Every kid hates making their bed - OK, maybe not every kid, but most kids. Stop the hate - the smart duvet is here. It’s an automated blanket/comforter for your bed that not only makes the bed for you via an inflatable membrane, it also controls the temperature of the bed in two zones, one for your side, another for theirs. Nick was pretty impressed with this one, so he’s going to look into it. At the very least it could save you some time each morning. Just press the button on the smartphone app and go. Smart Duvet. Wow.
The Taga bike 2.0 is on Indiegogo right now and it’s a pretty amazing thing to see. Ari is thinking about getting one to take the kids to school in the fall. Essentially, it is a modular, adaptable bike that you can modify to fit your needs. What does that mean? You can carry cargo, or kids, pets, add on a stroller, and it is a 3-wheeled bike - so it’s stable. It’s also able to fold up so you can easily store it. What more do you want? Check it out on this episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource. It even comes with a water gun accessory. Wow, this one is almost as cool as the smart duvet.
It’s been a pity that so far most co-working spaces have focused mainly on the “work” part and not the “co” part of what they do. Yeah, they have events and “get to know you” things and such, but they’ve been lacking in helping people live their own life the way they need to live it - but still get work done. No longer. Co-working spaces all across the U.S. have listened to their members and have begun providing daycare services in a variety of options. Ari and Nick chat about it - and you can hear it on this episode.
21.co is a new service you can sign up for that enables you to become a “specialist” of sorts who is available to answer specific questions related to your self-defined areas of expertise. You fill out a profile, check the boxes regarding what you’re qualified to answer questions about, and the app begins sending you user-submitted questions - and you get paid for answering. It’s pretty cool, so check it out by listening to this episode.
Aresenal is a new app that connects to most DSLR cameras and takes the headache and learning curve out of things like aperture, focus, and other settings that you’ve never taken the time to understand. With Arsenal you can take some truly stunning photos with the click of a button. Ari is amazed at how easy and amazing it is. You should be sure to check it out before you go on your next vacation.
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To start off this episode, Ari and Nick chat about their experience with a new sponsor, InsideTracker, a service that provides blood analysis services for those who are interested in optimizing their health from a blood chemistry perspective. Ari and Nick chat about their results, the tweaks they’re making as a result, and why they think it’s helpful for most people to do blood analysis work regularly. If you’d like to try out InsideTracker, you can get 15% by using the link in the show notes for this episode.
We’ve all had the experience of taking a quick photo with our smartphone and needing to get it touched up. But how many of us know a professional graphic artist who can do that for us quickly and in a cost-effective manner? That’s where Tweak comes in. It’s an app that allows you to submit a photo for correction or touch-ups and a professional graphic artist will do the work and return the photo to you, pronto. Imagine what this could mean for systems and timelines when creating photos for eBay listings, Amazon, your website, etc. Get the picture? ;)
Ari and Nick met the team from Gooten at a recent event they attended and were very impressed with what they’re offering. It’s nothing new to have your logo printed on promotional or swag items, but there’s always been an issue with what kind of items can be created and the minimum quantities you have to order. No more - Gooten allows you to put your image on just about anything and in quantities as low as one. It’s a great idea and not as pricey as you might imagine. Check it out.
Imagine this scenario: You’re a wellness practitioner - maybe a chiropractor, yoga instructor, or fitness trainer - and you want to travel. But you have to be able to service clients wherever you go. That’s where Renly comes in. It’s like AirBnB for fitness and wellness professionals. You can find a location, agree to terms with a facility owner, and begin receiving clients at that location - and it's possible to do all around the world. Find out more on this episode.
Motorized shades have been around for quite a while. But now you can get the same functionality and even have it automated via your smartphone without having to buy an all new set of shades for your home. Axis Gear is a device that you install on your existing shades that syncs with your app and controls the opening and closing of your shades. It’s a great idea and is about to launch. Find out how you can get yours, on this episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource.
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Pulsed Electromagnetic Stimulation (PEMS) has nearly 50 years of medical/neurological applications and scientifically-proven health benefits and on today’s episode of OAO, we discuss a new device - the Elf Emmit that has come on the scene to help you align your body with your mind. It sounds a bit odd and requires that you wear a funky headband with a cable running to your smartphone, but if it works, it’s really cool. Pulsed Electromagnetic Stimulation devices may be something you should put on your radar, and you can check out one such device on this episode.
Most travel adapters are bulky and don’t always work like you expect. But those days are gone with the advent of Micro, a mini-travel adaptor that’s got Ari very excited. On this episode of OAO, the guys talk about this new device and why it’s an extreme upgrade from the traditional travel adapters that have been around for years. And this one has a surge protector fuse to keep your devices safe. If you travel internationally you’ll want to see this.
How many times have you paid a medical expense out of pocket only to forget that you need to file the claim with your medical insurance company? There’s a new service called Get Better that tracks down the claims you’re owed by your medical insurance provider and takes steps on your behalf to get that money for you, saving you the time of doing it yourself. This episode the guys talk about Get Better and a handful of other apps and services.
FRND is a new service that contracts with healthcare providers, insurance companies, senior living facilities, and more to perform certain healthcare services for patients in the comfort of their own homes. It’s a great way to cut costs, keep people out of waiting rooms and hospital ERs, and make healthcare more personal. And, healthcare providers like RNs can find flexible work that doesn't keep them stuck in an office all day. Nick and Ari discuss FRND and a whole lot more on this episode, so be sure you listen.
The concept of co-working spaces is already a great example of the sharing economy in action. It was only a matter of time until it became even more shared. Desk Pass is a monthly coworking subscription that has agreements with co-working locations in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Denver. Sign up and get affordable, flexible access to over 100 different co-working spaces in those cities. Sounds like a winner. Find out more on this episode.
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This episode of OAO is a bit different because we have some observations to share about the lessons we learned at our recent Leverage team retreat. It was great to be eyeball to eyeball with each other. We discovered many things that could make our relationships and workflow better. Now that we’re back we’re seeing great results, already. We hope the insights we learned can help you as you build your own optimized, automated, and outsourced empire.
Here at Leverage, we pride ourselves on moving quickly. We make fast decisions and take action rapidly. But at our recent team retreat, we saw how much faster things go in-person. Simple things - like the time it takes to give input and receive feedback are dramatically impacted in positive ways when you can be face to face, even for a short amount of time. So yes, you can and should build and effective remote team, but do what you can to get together in person as you are able. You’ll find the benefits are bigger than you think.
Neither Nick or Ari have any intention of building the company so that it can run without them entirely - in other words, they don’t plan on replacing themselves through the automation they’ve put in place. BUT, thinking as if you DO want to replace yourself can help you put some incredible time-saving systems and automation in place that will benefit your company. The guys chat a bit about that concept and how it can improve your workflow and increase effectiveness, on this episode of Optimize, Automate, Outsource.
You’ve seen those construction dumpsters outside your local construction site, right? Those are usually expensive and you pay for them according to the time you have them. But there’s a new option that is very inexpensive ($29 each) and you can keep them as long as you like. When you’re ready, you call to have it picked up for a one-time fee. And these bags (yes, bags) are the size of a regular construction dumpster. Seriously. Find out more on this episode.
It was only a matter of time - and it sounds unbelievable, but you can now get your eyes checked via an app, have it write your prescription, and order your glasses. Amazing. You never have to go see the eye Doc if you don’t want to. Surely there are limitations depending on the condition of your eyes but this is truly revolutionary. Find out more about it on this episode.
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Ari often refers to one of his favorite blogs, “Barking Up The Wrong Tree” and on this episode, he starts the show referring to an article there entitled “How to Make Life Magical,” and as you can tell my the title, it’s about how to live a magical life. But this particular list is all science-based, so it merits attention. In typical style, Ari and Nick’s banter is almost as interesting as the article itself - almost.
Human performance is a large part of what’s behind the quest to live a magical life - and one of the current barriers being undertaken in a quest to increase human performance is the quest to break the 2 hour marathon barrier. Currently, Dennis Kimetto of Kenya holds the world record for the fastest marathon at 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 57 seconds. But Nike is pouring tons of resources into pushing past that 2-hour mark. On this episode Ari and Nick chat about their efforts.
As Ari and Nick chat about the attempts Nike is making to break the 2-hour marathon barrier, Nick brought up the video of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay. He says it’s one of the greatest races of all time and highlights how Jazon Lezak, a veteran swimmer from the USA used the wake of his opponent, Alain Bernard to propel himself forward, leaving him a reserve of energy from which to draw to edge out Bernard in the final second of the race. Pretty cool stuff - and you can hear the guys talk about it on this episode.
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