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Welcome to Best Laid Plans -- a podcast all about planning and the planning tools we love. From planning techniques and organizing philosophies to planners and notebooks, we cover it all. Host Sarah Hart-Unger is a mother of 3, physician, podcasting pro, and a lover of lists and all things paper! Listen in weekly for conversations about planning and productivity as well as product reviews and interviews with planning experts!
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Love your career? Love your family? Best of Both Worlds is the show for you! Hosts Laura Vanderkam, author of I Know How She Does It and a mom of five, and Sarah Hart-Unger, a practicing physician and mom of three, discuss work/life balance, career development, parenting, time management, productivity, and making time for fun. Tune in each week for strategies to help you thrive in all spheres of life.
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Learn how to achieve balanced and lasting success with world-renowned author and keynote speaker Dave Crenshaw! Dave has already taught millions how to be more productive through his online courses—now listen in as he explores the untold stories of some of the world’s most accomplished people. Dave’s mission is to help his kids become successful human beings, and you get to come along for the ride! Discover how to develop your career, manage your money, find time for fun, build stronger rela ...
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Sarah Hart Unger, a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist, balances her medical career with a highly successful podcast and family life. She emphasizes the importance of aligning career and personal passions, as seen in her transition to podcasting and course creation. She advocates for effective time management, setting boundaries, and integra…
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If you are trying to decide on a planner for 2025, you are in luck! Sarah provides guidelines for choosing a planner for 2025, and Laura shares her current planning systems as well. They discuss various choices/preferences that will dictate options available, some popular brands to consider, and more! In the Q&A, a listener writes in wondering what…
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In today's episode, Sarah reviews 3 new planner offerings you might be considering of 2025! Products reviewed/discussed: Full Focus Wellness Planner, a new version of the classic Full Focus Planner https://fullfocusstore.com/pages/wellness-planner/ Ashley Shelly's Sewn Undated Daily, a compact versatile daily layout https://ashleyshelly.com/product…
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Dave Crenshaw develops productive leaders in Fortune 500 companies, universities, and organizations of every size. He has appeared in Time magazine, USA Today, FastCompany, and the BBC News. His courses on LinkedIn Learning have been viewed tens of millions of times. His five books have been published in eight languages, the most popular of which i…
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Are you an "outdoorsy" family? Would you like to enjoy nature with kids more than you do right now? In this episode, Laura interviews Sarah McCarty, head of Run Wild My Child, to learn tactics for getting outside together, even if it isn't your family's natural inclination. In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking about Halloween costumes -- how do …
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In today's episode, Sarah shares an extensive Planner Peace from a listener who plans "99% on paper" and then shares some Hot Tips + Q&A! Planner Peace Segment Products mentioned: - Plotter: https://plotterusa.com/leather-binders - Raymay-Davinci: https://yosekastationery.com/search?q=raymay Hot Tips: Apps mentioned: OneSec , Forest Essential Calen…
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Joe Landolina, CEO and co-founder of Cresilon Inc., shared his journey from early chemistry experiments with his grandfather to creating a nine-figure medical device business. Joe's company developed a plant-based hemostatic gel that improves wound care and has saved over 50,000 pets' lives. Joe emphasized the importance of transparency, mentorship…
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Today's episode is an expanded Love of the Week in multiple categories, from personal care to clothing to kids' stuff and household goods, with some of the items fall themed or inspired. Then, Sarah and Laura answer a listener question related to energy management as a toddler parent (doing lots of solo parenting, to boot!). Finally, they share the…
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How a Full Time Academic + Mother of 5 Gets it Done (with Joy!), Featuring Sarah Jedd EP 220
33:34
In today's episode, host Sarah interviews Sarah Jedd, who works full time as teaching faculty at UW (Faculty in Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture), and is the mother of 5 amazing kids ages 4 to 18! She's also been blogging (old school style) at harry times.com since 2006! Sarah Jedd does a lot, manages a lot, and has fun while doing it. Sarah (J) sha…
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Sophie Thompson, co-founder of Virtual Speech, shares her inspiring journey of turning personal struggle into a global impact. After battling severe social anxiety, Sophie discovered a powerful way to push beyond her limits using virtual reality training. Since 2016, Virtual Speech has helped over 500,000 people in 130 countries tackle their own co…
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Laura and Sarah open with a brief discussion of the ways their kids have been exposed to service and volunteer work, and then Laura interviews MiaLisa Millares, mom of 3 and executive director of Doing Good Together, a national nonprofit based in Minneapolis that equips families with tools to raise kids who care and contribute. In the Q&A segment, …
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Top 10 Ideas for Your Paper Planner, Digital Displays, Screen Time Consciousness + more EP 219
32:00
Highlights of this episode: - Sarah opens by sharing details about BLP at Home: Planning 2025 (visit theshubox.com/courses for details) - A listener (Bridget) shares her experiences with a display showing Google calendar - her setup, impact on kids, husband, etc! - Discussion of screen time consciousness and the app Aro, which gamifies putting away…
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It's a mixed bag episode! Sarah and Laura open by sharing a bit about their current routines now that the school year has been in full swing for a few weeks. Then, they discuss all things whining, from the inevitability to tips to help tone it down. Finally, they address a great (and interesting!) question from a listener about the merits of presch…
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It's (almost) a new month, and today's episode is all about THE MONTH! Sarah shares her love for the 12 natural outpoints in our year and discusses ways she loves to mark the start of a new month. She shares her monthly goal setting tactics, and how the month slots into the Nested Goals framework. She also advocates for planning in FUN on a monthly…
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Jessica Chen, an Emmy-winning journalist, and CEO of Soulcast Media, shares her journey from intern to an award-winning reporter and successful entrepreneur, offering valuable lessons for listeners aiming to achieve their own success. She emphasizes the critical role of communication skills, especially in fast-paced environments, and how mastering …
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Sam Kelly is a therapist turned course creator with a passion for getting kids to NOTICE and contribute to household management. Sarah and Laura discuss their own current statuses in this realm, and then Sam joins Sarah for the interview portion of the episode. In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking how to manage teens not wanting to participate i…
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Sept Q&A: Quintiles Idea, Annual Planning, Family Communication Tools, Extra-long Term Goals, and Studying for a Big Test (MCAT) EP 217
26:44
In today's episode, Sarah shares some listener tips + answers questions that came in through email or text (305-697-7189)! Topics include: - Fun tip for using stickers/etc acquired on vacation - Unique Quintiles use case from Emily (http://pfforphds.com/podcast/) - Discussion of annual planning recommendations (note - for those that want a guided a…
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Katie Gillberg, founder and CEO of Hydrate IV Bar, shares a unique journey from her days as a Denver Broncos cheerleader to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the IV hydration industry. Drawing on the confidence, teamwork, and professionalism she honed on the sidelines, Katie turned her passion into a business. Starting out, she juggled self-fun…
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To open, Laura and Sarah talk about previous visions for their own career. Then, in the interview portion Erika Ayers Badan shares some fascinating ideas around work and what it takes to build a career that is truly fun and fulfilling -- she and Sarah discuss failure, boss challenges, coming back from maternity leave, and much more. In the Q&A, a l…
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In today's episode, Kendra Adachi joins Sarah to chat about all things planning-adjacent including her new book, The Plan! Kendra is a NYT Bestselling author and podcaster at the Lazy Genius, and she brings her compassion and unique perspective to planning, goal setting, and time management in her latest book, The Plan. Sarah and Kendra discuss goa…
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Simeon Quarrie, CEO of Vivida and an award-winning international speaker, discusses his journey from starting a business at 16 to becoming a multimedia storyteller for major brands like Apple and Google. He emphasizes the importance of blending creativity with technology, delivering work to the highest standards, and listening to the right voices o…
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Today is a fun but also thought-provoking episode -- Sarah and Laura chose "would you rather?" questions to pose to each other, and both the questions and answers provide a lot of interesting fodder for thought and reflection! Would YOU choose to be more attractive or more intelligent (and what did the hosts pick)? Would you rather work the job you…
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Mixed Bag Ep: Planner Peace, Planner News, and Dealing with Stressful / Uncertain Times EP 215
22:19
It's a Mixed Bag Ep! In part 1, Sarah shares a Planner Peace segment from Meredith that covers multiple facets of planning - personal, family, goal setting, and life! Products mentioned are Laurel Denise, Cultivate What Matters PowerSheets, a Family Teams wall calendar, and a Hemlock & Oak Daily. Family Teams: https://shop.familyteams.com/products/…
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Ed Greenwood, the mastermind behind the iconic Forgotten Realms, shares his journey from childhood daydreams to becoming a Dungeons & Dragons legend. He reveals the magic formula: read everything, find your unique voice, and create like there's no tomorrow. Greenwood’s wisdom goes beyond writing; it’s about finding a career that lights you up, surr…
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Insider College Admissions Advice with Alice Chen, Expert Coach and BrightStory Founder EP 370
41:29
In the intro, Sarah and Laura discuss memories of college applications. There may or may not have been typewriters involved! Then, Laura welcomes Alice Chen, BrightStory founder and top college admissions counselor to chat about all things college admissions, from building a narrative that makes sense to viewing the process as an opportunity for te…
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In today's episode, Sarah explores the concept of intentionality. She discussed examples and ways we can unknowingly live without much intention and then suggests strategies (large and small) to promote more intentional living. Things to think about: - Career autopilot/drift - Responding to others' expectations - Saying yes to everything - Failing …
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Happy birthday to the podcast! Laura and Sarah share their memories from the very beginnings of BOBW, and then reminisce and discuss favorite episodes from the past. They share their biggest surprises, favorite guest eps, favorite conversation eps, and then Laura ends with a piece on the "why" behind the podcast -- illustrating how women can love t…
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It's August's Q&A episode! Join Sarah as she tackles listener questions and comments. Topics include: - an inbox zero success story - approaching nebulous//large projects such as book writing - what does it mean to "work faster" compared to others - thoughts on the Organize 365 Sunday Basket system (Sarah has one!) - teaching planning and organizin…
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In today's episode, Laura and Sarah discuss the challenges of long weekends home with young kids! These longs stretches of unstructured time can be really challenging when kids are young (babies / toddlers / preschoolers) and so Laura and Sarah share practical strategies to improve your little-kid weekend outlook. In the Q&A, a listener asks: Havin…
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Mixed Bag: PTO Tracking, Post-Vacation Analysis + 2025 Planner Preview (Hobonichi + More) EP 212
26:58
It's a Mixed Bag ep! Topics covered: 1- PTO Spreadsheet - inspired by my friend Kae (gratefulkae.com) 2- Vacation Postmortem! Consider doing a post-trip analysis with a partner. Can also extend to other home areas (summer, a school year, a holiday season, etc!) 3- Two upcoming books I’m excited about - Kendra Adachi’s The Plan and Oliver Burkeman’s…
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Laura and Sarah celebrate back-to-school season with a discussion of all things school-related! They share their own kids' school stages and transitions, and Laura shares a little bit about what it is like to have a college senior (and driving teen with parking permit!). They discuss lunches, back to school shopping, activities, and more. In the Q&…
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Today's episode features a discussion of all things related to Quintile 4, the season after summer! Sarah features some back to school discussion, but there she also addresses some non-school-related shifts in the season as well as future planning to think about. Then, she dives into a listener query about sticking to plans -- how do you stick to y…
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In today's episode, Laura and Sarah open with the state of their own digital clutter. Then, Amanda joins Sarah to discuss all things digital decluttering as well as her very simple yet powerful method of brain dumping via Google Sheet. Some notes referenced: Cleaner Kit App for photo cleanup iPhone: swipe notifications --> options --> turn off Aman…
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In today's episode, Sarah interviews Jodi Wellman on her work on mortality and how the concept of death / our finite lives can inspire living a life with vitality, meaning, and -- for lack of a better term, more "aliveness." Jodi holds a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and spent years exploring and applying these tough topics to help others …
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Today's episode is all about designing your work week! Sarah was given some leeway to choose her clinical days for next year, sparking a whole discussion about strategies once might use to intentionally craft a weekly work rhythm. Laura and Sarah discuss choices that might be made when choosing a part-time schedule or a hybrid WFH/in-office schedul…
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In today's episode, Sarah discusses her flagship planning course, Best Laid Plans Academy, as she prepares the launch the fourth round (the first in 2024!). She discusses takeaways from prior rounds, why this material works in a course format, and shares the course topics and logistics. To learn more, visit theshubox.com/courses; signup information…
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