Greg Brown started a website and podcast called The Productivity DJ to help people find the best information related to productivity in one place. With so much information out there people are beginning to specialize in information curation, much like a DJ mixes music. Similar to the way a DJ selects tracks, Greg Brown selects information and programs related to productivity. Having a passion for productivity, Greg is always on the look out for productive people, products, and processes that improve efficiency. While continually searching the internet and testing out application available, there’s one app that he’s stuck with for over 13 years and that’s Daylite.
There are only so many hours in a day. We can’t manage time, but we can manage what we do with it. The Productivity DJ is meant to help people decide what the most important thing or most significant thing is to do now. Rather than people wasting time looking all over for productivity tips, they can find it all in one place on my website. I help people self manage themselves to get the important priorities in their life done. I consult with individuals and companies to create processes to make better decisions about what they should or should not be doing. For example, I help find better ways of dealing with all the information coming at us. Email is a common sticky point for many individuals and businesses today. By eliminating distractions and developing more significant use of their time they can incorporate best practices to be more effective in their jobs.
I’ve been using Daylite since Daylite 1, so that’s about 13 years ago. I was searching online for productivity applications and found Marketcircle. Of course at the time, Daylite was one of the very few Mac based solutions out there. The original concept of building a productivity application was what attracted me the most to Daylite. Also, being able to see the linking of objects visually with all the connections created the perfect productive environment.
My number one favorite Daylite feature without a doubt is Daylite Mail Assistant. I’ve used many to-do programs out there and I have never seen another program that actually integrates within the Mail app like Daylite. When an email comes in I can immediately link that email to a project or create a to do. I’m able to process my emails right within Mail and do all the work without leaving the Mail app. I can achieve Inbox Zero and have all the information saved in Daylite without having to actually go into Daylite to do it. The linking in Daylite allows you to later see and read what’s going on with any particular project because the emails are linked.
Another feature I use daily is the linking ability within Daylite. It’s especially helpful for people in sales because you can link contacts together to track referrals. The linking capability in Daylite is what makes the program so powerful. The linking ability and the Daylite Mail Assistant are the reasons I always come back to Daylite.
The calendar within Daylite is another very helpful feature because I can have it on my iOS device and it syncs effortlessly with my Mac. I can schedule appointments, create to do’s, see what’s next and everything is right there. One feature that people don’t talk about with Daylite is that in all the 13 years I’ve been using it, it’s never once lost a piece of data. Every software program has issues, bugs, and little things. There may have been a few times when Daylite crashed, but I’ve never lost any data with Daylite. I’ve seen Daylite evolve over the years and the fact that I’ve never lost any data is critical.
The biggest use for Daylite on my iPhone and iPad is looking at my next appointments or next actions I need to accomplish. All my clients history is with me, mobile, including emails linked. The other is having the ability to schedule appointments, create a to-do , etc wherever I am. When I’m out and about and something comes up, I can pull out Daylite, write it in there, and know it’s in a trusted system that I don’t need to worry about. That’s very important for people on the move. The ability to capture data, make an appointment, see where I am in a project, and see what next action I need to be doing is what makes Daylite so valuable. We are moving all the time so the ability to have that information is what makes Daylite valuable and helps you be more productive.
I’ve never met AJ in person, but I’ve had numerous phone calls with him early in the days of using Daylite. Somewhere around 2002 I had an issue with Daylite Server not letting me connect. I was impressed that it was the CEO that was calling me back to help me out. I’ve had great experiences with Marketcircle support and have seen the company grow. That’s the great thing about being with a company so long. You see the progression and see the company get better and better. It’s been satisfying to see a company stick around that long and have one goal in mind: helping people be productive in business and in life.
