What if the most productive thing you could do is get well — in every sense of the word?

In this episode of the Wholistic Productivity Podcast, host Chris LeBrun sits down with Jared Thurmon, a founder and investor building ventures at the intersection of wellness and hospitality. Jared's lifelong conviction is simple: true health is the foundation everything else is built on. And now he's building that conviction into reality — co-founding Santerra, a 320-acre luxury wellness resort in the Arizona desert designed to transform guests through physical vitality, mental clarity, and spiritual connection.

Chris and Jared dig into what it really means to be healthy, why so many of us look fine on the outside while struggling within, and how aligning what we profess with how we actually live changes everything. Jared also shares what a DNA test revealed about his drive to build — and why self-awareness might be the most underrated health tool of all.

Show Links

Sign up for Jared's newsletter - https://www.1upyourlife.com/

Connect with Jared on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thurmon/

Follow Jared on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jaredthurmon

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
03:33 The Foundation of True Health
06:30 Aligning Beliefs with Actions
09:46 The Importance of Authentic Relationships
15:26 Navigating Loneliness in Modern Society
18:35 Faith and Business
21:11 The Drive for Innovation and Growth
21:44 The Genetics of Innovation
25:37 Transforming Legacy Institutions
27:03 Navigating Innovation in Established Organizations
29:54 The Vision Behind Santerra: A Wellness Retreat
35:24 The Role of Hospitality in Healing
37:48 Building a Business with Your Partner
40:23 The Journey to Launching Santerra
41:52 Prioritizing Health for High Achievers
45:03 Exploring Taboo Topics: The Newsletter Journey
48:47 The Questions

This episode is sponsored by Efficient.app
Don't waste time searching for the best software. Let the experts at efficient.app do it for you. They have tons of "No BS" reviews on all kinds of software so you'll always get an honest recommendation. When you're ready to buy they offer discounts as well. So check them out next time you are looking for new software!

This episode is sponsored by Little Golden Shepherd
If you're looking for an all-natural remedy to manage your muscle, joint, and nerve pain, check out Little Golden Shepherd butters. Made with herbs and natural oils, LGS butters are a great natural alternative for pain. Use this link & the promo code "wholprod" to save 15% on your first order. Experience relief, naturally.

Support the show

Join the free Wholistic Productivity community on Skool

Every yes you give costs something. The question is whether you're making that trade on purpose — or by accident.

In this episode of the Wholistic Productivity Podcast, Chris LeBrun unpacks why defaulting to yes is one of the quietest ways we sabotage our own goals. Drawing from his own experience teaching adjunct college courses — a commitment he loved but eventually had to walk away from — he explores what it really means to protect your time, energy, and focus with intention. Saying no isn't a closed door. It's how you keep the right doors open.

Then, Chris shares a shift in how he thinks about learning: the best investment isn't in what you need to know today — it's in what you'll need to know tomorrow. From taking a sales and marketing webinar before he even has a team, to the idea of "learning forward," this segment will challenge you to get ahead of the skills your future self is going to need.

This episode is for you if you're tired of feeling overcommitted, under-resourced, or like your goals keep getting pushed to the back burner.

🎧 Listen now and start making your yeses count.

Show Links

Read about my latest learning adventure https://wholprod.link/cfre

Sign up for the Wholistic Productivity Newsletter https://wholisticproductivity.com

Chapters

00:00 The Power of Yes and No
01:32 Teaching Future Generations
02:57 Intentional Commitment and Resource Allocation
03:57 Generosity vs. Overcommitment
04:58 The Joy of Learning
08:34 Taking Action on Learning
09:43 Conclusion

This episode is sponsored by Efficient.app
Don't waste time searching for the best software. Let the experts at efficient.app do it for you. They have tons of "No BS" reviews on all kinds of software so you'll always get an honest recommendation. When you're ready to buy they offer discounts as well. So check them out next time you are looking for new software!

Support the show

Join the free Wholistic Productivity community on Skool

You don't have a time problem — you have an energy problem. In this episode of the Wholistic Productivity Podcast, Chris gets personal about a brutal stretch of life (his son's ongoing health battle) and shares why no amount of time management can save you when your energy tanks are running on empty.

Then, taking inspiration from the band U2, Chris breaks down why the unglamorous "B-side tasks" — the ones that don't move the needle on your big goals — still deserve your full effort. Because nobody wants an album full of demos.

In this episode:

• Why time is fixed, but energy is the real variable
• How to manage your physical, mental, and emotional energy as three distinct tanks
• What U2's recording process teaches us about embracing the work that doesn't feel important
• Why B-side tasks are the foundation your "hits" depend on

This week's challenge: Instead of asking how do I find more time? — ask where is my energy going?

Chapters

00:00 Understanding the Energy vs. Time Dilemma
01:15 The Impact of Personal Challenges on Energy Management
02:48 Strategies for Protecting and Managing Energy
04:27 The Numbers Game in Music
06:11 B-Side Records
09:01 Embracing the B-Sides of Life

This episode is sponsored by Efficient.app
Don't waste time searching for the best software. Let the experts at efficient.app do it for you. They have tons of "No BS" reviews on all kinds of software so you'll always get an honest recommendation. When you're ready to buy they offer discounts as well. So check them out next time you are looking for new software!

Support the show

Join the free Wholistic Productivity community on Skool

Every great idea you've ever lost to distraction didn't disappear — you just had nowhere to put it. In this episode of the Wholistic Productivity Podcast, Chris LeBrun shares a deceptively simple strategy for protecting your focus: parking distracting thoughts instead of chasing them. When your brain knows an idea is safely captured, it stops interrupting you.

Chris also introduces a powerful analogy about time and distraction — one that reframes why lost focus is so costly. Just like you can't dip your bucket in the river and get yesterday's water, you can never recover yesterday's time. That's not a reason to overwork — it's a reason to be intentional about how you use the hours you actually have.

In this episode:

• Why your brain keeps interrupting you (and how to make it stop)
• The "parking lot" strategy for capturing distracting thoughts without losing momentum
• How logging unexpected tasks reveals patterns you can actually fix
• The river analogy that reframes your relationship with time and rest

Check out the show notes at wholisticproductivity.com/55 and join the free Wholistic Productivity community — link in the show notes!

Chapters

00:00 The Distraction Dilemma
05:04 Getting Today's Water
08:35 Conclusion

This episode is sponsored by Efficient.app
Don't waste time searching for the best software. Let the experts at efficient.app do it for you. They have tons of "No BS" reviews on all kinds of software so you'll always get an honest recommendation. When you're ready to buy they offer discounts as well. So check them out next time you are looking for new software!

Support the show

Join the free Wholistic Productivity community on Skool

What if everything you've been told about balance is wrong? In this episode of the Wholistic Productivity Podcast, Chris LeBrun breaks down why the "perfect pie chart" version of balance is setting you up to feel like a failure — and what to replace it with instead. The answer isn't more discipline or better time management. It's rhythm.

Chris shares a candid look at his own heavy seasons as a nonprofit fundraiser and how leaning intentionally into one area of life — then consciously shifting back — is what real balance actually looks like over time.

Whether you're feeling stretched thin right now or just stuck in a season that was never supposed to be permanent, this episode will give you a fresh framework for how to think about balance — and a challenge to figure out which season you're actually in.

🎧 Subscribe and listen on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode of the Wholistic Productivity Podcast.

Chapters

00:00 Redefining Balance: A New Perspective
04:30 The Craziest Story...
07:12 Short-Term Comfort vs. Long-Term Goals
08:36 Conclusion

This episode is sponsored by Efficient.app
Don't waste time searching for the best software. Let the experts at efficient.app do it for you. They have tons of "No BS" reviews on all kinds of software so you'll always get an honest recommendation. When you're ready to buy they offer discounts as well. So check them out next time you are looking for new software!

Support the show

Join the free Wholistic Productivity community on Skool

What if the exhaustion you're feeling goes far deeper than just being tired?

In this episode of the Wholistic Productivity Podcast, host Chris LeBrun sits down with Chelsy Tyler — pastor, speaker, and burnout recovery advocate — for an honest and eye-opening conversation about burnout that most of us never get to have.

Chelsy brings a unique perspective to this topic: having served in pastoral ministry, she spent years pouring into high school students, young adults, and volunteer leaders — all while quietly drowning beneath the surface.

Her personal journey through whole-being exhaustion, compassion fatigue, and the long road to recovery led her to where she is now: helping others recognize burnout, name it, and begin to heal from it.

In this episode, Chris and Chelsy explore what burnout actually feels like before you have language for it, why caregivers and people in mission-driven roles are especially vulnerable, how faith communities can unintentionally reinforce burnout, and what recovery actually looks like — not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

If you've ever felt tired in a way that sleep doesn't fix, or wondered why meaningful work still leaves you depleted, this one is for you.

🎧 Tune in now — and don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode!

Show Links

• Connect with Chelsy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsytyler/
• Chelsy's teaching on burnout, limits, and the invitation to rest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfQfYkPUi7M
• Chelsy's teaching on productivity, identity, and human limits https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tXHBVqnhpI
• Read The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer https://wholprod.link/hc/hurry

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
06:50 Personal Experiences with Burnout
12:29 The Importance of Boundaries and Support
18:09 The Challenge of Authenticity in Ministry
23:58 Identity Beyond Work
29:19 Normalizing Mental Health Conversations
37:08 The Journey to Recovery
42:52 Transitioning from Burnout to Recovery
50:43 Redefining Productivity
59:14 Seeking Help and Support

This episode is sponsored by Efficient.app
Don't waste time searching for the best software. Let the experts at efficient.app do it for you. They have tons of "No BS" reviews on all kinds of software so you'll always get an honest recommendation. When you're ready to buy they offer discounts as well. So check them out next time you are looking for new software!

This episode is sponsored by Little Golden Shepherd
If you're looking for an all-natural remedy to manage your muscle, joint, and nerve pain, check out Little Golden Shepherd butters. Made with herbs and natural oils, LGS butters are a great natural alternative for pain. Use this link & the promo code "wholprod" to save 15% on your first order. Experience relief, naturally.

Support the show

Join the free Wholistic Productivity community on Skool

What if the key to getting more done isn’t adding new apps or complicated systems—but simply using the tools you already have?

In this episode of the Wholistic Productivity Podcast, productivity coach Chris LeBrun shares five practical tools that can dramatically improve your productivity without costing a single dollar. Instead of chasing the latest productivity hacks, Chris explains how to work smarter by focusing on what actually moves the needle.

Drawing on the 80/20 principle, Chris walks through simple strategies that help you prioritize meaningful work, stay focused throughout the day, and follow through on your goals. These tools are accessible to everyone and can be implemented immediately—whether you prefer digital systems or a more analog approach.

You’ll learn how to use your calendar, reminders, daily reviews, journaling, and intentional language to create more structure, reduce overwhelm, and build momentum toward your goals. Chris also shares how these habits fit within his broader Wholistic Productivity philosophy, which encourages balanced progress across professional, personal, and purpose-driven areas of life.

If you’ve ever felt busy but not productive, this episode will help you refocus on what matters most and show you how to start making meaningful progress today.

Listen now to discover how a few simple adjustments can help you dream big, plan smart, and live fully.

Show Links

Get Capacities - PKM and digital notetaking software https://wholprod.link/capacities

Listen to Episode 28 - Personal Knowledge Management and the PARA System https://wholisticproductivity.com/28

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:29 Mastering Your Calendar
05:26 Sound The Alarm
09:30 Time for Review
12:29 Dear Diary
16:57 Getting Rid of Hope
19:07 Recap and Conclusion

This episode is sponsored by Efficient.app
Don't waste time searching for the best software. Let the experts at efficient.app do it for you. They have tons of "No BS" reviews on all kinds of software so you'll always get an honest recommendation. When you're ready to buy they offer discounts as well. So check them out next time you are looking for new software!

This episode is sponsored by Little Golden Shepherd
If you're looking for an all-natural remedy to manage your muscle, joint, and nerve pain, check out Little Golden Shepherd butters. Made with herbs and natural oils, LGS butters are a great natural alternative for pain. Use this link & the promo code "wholprod" to save 15% on your first order. Experience relief, naturally.

Support the show

Join the free Wholistic Productivity community on Skool

In this episode of the Wholistic Productivity Podcast, productivity coach Chris LeBrun tackles a challenge many ambitious people face: having too many goals competing for your attention.

If you’ve ever felt like you have too many browser tabs open in your brain, you’re not alone. Chris shares a simple framework called the Focus Allocation Model that helps you organize your goals so you can pursue multiple ambitions without fragmenting your focus or burning out.

You’ll learn how to identify which goals deserve your attention right now, which ones should stay in motion, and which ones belong on a “not now” list.

If you’re juggling big dreams across your professional, personal, and purpose-driven life, this episode will help you bring clarity to your priorities.

Show Links

Book a free 20-minute Strategy call https://wholprod.link/strategy

Get Capacities online notetaking and personal knowledge management app https://wholprod.link/capacities

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
03:43 The Importance of Clarity in Goals
05:45 Managing Multiple Projects Effectively
07:10 Juggling Multiple Projects Effectively
09:23 The Focus Allocation Model
14:46 Creating Your Ideal Week Template
15:38 Allocating Time for Goals
16:49 Managing Overwhelm and Prioritization
20:03 Practical Steps for Clarity and Focus

This episode is sponsored by Efficient.app
Don't waste time searching for the best software. Let the experts at efficient.app do it for you. They have tons of "No BS" reviews on all kinds of software so you'll always get an honest recommendation. When you're ready to buy they offer discounts as well. So check them out next time you are looking for new software!

This episode is sponsored by Little Golden Shepherd
If you're looking for an all-natural remedy to manage your muscle, joint, and nerve pain, check out Little Golden Shepherd butters. Made with herbs and natural oils, LGS butters are a great natural alternative for pain. Use this link & the promo code "wholprod" to save 15% on your first order. Experience relief, naturally.

Support the show

Join the free Wholistic Productivity community on Skool