In this episode of the Wholistic Productivity Podcast, Chris LeBrun sits down with Jason Mustard, an immigration attorney and law firm partner, to explore what it really takes to make a major career pivot later in life—without sacrificing your values, your family, or your well-being.

Jason brings a rare perspective shaped by lived experience. After earning a journalism degree and spending a decade working in education, marketing, and recruitment, Jason made the bold decision to leave a stable career and return to school for law—with a spouse, young kids, and real financial pressure in the mix. Today, he practices immigration law in the Bay Area, helping families stay together and individuals pursue new futures.

Together, Chris and Jason unpack the emotional, practical, and productivity challenges of starting over mid-career. They talk candidly about fear, identity, imposter syndrome, preparation, support systems, and why doing meaningful work often requires patience—not urgency.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why making a big career change doesn’t mean starting from zero
• How to manage fear, uncertainty, and imposter syndrome when stakes are high
• The role support systems play in long-term success
• Why “treat it like a job” is a powerful productivity mindset

If you’re wrestling with a career crossroads, a long-held calling, or the tension between professional ambition and personal priorities, this episode will help you think more clearly—and more compassionately—about your next step.

Show Links

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-mustard-26642b6a/

Contact his law firm - https://surowitz.com

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
03:02 The Journey of Career Transition
06:42 Understanding Immigration Law
10:03 The Decision to Pursue Law School
13:46 Experiences in Law School
17:14 Overcoming Doubts and Fears
22:05 Support Systems in Career Changes
25:47 Preparing for the Bar Exam
26:35 The Weight of Expectations
29:59 The Journey Through Law School
32:14 Transitioning from Education to Law
34:05 The Impact of Immigration Law
38:08 The Courage of Immigrants
39:52 Balancing Priorities in Law School
45:36 Work-Life Balance in Law Practice
49:29 Navigating Law School Challenges
53:00 The Importance of Doing Hard Things
55:49 Defining Success and Happiness
58:10 Taking Risks and Building Confidence
59:34 The Questions
01:13:13 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, Chris LeBrun challenges a common assumption about goal setting: that all goals should be treated the same.

They shouldn’t.

Chris breaks down five different types of goals we set—and why understanding the purpose behind each one can dramatically improve motivation, focus, and follow-through. Instead of forcing every goal into the same framework, this episode invites you to design goals that actually fit the season you’re in.

You’ll explore how different goal types serve different roles in your life—helping you build momentum, track progress, grow capacity, or stay connected to what truly matters.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why treating every goal the same leads to frustration and burnout
• The key differences between outcome goals, process goals, growth goals, and impact goals
• How to identify what kind of goal you actually need right now
• Why some goals motivate through progress while others motivate through meaning
• How to use different goal types together to stay consistent without pressure
• A simple framework to help you design goals that support long-term momentum

Whether you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or simply unmotivated by goals that used to excite you, this episode will help you rethink how you set them—and why that changes everything.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
03:09 Understanding Different Types of Goals
04:30 Outcome Goals: Defining Success
08:52 Performance Goals: Setting Standards
11:02 Process Goals: Actions for Success
15:21 Growth Goals: Who We Are Becoming
17:38 Impact Goals: Aligning with Values
19:17 Integrating Goal Types: A Running Example
21:16 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, Chris LeBrun sits down with Jimmy Arnett, a seasoned sales leader and longtime high school sports official, to talk about what sustained performance really looks like—when the pressure is real and the spotlight is on.

Jimmy offers a unique dual lens. In his professional life, he manages $150M in annual revenue as a National Account Sales Manager. Outside of work, he’s spent over three decades officiating high school basketball, volleyball, and softball, including state championship games—where decisions must be made instantly and confidently.

Chris and Jimmy explore the shared skills that connect officiating, leadership, sales, and productivity, including preparation, resilience, handling criticism, learning from mistakes, and staying patient when emotions run high.

This conversation reframes productivity as something deeper than efficiency—highlighting confidence, perspective, and sustainable excellence over the long haul.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why preparation builds confidence in high-pressure moments
• How to handle criticism without letting it derail your focus
• The leadership lessons that translate across careers and callings
• Why patience and perspective improve decision-making
• How to recover from mistakes and keep moving forward
• What sustainable excellence really looks like over the long haul

Show Links

Connect with Jimmy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-arnett-ab37aa/

Connect with Jimmy on Twitter - https://x.com/jarnett34

Connect with Jimmy on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.arnett.16

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
06:01 Exploring the Uniform Industry
11:05 The Art of Sales and Relationship Building
13:48 Getting Started With Officiating
16:03 Lessons from Officiating and Sports
24:14 The Impact of Preparation in Sports and Sales
27:57 Navigating High-Stakes Moments in Officiating
29:07 Connecting Sales and Officiating Experiences
33:33 Navigating Criticism and Heckling
36:59 The Impact of Social Media on Officiating
39:54 Learning from Mistakes and Moving Forward
43:29 Instant Feedback: A Double-Edged Sword
48:34 Common Mistakes of New Officials
49:37 Building Relationships Through Officiating
51:01 Personal Reflections and Motivations

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, Chris LeBrun sits down with executive productivity coach and bestselling author Demir Bentley to challenge one of the most dangerous productivity myths of our time: that success requires constant hustle, long hours, and personal sacrifice.

Demir shares his powerful personal story of burnout on Wall Street—and the moment a health crisis forced him to completely rethink how work, time, and success actually function. From that experience emerged the Winning the Week method, a practical framework designed to help high achievers reclaim their time, reduce overwhelm, and create sustainable momentum without burning out.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why hustle culture often leads to burnout instead of results
• How to plan your week in a way that actually works in real life
• The difference between a wish list and a realistic plan
• Why putting personal priorities on your calendar first matters
• The four types of freedom that redefine true productivity

Show Links

http://winningtheweek.com

https://www.instagram.com/lifehackmethod_/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/demirbentley/

https://www.youtube.com/c/LifehackBootcamp

https://lifehackmethod.com/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
02:41 Welcome Demir Bentley
04:02 Demir Bentley's Journey from Wall Street to Wellness
07:03 The Shift from Hustle Culture to Planning
10:15 Recognizing Rock Bottom and Embracing Change
14:08 The Digital Nomad Lifestyle
16:59 Understanding the Four Freedoms
18:55 The Winning the Week Method: Overcoming Resistance
21:51 Leveraging Priorities for Long-Term Success
22:49 Winning Your Week Method
30:06 Leveraging Time for Productivity
31:12 Interrogating Your Calendar
34:29 Understanding Time Supply and Liabilities
36:10 Calendarizing Your Tasks
41:19 The Importance of Accountability
45:40 AI: The Future of Productivity
51:43 Busting Myths About Productivity

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, Chris LeBrun takes you behind the scenes of his own year-end review—reflecting honestly on the goals, progress, setbacks, and unexpected wins of 2025.

Rather than focusing only on outcomes, this episode highlights why reviewing your year is one of the most important (and overlooked) parts of the goal-setting process. Chris walks through how reflection builds clarity, reinforces momentum, and helps you course-correct before setting goals for the year ahead.

You’ll hear how evaluating professional, personal, and purpose-driven goals reveals patterns you can learn from—whether goals were fully achieved, partially completed, or reshaped by circumstances outside your control. From running milestones and family priorities to business growth, creative projects, and long-term planning, this episode models what a healthy, wholistic review can actually look like.

Rather than chasing perfection, this conversation centers on progress, process, and intention—so you can move into 2026 with confidence instead of pressure.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why year-end reflection matters more than year-end results
• The difference between celebrating progress and only celebrating success
• How reviewing roadblocks helps you plan smarter goals for the future
• Why accountability doesn’t have to be public to be powerful
• How to reflect on professional, personal, and purpose-driven goals together
• The role consistency and systems play in long-term productivity
• How to use your review to course-correct before setting new goals
• A simple reflection challenge to help you close the year with clarity

This episode is a reminder that Wholistic Productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about learning from where you’ve been so you can move forward with intention.

Show Link

Apps I love (may contain affiliate links...but that's not why I love them):

• Runna for training https://chrislebrun.link/runna
• Capacities for personal knowledge management https://wholprod.link/capacities

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
03:12 Accountability and Celebrating Progress
04:41 2025 Review
06:16 Personal Goals and Achievements
07:26 Travel Experiences and Family Connections
10:29 Miscellaneous Goals and Discoveries
12:04 Purpose Goals From 2025 - The Podcast
15:07 Redesigning the Wholistic Productivity Planner
16:22 Coaching, Publications, and Community
19:49 Looking Ahead to 2026 Goals

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, Chris LeBrun breaks down five essential mindsets that separate dreamers from doers—and why mindset is often the missing piece that determines whether your goals become reality.

Most people don’t fail because they lack a plan. They fail because they never developed the mental framework required to follow through when things get hard, uncomfortable, or slow. I

n this episode, Chris explains how high achievers think differently—and how you can adopt the same internal strategies to dream big, plan smart, and live fully.

You’ll discover:

• Why identity shapes behavior more powerfully than goal-setting
• How to build comfort with discomfort so distractions lose their grip
• The power of patient urgency and long-term thinking
• How ruthless prioritization frees you to focus on what matters most
• Why process-driven people achieve more with less stress
• How these mindsets compound and make each other easier
• The fastest way to decide which mindset will move the needle for you right now

If you’ve ever wondered why you “know what to do” but still struggle to do it, this episode will give you the clarity—and the mindset tools—to finally bridge that gap.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
03:19 The Importance of Mindset in Achieving Goals
05:20 Identity Over Goals
10:05 Comfort with Discomfort
13:57 Patient Urgency
18:09 Ruthless Prioritization
22:03 Process Over Outcome
25:30 Developing a High-Achiever Mindset
26:46 Recap and Conclusion: Embracing Mindset Shifts

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, Chris LeBrun explores a critical truth: most productivity advice is designed for entrepreneurs—not the millions working inside corporate systems where calendars, priorities, and workflows are not self-determined.

This episode continues the two-week deep dive on productivity vs. corporate structure, turning the lens toward the productivity space itself and the myths, assumptions, and gaps that don’t translate inside organizational culture.

Chris breaks down why so many mainstream strategies (deep work blocks, eliminating meetings, outsourcing low-value tasks, inbox “once-a-week” habits) become frustrating—not because employees lack discipline, but because the work environment operates on shared autonomy, collaboration, and collective performance.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why corporate productivity is built on team rhythms, not solo optimization
• How mandatory meetings & shared calendars reshape productivity expectations
• What “saying no” actually looks like when role-based KPIs and hierarchy apply
• How to adapt advice like deep work, 80/20 focus, and task elimination to fit real corporate constraints
• Why communication norms (email, Teams/Slack, chat) are organizational—not personal—choices
• How political capital, influence, and relationship equity determine what productivity changes are possible
• Practical ways corporate professionals can negotiate, adapt, and implement changes without friction or fallout

This episode will help you dream big, plan smart, and live fully within the structure you actually work in—without guilt, comparison, or unrealistic expectations.

Show Links

Episode 37 What Corporate America Gets Wrong About Productivity - https://wholisticproductivity.com/37

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
02:51 Understanding Productivity in Corporate America
06:47 Task/Energy Matching and Saying No
10:27 Outsourcing and the 80/20 Rule
14:15 Time Blocking
17:07 Adapting Productivity Tools for Corporate Environments
18:47 Reduce Email Usage
20:42 Building Productive Relationships and Communication
26:48 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, Chris LeBrun kicks off a two-episode series exploring one of the biggest truths about work today: Much of corporate productivity still runs on systems built for a world that no longer exists.

This conversation isn’t a criticism of corporate America—it’s an honest look at why so many high-capacity people feel exhausted, unfocused, or frustrated despite working hard and caring deeply. And more importantly, what’s actually driving the disconnect.

Chris breaks down why the 40-hour workweek still dominates, why meeting overload and “always-on” culture undermine true productivity, and why time-based performance metrics fall short for modern knowledge workers. You’ll gain clarity, validation, and a more grounded understanding of how to work in healthy, human-centered ways—even inside systems that weren’t designed for today’s reality.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why today’s workplaces still rely on 1938 industrial-era rules
• How “hours worked” became the default measure of value
• The hidden cost of meeting overload and proximity bias
• The difference between appearing productive and being productive
• What hybrid and remote work have revealed about how people actually perform
• How outcome-based metrics shift culture and results
• Why deep work and autonomy matter more than ever
• A practical awareness challenge to help you spot time-based traps this week

This episode helps you dream big, plan smart, and live fully by giving you a clearer lens to evaluate workplace expectations and reclaim how you approach your time and energy.

👉 Listen now to this opening episode in a two-part series on the Wholistic Productivity Podcast—and don’t miss next week’s follow-up exploring what productivity experts often misunderstand about the corporate world.

Show Links

Episode 13 - How Meetings and Email are Wasting Your Time (And What to Do About It) - https://wholisticproductivity.com/37

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
05:08 Historical Context of Productivity Systems
08:46 The Impact of Technology on Work Culture
12:36 The Illusion of Productivity Theater
16:02 Rethinking Work Models for Modern Needs
20:18 Empowering Employees for Greater Output

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