Show overview
Focused has been publishing since 2016, and across the 10 years since has built a catalogue of 255 episodes. That works out to roughly 300 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run an hour to ninety minutes — most land between 1h 1m and 1h 23m — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Business show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 1 weeks ago, with 9 episodes already out so far this year. Published by Relay.
From the publisher
David Sparks and Mike Schmitz are not nearly as productive as they’d like to be. Join these fellow travelers (and a bunch of special guests) as they share the best ways to get focused, and talk through their successes and failures along the way. Hosted by David Sparks and Mike Schmitz.
Latest Episodes
View all 255 episodes255: Get Your Machete Out
254: Battling Burnout
253: Finding Focus in the Midst of Chaos, with David Roth
Ep 252252: Donkey Work
David has a new Field Guide, and both he & Mike discuss the ways they're using AI to have their robot assistants help with the donkey work.
Ep 251251: Not Throwing Away My Shot, with Joe Casabona
Podcast coach and Streamlined Soloprenuer founder Joe Casabona joins us to talk about building systems, effective delegation, and when to actually automate.
Ep 250250: Planning Your Week
David & Mike discuss how to plan your week and share their own weekly planning workflows.
Ep 249249: What if This Were Easy? with Ernie Svenson
David's personal Yoda is back to talk about curiosity, creativity, and the role of AI in focused work.
Ep 248248: Seriously, A Heroic Journey
David & Mike discuss the Hero's Journey and how focus can help in your own epic quest.
Ep 247247: Getting Intentional, with Chris Bailey
Chris Bailey is back to talk about his new book, The Intention Stack, fundamental human values, and why S.M.A.R.T. goals aren't very smart.
Ep 246246: A Cleansing Palette of Joy
David & Mike reflect on everything that happened in 2025 and set their intentions for the new year.
Ep 245245: Fashionable & Functional, with Patrick Rhone
Patrick Rhone is back to talk about his love for calendars and why curiosity is essential if you want to become a knower of things.
Ep 244244: You're Holding It Wrong
David & Mike catch up on listener feedback and discuss productivity myths, focus struggles, and their favorite episodes from the last year.
Ep 243243: The Single Source of Truth is On the Fridge, with Thom Gibson
Social Media Content Specialist Thom Gibson joins us to talk about Sunday meetings, journaling in broad strokes, and the struggles that come with working from home.
Ep 242242: The Case for Analog
David & Mike revisit the role of analog in their focused workflows and share some of their favorite analog tools.
Ep 241241: Less But Better, with Austin L. Church
Freelance business coach Austin L. Church joins us to talk about avoiding burnout and building more sustainable systems.
Ep 240240: Q4 Planning
David & Mike attempt to end 2025 on a high note by reviewing the last quarter and planning the next one. Also, Mike made a planner.
Ep 239239: How to Focus Like a Roman Emperor, with Donald J. Robertson
Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist & author Donald J. Robertson joins us to talk about ancient philosophy as a tool for focus.
Ep 238238: Knitting Our Parachutes
David & Mike catch up on listener feedback, including how to say no more often, deep vs. shallow work, and when to abandon a focus area. Also, David made an app?!?
Ep 237237: Everything is Figureoutable, with Max Roberts
Max Roberts is a podcaster, video editor, and technical writer who joins us to talk about using AI in the writing process, video games, and the importance of staying curious.
Ep 236236: Focus Traps
David & Mike talk about focus traps, consider the ones they tend to fall into, and discuss how to create systems to help avoid them.