Focused
RelayDavid 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.
| Publishes | Twice monthly | Episodes | 263 | Founded | 10 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | CareersBusiness | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
Cat Mulvihill joins us to talk about building momentum, the immunity to change framework, and dealing with our dreaded identity so we can finally focus on what's really important.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
• Keeper: Get 60% off pers... more
David & Mike discuss owning your ideas and staying sharp with the values-based application of AI.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
• Scribe: AI-powered workflow documentation. Get your first month free.
• Squarespace: Save 10% off your fi... more
David & Mike discuss Goodhart's Law, why effort matters more than outcomes, and how to maintain a healthy relationship with the numbers you use to keep score.
Links and Show Notes:
Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive conte... more
David & Mike look back on Q2, share their plans for Q3, and talk about the ups and downs that come with being marginally challenged.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain us... more
Key Facts
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Recent Guests
Hosts
Reviews
- Focused… on shilling for each other’s businesses
Has lost its way. Two guys: first guy is an older, arrogating, been-there/seen-it sort of guy whose approach is always that of the expert (n.b. without credentials - anyone who is a qualified teacher will wince at his description of himself as a teacher; anyone who is a hippie will wince at a 20-year corporate lawyer’s description of himself as a hippie ‘with too much empathy’; second guy is some poor guy who has fallen for the older guy’s BS, a struggling family man, a nice guy, but totally in ... more
Apple Podcasts2BobRoberts2025
United Kingdoma month ago - Focused… but on the hosts’ businesses
Has lost its way a bit. Latest episode features AT THE START 12 minutes’ adverts for the older host’s paid courses. He talks a lot about how empathetic he is. One for the paying fans.
Apple Podcasts2BobRoberts2025United Kingdom4 months ago - More of an advert for the hosts’ businesses
Has lost its way a bit. Latest episode features AT THE START 12 minutes’ adverts for the oldest host’s paid courses. One for the paying fans.
Apple Podcasts2BobRoberts2025United Kingdom7 months ago - Focused
Good show
Apple Podcasts5BobRoberts2025United Kingdom9 months ago - 30 mins in
What are we 30 mins in and haven't even scratched the topic
Apple Podcasts1jillbobby1123
Canada9 months ago
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #94 |  United States/Business/Careers |
Apple Podcasts | #190 | United Kingdom/Business/Careers |
Apple Podcasts | #121 |  Italy/Business/Careers |
Apple Podcasts | #206 |  Australia/Business/Careers |
Apple Podcasts | #19 |  Finland/Business/Careers |
Apple Podcasts | #20 |  Indonesia/Business/Careers |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Focused
What is Focused about and what kind of topics does it cover?
Focused centers on long-form conversations about staying focused, building sustainable productivity systems, and aligning daily work with meaningful goals. Two co-hosts—David Sparks and Mike Schmitz—guide discussions with a rotating cast of guests including productivity researchers, solo founders, lawyers, and creators. Episodes blend practical workflows (note-taking, planning, automation) with mindset and personal stories to illustrate durable approaches to work, life, and creativity. Notable angles include balancing ambition with margin, avoiding tool fatigue, and integrating systems with values, rather than chasing quick hacks. The show also frequently weaves in sponsor messages and small-batch gear or book recommendations, offering list... more
Where can I find podcast stats for Focused?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Focused. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Focused and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does Focused get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Focused, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
What are the audience demographics for Focused?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Focused, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does Focused have?
To see how many followers or subscribers Focused has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to Focused?
These podcasts share a similar audience with Focused:
1. Mac Power Users
2. Connected
3. Intentional AI
4. AppStories
5. Upgrade
How many episodes of Focused are there?
Focused launched 10 years ago and published 263 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact Focused?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for Focused?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Focused from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Focused?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Focused. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on Focused?
Recent guests on Focused include:
1. Jimmy Sony
2. Kathy Campbell
3. Stephen Robles
4. David Roth
5. Joe Casabona
6. Ernie Svenson
7. Chris Bailey
8. Patrick Rhone
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.