Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: How to Get Sh*t Done
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Los Angeles
STATE: CA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
http://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Erin-Falconer/2120359461 https://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: n 2017056880
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/n2017056880
HEADING: Falconer, Erin
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670 __ |a How to get sh*t done, 2018: |b ECIP t.p. (Erin Falconer)
PERSONAL
Female.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Blogger and author. Worked variously as a political consultant, comedian, and screenwriter. LEAFtv, cofounder.
AVOCATIONS:Meditation.
WRITINGS
Co-owner and editor-in-chief of Pick the Brain.
SIDELIGHTS
Erin Falconer has held several careers throughout her adult life, including political consulting, comedy, and screenwriting. However, her work as a blogger has brought her the most acclaim. She is partly responsible for the creation of LEAFtv, a site that specializes in lifestyle content. In addition, she also runs the website, Pick the Brain, which also specializes in lifestyle content.
How to Get Sh*t Done: Why Women Need to Stop Doing Everything So That They Can Achieve Anything marks Falconer’s debut within the book publishing world. In an interview featured on the Forbes website, Falconer stated that her inspiration for the book came from personal experiences that inspired her to refocus her life on building positive memories, rather than simply moving from one task to the next. How to Get Sh*t Done encourages its audience to follow the same path. The book is partly autobiographical, as Falconer peppers anecdotes about her own life and her decision to adjust her personal trajectory throughout her suggestions and advice. In offering her advice, Falconer also underlines a problem she has frequently observed within her own life as well as within the lives of other women she’s known over the years: they all base their lives around staying occupied, rather than delving into their personal interests. Many women work for the sake of working, never carving out a definite goal or dream for themselves. Falconer seeks to change that attitude within her audience, starting by helping them to develop the confidence to go after their dreams.
Throughout How to Get Sh*t Done, Falconer encourages her audience to start treating themselves with more care, and to cut out any tendencies to put themselves down. Falconer offers and describes a specific motto she has devised that forms the main principles she tries to follow throughout her life: Productivity, Opportunity, and Personality, also known as “POP.” Falconer uses this motto to illustrate the common ways women undermine their own personal fulfillment, as well as better ways readers can make the most of their time to meet their goals.
One Publishers Weekly contributor remarked: “The book’s peppy self-improvement zeal is energizing.” On The Blogging Owl website, SL Prielipp-Falzone said: “Even though the target audience of this book is women, I believe women of all ages and men will find value in reading it.” A writer on the Hitha on the Go blog commented: “It’s the first productivity book that I felt understood me – as an entrepreneur, as a mother and wife, as a friend.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, November 20, 2017, review of How to Get Sh*t Done: Why Women Need to Stop Doing Everything So That They Can Achieve Anything, p. 84.
ONLINE
Blogging Owl, https://thebloggingowl.com/ (January 28, 2018), SL Prielipp-Falzone, review of How to Get Sh*t Done.
Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/ (January 2, 2018), Dan Schawbel, “Erin Falconer: How Women Can Accomplish More In Their Careers,” author interview.
Hitha on the Go, https://www.hithaonthego.com/ (March 9, 2018), review of How to Get Sh*t Done.
Inspired Conversations, http://inspiredconversations.net/ (January 2, 2018), “347 Erin Falconer, Author of How to Get Sh*t Done!,” author interview and profile.
Pick the Brain, https://www.pickthebrain.com (March 22, 2018), author profile.
Simon & Schuster Website, http://www.simonandschuster.com/ (March 22, 2018), author profile.
Erin Falconer is the editor in chief and co-owner of Pick the Brain, one of the most popular and trusted self-improvement communities on the web. Pick the Brain has been named to over 100 “Best of the Web” lists, and Refinery29 named Erin one of the Top 10 Women Changing the Digital Landscape for Good. Erin is also the cofounder of LEAFtv, a video lifestyle brand for millennials. She has had a varied career that includes screenwriter stand-up comedian, political consultant, and is now proudly, heavily invested in the online blogging world. She lives in Los Angeles. How to Get Sh*t Done is her first book.
Erin Falconer, Editor in Chief – Erin Falconer is a Canadian living in Los Angeles. She has had a varied career that includes screenplay writer, stand-up comedian, political consultant and is now proudly, heavily invested in the online blogging world.
Since 2008, she has been the editor in chief and co-owner of PickTheBrain – one of the fastest growing and most trusted self improvement websites & communities on the web. With over 200 bloggers from around the world contributing content, PTB is not only a great passion project but has truly become a powerful global voice and brand in the self improvement space, being read in over 35 countries daily.
Erin is also the co-founder of LEAFtv – a video lifestyle brand for the Millennial.
For all content questions and suggestions please contact Erin directly: erin@pickthebrain.com
I spoke to Erin Falconer, author of How to Get Sh*t Done: Why Women Need to Stop Doing Everything so They Can Achieve Anything, about why she decided to write the book, how men can benefit from reading the book even though it's for women, how women can focus on doing what they want in life, how women can effectively negotiate their salaries, and her best career advice.
Falconer is the editor in chief and co-owner of Pick the Brain, one of the most popular and trusted self-improvement communities on the web. Pick the Brain has been named to over 100 “Best of the Web” lists, and Refinery29 named Erin one of the Top 10 Women Changing the Digital Landscape for Good. Erin is also the cofounder of LEAFtv, a video lifestyle brand for millennials. She has had a varied career that includes screenwriter stand-up comedian, political consultant, and is now proudly, heavily invested in the online blogging world.
Dan Schawbel: Why did you decide to write a book for women on getting their lives in order?
Erin Falconer: I had gone through numerous personal and family crises. Many of these I recognized as normal developmental stuff, some external, some internal; but others were traumatic events that really shook up my assumptions about my life, and life in general and the purpose and meaning of my life.
I learned a great deal from all this and I’m quite committed to the idea that that is what experience is for: to learn from it. I made a treaty with myself to read, to talk to those in the know and then pass on just how I got and stay centered; and as a proud woman that is the only perspective I felt qualified to talk about.
Furthermore, at the same time, I noticed this sort-of phenomenon going on around me: my piers - successful, intelligent, courageous women - all seemed to be in great danger of burning out, at a time when women have their greatest competitive advantage. I felt like the lessons I learned along my own journey could help change the course, and allow us to seize this great opportunity.
In a few words: I had learned a lot and was keen to help others.
Schawbel: How can men, or their husbands/boyfriends benefit from reading the book?
Falconer: This is first and foremost a book for and about women. But lets face it, men and women need each other, they need to connect; so I can’t think of a better way for men to connect with women than to understand more about their life experiences, what they go through, how they come unmoored and how they can develop new assumption sets to stay their course most effectively and creatively.
And while the first part of the book is very female-centric - the second half of the book - the more practical ideas about how, exactly, to get shit done, these are for the most part, completely gender neutral. The exercises on understanding how you’re spending your time, who you are spending your time with, how to analyze what is really important to you and how to go out and get it, will prove just as valuable for the men reading as the women.
Schawbel: How can women start doing less and start focusing on the most important things in their lives?
Falconer: This is a key theme of the book. I’ll try to simplify. First we take one hundred percent responsibility for our lives and that means for our thoughts, feelings and behavior. We make this our primary focus: we Choose it! We accept that this is the only thing we have no choice about if we want one hundred percent freedom. Every drop of responsibility we give away we lose at a minimum an equal measure of freedom.
Once we have the necessary freedom we live our life according to a clear but flexible hierarchical code of values. I’ll give just one example: If you’re married with a family the values would look like this: 1) I commit first to my own perfect health 2) next I commit to the health of my marriage and 3) I commit to the health of my children and family. IN THIS ORDER.
So finally, in the practical, once you’ve realized and taken responsibility for who you are and you’ve created a set of values around that, anything that doesn’t bring value to these two things is off the list. Anything that supports these two things needs focus and attention around it. You’ll find that most of what you’re doing right now doesn’t speak to your core values or where you want to go. The solution? Get rid of them. You’ll free up a lot more time, and have a lot more energy for the stuff that moves you.
Schawbel: In the workplace, research shows that women are less likely to negotiate their salary than men. What do you recommend to them?
Falconer: Negotiating your salary is really a statement of self esteem and self worth. Once you’re on the course I outlined in the previous question (and in the book) you’re no longer negotiating with anyone. You’re clear what you’re worth and value is and you won’t accept anything less. Now, more than ever, there is a movement to correct these imbalances. It is up to you to understand your worth and to hold steadfast by it, even if that means you’ll have to look for another job that does recognize your worth. Accepting less than you deserve, is after all, a huge part of the problem.
Schawbel: What can women learn from men, and vice verse, about productivity at work?
Falconer: Women need to do a lot more to admire and respect the incredible things men have and are accomplishing; learn from them. Learn from every experience in your life, work with passion, learn from anyone who has something valuable to teach. That is generally everyone you meet; if you have ears to listen and eyes to see. But don’t be naive, have an equal measure of basic trust and distrust. many people don’t have your interests at heart. You must be prepared to learn and walk away depending on the situation.
Finally, for both men and women it’s important to take inspiration from like-minded people that have a strong set of core values and are on a dedicated path - these people (totally irrelevant of gender) have a clear vision, work hard and have an incredible live/work balance.
Schawbel: What are your top three pieces of career advice?
Falconer: Because we’re talking about career here:
One hundred percent responsibility.
Connection with those who share your project interest.
Love, kindness, gratitude, generosity and humility.
And remember, just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you’re actually getting a lot (of what matters) done.
If you asked me the same question about one’s personal life, my answer would be the same.
Erin Falconer has had a varied career that includes screenplay writer, stand-up comedian, and political consultant. She is now proudly, heavily invested in the online blogging world. Since 2008 she has been the editor-in-chief and co-owner of Pick The Brain. Pick The Brain is not only a great passion project but it’s also one of the fastest growing and most trusted self-improvement websites and communities on the web. With over 400 bloggers from around the world contributing content, named to over 100 “best of the web” lists, and read in more than 35 countries daily, under Erin’s guidance, PTB has truly become a powerful global voice and brand in the self-improvement space.
Erin Falconer has been heralded as one of the most influential female voices online. Pick The Brain has been named Top Motivation Blogs for 2106 by WealthyGorilla.com. She was designated one of the Top Digital Entrepreneurs in Los Angeles by LA Confidential as well as being honored by Cadillac & Refinery 29 as one of “Top 7 Women Changing the Digital Landscape for Good.” In 2013 Forbes Magazine named Falconer’s blog one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Sites for Women” (alongside such powerhouses as Pinterest, BlogHer, and Hello Giggles, among others). In 2014, The Wall Street Journal included Erin in their prestigious “Women of Note” network, an exclusive network of powerful female leaders, designed to recognize and foster the continued success of innovative women.
Erin is also the co-founder of LEAFtv (http://www.leaf.tv/), a video lifestyle brand for the Millennial. In 2015, LEAFtv was sold to publicly traded Demand Media. As a result of her work with LEAFtv she was honored as one of the Top 10 Most Influential Women in Tech. Erin has a large, captive audience and is a very well-respected voice in the self-improvement space, with access to well over 700,000 followers on social media alone.
Inspired Round Q&A:
Most Inspiring Book-
The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving
Favorite Song-
Let’s Dance, David Bowie
Fistful of Love, Antony & the Johnsons
Best Resource-
App Sleep Cycle, sleep tracker
1giantmind app
Surprising Fact About Erin-
She was once a stand up comedian and she’s also a hypochondriac
Most Important Thing to Know About Erin-
She’s a good listener and she loves to connect in a meaningful way with others.
Daily Practice
Meditation
Starts her morning slowly to ease into the day
Cooks at least one meal a day
Print Marked Items
How to Get Sh*t Done: Why Women
Need to Stop Doing Everything So That
They Can Achieve Anything
Publishers Weekly.
264.47 (Nov. 20, 2017): p84.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
How to Get Sh*t Done: Why Women Need to Stop Doing Everything So That They Can Achieve Anything
Erin Falconer. North StarWay, $26 (246p) ISBN 978-1-5011-6578-8
Falconer, co-owner of self-improvement website Pick the Brain, makes her print debut with a flimsy, selfimportant
guide to maintaining focus for maximum productivity. The author's story of following her dream
(in her case, of being a professional writer), falling down, and getting back up again is not a new one, but is
still revisited in nearly every chapter as she guides readers through better understanding their own
personalities, goals, and opportunities. In her view, women tend to be constantly busy, at work and at home,
but are not necessarily actually productive; they too often don't know what will make them happy, or don't
think they deserve happiness in the first place. "You may feel like the most productive person alive,"
Falconer points out, "but without a purpose, you're just busy." The book's peppy self-improvement zeal is
energizing, and Falconer's exhortations to silence the self-deprecatory voices in your head and let your own
needs shine through are well-taken, but it's unclear what all this psyching-up is really for, and there isn't
much supporting concrete advice. She seems to be targeting very young women, given the emphasis on the
early stages of a career, but her name may not be familiar enough to them to make up for the fluff. (Jan.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"How to Get Sh*t Done: Why Women Need to Stop Doing Everything So That They Can Achieve
Anything." Publishers Weekly, 20 Nov. 2017, p. 84. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A517262128/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=929b817d.
Accessed 5 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A517262128
How to Get Sh*t Done by first time author, Erin Falconer, who is the editor in chief and co-owner of Pick the Brain is out of the gate better than Sheryl Sandberg of Lean In fame, in my opinion.
Firstly, the author, Erin Falconer uses coarse language, as she does in the title of her book, How to Get Sh*t Done, published by North Star Way, An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. And she uses this type of language without out any remorse. Why is that a big deal to me? She’s real and it reflects how I sometimes to speak (and write). She brings a credibility to what she is writing than say the professional piety of Sheryl Sandberg. Don’t misunderstand me, I get the whole Sheryl Sandberg mantra, but Erin Falconer brings it to the everyday woman whatever age, stage, or job.
Introduction – Who am I?
Although the author and I may not have had a similar up-bringing, we shared similar hopes of conquering our paths to realizing our dreams. Erin Falconer, throughout the book, does a masterful job of relaying her experiences as though they were the reader’s own.
Best Quote and Answer!
Freud once asked, “What do women want?” (The author’s reply)
Good. Fucking. Question.
And that is how Chapter 1 starts. And that is when I knew I had to sit up straight and listen because I have asked that same question of myself a million times. “What do I want?”
It is also the reason why I believe this is a book not only for women but men too. Men, if you want to get in touch with your feminine side and maybe pick up a few tips for yourself too, read this book (and gift it to the women in your life as well).
The Power of POP
The author begins describing her method of carving out a productive life that allows for meaningful happiness and a real sense of satisfaction. She reminds us of the role of women and our innate need to make everyone happy except ourselves. She explains her three tenets of the POP Effect, Personality, Opportunity and Productivity by sharing how these principles became evident in her own life. Readers will see themselves in her experiences.
POP Truths
All her Pop Truths are on target. Here are some that stood out for me personally:
POP Truth: Language shapes us. Start saying NO. Stop saying, I’m sorry. (And one I have always tried my best to do) Release the crippling noose of should.
POP Truth: You Can’t Control Time, Only Priorities.
POP Truth: You’re supposed to enjoy the ride.
One of the most important Pop Truths (for me)
Less is a lot more. The importance of choosing three key goals. And my key goals that I have been trying to reach is peace and happiness in mind, body, and spirit. When I read that POP Truth, I felt this was the book I should have (damn it, there’s that word) written but didn’t. And I am so glad I didn’t even try because Erin wrote it with more clarity, intelligence and wit. She gave me more things to think about and tools to utilize in my own journey to getting shit done. She made me realize while I thought I was getting shit done, I wasn’t even close to it.
“Who you are dictates how you spend your time”
“Nothing’s going to come to you by sitting around and waiting for it.” ~ Zoe Kazan
Don’t skip over Chapters 1 though 6 to get to Chapter 7: How to Use Your Time Much Better Than You Are Right Now because you will not appreciate its’ content. There is much to pay attention to in chapter 7.
I give the same advice for Chapter 8 with her discussion on mentors and especially cleaning house of toxic people. She not only shares with the reader who we must have or not have in our inner circle but how to attract or dump them. (Don’t just tell me what or who but tell me how…. I like that!)
After you have read the entire book
Go back and bookmark Chapter 9: How to Create Your Own Personalized POP Plan! This chapter summarizes each chapter before it so the reader can go back to highlight, underline, and make notes to creating a personal POP Plan. I appreciate how this chapter is written and its helpful way in giving the the reader a road map to returning to those important POP Truths.
One last hoot on this book
This book will remain in my personal library. In fact, I will be gifting this book to several people I know. Even though the target audience of this book is women, I believe women of all ages and men will find value in reading it.
No frills. No fuss. No bullish!t.
How To Get Sh*t Done is, hands down, the best productivity book that will transform your life.
Something that always bothered me about the other time management/productivity bibles, namely Get Things Done and Deep Work, was the complete omission of work outside of the workplace.
Cooking. Cleaning. Laundry. Bills and taxes. Managing their kids’ schedules.
You know. Work, of the home variety.
Women, by large, take on the lion’s share of this work. And it is draining, time-intensive, and sometimes stressful. No productivity book has addressed this. Until now.
How To Get Sh*t Done is much more about the work/home work balance. It’s a purposeful guide that walks you through setting the right goals, prioritizing everything in your life to help you achieve them, and actually doing the work.
It addresses it all – personal relationships, workplace politics, dipping a toe in the outsourcing waters, and when to put blinders on vs. when to reassess.
It’s an honest, funny, and very real book. Erin Falconer doesn’t hold anything back, from losing her most valuable possessions in her first days living in Los Angeles to being let go from her own company.
It’s warm. It’s funny. It’s the first productivity book that I felt understood me – as an entrepreneur, as a mother and wife, as a friend.
I highly recommend picking up a copy for yourself – and one for your best friend, and another for your sister.
It’s the gift that’ll keep on giving.
I highly recommend reading this book, The Big Life, and Drop The Ball (in that order). Things that help me get my own sh*t done – blocking out my entire day in iCal, going offline and writing my content in Evernote, and filling out my self-care checklist. A perfectly organized work bag, blue-light glasses, and this aromatherapy treatment also help.