76. How To Turn Your Company into a Productivity Machine | Nick Sonnenberg

Dr Espen Podcast

Tweetable quote from Nick

“Your brain's for having ideas, not holding ideas.”

Summary

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of business efficiency with Nick Sonnenberg, entrepreneur, best-selling author of "Come Up For Air," and founder of Leverage. After experiencing a challenging business partner breakup and nearly going bankrupt, Nick discovered the importance of operational efficiency and effective communication in the workplace.

Nick shares valuable insights on how to create systems that allow teams to work together seamlessly, ensuring that everyone is aligned and focused on their unique strengths. Whether you're running a small startup or a large corporation, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you run your business like a well-oiled machine.

About our guest:

Nick Sonnenberg is an entrepreneur, Inc. columnist, guest lecturer at Columbia University, and the WSJ bestselling author of Come Up for Air: How Teams Can Leverage Systems and Tools to Stop Drowning in Work. He is the Founder and CEO of Leverage, a leading operational efficiency consultancy that helps companies implement his CPR® Business Efficiency Framework. This is the culmination of Nick’s unique perspective on the value of time, efficiency, and automation which stems in part from the eight years he spent working as a high-frequency trader on Wall Street. The CPR (Communication, Planning, and Resources) Framework consistently results in greater output, less stress, happier employees, and the potential to gain an extra full day per week in productivity per person—just by using the right tools in the right way, at the right time. Nick and his team have worked with organizations of all sizes and across all industries, from high-growth startups to the Fortune 100.

📲Find out more about Nick

Podcast: https://theoptimizepodcast.com/

Website: https://nicksonnenberg.com/

https://www.getleverage.com/

Get his book at https://comeupforair.com/

Course: https://maven.com/comeupforair/inbox-zero

📲Find out more about Dr Espen

Website: https://drespen.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drespenwoldjensen

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_espen/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr_espen

Check our upcoming events: https://bit.ly/3whDgVo

💡Episode Highlights:

00:00:00 - Episode Trailer

00:02:08 - Origins of the CPR framework for business efficiency

00:05:43 - The importance of systems for freeing up mental capacity

00:08:08 - Where to start with streamlining communication

00:10:38 - Investing time for long-term returns

00:13:31 - Optimizing time usage and repurposing "dead time"

00:15:29 - Hiring as a last resort and maximizing team efficiency

00:18:48 - Important AI and automation tools for 2025

00:24:58 - AI replacing virtual assistants and optimizing workflows

00:28:31 - Top tips for entrepreneurs looking to scale

00:30:53 - Nick's main focuses for 2025

00:32:30 - Espen's goals and corporate wellness work

00:35:27 - Key benefits of reading "Come Up For Air"

00:36:34 - Nick's message to the world