Friday, April 1, 2016

Straight Chatting from the Library: Michael Brecht


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michael Brecht will be awarding 5 Doodle Premium Accounts for Free to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

READ THE GUEST BLOG


If I’d never heard of me would I read my book? Why?


Absolutely. That’s one of the most important features of The Doodle Productivity Book! If you’re not familiar with me, it’s likely that you’ve heard of one of the 30 productivity and time management experts that are featured inside. Many of the people who we spoke with are leaders in the field, and are bestselling authors in their own right. People like Laura Stack and Graham Allcott mean that this book has a much broader appeal. It’s a collaborative project between multiple experts and time-saving platforms. So, you don’t need to know about me or the Doodle app to appreciate what this book has to offer.

And if you’re not familiar with the names inside, then there’s still a host of great reasons to pick up a copy. Mainly, if you’re someone who’s looking to find balance and equilibrium in your life by increasing productivity and improving your time management skills, then The Doodle Productivity Book is the perfect starting point. Nowadays the market is flooded with quick-fix solutions and pre-packaged, inflexible routines that claim to help you. This book takes a different approach by looking at the daily lives of productivity experts—and seeing how they operate in order to gain a more nuanced understanding of what’s required to be an expert.

The point is that people can pick and choose. No two people’s lives are same. It’s about identifying individual problems and solutions, and building that into something flexible and durable that works for you. Put simply: as the author, I’ve learnt a huge amount from the interviews that are in this book, and I’m convinced everyone can benefit from reading it.

READ THE BLURB


Ever wondered what the secret is to productivity? Here’s a hint: there isn’t just one. Introducing the Doodle Productivity Book! Containing in-depth interviews with 30 of the world’s top productivity & time management experts, this book lifts the lid on the industry’s best kept tips and tricks. The result? An engaging and practical guide that will help you find your natural pace, so you can work smarter—not harder.

READ AN EXCERPT


Quote Laura Stack:

What are some of your favorite productivity tips & apps?

Obviously, I love Doodle! I use it to schedule client conference calls and I talk about it in my presentations! Other apps I like:

TripIt. I use this for plane, hotel, directions and ground transportation. Simply forward your confirmation emails and TripIt automatically populates your digital itineraries. It also means I can access all my details on my phone as I’m walking through the airport.

Evernote. Sync content from the cloud to your desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone. When I see an article I like online, I simply right-click, clip the page, file it in a Notebook and tag it for easy searching. I drag large PDF documents into new Notes to read on upcoming business trips. I use Evernote in conjunction with my Livescribe Smartpen, so my handwritten notes from meetings and conference calls sync through Wi-Fi to my online account. I can listen to recordings right before meetings to refresh my memory.

TouchDown. Microsoft Outlook users can sync their data to their phones, which is really handy, except the native apps require them to tap multiple icons to access different modules. Instead, I use the TouchDown ActiveSync Exchange client. This allows me to click ONE icon to access my Email, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Notes, as well as handle Out of Office and Rule settings.

Square. My smartphone is a portable credit card processing machine. Using a small scanner that plugs into the earphone jack, I can accept payments for things like book sales and speaking fees. I slide the card through the scanner, enter the dollar amount and ask the buyer to sign with a fingertip. The buyer can enter an email address to receive a receipt.

MEET THE AUTHOR


I am a serial entrepreneur, have more than twenty years of experience in IT and Digital Media and have held several international leadership positions in Europe and AustralAsia.

Since the beginning of 2014 I am CEO of Doodle – the world’s favourite online scheduling tool. Together with my fantastic team we have integrated Doodle into the Digital Portfolio of Tamedia AG, Switzerland’s largest media company. Our focus is to grow the business into a global application while strengthening its product offerings and continuing its successful monetisation. Doodle AG is a highly profitable business with offices in Zurich and Berlin.

My experience ranges from founding a start-up to various exits to multi-national corporates and subsequent integration. I enjoy topics of digital transformation and the leadership of highly innovative teams with a particular focus on growing a business internationally.

Now that digitalisation is increasingly becoming a topic for all businesses from start-up to large corporate, I have decided to start my own blog. Here you’ll find information on productivity topics, quotes about personal and professional efficiency, my reviews of awesome apps I use myself and I am trying to present a few stories that aren’t meant to be too serious too.

In my private life I am married and our home comprises of four children and our dog (an Australian Labradoodle). We are currently living in five different countries and I myself carry a German and an Australian passport. I enjoy sports, in particular football, swimming, tennis and all kinds of outdoor activities and I am passionate about the discovery of great wines.

Book Website: http://productivity-book.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelbrecht?lang=de
Author Website: http://michaelbrecht.com

Buy the book at iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or Amazon.

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