Have you heard the saying before: find what you love, get so good at it that no one can ignore you, and you will never truly work a day in your life? But what if that same passion could also fuel your productivity, your purpose, and your impact on the world? In this episode of the Productivity Smarts Podcast, Gerald J. Leonard sits down with Suzanne Smith, founder and CEO of Social Impact Architects, educator, speaker, and changemaker, for a conversation that blends purpose, productivity, and real-life resilience. Suzanne shares how finding your calling can turn work into something that feels effortless, and why helping others might be one of the most powerful productivity boosts available. They unpack her simple but powerful 4T Framework: Time, Talent, Treasure, and Testimony, showing how generosity doesn't drain your energy, it actually multiplies it. You'll hear how gratitude can literally rewire your brain, why "doom scrolling" is quietly exhausting your focus, and how shifting toward "hope scrolling" can change your emotional and mental state. Suzanne also shares smart strategies for energy management, creating healthy technology boundaries, and building a sustainable rhythm that protects against burnout. From building calm out of chaos to learning how to reset after tough days, this conversation is packed with wisdom you can use right away. If you have ever felt pulled between doing meaningful work and staying personally fulfilled, this episode will remind you that the two can absolutely fuel each other. What We Discuss [00:00] Introduction to Suzanne Smith [06:01] Finding your calling and early influences [08:53] Purpose as the engine of performance [09:22] The helper's high and scientific research [10:43] 4T Framework: Time [12:42] 4T Framework: Talent [13:17] 4T Framework: Treasure [14:13] 4T Framework: Testimony [16:23] Gratitude and brain science [18:41] Hope scrolling vs doom scrolling [21:47] Technology diet and energy management [26:05] Diet, health, and productivity [32:41] The value of feedback and mentorship [42:30] The third place and community [45:46] Closing and where to find Suzanne Notable Quotes [06:04] "I am a big believer in finding your calling, and I was lucky to find mine at a very early age."– Suzanne Smith [07:05] "I jokingly say to my students, I've never worked a day in my life because this is not a job. This is a calling." – Suzanne Smith [11:01] "'Every Friday, I look back on my week and choose five people who were bright spots in my life, and I send them a note of gratitude."– Suzanne Smith [10:12] "As they do the brain scans of individuals, when they're actually helping other people, yes, you're helping the other person, but you're also helping yourself." — Suzanne Smith [18:56] "My 2026 New Year's resolution... is to really reverse this tide of doom scrolling and actually shift it to hope scrolling." — Suzanne Smith [23:48] "I think you're so spot on about getting people more conscious of their technology, but also conscious of all their influences. And it's the people, it's the systems around you, it's your environment." — Suzanne Smith [29:19] "We're not competing with other people. We're actually competing with the person we were yesterday. And our only job was just be a better person than we were yesterday." — Suzanne Smith [36:12] "To me, it's harder stumbling through life and continuing to stub your toe on the exact same thing versus someone just saying, here's your blind spot." — Suzanne Smith [40:47] "Thomas Edison, Einstein, they did not figure out their inventions at the workbench or at the computer. It really is when they went out in nature or they were taking a creative break.." — Suzanne Smith [43:27] "I want everybody to feel empowered to make change in their community and not wait for somebody else to be the leader in this space." — Suzanne Smith Resources Suzanne Smith Website – meetsuzanne.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannesmithtx/ Newsletter – Social Trend Spotter TEDx – Everyone is a Change Maker Productivity Smarts Podcast Website - productivitysmartspodcast.com Gerald J. Leonard Website - geraldjleonard.com Turnberry Premiere website - turnberrypremiere.com Scheduler - vcita.com/v/geraldjleonard Kiva is a loan, not a donation, allowing you to cycle your money and create a personal impact worldwide. https://www.kiva.org/lender/topmindshelpingtopminds
