Here are my favorite tools (paid and free) that I currently use to…
- Write (almost) daily essays and Twitter threads (190 so far and counting)
- Crush it as a Marketing Manager for Forte Labs
- Grow Course Creator Lab into the go-to resource for aspiring and advanced course creator
- Stay sane and healthy while doing the above
I’ve marked tools I’m paying for with an *. Everything else is either free or I’m content with the free plan.
Websites
- Namecheap*: I’ve seen this site recommended by many and used it to purchase the CourseCreatorLab.co domain. It was cheap, easy, and done in minutes.
- Potion*: This magic tool turns any Notion page into a real website. That’s how I had CourseCreatorLab.co up and running in just two days. It’s all in Notion and updates instantly when I change anything.
- Shoutout*: This is the tool behind my Walls of Love on CourseCreatorLab.co and my newsletter page. Every time someone says something nice about me, I can add it to my Wall of Love in 30 seconds.
- WordPress + Elementor*: That’s the platform and website builder behind juliasaxena.com. But, to be honest, if I were to start my website again, I’d choose Webflow or Squarespace. WordPress has a steep learning curve, and you’ll always have a mashup of different plugins (that might not always work well together).
- Carrd: A simple and affordable landing page builder I’ve used many times to spin up quick one-page sites.
Writing
- Notion: Can’t live without it anymore. I use Notion for my daily journaling, to plan trips, to keep a list of books I want to read, to track my newsletters, and so much more. It’s also my content calendar (I’m writing this in Notion right now).
- ConvertKit: My go-to email service provider. I’m still on the free plan, which allows me to send my weekly newsletter. It’s also the tool I use at Forte Labs to manage an email list of 55k+ people.
- Grammarly*: Everything I publish goes through Grammarly first. Their suggestions aren’t always right, but it helps me avoid obvious silly mistakes.
- Thesaurus: I have this page open all the time to find better words for what I’m trying to say.
- Hypefury* (affiliate link): Paying for this tool ensures that I take Twitter seriously and put in the effort to post and engage on the platform. It’s great for drafting and scheduling threads as well as setting up evergreen tweets that go out without me doing anything.
Design
- Canva: As a non-designer, this is the tool that’s not intimidating and most easy to use. I use it to create the banner for my newsletter and other graphics. Has a generous free plan.
Productivity & Second Brain
- Evernote*: I still prefer the OG of notetaking apps. Evernote is my Second Brain, where I store the notes and resources I want to refer back to.
- Things*: I’ve tried out many to-do apps, but this one stuck (probably because I paid for it).
- f.lux: This little free app for Mac adapts the color of my display to the time of day, warm in the evening (bye bye blue light) and bright during the day. I’m spending a lot (probably too much) time looking at my screen, and this makes it a bit easier on the eyes.
- YouTube Premium*: Surprisingly, this has been one of the best investments this year. Watching YouTube ad-free feels almost indulgent. And it includes YouTube Music, which is basically Spotify (so I don’t need to pay extra for that).
- Overlap: Another simple free Mac app that shows me the time in different timezones.
Email & Communication
- Loom*: I fire Loom up almost daily to record my screen and send a quick video message to collaborators and colleagues. It’s so much easier to show what you mean instead of having to find the right words for an email.
- Mail: I’m back with the default email client on macOS. Boring, I know.
- Inbox Pause by Boomerang: Trying out this extension for GMail that gives me control over when emails appear in my inbox. I’ve set it to deliver emails only 3 times a day (morning, lunch, and late afternoon).
Chrome Extensions
- Bubbles: This has become my go-to tool to give feedback on designs. It takes a screenshot, and I can add little bubbles with my comments at the exact spot. Other people can comment and resolve when something is done.
- Go Full Page: Allows me to capture and save full web pages as pdfs or images. Perfect for building a swipe file.
- Reader by Readwise*: With one click, I can save an article online to my new favorite read-later app Reader (currently still in beta).
- Evernote Webclipper*: I use it to save bookmarks, web pages, and videos directly to my Second Brain in Evernote. I can even choose which folder it will go into.
- ColorZilla: Captures the color of any pixel on the screen you point it to and saves the HEX code.
- LastPass: Can’t live without a password manager anymore.
- Video Speed Controller: This is genius! It allows you to speed up or slow down any video you encounter on the web. By default, I always speed up videos to at least 1.25.
- Grammarly*: The Chrome Extension automatically checks everything I write nearly anywhere on the web for mistakes (for example, when filling out forms).
- Momentum: An inspirational quote and a beautiful picture whenever you open a new browser tab. It just looks nice!
Pro Tip: One of the best Google Chrome hacks I’ve found is setting up different profiles for work and private stuff.
