We can all use a little extra help keeping our bodies performing optimally, so the list begins with some health and well-being products.
If you're an entrepreneur, you know it takes a LOT of tools to keep a business running! Here is a list of some of the tools and programs that keep my business running (now or have in the past).
This is a work in progress, so be sure to check back, but here are some of my favorites!
Health & Well-Being
OURA RING
The Ōura Ring makes accurate health information personal and accessible to everyone. Good quality sleep is linked to health, mental wellbeing and even avoiding serious long-term illnesses, so using a sleep monitor to check you're getting enough rest is a no-brainer.
I love my Oura ring and the insights it gives me into my heart rate and sleep patterns. Use this link to save $30.
APOLLO NEURO
I absolutely love the Apollo Neuro! In their words "The Apollo wearable provides scientifically sound touch therapy that you wear on your ankle or wrist. The Apollo device’s silent, soothing vibrations speak to your nervous system, telling you that you’re safe and in control. Developed by neuroscientists and physicians, it’s a safe, non-invasive stress relief tool for adults and children, without drugs or side effects."
I used a PEMF mat for a couple of years hoping for similar benefits but just wasn't seeing results despite the huge investment. I tried the Apollo and have been thrilled. It's a wonderful addition to the nervous system regulation techniques I teach and use on myself every day. I wish I'd skipped PEMF and gone right to Apollo instead!
Zoe Health Testing
I love Zoe Health Testing! I've learned a LOT about what makes my body tick using this amazing app and health testing. I've blogged about my Zoe journey here.
They provide you with the most advanced analysis of your gut bacteria, blood sugar and blood fats available and personalized nutrition advice.
You can save $35 when you sign up with my affiliate link.
Tools & Tech
HYROS
HYROS is an amazing tool to help better track where your leads and sales are coming from across ALL platforms and EVEN IF you're closing people over the phone! It helps me get a better ROI on ad spend for my clients and eliminates all of the confusion that the Apple iOS updates have caused with ad tracking in 2021. One big caveat: you need to be spending $10k+ per month in ad spend and must have revenue of $40k+ per month to qualify to work with HYROS.
SEGMETRICS
Segmetrics can help you get clarity on your true lead value at every step of the customer journey. Especially if you don't meet the qualifications to work with HYROS, I would definitely check them out to see how much your marketing is really worth, with lifetime revenue attribution across your whole funnel. This is a tool that will help solve your post-iOS update tracking woes.
InterestExplorer
Interest Explorer is a Facebook interest targeting tool that reveals 1000's of "hidden" Facebook interests you can target – and it's totally legit and FB-approved.
When you enter a keyword in the detailed targeting section in Facebook Ads Manager, it shows a dropdown with 25 interest suggestions. These are shown to over 10+ million advertisers.
InterestExplorer uses Facebook's API to reveal interests that are hidden from most advertisers, so you can save hours on interest research and find the perfect low-competition interests. Very affordable one-time fee for lifetime access!
Backblaze
Every entrepreneur's nightmare is having your computer crash and losing everything! Keep your computer backed up with Backblaze for peace of mind!
Google Drive and Dropbox
Google Drive and Dropbox are both great options for storing files "in the cloud" and sharing them with others as needed. I've used Dropbox for years, but if you need more space and a paid plan (they both have free options), I like the fact that Google Drive eases you in with a lower tier than is available on Dropbox. If you have a Google account, you have a free Drive account ready and waiting for you! Score!
Social Media Tools:
Hootsuite & Buffer
Hootsuite & Buffer are two of the most popular tools for automating your social media posts. In addition to scheduling your updates to Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc., they also shorten URLs, give a one-time push to all social media accounts, and provide analytics and reports on relevant metrics, plus so much more!
PostPlanner
PostPlanner is a Facebook application for scheduling posts. The layout looks nearly exactly like Facebook which makes it that much easier to use. Just connect to the application to Facebook, and all your fan pages will be pulled in. Select the one you want to post to, and post to it. Plus, Post Planner can help you with finding the right content to share for multiple Facebook pages, not just one!
iPhone Apps:
Wordswag
Wordswag adds pretty text to an image in seconds. This is probably my favorite app for creating quote images for Instagram!
Flipagram
Flipagram is the easiest way to share all the great stories trapped on your phone! Create fun short videos with your photos and favorite music. Share privately or with followers in the Flipagram community and beyond. Explore trending flipagrams to discover interesting people and stories from around the world.
Repost
Stop screenshotting, cropping, and posting again on Instagram. Repost for Instagram makes it easy to repost your favorite photos & videos while giving credit to the original Instagrammer.
Instaquote
Instaquote helps create beautiful text pictures for Instagram.
Calendars, Appointment Scheduling, CRMs
If you're looking for a great paper planner, the two I use and love are the Leonie Dawson workbook and the iBloom planner. I used Leonie's to really envision my year and set big goals. I use the iBloom planner every single day and adore it! It's great for keeping up with day-to-day plans and to-dos but also for planning out big projects and keeping track of your goals. If those aren't your cup of tea, check out this blog post for LOADS more options to suit everyone.
Google Calendar
This is a powerful free calendar! Have a Gmail address? You have access to a Google calendar! Nice perk - you can set up multiple calendar types (marketing and content calendars, personal appointments, etc) and even share a calendar with someone on your team to make planning easier.
Insightly
Insightly is the most popular CRM tool for entrepreneurs. From simple contact and task management to sales opportunity tracking, reporting and project-management, Insightly makes your job easier!
Email Service Providers
MailChimp
MailChimp is what I used starting out for my email marketing. It's affordable, easy to use, has great customer care, and has plenty of functionality for what most new entrepreneurs need to start building a list and sending out emails. There's a free plan, but in order to do automated emails, you will want to go ahead and grab a paid plan.
Infusionsoft/KEAP
Infusionsoft (now known as Keap) is what I moved along to once I was ready for a more robust email marketing system that can handle more complex funnels. Shoot me an email if you would like me to connect you to my Infusionsoft rep or let them know I sent you if you call!
Screen Sharing and Webinars
Zoom
I love Zoom for screen sharing and recording! I've been using it for about a year now and rarely have issues with it. It's more stable than Skype or Google Hangouts for me. I use it for 1-on-1 coaching with clients and have also done small group training with Zoom. The presenter can share or allow others to, you can be on screen or off, talk thru your computer mics or dial in on the phone, and there's a chat box as well. It's a great low-cost option for smaller groups.
Save 30% OFF your first year with this link.
Loom
I use Loom literally every day to easily record videos for clients where I can share my screen and walk them thru processes. I love that I don't have to download/upload the videos, Loom immediately gives me a shareable link to the video that's stored online, saving me a TON of time and energy.
Landing Page Builders
LeadPages
LeadPages is the tool I am currently using to build landing pages. If you need a quick and easy way to get a landing page up and out into the world, it's a great option. They've done a lot of testing to make sure their templates convert well, and have lots of built in functionality. I wish the layouts were more flexible, but it's a great option for most people.
Unbounce
Unbounce is the landing page builder I used at my full-time job for many years. They have beautiful, flexible designs that allow you to build professional-looking landing pages from templates. Unbounce is made to be easy to use for anyone, so you don't need to know code to build them.
Photo & Graphic Resources
My favorite programs for creating amazing graphics are PicMonkey and Canva. They work right in your web browser, are easy to use and free-to-cheap.
My 3 favorite sites for FREE, royalty-free (use them how you like) photos and graphics are...
• Unsplash http://unsplash.com/
• Pixaby http://pixabay.com/
Books
Confession: I'm a big ol' book nerd and read as much as possible, so I create book lists over on Bookshop.org of books I love + new releases across genres for anyone that loves to read.
Plus, BookShop is awesome because it supports indie booksellers instead of mega stores and Amazon, so definitely give them a look if you like to support small biz!
My BookShop collection is at https://bookshop.org/shop/sociallyaligned
You can get a sneak peek at my book, A Few Good Habits, here.
Disclaimer: Some, but not all, of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning I may receive a commission on sales. However, everything listed here is a program I personally use and love, or that has come very highly recommended by close connections. I take the recommendations seriously and want to help you! Your cost is NOT impacted - you will not pay more by using my links. In some cases, you might even save money!