Show Notes
In this episode, Kat sits down with productivity expert, keynote speaker and community-builder Stoyan Yankov to unpack a surprisingly powerful truth: productivity isn’t about doing more - it’s about living intentionally.
They explore the “giver vs taker” dynamic in business and life, why scarcity thinking blocks opportunities, and how to protect your time without becoming transactional. Plus, Stoyan shares practical tools you can use immediately: the “MVP hat” for networking, building boundaries around advice requests, and his “Daily Menu” method for planning your time with outcomes (not vague to-do lists).
What you’ll learn
Why productivity = intention, not efficiency The “givers / takers / matchers” idea and how to be a mindful giver (with boundaries) How generosity and connection create long-term opportunities (without being “salesy”) What’s really killing productivity right now: distraction, lack of discipline, and reactive days Stoyan’s Daily Menu approach: goals → priorities → time blocks (and why elimination beats addition) A simple boundary system for “Can I pick your brain?” requests (without guilt) Why scrolling feels like rest… but often fuels anxiety and what to do instead The power of identity-based habits (“I don’t do X” vs “I’m trying to do less X”) The most underrated truth: the basics (sleep, movement, breathing) still run the show Why 10 minutes is enough to create real momentum “Be the Most Valuable Person in the room”
ABOUT THE GUEST
Stoyan Yankov is a former movie producer who turned into a productivity & performance consultant, professional speaker, and bestselling author of two business books: PERFORM and PERFORM in Times of Crisis.
Stoyan spent a decade in Denmark, where he earned his MSc in Finance from Aarhus School of Business. After graduating, he began his journey as an entrepreneur, founding a high-end video production agency and working as a movie producer and director. Driven by his mission “to bring people together”, he engaged in organizing numerous premium events, private retreats, and business networking experiences.
As a consultant and coach, Stoyan has worked with over 570 companies worldwide, ranging from large international corporations to high-growth scale-ups, helping them build high-performance cultures, enhance productivity, and strengthen team cohesion.
Stoyan is an experienced speaker, having presented at hundreds of major conferences and events in over 35 countries, including Web Summit, The Next Web, Management Events - Executive Day, and InMerge.
Stoyan has personally interviewed 300+ of the most successful business leaders on the planet. As a founder & host of the Productivity Mastery podcast, he routinely learns from industry giants like Guy Kawasaki, the founder of Reebok, the president of Starbucks, bestselling authors, and top-tier executives.
More from The Positive Habits Podcast
What happens when you take a team of lawyers out of the office and put them in a freezing cold lake together? In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Whitemore and Catriona Ralls from Warner Goodman - lawyers, colleagues and regular members of our Women Who PLNGE community. We explore the power of human connection - at work and in life and how shared experiences, vulnerability and simple positive habits have helped strengthen their team culture and the relationships they build with their clients. But we also go deeper into relationships, counselling, community, cold-water swimming, the expectations we place on others and taking responsibility for our own happiness. We explore: Why human connection matters at work How vulnerability and shared experiences can strengthen teams Why relationships can be a competitive advantage The power of community and taking responsibility for our own happiness Small positive habits that help us feel and perform at our best And we finish with an important reminder: Stop searching for the red flags and start searching for the glimmers. The small moments of good are everywhere. Sometimes we just need to get better at noticing them. ABOUT THE GUESTS Sarah is Creator of Peace of Mind - the fixed-fee employment law service Sarah founded 20 years ago to make legal advice accessible, proactive and human. She has grown it from a solopreneur's idea into a 12-strong specialist team supporting 475+ organisations and delivering Peace of Mind to employers across the south coast and beyond. Catriona is an Associate Solicitor and Legal Advisor within the Peace of Mind Team at Warner Goodman. ABOUT HOST KAT, HUMAN PERFORMANCE EXPERT I help organisations build future-ready, high-performing teams equipped with the skills, habits and behaviours to perform in a rapidly changing world. www.katthorne.com
In this episode of the Positive Habits Podcast, I’m joined by career coach and diversity & inclusion expert Sally for a brilliant conversation about women, careers, confidence and the power of backing yourself. After more than 20 years in the corporate world, Sally had reached the room she'd worked so hard to get into only to realise it wasn't where she wanted to be. She took the leap, left corporate life and built a career helping other women accelerate their careers, navigate change and create work that actually works for them.
Cold Water Isn't the Transformation. It's the Teacher. In this solo episode, Kat explores why deliberately choosing discomfort can change the way you respond to every challenge life throws at you.
How many opportunities have you talked yourself out of because of a thought that wasn't actually true?