Daniel H. Pink is the author of five New York Times bestsellers, including his latest, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. His other books include the New York Times bestsellers When and A Whole New Mind — as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. Dan’s books have won multiple awards, have been translated into 46 languages, and have sold millions of copies around the world. He lives in Washington, DC, with his family.

Daniel Pink

90% of your productivity comes down to just 3 things:

1. Energy.
You can’t manage time if you don’t manage energy.
Sleep, movement, and breaks. That’s your real fuel.
Run out of energy, and no system or app can save you.

2. Focus.
Distraction is the enemy.
Every notification is a tax on your brain.
The best performers protect their attention like it’s gold… because it is.

3. Priorities.
Most of what we do doesn’t matter.
The key is knowing the few things that do and doing those first.
Everything else is noise.

Master these 3 and the rest takes care of itself.

#1 New York Times bestselling author of 7 books.

The most important thing isn’t “how” we are living, it’s “why”.

I’m 61.
Don’t work with jerks — no matter how talented they are. They tax your energy, slow your growth, and quietly ruin the work.

Your 20s and 30s aren’t about having it all figured out. They’re about building the habits, systems, and courage that future you will thank you for.

I'm 61

Is there a best time for everything?
Science says yes.

When to schedule a doctor’s appointment
Research shows 3:00 PM is the Bermuda Triangle of healthcare.
In the afternoon:
-Anesthesia errors are 4× more likely
-Doctors detect fewer cancers
-Handwashing and vaccine recommendation rates drop
Morning = maximum alertness.
Afternoon = avoid for anything serious.

When to drink coffee
Don’t drink coffee right after waking.
Wait 60–90 minutes.
Your cortisol (natural alertness hormone) is already high when you wake up.
Caffeine too early can actually make you more tired later.

When to shower
The best time depends on your goal.
Night → better sleep
Warm water → body cools afterward → signals rest.
Morning → better focus
Cooler water → wakes your nervous system.
Either works. Consistency matters most.

When to exercise
Morning
-Discipline
-Up to 20% more fat burned
-Easier habit formation

Afternoon
-Better performance
-Warmer muscles
-Stronger lungs
-Fewer injuries
Same workout. Different results.

When to nap
Best window: 2–3 PM
Ideal length: 10–20 minutes
Longer naps = groggy brain.
Pro move: a nappuccino ☕
Coffee → 20-minute nap → wake as caffeine kicks in.

When to start fresh
Use a Fresh Start Date.
Psychologists call this the Fresh Start Effect.
New Year’s Day.
Birthdays.
Mondays.
Your brain loves clean slates.

People say “timing is everything.”
They’re wrong.
Everything is timing.
Learn to use it, and time becomes your unfair advantage.

Full video breakdown:
https://lnkd.in/gN-jRwYa

This will help you keep momentum in the New Year.

I’m a keynote speaker and leadership trainer who helps people come alive at work. I activate clarity, confidence, and courage so leaders and teams stop holding back and start speaking up, taking initiative, and contributing at the highest level at work and in the world.

If you’re a meeting planner, association executive, program director, or speaker bureau agent, here’s what you need to know: I deliver motivational, story-rich, interactive keynotes that leave audiences energized and equipped. My sessions blend research, relatable storytelling, live audience engagement, and (sometimes) music. Attendees walk away with tools they can use immediately to increase confidence, clarity, and connection. I'm not just a motivator; I'm an activator.

For nearly 20 years, I’ve helped organizations navigate change, strengthen culture, and develop people-first leaders. Before launching UNMUTED, I spent 13 years leading award-winning culture and wellbeing initiatives inside corporate America.

🎙️ What I speak on:
• Self-leadership & employee engagement
• Boosting confidence and contribution at work
• Leading through change / resilience
• Human-centric, character-driven leadership

My signature keynotes include: UNMUTED: Come Alive at Work, UNMUTED Leadership, Be the Difference, and The Power of Borrowed Belief in Leadership

🎯 Why planners book me:
I don’t just “give a keynote.” I create a transformative audience experience. I personalize every session through pre-event interviews, weave in industry stories, engage the room throughout, and leave people with practical next steps, not hype. Planners often say I’m engaging, authentic, memorable, and incredibly easy to work with.

⭐️ Who I’ve worked with: Deloitte, Sherwin-Williams, Citizens Bank, SHRM, American Heart Association, Adventist Health, Indiana Apartment Association, and hundreds of associations and organizations.

Recognitions include Best of Stage Speaker (Smart Meetings), Forbes Next1000, and #1 Health Promotion Professional in the U.S.

As a TEDx speaker and singer-songwriter, I sometimes blend music and message to create moments audiences never forget.

👉 If you’re planning a conference, association meeting, leadership summit, or annual event and want an engaging, motivational speaker who delivers both inspiration and action, let’s connect: www.RachelDruckenmiller.com, rachel@racheldruckenmiller.com.

💪 CliftonStrengths: Achiever, Strategic, Ideation, Significance, Activator
❤️ Married to Bill, my college sweetheart
🎶 Singer-songwriter
🦚 Peacock enthusiast
✨ Enneagram 3

Rachel Druckenmiller 🗣

I’ll never forget this flight, and he’s the reason why.

Alex was our flight attendant on a recent Southwest Airlines flight from Punta Cana to Baltimore.

From the moment he got on the mic, I could tell it was going to be a different kind of flight.

Somehow he worked Missy Elliott lyrics into the takeoff message:

“Is it worth it? Let me work it.”

I liked this guy immediately.

As he came down the aisle handing out pretzels and cookies, he shouted: “Crispy calamari! Crispy calamari!”

😂

When I said, “No thanks,” he smiled and, without missing a beat, said, “We still love you.”

When he walked by again, I gave him a You Matter sticker and said, “You’re really funny.”

He stopped, made a heart with his hands, smiled ear to ear, and said, “I love you” 🫶

At one point, he started putting napkins on people’s heads as he walked by, including mine, just because.

You could tell this guy loves his job and that no one told him to do any of this. He was just having fun being himself.

A little while later, Alex came back to me with a cup of coffee and a pyramid of cups on a tray: “Here’s your coffee.”

I told him I didn’t order one.

Without missing a beat, he tipped the tray and sent the entire pyramid of empty cups crashing down (while holding the full one).

We both laughed.

Ten minutes later, he brought me a margarita and insisted my husband ordered it for me (which he definitely didn’t), so I sent it to Bill as a surprise instead.

When I got up to use the bathroom, Alex handed me the plane phone: “Say hi to the captain.”

I said, “Hi Captain. You’re doing an awesome job.”

He replied, “Thank you. We’re doing it just for you.”

As Alex walked the aisle collecting trash at the end of the flight, each time someone put something in the bag, he said things like:

“Thanks for the gift.”
“The kids will love this at Christmas next year.”
“May the force be with you.”

One person chose joy, and an entire plane felt it.

It made a four-hour flight from a Caribbean beach to sleet in Baltimore so much better than it would’ve been otherwise.

That’s the thing about joyful alivenes.
It’s contagious.

Sometimes it only takes one person deciding to show up fully to change the energy and experience of everyone around them.

You can be that person.

❤️

What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had on a flight?

Rachel Druckenmiller

Keynote Speaker | I help people get UNMUTED and Come Alive at Work by Elevating Self-Leadership + Engagement | Singer-Songwriter | TEDx Speaker

No alternative text description for this image

It’s one of the bravest things a man can do, and last night was a powerful reminder of why my husband does it.

About a decade ago, Bill and a handful of guys from our church started meeting once a month to connect, support, and challenge each other. They ranged in age from late 20s to late 50s.

Sometimes they met in a living room, a backyard, or over a bonfire.

They started with a topic: work, money, intimacy, silent struggles, shame, pride, anger, relationships with their dad.

And one by one, they started opening up to each other, sometimes sharing thoughts, fears, and feelings they’d never shared with anyone else.

They cry, laugh, and pray together. They listen, show empathy and compassion, and share wisdom. They celebrate and affirm each other regularly.

In between meetings, they stay connected, checking in and keeping each other updated.

They play pickleball and pickup sports together. They talk smack about each other’s teams. And they show up for each other in moments of breakdown and breakthrough.

They’ve gone through job changes, marriages, divorces, moves, illness and injury, and the births of children together, reminded that they’re not alone through any of it.

They’ve become better husbands, friends, colleagues, sons, parents, and uncles because of it.

When I was hit by a truck in 2020, that group was a lifeline and source of deep support and love for both Bill and me.

This past week, the father of one of the guys in the group died unexpectedly at 71 years old. He’d just seen his dad for Christmas and saw no signs that it would be their last.

Last night, in the midst of his grief, he was surrounded by the love and support of this group.

What a beautiful thing.

Being willing to be vulnerable and let ourselves be deeply seen and known by at least one other person is one of the bravest things we can do.

And if you don’t have something like this in you life right now, maybe the first step is smaller than you think.

It might be reaching out to one person who has shown up for you before and taking the risk to connect.

You don’t need to start with a group. Just one person and a little courage.

That’s what it looks like to live life UNMUTED.

💙

Keynote Speaker | I help people get UNMUTED and Come Alive at Work | Self-Leadership Expert | Singer-Songwriter | TEDx Speaker

I joined LinkedIn in 2006, when there were about 6 million people on the platform. Last month, I hit a milestone that means a lot to me: 40,000 followers.

What matters more to me than the number is how I got here.

I didn’t use pods, hacks, or shortcuts. I’ve typed every post and every comment because authenticity matters to me, not because it’s the fastest or most efficient way to do it.

I’ve learned so much from coaches like Darren McKee, Kait LeDonne, and LIAM DARMODY, who really understand this platform.

Over the years, I’ve realized that people don’t really want just the highlight reel. They want to come with you on a journey to see the behind-the-scenes, the roadblocks, what didn’t work, and what you learned along the way. They want to feel uplifted, challenged to grow, and invited into new ways of thinking, working, and living.

I’ve also learned how powerful it is to elevate and celebrate other people, to use this platform as a mirror that reflects the goodness of the people you meet and the work they do. That kind of generosity matters.

And when you focus more on being of service than being impressive, you get so much more out of being here.

When I first joined LinkedIn, it was just a way to stay connected to people I met through my job. But pretty early on, I started reaching out to people whose work I admired and sharing more of my own perspective.

I wrote my first article here in 2015. From January through April of 2020, I posted a video every single weekday as a challenge from a speaker and fellow coach at the time, Simon T. Bailey.

Until I was hit by a pickup truck.
😬

I did it as a way to discipline myself, to make a commitment to showing up and sharing my voice.

Over time, that consistency led to meaningful conversations, deep relationships, and paid work, including over six figures in business, some of which came from people seeing videos of me singing.

But what I’m most grateful for are the people I’ve met through this platform.

Some of my most important friendships started with a comment or a DM. Those relationships have made my life better in ways I never could’ve imagined, and so many of them have turned into in-person hugs and hangouts.

If you want to show up on here in a meaningful way, ask yourself this question every time you log on:

“How can I be a contribution today?”

And the rest will take care of itself 😉

If you’ve followed me, commented on or shared a post, sent me a message, or connected with me at any point over the past two decades, thank you. Truly.

I’m grateful for this platform and all the ways it’s made my life and work better.

THANK YOU!

❤️

#UnmuteYourself

I almost talked myself out of the decision that changed the course of my life.

During my sophomore year of college, my Spanish professor pulled me aside after class one day and said:

“You have a knack for language. You should consider studying abroad.”

It felt like a ridiculous idea.

Studying abroad was not something I ever imagined doing. I was a homebody. I stuck with what was familiar.

I lived in Baltimore, had never been further west than West Virginia, and no one in my immediate family had ever been overseas.

I wasn’t a Spanish major or minor and I was far from fluent.

But when I ran the idea by a few adults I trusted, they all said the same thing:

“You should go.”

My own mother regretted not studying in France for a few weeks when she was in college. At 50 years old, she’d still never been to Europe.

But I just wasn’t the kind of person who did things like this…

Or at least, that’s what I told myself.

Until a wiser part of me spoke up and I said yes.

I spent the fall semester of my junior year in Granada, Spain, immersed in a culture that was vibrant, expressive, and alive.

They were the epitome of what it meant to be unmuted.

I lived with a woman who didn’t speak English and her granddaughter.

I soaked in the language, the food, the dancing, the art, and of course the sangria.

And when I came back to the States, I felt fundamentally different.

I tried out for (and landed!) a solo in the gospel choir for the first time. That was the beginning of my unmuting.

I felt more confident navigating unfamiliar environments after spending four months immersed in one.

I developed deeper empathy and a genuine appreciation for different cultures and perspectives.

That semester abroad was one of the most transformative experiences of my life. I’m so glad I went.

Most of us talk ourselves out of taking risks because what’s familiar feels safe.

But playing it safe doesn’t make us feel alive or help us become who we’re capable of being.

Sometimes all it takes is one brave yes to change the trajectory of your life.

Unmute yourself.

Say yes.

🇪🇸 

What’s a brave decision you made that changed the course of your life?

Did you study abroad or wish you had?

You guyyys! Here’s a sneak peek of my next song that I’ve been working on since May! 🎶

So many of us mute ourselves because we’re afraid the answer to this question is “no.”

We shrink and silence ourselves, afraid we’ll be “too much” for people if we show up fully.

But if we stay muted, always monitoring and diluting ourselves, we’ll never feel truly alive.

And that’s not how we’re meant to live.

We’re meant to live UNMUTED.

Choosing to unmute myself and go after my childhood dream of becoming a singer has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Three years ago this month, I released my first original song, Somebody.

And this March, I’ll release my fifth:

🎶 Would You Still Love Me?

Here’s a sneak peek! 👀

Calling your dreams “delusional” might be the most subtle way you discourage yourself. Here’s why I stopped using that word.

I used to call myself delusional for leaving my corporate job and starting my own business in 2019, especially after pushback from people much older than me who made me question myself.

A few months ago, I was talking with my friend Ryan Lavarnway, who played professional baseball for 15 years.

I made a side comment that I was delusional to think I’ll be on The Kelly Clarkson Show one day.

He stopped me and said:

“I never thought making the big leagues was delusional. It was always real to me. Even labeling it as delusional is you giving yourself a way out or playing small.”

🫣

So I looked up what the word actually meant, because apparently I’d been misusing it.

Delusional means believing something that isn’t true, even when there’s clear evidence to the contrary.

That wasn’t the case for me.

I wasn’t delusional to believe I could succeed starting my own business. 

I had plenty of evidence I could do it:

- Hundreds of reps speaking
- Consistent feedback from clients, audiences, and peers that I was a gifted speaker
- A deep commitment to the craft
- Seven months of professional speaking training that honed my skills
- Two parents who modeled entrepreneurship firsthand

If you have evidence, stop calling your dreams or goals delusional. You’re discouraging yourself when you do.

And sometimes we don’t have evidence yet, but that still doesn’t make us delusional. Maybe we’re just choosing self-belief and self-trust before we have proof.

Some of my dreams this year are to be a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, have Jelly Roll perform my song Lightbulbs, and perform that song myself at a mental health fundraiser (with a children’s choir singing the This Little Light of Mine outro!).

Someone might say, “You’re delusional. Why do you think any of that will happen?”

Because I do.

I’m already taking steps and having conversations to bring those ideas to life, and I believe they’ll happen one day.

If you have big dreams or big goals, stop calling them or yourself delusional.

Get clear on what needs to happen next, and just take the first step.

Confidence is the byproduct of action, and action silences the fear that holds us back.

You’re not delusional.
You’re determined to make it real.

✨

The go-getter in me wanted something bolder, but this is the word that came to me as a guide for 2026:

✨ Release ✨

2025 was the beginning of shedding a certain heaviness I didn’t even realize I’d been weighed down by for the past five years. It felt like a cloud had lifted. I ended the year feeling lighter, freer, and more grounded.

This year feels like a continuation of that.

For me, releasing is about letting go of what no longer serves so there’s room for what’s meant for me.

That looks like loosening my grip on expectations and outcomes, tension and control, comparison and self-doubt, and old thought patterns that keep looping in my mind and quietly hold me back.

It also means being honest about the people and projects that no longer align with the season I'm in and letting them go. 

Holding on to all of that drains more energy than we realize. It has for me.

What we cling to quietly costs us.

This week, I heard Chris Williamson say something on a podcast that felt obvious but aligned with releasing:

✨ In order to pick something up, you have to put something down.

That spoke to me because I'm someone who wants to do all the things, all the time, and sometimes that distracts me from focusing on what matters most right now.

A big part of what it means to release is to let go, but it's not just about that.

Release is also about expression.
It's a form of unmuting.

It’s about allowing what’s inside of you to move, to flow out instead of staying trapped.

Ideas, stories, voice, music, breath.

Emotions that make us feel alive and emotions that feel constricting. Both have something to say. Both want to be released.

Release feels less like forcing or pushing and more like allowing. There’s an ease about it that I'm drawn to.

I'm about to step into a big season of my life, and discerning what I carry forward and what I leave behind feels like one of the most important things I can do right now. That's not easy to do because it can feel limiting, but I know it's necessary.

And that's exactly why I’m being called to release.

What might become possible if you loosened your grip on just one thing you’ve been holding too tightly?

What wants to be released and expressed through you this year?

🦋

Whether it's a "word of the year" or just an internal compass for you, what's guiding you right now?

I messed up the lyrics to my own song at an open mic night last night, and you’ll never guess what happened next…

I SURVIVED.

😂 

Nothing bad happened.

When I realized I’d sung the wrong line, I picked up the next one and kept going.

No one cared.

Earlier in the set, two other singers messed up too. One completely forgot the lyrics to a Radiohead song. Another forgot the lyrics to a song she wrote and had to start over.

Again…no one cared.

People are not judging us nearly as much as we think they are.

You know why?

They’re usually too busy worrying about being judged themselves.

And you’re not so special that people are constantly watching, judging, and critiquing you in their head all day.

They’re just not.

So what if you stopped letting these imaginary critics impact the choices you make and the risks you take?

This year, I set a goal to do one open mic night a month.

I want more reps performing, and the only way I’m going to get more comfortable singing in front of people is by…singing in front of people.

And guess what?

I’ll probably mess up again.
I’ll forget lyrics.
I’ll go flat.
My voice might crack.

And when it happens, I’ll do what I did last night.

Move on to the next line and keep singing.

You can do the same thing. You don’t have to let your fear of judgment or messing up keep you stuck. You can just do the thing.

Post the silly video.
Apply for the promotion.
Sing your song and share your story.
Dance like nobody’s watching (because they’re not).

And when you mess up, brush it off and move on.

The next line is waiting to be sung.

😉

If you want to listen, this is my original song, Lightbulbs, performed with my husband on guitar 🎶

Yesterday was “Quitter’s Day,” the unofficial second Friday in January when many people give up on their New Year's resolutions.

That’s one of the many reasons I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions.

Instead, I reflect on some powerful questions that provide the clarity we need to create momentum and fuel motivation.

Here are four to get started:

1️⃣ If it were just right, what would it look like? (Vision)
2️⃣ What kind of person do you want to be? (Identity)
3️⃣ If your life were a movie, and the audience were watching until now, what would they be screaming at the screen telling you to do with your life? (Urgency)
4️⃣ What becomes possible if you do the thing you know you need to do? (Possibility)

Ask better questions.

Get more clarity.

🙌

A TRUCK HIT ME (for real) 🛻

And that single experience changed the trajectory of my life.

For years before the accident, I told myself a story:
"I'm not a singer. I'm just someone who likes to sing."

It felt safe to say that, but it also kept me from fully claiming something that mattered to me.

I treated singing like a hobby instead of an integral part of who I am and who I've always been. I avoided calling myself "a singer" my entire life.

That brush with death made me be honest with myself about the stories I was using to stay small and silent.

My hope is that you don’t need something as dramatic as a pickup truck to wake up to what’s been trying to get your attention.

Is there a dream you’ve been setting aside?

A part of you that you’ve been downplaying or muting because it feels safer that way?

If any of that resonates, join me on Rita Ernst, Positivity Influencer's live podcast Tuesday, January 6th at 11:30am EST right here on LinkedIn.

We’ll talk honestly about the stories we tell ourselves, the fears and doubts that hold us back, and what becomes possible when we go after our dreams.

Hope to see you there! ✨

Here are the deets: 
https://lnkd.in/eRwAQqXe

We all want to feel more fulfilled and alive, and last week I was reminded of the three things that actually make that possible:

1. Connection
2. Growth
3. Contribution

Tony Robbins talks about these as three of the six core human needs, and a lot of research in positive psychology backs him up. When we’re intentional about all three, we thrive.

When we experience connection and love, we feel grounded.

When we’re growing and moving toward something that challenges us to elevate and expand, we feel fulfilled.

And when we’re contributing to someone or something beyond ourselves, we feel alive.

We can be intentional about building our lives around all three.

Here’s how.

Connection doesn’t have to be complicated. It can happen over a meal, a phone call or Zoom, or by spending time in nature or with a higher power.

Last week, breakfast on Friday with Jason Salamon, a client and friend, plus calls and texts with other friends filled my connection cup.

Growth shows up when we seek feedback, pursue learning, and keep honing our skills. I’ve been doing all three while preparing for a few upcoming keynotes.

Some tough love from my coach and peers in an author community I’m in also filled my growth cup. So did hitting a PR with my personal trainer 💪 

Contribution can come in many forms, but at its core, it’s about positively impacting someone else. That can happen through a conversation, a social media or blog post, a thoughtful text, or an act of service. 

Speaking to the ASAE Next Gen Leaders last week about how to unmute themselves and interacting with so many of you in the comments here on LinkedIn filled my contribution cup.

As we start another week, how can you be more intentional about prioritizing connection, growth, and contribution?

You’ll feel a lot more alive if you do.

And that’s what the UNMUTED life is all about.

✨

taplio

The Battle

Daniel Pink

Rachel Druckenmiller 🗣

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taplio

The Battle

Daniel Pink

Rachel Druckenmiller 🗣

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Daniel Pink's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreDaniel Pink's LinkedIn Performance