My guest today is Laura Vanderkam. Laura is a global expert on time management, and helps people spend more time on what matters, and less on what doesn’t. She is the author of a bunch of bestselling books, ranging from Off the Clock, 168 Hours, What the Most Successful People do Before Breakfast, and her latest book, Juliet’s School of Possibilities.

Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Fortune, and Fast Company. And her TED talk, “How to gain control of your free time,” has been viewed more than 5 million times.

I’ve followed Laura’s work for several years and I’ve always felt that she takes a really novel view of the whole time management concept. I think you’ll find this a really practical interview as Laura goes through a bunch of different strategies that she uses to make the most of not only her work time, but also her leisure time.

We cover:
Why Laura has tracked her time in 30 minute increments for four years
Why many people overestimate how many hours they work per week
Why Laura runs every day
How Laura creates new habits that stick
Where Laura’s ideas come from
Laura’s Friday afternoon planning ritual
Laura’s tricks to creating a great weekend
The importance of scheduling “anchor” events
Why planning things in advance increases happiness
How Laura managed to read over 100 books in 2017
And a whole lot more.




Find out more about Laura on her website, and listen to her podcasts Best of Both Worlds and Before Breakfast.

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co

My guest today is Laura Vanderkam. Laura is a global expert on time management, and helps people spend more time on what matters, and less on what doesn’t. She is the author of a bunch of bestselling books, ranging from Off the Clock, 168 Hours, What the Most Successful People do Before Breakfast, and her latest book, Juliet’s School of Possibilities.Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Fortune, and Fast Company. And her TED talk, “How to gain control of your free time,” has been viewed more than 5 million times.I’ve followed Laura’s work for several years and I’ve always felt that she takes a really novel view of the whole time management concept. I think you’ll find this a really practical interview as Laura goes through a bunch of different strategies that she uses to make the most of not only her work time, but also her leisure time.We cover:<ul>
<li>Why Laura has tracked her time in 30 minute increments for four years</li>
<li>Why many people overestimate how many hours they work per week</li>
<li>Why Laura runs every day</li>
<li>How Laura creates new habits that stick</li>
<li>Where Laura’s ideas come from</li>
<li>Laura’s Friday afternoon planning ritual</li>
<li>Laura’s tricks to creating a great weekend</li>
<li>The importance of scheduling “anchor” events</li>
<li>Why planning things in advance increases happiness</li>
<li>How Laura managed to read over 100 books in 2017</li>
<li>And a whole lot more.</li>
</ul> Find out more about Laura <a href="www.lauravanderkam.com">on her website</a>, and listen to her podcasts <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/best-of-both-worlds-podcast/id1273625203?mt=2">Best of Both Worlds</a> and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/before-breakfast/id1450018819?mt=2">Before Breakfast</a>.Visit <a href="amanthaimber.com/podcast">amanthaimber.com/podcast</a> for full show notes from all episodes.Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.auIf you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at <a href="http://howiwork.co/">http://howiwork.co</a>

You know those annoyingly successful people who seem to have it all figured out? Time to steal their playbook. Organisational psychologist Dr Amantha Imber gets world‑class achievers to spill their secrets - the daily strategies behind their success through to life hacks and productivity hacks they’d rather keep to themselves. We’re talking practical tips for boosting your output (including clever AI tools and shortcuts that’ll make you look like a genius), managing overwhelm without losing your mind, and optimising both work and wellbeing. No motivational fluff. Just battle‑tested tactics from people who’ve cracked the code.

You know those annoyingly successful people who seem to have it all figured out? Time to steal their playbook. Organisational psychologist Dr Amantha Imber gets world‑class achievers to spill their secrets&nbsp;- the daily strategies behind their success through to&nbsp;life hacks and productivity hacks they&rsquo;d rather keep to themselves. We&rsquo;re talking practical tips for boosting your output (including clever AI tools and shortcuts that&rsquo;ll make you look like a genius), managing overwhelm without losing your mind, and optimising both work and wellbeing. No motivational fluff. Just battle‑tested tactics from people who&rsquo;ve cracked the code.

Have you ever wondered if the worlds leading entrepreneurs, writers, musicians and business people construct their day differently to you?

How I Work

My guest today is Laura Vanderkam. Laura is a global expert on time management, and helps people spend more time on what matters, and l...

Time Management expert Laura Vanderkam on how to use your time wisely

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/4f6adbbe-e6fe-4abb-8c70-af460068f652/transcript

Every productivity guru will tell you the same thing: set realistic goals, or you're setting yourself up to fail. Jia Jiang did the opposite. He told the internet he'd sell 10,000 copies of his new book in 100 days, sold about 3,000, and is now going around calling it one of the best things he's ever done. 

He's not being delusional about it either. He'll tell you straight up that part of him wishes he'd hit the number. He just thinks failing loudly beats succeeding quietly, which might explain why only 9% of people who make a New Year's resolution actually stick to it. Most of us are setting goals to feel good for five minutes, not because we've figured out how to actually get there. 

In this episode, I sit down with Jia Jiang, the entrepreneur and speaker behind 100 Days of Rejection, a YouTube experiment that became a TED Talk with more than 10 million views. We talk about his new book, Easy Discipline, and how he turns huge, terrifying goals into something he can actually control day to day. 

If you have ever downgraded a goal so you wouldn't have to feel bad about missing it, Jia is about to make you rethink that entirely. 

Jia and I discuss: 
Why Jia deliberately sets goals so ambitious he is likely to miss them, and why a public near miss beats a comfortable target 
The one action goal: how to turn a big, uncontrollable ambition into a daily input you can fully control 
The inspiration index, the two numbers Jia tracks on every project, and why you need both the outcome and the input 
The Mover's Manual, and how changing his physical environment lets Jia get three to ten times more done in an afternoon 
Reverse AI: what happened when Jia started deliberately training himself the way AI models are trained 
The letter he wrote to Steven Bartlett after being turned down for Diary of a CEO, and why he published it anyway 

Key quotes 

"I'd rather fail my ambition publicly than letting it die inside privately." 

"When you are already rejected, you have nothing to lose. When you have nothing to lose, you have nothing to fear." 

Connect with Jia Jiang on Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and his website, read his newsletter on Substack, and check out his latest book Easy Discipline. 

 

If you enjoyed this episode, check out my chat with Google's Executive Productivity Advisor, Laura Mae Martin, on the practical strategies she uses to get more done in less time: https://www.amantha.com/podcasts/ruthless-prioritization-with-googles-executive-productivity-advisor-laura-mae-martin 

 

My latest book The Energy Game is out now. You can order a copy here: https://amzn.to/48ID29M 

Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) 

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) 

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha.substack.com/ 

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. 

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au 

Credits: 
Host: Amantha Imber 
Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler 

Every productivity guru will tell you the same thing: set realistic goals, or you're setting yourself up to fail. Jia Jiang did the opposite. He told the internet he'd sell 10,000 copies of his new book in 100 days, sold about 3,000, and is now going around calling it one of the best things he's ever done.&nbsp;
He's not being delusional about it either. He'll tell you straight up that part of him wishes he'd hit the number. He just thinks failing loudly beats succeeding quietly, which might explain why only 9% of people who make a New Year's resolution actually stick to it. Most of us are setting goals to feel good for five minutes, not because we've figured out how to actually get there.&nbsp;
In this episode, I sit down with Jia Jiang, the entrepreneur and speaker behind 100 Days of Rejection, a YouTube experiment that became a TED Talk with more than 10 million views. We talk about his new book, Easy Discipline, and how he turns huge, terrifying goals into something he can actually control day to day.&nbsp;
If you have ever downgraded a goal so you wouldn't have to feel bad about missing it, Jia is about to make you rethink that entirely.&nbsp;
Jia and I discuss:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Why Jia deliberately sets goals so ambitious he is likely to miss them, and why a public near miss beats a comfortable target&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">The one action goal: how to turn a big, uncontrollable ambition into a daily input you can fully control&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">The inspiration index, the two numbers Jia tracks on every project, and why you need both the outcome and the input&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">The Mover's Manual, and how changing his physical environment lets Jia get three to ten times more done in an afternoon&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">Reverse AI: what happened when Jia started deliberately training himself the way AI models are trained&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1">The letter he wrote to Steven Bartlett after being turned down for Diary of a CEO, and why he published it anyway&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Key quotes&nbsp;
"I'd rather fail my ambition publicly than letting it die inside privately."&nbsp;
"When you are already rejected, you have nothing to lose. When you have nothing to lose, you have nothing to fear."&nbsp;
Connect with Jia Jiang on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rejectiontherapy/?hl=en">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://x.com/jiajiang">X (Twitter)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiajiang/">LinkedIn</a> and his <a href="https://www.jiajiang.com/">website</a>, read his newsletter on <a href="https://blog.jiajiang.com/">Substack</a>, and check out his latest book <a href="https://www.jiajiang.com/easydiscipline">Easy Discipline</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
If you enjoyed this episode, check out my chat with Google's Executive Productivity Advisor, Laura Mae Martin, on the practical strategies she uses to get more done in less time: <a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcasts/ruthless-prioritization-with-googles-executive-productivity-advisor-laura-mae-martin">https://www.amantha.com/podcasts/ruthless-prioritization-with-googles-executive-productivity-advisor-laura-mae-martin</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
My latest book The Energy Game is out now. You can order a copy here: <a href="https://amzn.to/48ID29M">https://amzn.to/48ID29M</a>&nbsp;
Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber</a>)&nbsp;
Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amanthai">https://www.instagram.com/amanthai</a>)&nbsp;
If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at <a href="https://amantha.substack.com/">https://amantha.substack.com/</a>&nbsp;
Visit <a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcast">https://www.amantha.com/podcast</a> for full show notes from all episodes.&nbsp;
Get in touch at <a href="mailto:amantha@inventium.com.au">amantha@inventium.com.au</a>&nbsp;
Credits:&nbsp; Host: Amantha Imber&nbsp; Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler&nbsp;

The two numbers that predict whether you'll actually hit your goal, with Jia Jiang 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/781fd1e2-0e8e-4a92-857f-b4ad001e3af4/transcript

AI might be saving you time, but if you don’t know what to do with that time, it’s not worth much. In this Quick Win, I’m joined by Dom Price, who spent 12 years as the Work Futurist at Atlassian. Dom shares a powerful reminder: saving time with AI is meaningless unless you know how to reinvest that time intentionally. After watching organisations roll out sophisticated AI tools without upgrading the human system around them, Dom explains why people often use their newfound hours poorly - and how a single, deliberate question can transform the return you get from AI.  

Dom and I discuss: 
Why organisations focus on AI tools but forget the human system that actually uses them  
The surprising behaviour Dom saw when teams became “35 percent more productive” - including a huge spike in meetings  
What happens when people gain time but aren’t guided on how to use it 
The small mindset shift that helps you reinvest saved time more wisely 
The reflection question that turns AI gains into genuine value: What’s the most valuable thing I can do with this time?  

KEY QUOTES 

“I don’t care what you saved. I care what you did with it.”  

“Take a moment before filling that space. Ask yourself: what’s the most valuable thing I can do with this time?”  

Connect with Dom Price on Instagram, LinkedIn and his website. 

Listen to the full conversation with Dom here.

 

My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ 

Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) 

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) 

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe 

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. 

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au 

Credits: 
Host: Amantha Imber 
Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler 

AI might be saving you time, but if you&nbsp;don&rsquo;t&nbsp;know what to do with that time,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s&nbsp;not worth much. In this Quick Win,&nbsp;I&rsquo;m&nbsp;joined by&nbsp;Dom Price,&nbsp;who spent 12 years as the Work Futurist at Atlassian. Dom shares a powerful reminder: saving time with AI is meaningless unless you know how to reinvest that time intentionally. After watching&nbsp;organisations&nbsp;roll out sophisticated AI tools without upgrading the&nbsp;human&nbsp;system around them, Dom explains why people often use their newfound hours poorly - and how a single, deliberate question can transform the return you get from AI.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Dom and I discuss:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Why&nbsp;organisations&nbsp;focus on AI tools but forget the human system that&nbsp;actually uses&nbsp;them&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">The surprising&nbsp;behaviour&nbsp;Dom saw when teams became &ldquo;35 percent more productive&rdquo;&nbsp;-&nbsp;including a huge spike in meetings&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">What happens when people gain time but&nbsp;aren&rsquo;t&nbsp;guided on how to use it&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">The small mindset shift that helps you reinvest saved time more wisely&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">The reflection question that turns&nbsp;AI gains&nbsp;into genuine value:&nbsp;What&rsquo;s&nbsp;the most valuable thing I can do with this time?&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
KEY QUOTES&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&nbsp;don&rsquo;t&nbsp;care what you saved. I care what you did with it.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Take a moment before filling that space. Ask yourself:&nbsp;what&rsquo;s&nbsp;the most valuable thing I can do with this time?&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Connect with Dom Price on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dom.is.where/?hl=en">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-price-0892243/?originalSubdomain=au">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;and his&nbsp;<a href="https://domprice.me/">website</a>.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcasts/walking-away-from-a-dream-job%3F-dom-price-reveals-what-really-happens-in-the-space-after-%E2%80%9Ci-quit.%E2%80%9D">Listen to the full conversation with Dom here</a>.
&nbsp;
My latest&nbsp;book&nbsp;The Health&nbsp;Habit&nbsp;is out now. You can order a copy here:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/">https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/</a>&nbsp;
Connect with me on the socials:&nbsp;Linkedin&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber</a>)&nbsp;
Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amanthai">https://www.instagram.com/amanthai</a>)&nbsp;
If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and&nbsp;simple to apply&nbsp;tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at&nbsp;<a href="https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe">https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe</a>&nbsp;
Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcast">https://www.amantha.com/podcast</a>&nbsp;for full show notes from all episodes.&nbsp;
Get in touch at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:amantha@inventium.com.au">amantha@inventium.com.au</a>&nbsp;
Credits:&nbsp; Host: Amantha Imber&nbsp; Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler&nbsp;

Quick Win: The hidden reason AI isn’t delivering value at work, according to Dom Price 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/4414e656-fafb-4148-a6a7-b3a700029436/transcript

Hiring feels like the obvious next move when a business starts doing well. More people, more capacity, more revenue. The logic is so clean it barely needs questioning. 

But the businesses with the smallest teams are sometimes the ones making the most money. 

This episode is part of The Work Edit, a format where I sit down with someone facing a real professional challenge and we work through it together. My guest is Lisa, who has spent four years building The Culture Ministry, a diversity and inclusion consulting business. She came to me with a question I hear constantly: how do I scale? 

What followed was a conversation about why growth doesn't have to mean hiring, what a proposal win rate above 60% is really telling you, and why a well-designed experiment beats any polished strategy framework. 

If you run your own business, or you're thinking about going out on your own, this one will give you plenty of tips to apply. 

Lisa and I discuss: 
Why hiring more people often grows revenue but not profit, and how Inventium is having its highest-profit year ever with a smaller team 
The single line in your profit and loss statement that signals when it's genuinely time to hire 
How AI has reshaped businesses, and the surprising place it creates new bottlenecks rather than removing them 
What a high proposal win rate is actually telling you about your pricing 
The Inventium ROI guarantee, and the slightly awkward question worth asking past clients about what you should have charged 
How to treat a market shift as an experiment to learn from, rather than a personal failure 

Key quotes 

"If you are getting the majority of your proposals accepted, I would say you're not charging enough." 

 

My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here: https://amzn.to/48ID29M 

Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) 

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) 

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha.substack.com/ 

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. 

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au 

Credits: 
Host: Amantha Imber 
Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler 

Hiring feels like the obvious next move when a business starts doing well. More people, more capacity, more revenue. The logic is so clean it barely needs questioning.&nbsp;
But the businesses with the smallest teams are sometimes the ones making the most money.&nbsp;
This episode is part of The Work Edit, a format where I sit down with someone facing a real professional&nbsp;challenge&nbsp;and we work through it together. My&nbsp;guest&nbsp;is Lisa, who has spent four years building The Culture Ministry, a diversity and inclusion consulting business. She came to me with a question I hear constantly: how do I scale?&nbsp;
What followed was a conversation about why growth&nbsp;doesn't&nbsp;have to mean hiring, what a proposal win rate above 60% is really telling you, and why a well-designed experiment beats any polished strategy framework.&nbsp;
If you run your own business, or&nbsp;you're&nbsp;thinking about going out on your own, this one will give you plenty&nbsp;of tips to apply.&nbsp;
Lisa and I discuss:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Why hiring more people often grows revenue but not profit, and how Inventium is having its highest-profit year ever with a smaller team&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">The single line in your profit and loss statement that signals when&nbsp;it's&nbsp;genuinely time to hire&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">How AI has reshaped businesses, and the surprising place it creates new bottlenecks rather than removing them&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">What a high proposal win rate is&nbsp;actually telling&nbsp;you about your pricing&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">The Inventium ROI guarantee, and the slightly awkward question worth asking past clients about what you should have charged&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1">How to treat a market shift as an experiment to learn from, rather than a personal failure&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Key quotes&nbsp;
"If you are getting the majority of your proposals accepted, I would say you're not charging enough."&nbsp;
&nbsp;
My latest book The Energy Game is out on July 7, 2026. You can order a copy here:&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/48ID29M">https://amzn.to/48ID29M</a>&nbsp;
Connect with me on the socials:&nbsp;Linkedin&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber</a>)&nbsp;
Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amanthai">https://www.instagram.com/amanthai</a>)&nbsp;
If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and&nbsp;simple to apply&nbsp;tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at&nbsp;<a href="https://amantha.substack.com/">https://amantha.substack.com/</a>&nbsp;
Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amantha.com/podcast">https://www.amantha.com/podcast</a>&nbsp;for full show notes from all episodes.&nbsp;
Get in touch at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:amantha@inventium.com.au">amantha@inventium.com.au</a>&nbsp;
Credits:&nbsp; Host: Amantha Imber&nbsp; Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler&nbsp;

The Work Edit: How to scale a consulting business without growing the team 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/96af95b5-3528-4461-a614-b46c0077728e/transcript

Time Management expert Laura Vanderkam on how to use your time wisely

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