson

    How To Get Paid for What You Know In Less Time with Peter Thomson
    May 13 2025
    What's the secret to getting paid for what you know, not just what you do?

    Join us as Peter Thomson, often regarded as the Brian Tracy of the UK, dives into the art of valuing your knowledge and transforming it into profitable business ventures. With a career spanning over five decades, Peter shares how he shifted from running Europe’s largest tracing agency to becoming a celebrated author and speaker under the Nightingale-Conant umbrella. This episode isn't just about learning to charge what you're worth—it's about understanding the true value of your knowledge and expertise.

    Takeaways:
    1. Value your time based on the revenue it generates, not just the hours you put in.
    2. Your fees should reflect the cascading impacts of your work, far beyond the immediate results.
    3. Turn your expertise into tangible products, like books, to solidify your authority in your field.
    And remember, it's not just about charging for the time you spend; it's about ensuring you are compensated for the comprehensive value you bring to the table.

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    About Peter Thomson

    “People will never consistently do – who they aren’t”

    It’s true. And it’s what stops you and me and our fellow travellers from reaching the level of success we so richly deserve. There is a solution. Starting business on 2nd February 1972 as a Private Investigator. Then as an entrepreneur, moving through selling the early carphones, then setting up a leasing business which I sold for a few million and retired at 42. Since then, I’ve spent the last 30+ years helping fellow consultants, coaches and business owners to share their hard-won knowledge with a waiting world.

    As the UK’s most prolific information product creator and author (details here) I love seeing the light go on as my clients (and friends) realise just how valuable they and their ideas can be. And as they build businesses and lives of choice – I smile with them. Oh yes!
    https://www.thepaidbook.com
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    Charles Alexander has been a full-time Business Coach since 2007. He has coached over 2,000 entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and helped over 250 people start businesses.

    Then he decided to practice what he preached. After years of seeing the need for video marketing, he started creating Explainer Videos for Busy Professionals in 2015. That part-time business is now a full-time business with proven systems and a team.

    Using those real-world experiences, I have created a boatload (well not a real boat, but you get the picture) of resources for you below, so you can start doing more by doing less!

    Website - https://www.yourcharlesalexander.com/
    Time Freedom Community - https://www.yourcharlesalexander.com/
    Start Now Quit Later Book - https://a.co/d/3xPW1Hs
    Explainer Videos for Your Business -https://www.yourcharlesalexander.com/videopackages
    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/yourcharlesalexander/
    Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yourcharlesalexander/
    YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/yourcharlesalexander
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    34 mins