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*Disclosure: This story was created in partnership with Headway. The author is a real Headway user who received a free gift in exchange for sharing their honest experience. Views are their own; individual results vary.
Between running my coaching practice, managing client projects, and building tech products, my days are incredibly packed. That requires me to constantly feed my own mind with fresh ideas.
But sitting down with a hardcover book isn't always realistic when you manage multiple ventures. I needed a way to keep my edge without adding another massive task to my schedule. Headway filled that gap.
I realized my morning workout was an untapped resource. I swapped out empty noise for high-value concepts from popular book summaries, and it changed how I show up for my clients.
If you, like me, want to absorb practical knowledge on the go, try Headway.
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Start exploringWhy podcasts didn't cut it, and what did
Before Headway became a fixture in my treadmill routine, I sometimes listened to music. But some mornings I'm not in the mood for it, and I'd notice I wanted something more mentally engaging. Podcasts weren't the answer because most of them have too much chatter.
Headway summaries helped me get straight to the point. I'm not sitting through 45 minutes of banter to get to 5 minutes of substance. Now, my week has a few distinct learning slots.
📘 Get smarter during your next workout with Headway!
Reading wide to crack sessions open
Honestly, the clearest recent example came from a summary that had nothing to do with coaching. It was a business strategy, something about how companies waste resources defending positions that aren't worth defending instead of cutting and moving on.
I was in a session with a client who kept pouring energy into one part of his work that wasn't paying off, mostly because he'd already invested so much in it. And that idea was just sitting fresh in my head, so I brought the same lens to him.
Not as therapy, just as a strategic question: if you were running this as a business, would you keep funding this? It reframed the whole thing for him. He'd been treating it as a personal failure to push through.
Looking at it as a resource decision took the emotion out and made the answer obvious. That's what I get from reading widely. The concept that cracks a session open often comes from a completely different field than the one in which the client's problem lives.
📘 Get fresh concepts from outside your field on Headway!
Speaking the language of the people you lead
One thing I'd add goes back to that business strategy angle. A lot of my clients are founders and CEOs, and the more I read on Headway about how businesses actually operate, the better I can meet them in their own language.
I can talk about their problem using the same frameworks they use to run their company. Resource allocation, opportunity cost, where to cut, and where to double down. It means I'm not coaching them as some separate "personal development" thing off to the side.
I'm working on the same terms they already think in, which makes the whole thing land as one conversation instead of two. That's opened up the kind of client I can actually work with.
📘 Access the frameworks that top leaders use on Headway!
When a book becomes the third party in the room
The way Headway works for me, it doesn't show up in sessions as discrete, traceable moments. It shapes how I think overall, the frameworks I reach for, and how fast I get to the root of what's happening with a client. The influence is there, but it's just too woven in to tally.
But sometimes it does show up directly. I had a client working on delegation (it's one of the biggest themes across my clients), and I referenced a summary point that trust is built through testing rather than being handed over upfront.
He was resistant to delegating because he didn't trust his team. On top of explaining the mechanism to him, I had an actual book to point to that backed up the concept. That gave it more weight than just my opinion, and it gave him something to read on his own.
There's a real difference between "I think you should try this" and "here's a framework someone spent years researching." The book becomes the third party in the room. That changes the conversation.
📘 Build a habit of continuous learning on Headway!
How to set up your own learning routine
The setup is simple:
Pair your learning routine with something physical that doesn't require your attention. The treadmill works for me. A walk works. The point is your hands are busy, and your mind is free.
Skip the notes. People take notes and never go back to them. What actually works is relistening to the same summary on a different day. You catch different things.
The ideas land differently once you've had time in between. That repetition is what moves something from "I heard that once" to actually knowing it.
The way Headway works for me, it doesn't show up in sessions as discrete, traceable moments. It shapes how I think overall, the frameworks I reach for, and how fast I get to the root of what's happening with a client. The influence is there, but it's just too woven in to tally.
A note from the editor: Why Headway works for learning on the go
The treadmill setup works because Headway is built for exactly this situation: learning that fits around what you're already doing, not learning that competes with it. A few features make that concrete.
Audio and text summaries
Every summary is available in both formats. On the treadmill, audio is the obvious choice. Each one runs 12 to 20 minutes and is crafted by a team of writers, editors, and voice actors from 2,500+ nonfiction titles across business, psychology, productivity, leadership, communication, and more. That's the cross-domain range that makes cross-domain thinking possible.
Growth plans
After an onboarding quiz about your goals and challenges, Headway builds a reading plan from day one. The plan evolves as you use it, surfacing summaries based on your activity and interests. For a coach working across business, psychology, and leadership topics, that means the recommendations get sharper over time rather than staying generic.
Spaced repetition and highlights
This is what fills the gap between "I heard that once" and actually knowing it. Save key ideas from any summary as highlights, and Headway uses spaced repetition cards to bring them back at the right intervals. The result is that concepts move from passing recall into frameworks you can reach for mid-session.
Offline mode and cross-platform access
Download summaries, and they're available without a connection. Headway also runs on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so the habit transfers to a commute or a drive just as easily as it does on a treadmill. Progress syncs across devices, so starting on your phone and continuing on your desktop later is seamless.
Daily streaks and progress tracking
A single session takes as little as 3 minutes to count. For anyone with a packed schedule, that low bar is what keeps the habit going on the days when a full 15-minute summary isn't happening.
📘 See how all of this works in practice on Headway!
More user stories
Here are a few other guides on how short-form learning can completely change your daily routine:
Make your miles count with Headway
If you manage teams, guide clients, or run your own business, your time is incredibly limited. Finding the space to read full books and study new frameworks often feels impossible. You want to grow, but the reality of your schedule gets in the way.
That is exactly why the Headway app works so well for professionals who are always on the move. You don't need to clear your calendar or force yourself to sit still. You simply swap out empty noise for high-value insights during the time you already have. Headway delivers 15-minute text and audio summaries that give you the core concepts without the fluff.
You can absorb new ideas while commuting, cooking, or getting your miles in on the treadmill. This steady accumulation of knowledge builds your tactical awareness and equips you with immediate solutions for complex problems. You start connecting dots faster and speaking the same language as the people you lead.
