Resources I Can’t Live Without

Automation:

• Zapier — Pronounced zap-ee-er. Rhymes with happier - as in Zapier makes you happier. You can create custom automations between different programs.
  - Want to automatically post your IG post to a Pinterest Board, Zapier will do it.
  - Want to send yourself a celebratory text message when a client pays their invoice, Zapier will do it!
  - Want to import all your orders into a spreadsheet so you can stay organized, Zapier will do it.
  - Want to put a file in a folder on your desktop and have it be added to a project in Asana, Zapier will do it!
  No joke, I have nearly 100 zaps set up and running pieces of my business for me. Start with the free plan and then upgrade when you’re ready. It’s worth every penny! (Note: Zapier is my hubby’s company, but I get absolutely nothing for promoting it. I truly love and use it in my business every single day and would promote it even if he wasn’t the co-founder and CEO.)

• Also look inside the apps you use to see if automations exist natively. A lot of apps are creating easy-to-use automations that make running your business so much easier.

Email & Document Management:

• Gmail — Get yourself a personalized email with Gmail for Business! It makes you look so much more professional and it’s only $6 a month. (Find out how I tame my inbox with little to no effort.)

• Convertkit — My favorite, most customizable email marketing tool. Share freebies, create landing pages, and communicate with your list easily. Get 15% off.

• Dropbox — I save ALL of my files to dropbox. It’s easy to sync with your computer, phone, and tablet, so you always have your files no matter where you are or what device you’re on. Plus, you don’t have to worry about a device breaking! (Read more on what happened to my laptop here.)

• Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides) — This is free with your gmail account and so powerful! Share, collaborate, even create freebies! It also syncs with your computer.

Membership & Courses:

• Kajabi - It’s pretty much my favorite. Get 28 days free to try it out, build your courses/membership, and even get paid!

• I used to use Memberspace when I first started The Empowered Boss Lab. It integrates with Squarespace so you can build your membership directly on your SS site. It was great for the first few months, then I wanted more features and organization. And something that took less time to upload each workshop. That’s when I switched to Kajabi.

Meetings, Inquiries & Client Management:

• Acuity — All my calls get booked through Acuity Scheduling - from inquiry calls, to coaching calls, to biz bestie coffee dates. Having the reminder emails that go out automatically before a call or meeting has been a lifesaver and reduced my no-shows to nearly zero! Especially with inquiry calls.

• Dubsado — Literally everything I need to collect inquiries, send proposals, invoices & contracts, and get paid on time, every time. Your first 3 clients are free, always. Plus get 20% off a paid plan with coupon code: chelseabfoster

• Honeybook — Similar to Dubsado, but more plug & play. If you want control, go with Dubsado; if you just want it to work without much work, go with Honeybook. Get 40% off your paid plan.

• Dropbox — This is where I share all recordings for my coaching calls with my clients. It’s super easy to copy the zoom file to their folder and be on my way.

• Asana — Not only do I manage all my to-dos in Asana, but I also keep all my client meeting logs in here too! This helps me track how many calls they’ve had and notes from each call. Plus I can share their project with them and assign homework tasks to them if I want! (I do this for sure with design clients.)

• Contract Templates from Your Legal Bff — Annette Stepanian has been my go-to for contract templates (and legal advice) since almost day 1 of my business. She’s amazing. Her templates are thorough and detailed. And she gives you easy to understand instructions and guidance on how to customize your contracts to fit your needs and your business. I use her templates in every area of my business!

• Greetabl — Easy client gifting! These are the cutest little boxes and so easy to build. I just love them!

• Box Fox — Want to give a little more substantial gift? Box Fox is perfect! Build your own box, 3 sizes to choose from. And even include a personalized note. Get $10 off your first box.

Task & Time Management:

• Asana — Second to Gmail/GSuite, this is the most powerful tool I use. And it’s FREE! Everything goes in here. I track all content items, all client items, and all personal items. It’s so versatile - with the ability to create lists or boards. I often find myself procrastinating by playing around inside Asana. #nerdlife

• Trello — I tried Trello and never could get it to work for me. It’s Kanban boards with style. If Asana isn’t your jam, try Trello! They both are great and usually one or the other will work for you.

• Google Calendar — In college I was obsessed with my Outlook Calendar. I’d program in all the assignment due dates for each class, tests, organization meetings, my work schedules (yes, plural - college is expensive and I had 2+ jobs sophomore year on), etc., all color-coded, of course. So when I made the switch over to Google Calendar after college, I was in heaven to find almost all the features I loved from Outlook. That was 10+ years ago now, and Google Calendar has only gotten better. I nerd out over it and have multiple calendars going in both my personal and business accounts. To say I love Google Calendar is an understatement. (Learn how to use it to help you stay on track during the day with your CEO Schedule.)

• Timer on my phone — I love to set timers on my phone to make sure I don’t waste away the entire day working on one thing. My favorite two lengths of time are 25 minutes (like the Pomodoro method) and 50 minutes. Pick one task to work on, set the time, and work on it - and it alone - for the designated time. When the time goes off, it’s time to be finished with that. If I need more time, I’ll give myself 5 more minutes only. Then it’s time to move on.

Social Media:

• Later — Being able to schedule & automate social posts has been a lifesaver to me! I have a love/hate relationship with social media and anything that will save me time and allow me to thoughtfully plan out my feed and stories is a win for me! You can schedule posts for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. On the paid plans you can even schedule IG Stories!

• Tailwind — Pinterst - we all know we should be on there and pinning lots all day long. Automate that! Tailwind lets you pre-program in pins that will be pinned for you later. Tell it which boards to post to and even if you want to re-post it later. You can even grab other content from your feed to re-post too!

Hobbies & Around the House:

• Audible — You’ve heard me say how much I love listening to audiobooks. It’s how I was able to read over 100 books in 2019! Audible is my go-to. They have the biggest selection of books and I love that it’s a subscription, so it encourages me to listen to at least a book each month. (I’m actually on the two a month plan now and go WAY over that each month.)

• Book of the Month — Love hardback books? Try BOTM! They curate 6 books each month and you get to pick one to be delivered right to your doorstep. They are usually new releases and often have new authors, meaning it’s easy to explore. They have great notes on each book so you can be sure you’ll like the one you pick. And you can add up to 2 other books to your box each month too.

• Kindle Books — I read a lot of digital books too - typically 2 per month. And I love getting books through Kindle. They also have options for Kindle Unlimited, a subscription service that gives you access to TONS of books. I tend to read new releases on my kindle so I haven’t tried Unlimited yet, but I have several friends who love it.

• Essential Oils — I go through at least one bottle of lavender every month. It’s my favorite and I can’t get enough of it! I have over 100 other oils too. They are good for so many things from making the air smell yummy to helping your skin glow and keeping you above the wellness line. And they are even good at cleaning! Thieves Household Cleaner is my fave! It cleans literally everything. The only company I trust is Young Living and their Seed to Seal Promise.