Welcome to Productive Flourishing!
At Productive Flourishing, we help people thrive in life by empowering them to thrive at work. Our approach is built around three core areas:
Helping individuals do their best work: We provide tools and strategies to help changemakers and entrepreneurs clarify goals, manage time, and create meaningful progress. This includes the award-winning, best-selling book, Start Finishing, our popular planners, and our Momentum app.
Helping teams work better together: We strengthen team dynamics by improving how people collaborate, boosting both belonging and performance. Team Habits shows the eight categories of team habits to improve to build high-performance, high-belonging teams. Our Team Habits Assessment identifies strengths and areas for improvement, so teams can work more effectively and support each other.
Helping executives, entrepreneurs, founders, and owners lead better, starting with themselves: We support leaders in balancing their professional and personal lives, so they can lead with clarity, integrity, and purpose. Our coaching, strategy execution consulting, and event facilitation help leaders stay focused on what matters most while ensuring their teams thrive.
Over the years, Productive Flourishing has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Globe and Mail, Time, Forbes, The Washington Post, Inc., Lifehacker, and BNET, among other major outlets. We've published more than 1,500 articles, podcast episodes, and resources since 2007, and our work has won design awards along the way. Our work influences top thought leaders through books, podcasts, and offline conversations.
Our ultimate goal is to help people live more fulfilling lives, but we know that starts with how they approach their work. Since so much of our time is spent working, thinking about work, or stressing about work, thriving at work is key to thriving in life. We focus on actionable strategies and small, sustainable changes that create lasting impact — for individuals, teams, and leaders.
Depending on how things are going for you at work, "thriving" might feel outside the realm of possibility for you. I get that. At the very least, we can show you how to make work suck less for you and your team. Better is better, right?
My approach is grounded in two key experiences that shape how I help individuals and teams thrive. As a former U.S. Army logistics officer and combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I led tactical convoys and logistics operations in challenging, high-stakes environments. These experiences taught me the power of disciplined execution, leadership under pressure, and the critical importance of team dynamics. Paired with my near-PhD in Philosophy, I bring a thoughtful, reflective approach to leadership, productivity, and finding deeper meaning in the work we do.
Yes, I believe work doesn’t have to suck — but I’m not just here to help you survive with less pain. I’m here to help you thrive with more joy. I believe work can be deeply meaningful, soulful, and even sacred. Few things are more enlivening than doing your best work alongside teammates and pursuing goals that matter.
If you’ve experienced this before, you know how powerful it can be. If you haven’t, I’m here to show you that it’s not only possible but within your reach. Together, we can create a work environment where everyone thrives, finds purpose, and experiences the true joy of meaningful work.
Where to Start Now
Oh, the places we’ll go! If you’re not sure where to start, here’s where I’d guide you:
If you’re a changemaker, start with the (free) Momentum Quiz, free planners, or Start Finishing.
If you’re an entrepreneur, the (free) Momentum Quiz is a great place to start, then the free planners, and then The Small Business Life Cycle.
If you work in a team and you want to be a better teammate, start with the suggestions in #1, then move onto the (free) Team Habits Quiz and Team Habits.
If you lead a team, start with the Team Habits Quiz, Team Habits, and the Team Habits Discussion Guide. These three will be the biggest return on your time, but fear not, my next book is just for you.
Or choose your own adventure and embrace opening 12 tabs. 🙂
Productive Flourishing Is More Than Just Charlie Gilkey
While I (Charlie Gilkey) do most of the writing and talking here, I have a small but mighty team that helps keep this pirate ship afloat and going.
You’ll also hear from:
Angela Wheeler, Steve Arensberg, Mary Clare O'Donnell, Maghan Haggerty, and many others.
They work with me here at Productive Flourishing and also have their own bodies of work. I’m excited you get to see what they create and co-create, too.
