My true gifts are listening to understand and using my empathy to put myself into the emotions of your ideal client, so that I can craft the most compelling story that makes them want to connect with you right away and continue deepening the relationship over a lifetime.
This ring light is born for helping your selfie better! There are 3 different kinds of light: Warm light, Cold light and warm-cold light. Adjust at any time according to your needs, $19.99
LED Ring Light 8'' with Stand Tripod for Makeup, Live Streaming & YouTube Video, Table LED Camera Light with Cell Phone Holder, Mini Dimmable Lamp with 3 Light Modes & 11 Brightness Levels $36.99
8" Selfie Ring Light with Tripod Stand & Cell Phone Holder for Live Stream/Makeup, Android $59.99
Professional Grade Lavalier Lapel Microphone Omnidirectional Mic with Easy Clip On System $39.59
USB Gaming Microphone, TONOR Computer Condenser PC Mic with Tripod Stand & Pop Filter $39.99
Blue Yeti USB Mic for Recording & Streaming on PC and Mac, 3 Condenser Capsules, 4 Pickup Patterns, Headphone Output and Volume Control, Mic Gain Control, Adjustable Stand, Plug & Play – Blackout $129.99
Emart Photo Video Studio 10Ft Adjustable Background Stand Backdrop Support System Kit with Carry Bag $39.99
Okay, I own this. It's perfect when you have clutter behind you, and need to use a backdrop to hide it.
7x5ft Business Office French Sash Window Backdrop Living Room Sofa Plant Photography Background Interior Casement Work at Home Modern Flat Furniture Apartment Decoration Residence Villa Props $19.99
If you've been on a zoom with me, you'll recognize this as my background.
7x5ft Background for Classic Living Room Photography Backdrop Modern Design Sofa Bright Apartment Home Indoor Interior Clean Wood Floor House Home... $23.99
Screen Recording made easy and Free!
I use this for quick videos of my screen that I share with my clients to give updates or show them the step-by-steps of how to do a task or use software.
Design anything. Publish anywhere.
Use Canva’s drag-and-drop feature and professional layouts to design consistently stunning graphics. I love using Canva for quick & easy branded content - I use it for creating fliers, eBooks, Insta or FB Graphics, you name it. It's like the layman's version of Photoshop.
In case you've been living under a rock for the past 3 months... Zoom is a great platform for client consultations, meetings, and webinars. From Zoom you can share to Facebook Live and YouTube Live. One cool feature, is the automatic recording feature so that you can share the replay.
Okay, my JingProject is going away, and I've been casting about for a nice & easy screencapture app. Found it! I actually have the app running all the time on my desktop so that I can quickly take a snapshot of something to share. I'm still in the free version, but anticipate upgrading in the future. I'm sure I've only scratched the surface of this one.
Google Drive is a safe place for all your files and puts them within reach from any smartphone, tablet, or computer. Files in Drive – like your videos, photos, and documents – are backed up safely so you can’t lose them. Once there, you can easily invite others to view, edit, or leave comments on any of your files or folders.
Did I mention that you can share with others and work on things AT the same time? So easy. No brainer. It's free unless you need additional storage, and even then, really? $1.99/mo for the next level.
Scheduling Software. WHO would think that you would need such a thing? ANY CONSULTANT. This is a really cool, easy-to-use program that integrates with your google calendar, so that you can easily share your calendar with others, and you don't have to do the back-and-forth... "what about Tuesday at 9am or Friday at 1pm?" Just do it. I use the free version, but if you need more features, you can always upgrade!
StreamYard is a live streaming studio in your browser. It's so cool. You can host your own Facebook, YouTube, or LinkedIn LIVE TV Show... all you need is an internet connection and a camera and mic and someone to interview. You can bring up to 6 people on using the free version. Need more? You can always upgrade. (It's Super Cool!)
No cost Royalty-Free Images
Honestly, I go back and forth between PIXABAY.com and Unsplash.com
I love them both. Sometimes the searching is a challenge as I don't think the people who codify the images are native English speakers. So I often get creative when searching for an image.
Nonetheless, Unsplash has a bit more modern feel to the images, cleaner lines that seem to resonate with the current aesthetic.
No cost Royalty-Free Images
Something's happened with Pexels.com
It is SO much easier to use than it used to be! You can actually find images you LIKE to use. I'm loving this new iteration. So yes, it's in my "images" pull down menu on my Bookmarks bar in Chrome.
PicMonkey's your all-in-one image editor for graphics, photos, and collages. It's powerful and yet super easy, so you can focus all your creative energy on making that picture amazing.
I've been following PicMonkey since they started. It's like an easy-to-use version of Photoshop... for the non-techie designer in all of us. Although Canva has a lot to offer, I love PicMonkey for the versatility of picking colors, creating logos, manipulating images outside of templates. There's a brief free trial, but really, bite the bullet and subscribe for $7.99/mo. (I actually use the $12.99/mo because I need the added features to support my clients).
Cloud storage. Gotta have it. Gotta use it. I back up everything to the cloud. I love the security of DropBox and the ease... it's like having an extra hard drive or filing cabinet that I don't have to keep track of.
Personal account (if paid monthly) is $11.99/mo, if paid annually, it's $9.99/mo
Sometimes you need a professional image that you simply can't find on the free sites. I've subscribed to Dreamstime at $25/mo and get a certain number of downloads per month. For my situation of creating "lead magnets" like eBooks, tutorials, and information products, this is an investment that has paid dividends in the quality and uniqueness that I create for my clients. Prices of images vary by size and how you'll be using.
Have you ever seen those cool cartoon-like videos and wondered how you could get one? Doodly.com makes it REALLY easy. You can drag-and-drop and there are lots of tutorials. (You should probably watch them, it's not as intuitive as they make out - but once you learn the moves, it's awesome!)
Have you ever wondered how to edit videos - quickly using the cloud... because you don't really have room for ANY THING else on your computer? Flixier is great! Quick, easy, AND links directly to YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, and more!
Have you ever wondered how to make those cool intro and outro bumpers to attach to all your videos to reinforce your branding?
Viddyoze is awesome for this. They have great templates from classic to full-on feature film-type videos.
I've been using AllClients or a branded version of AllClients since they opened their doors back in 2004. I love this program for small businesses who need landing pages, email automations and a robust tracking of clients. If you're selling millions of widgets, this isn't the best, imo. However, if you intent to develop a client-for-life relationship with your clients, this is a great tool to attract, capture, and connect with them.
I'll be honest, I was a little dubious of this one. I like my Paypal invoicing system. HOWEVER, ThriveCart just made my life easier. It has a few features that are amazing. 1. Split pay - VERY easy you can give the option of splitting the cost of your product with the click of a button.
2. The "bump" feature - you know, the upsell. You should always include as the "want fries with that?" option. 3. Pay your own price. Wow. this one gives your buyer the option to choose what they pay for your product. Nice for an auction system or in times where money is tight (like a recession). It's not really the features that are so great, but the EASE of using them! It may seem "spendy" at first, but, in comparing the lifetime cost or the time and effort of having an asst figure out how to make your paypal do all this... it's a no brainer.