There are hundreds (even thousands) of tools and softwares we can use to make our professional lives more, well... productive. As someone who considers herself pretty tech savvy, I think the list below contains some tools you may have heard of and some you may have not that could help you win the day.
1. Basecamp
Basecamp is the ideal project management tool for medium to large organizations. I was first introduced to it by the product marketing dept while working at a startup in Silicon Valley. It has now been implemented company wide at my current job at my suggestion. Its great for saving design assets, assigning projects, establishing deadlines, and communicating to the whole org at once.
2. Evernote
This is a note taking , article clipping , remember everything tool I was first introduced to while reading The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. It allows me to take notes on any of my devices and it updates live. I most recently love the feature that allows me to clip articles or blogs I find online directly into Evernote for later reference. This feature is essential for a marketing entrepreneur/blogger like myself because I am constantly doing research.
3. Canva
Xandra, my good friend, and fellow content creator introduced me to Canva. It is the perfect tool for the graphically challenged marketing professional. Considering I don’t have even an iota of the amount of patience needed to learn Photoshop or Indesign I am able to use Canva to make everything from beautiful business cards to modern social graphics with ease. I created a social graphic for this blog with Canva.
4. Boomerang(not the instagram app)
Like most Millennial’s I went in search of Boomerang to solve a problem. I wanted to be able to schedule emails for the sending in the future. What's great about Boomerang is that it's free for up to 10 emails a month so no need to sign up for any subscriptions unless you are doing heavy emailing. I have been using it for years.
5. Genius Scan
Genius Scan was recommended to me when I was working in people operations by a former boss. Its a free IOS & Android app that allows you take pictures of documents and convert them to PDFs. This is clutch in the digital world , cuz I mean lets be honest, who is printing shit anymore?! I especially love the feature that allows you to upload the PDF to Google Drive or email it directly from the app.
Bonus: Podcasts
You can have all the productivity tools in the world that are supposed to help you be more efficient but I think it is critical to have things you turn to that inspire you or just make you laugh while commuting. Having a clear head plays a major part in how productive and creative I am. These podcasts do just that. As a typical LA resident, I have a pretty heavy commute and these podcasts jumpstart my brain for the day, relax me when I’m stressed or most often, inspire ideas for Black Davis Management.
1. The Tim Ferriss Show
This podcast is by the critically acclaimed , best selling author, Tim Ferriss. I first found him through googling “books entrepreneurs should read” which returned The 4-Hour Workweek, back when I started Black Davis Management in 2015. One of the best searches of my life. If you consider yourself an intellectual, techy or someone who challenges the status quo, check it out.
2. Masters of Scale
Similar to the The Tim Ferriss show in subject matter: tech, business and general self improvement, I like this podcast because its hosted by Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn co-founder). His guests provide invaluable insight on topics like: why customer love is essential, making your business resilient and much more.
3. Levar Burton Reads
Who doesn't remember Reading Rainbow! Levar has the most soothing voice, which is perfect for the short fiction stories he literally just reads aloud every week. If you feel you do not have a lot of time to read or want something soothing to listen to, check this podcast out. Its literally simplicity personfied , trust me!
4. The Read
Now this is my dose of ratchet pop culture for the week, no business related shit here. The hosts, Kid Fury & Crissle talk about everything from Tyrese being in the sunken place on instagram to the social justice issues that face the Black community. A must listen for classy ratchet millennials.
Conclusion
If you would like further information about the tools or podcasts I have mentioned in this post, feel free to ask me in the comments. Don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already!