In this episode of the Deeply Rooted Business Podcast, Jess and Rachel dive into their top five must-have tech tools that have significantly transformed their business operations.
They provide insights on how each tool enhances efficiency, supports customer experiences, and keeps their business running smoothly. Jess also shares some advanced automation strategies, while Rachel highlights the advantages of using her go-to email platform for email marketing. This episode is packed with actionable tips and recommendations for business owners looking to optimize their tech stack and streamline their operations.
Timestamp:
00:17 The importance of tech tools in business
03:21 A must-have tech tool to organize your business (and life)
07:53 How to connect different tasks, apps, and platforms
11:49 How to leverage AI Tools for business efficiency
16:17 Email Platforms: ActiveCampaign vs. Kajabi
19:33 How to effectively communicate with team members
Resources:
NOTE: This description may contain affiliate links that allow you to easily find the items discussed in this video that support my channel at no cost to you. While this channel may earn minimal sums when you use the links, you (the viewer) are in NO WAY obligated to use these links. Either way, I appreciate you for your support!
Connect With Us:
__________
Work with Us 1:1
__________
Learn with Us
Get Jess's Sustainable Success Systems Starter Kit, a Notion Business Management Systems that takes your business from overwhelmed to organized with 4 foundational workflows. <<Learn More Here>>
Diagnose Common Launch Problems and Fix Them Fast! Get the Launch Cure Guide : https://www.thelaunchcollaborative.com/launch-cure
Get Rachel's Guide to a High-Converting Email list to learn 4 shifts to elevate your emails & embrace sustainability in your marketing. <<Get it Here>>
_________________
Hang Out & Say Hi!
jess_1_07-22-2024_130601: Hello, and
welcome back to another episode of
2
:the deeply rooted business podcast.
3
:My name's Jess.
4
:If you're new around here, I am your
operational expert side of things.
5
:And I'm here with Rachel.
6
:I love your glasses today.
7
:Our marketing mastermind.
8
:Today we're going to be talking about.
9
:Another one of my favorite things,
I feel like we've been talking about
10
:all my favorite things lately, and
that is tech tools as an operational,
11
:person, I love me some tech tools.
12
:I actually have to be quite careful with
not bringing on to be conscious about
13
:keeping my tech stack slim, because I
like to try out a lot of tech tools.
14
:So I have to do pretty much a quarterly
audit, like kind of look through all
15
:of the subscriptions that I'm paying
for it and making sure that I'm,
16
:still actively using these, but today
we're really going to be sharing our
17
:top five ride or die tools, Ones that
have really transformed our business.
18
:Ones that I don't see canceling
in the near future ever.
19
:And I think it's really important
to talk about these things because
20
:if you don't have the right tech
tools in place that's where you can
21
:get into just some inefficiencies.
22
:with your team, communication breakdowns.
23
:And a lot of these tools, the reason
why I love them is because they
24
:help me work smarter, not harder,
and really helped me get my job
25
:done in a more efficient manner.
26
:rachel_1_07-22-2024_130601: Yeah,
and I want to add a little disclaimer
27
:because we have talked about this
in the past about people who share
28
:their tech stacks and like, then it
kind of ripples into a little bit of
29
:pressure for, you The business owner
who maybe doesn't have an established
30
:tech stack to like go a little crazy
and like say, Oh, this person said it.
31
:And so then I should have to
do this or blah, blah, That is
32
:not our intention with this.
33
:Our intention is literally
because we have existed with
34
:these tools for X amount of time.
35
:Like there's not any.
36
:shiny object syndrome here that's like
connected to a launch or an affiliate
37
:strategy or anything like that.
38
:Like, this is purely the tools we love.
39
:And that actively exists in
our businesses and like sharing
40
:them just to give visibility.
41
:Cause I think everybody likes to
have a little behind the scenes
42
:and how people run their business.
43
:So I wanted to put that caveat
out there because we have said
44
:that as an ick in the past.
45
:jess_1_07-22-2024_130601:
Yeah, I think it's great.
46
:I mean, I always say like,
it's not really the tool.
47
:It's the system that you're
putting the tool into.
48
:And so you might have similar
tools that can do the same thing.
49
:We're just talking about these things
because as service providers, we've
50
:worked behind the scenes and we've
worked in a lot of different tools
51
:and been able to evaluate different
tools, lots of different tools.
52
:And these are our favorites
that we've worked with.
53
:But still, even when I bring
new clients on, I'm really
54
:hesitant about changing them.
55
:Like if they're in Asana to Notion,
even though that's like, I can like
56
:zip around Notion and Asana like
feels a little more clunky for me,
57
:even though I don't enjoy it as much.
58
:It usually takes me like two months
to evaluate, if it's going to be worth
59
:the ROI to like have them move over.
60
:And that's really based on how much they
have established in that program already.
61
:And I'm sure it's the same when
you're looking at people's.
62
:rachel_1_07-22-2024_130601: Right
off the bat that I'm like, we're
63
:gonna, we're gonna move out of this.
64
:We do not.
65
:I don't care how many new features
they get until they improve their
66
:analytics and their segmentation.
67
:Like, okay, nevermind.
68
:I can't go down that rabbit hole.
69
:All right, let's talk about the
first one, before we name it.
70
:I want to kind of say, like,
the 1st, 1 is really the brain.
71
:I would say that external brain.
72
:So, like, just had said, from a
project management standpoint, you
73
:may exist in another platform already.
74
:And so if your current
platform is not, doing its job.
75
:It's still chaos in there.
76
:The reason why we both
love notion so much.
77
:So notion is our first tool.
78
:That's completely changed our business
is because it acts as this external
79
:brain and really does have so many
project management capabilities.
80
:I know Jess is going to have.
81
:So much to say about notion
because she's the notion lady.
82
:But coming from someone who is not
in the project management mindset, it
83
:really did elevate my business to a
place where I was in ClickUp before.
84
:ClickUp was great.
85
:Thought it was fine, did a lot of the
things, but from a visibility perspective
86
:of how we've built like this dashboard
in our new, or I say ours, cause Jess
87
:is always in there tweaking mine, but
inside of the new notion dashboard
88
:on my side, it really is just like,
when I say changed my business, like
89
:I literally mean changed my business.
90
:So, that's all I have to say about that.
91
:jess_1_07-22-2024_130601: we should
get some bad rap because it is so
92
:customizable, but, but that's also the
great thing that is so customizable.
93
:So if you don't have a systems
brain, it can be hard to get in
94
:there at first because you can
literally start with a blank slate.
95
:But I think one of the strengths
of Notion is its adaptability.
96
:a lot of times, people are using ClickUp.
97
:you can't change it into a page
or a calendar as easy as Notion.
98
:It's just like whipping it.
99
:Notion has the ability to, you know,
when I first get into a lot of clients
100
:business, they've kind of Frankenstein
their back end brain, like they've
101
:got stuff in Google Docs, they've got
stuff, maybe an air table, they've got
102
:stuff in Evernote, they've got stuff
in their project management system.
103
:And what Notion can really do because
it is so customizable is it can take.
104
:all of those apps and eliminate them
completely so that your entire brain truly
105
:is running off of one system and you're
able to kind of zip around a lot closer,
106
:you know, because you can mention pages
in there and you're not having to go
107
:look in the link and open up a new tab.
108
:It's like everything can really
be right at your fingertips.
109
:And the ability to pull in your different
databases to separate pages and look
110
:at it in different ways and like
build dashboards that you can look at.
111
:Like I'm sure the daily dashboard
that I've built in notion is like,
112
:it's literally got everything to run
your business just on that one page.
113
:You don't have to like
click around to anything.
114
:So I think that's where it's so powerful.
115
:And I think that my clients sometimes
when they have like trouble embracing
116
:it, it's because they're still
trying to Hold on to like their
117
:Google Docs or their Evernote books.
118
:I'm like, no, the point is to get rid
of all of that and get it in your brain.
119
:And like, even Apple notes, I'm like, no,
put a widget on your phone for your notes.
120
:you want Notion to be your
entire business brain.
121
:Because I think a lot of the overwhelm,
that mental overwhelm that we deal
122
:with, as entrepreneurs is literally
trying to keep everything in your brain.
123
:So if you're able to download it all
and know that it's in a safe spot, that
124
:it's searchable, you can find it easily.
125
:It truly does just allow you to
turn your brain off for a minute.
126
:And I think another reason people
decide, like, Oh, I'm not organized
127
:enough to use a project management tool.
128
:I'm like, Oh no, I use a project
management tool because I'm not organized.
129
:This is like my safety net.
130
:If I forget something, I just need
to log into Notion and be like, Oh,
131
:I've completely forgot about that task
that I was supposed to do this day.
132
:Or what was that content idea?
133
:I thought about like when I was
walking my dog the other day
134
:and like quickly wrote it down.
135
:Like those are the things that I'm like
going into Notion for using it every day.
136
:rachel_1_07-22-2024_130601: Yeah.
137
:And just as a reminder of something
Jess said earlier, but she kind
138
:of like, just like low key said
it, a tool is not a system.
139
:just putting that out there.
140
:So even if you just get a project
management tool, that is not a
141
:system at all in your business.
142
:So just throwing that out there to
kind of like highlight that moment of
143
:genius for Jess, because it is so true.
144
:Like you can exist in a space like
ClickUp or where Asana or whatever.
145
:And.
146
:It just still won't work because you
don't have a system built to support it.
147
:So,
148
:jess_1_07-22-2024_130601: Yeah,
you can bring your tool every day.
149
:And a lot of times my clients, when
they first come to me, I'm like, Oh,
150
:I have a project management system.
151
:And it's like, they haven't
looked at it in months.
152
:And I'm like, no, you don't have
a project management system.
153
:You have this tool that you're going for.
154
:All right, so let's move on
because we know that I could
155
:talk about Notion for sure.
156
:We'll go one of our
faves, which is Zapier.
157
:rachel_1_07-22-2024_130601: yeah.
158
:I love this because I think
when you aren't in that like
159
:streamlined, everything's in
the one place kind of thing.
160
:Connectivity is really
like your Best friend.
161
:And so when you can connect specific
apps, whether it's your checkout to your
162
:email platform, or if it's your, Google
form to wherever, like whatever that
163
:looks like having that connectivity,
like Zapier has really just like made it.
164
:So simple.
165
:And yeah, sometimes it's complicated that
you have to pay for a second or third
166
:string or whatever, but I've gotten pretty
successful by just using the free version.
167
:And I think that that's one of those
things where when you have access to free
168
:versions like this, and that you can kind
of just plug in the necessary tools and
169
:like, Clean up the client experience.
170
:Like that's what I personally use it for.
171
:Or if I refuse to acknowledge a
system, like to me, I will brain
172
:dump day and night in Slack, but
I will not put them in my Notion.
173
:I've created a Slack zap that goes
from Slack to Notion to kind of
174
:create that bridge because it's
something that I just refuse to do.
175
:So it really is there to just
encourage good habits and
176
:improve customer experience.
177
:And Jess, I don't know how often
you use Zapier, but what has your
178
:experience been with it in your business?
179
:jess_1_07-22-2024_130601: so I
use Zapier and there's another
180
:one that I use make is a lot.
181
:I'll say like the basic
connects where you're just
182
:connecting one app to the other.
183
:But what I've really been enjoying
exploring recently is like how
184
:to get the more advanced zaps
that are like no code automation.
185
:So I actually sent one up from one of
my clients last week and it was after
186
:she gets off at the discovery call, she
can go into our notion database and she
187
:plugs in a little bit of information and
then changes it to send follow up email.
188
:And I've got a zap now that will
send a Gmail and populate the
189
:personalized information into an
email that I already have for her.
190
:So that sounds pretty great.
191
:So you're sending personalized
follow up emails, but then I
192
:have it wait a couple of days.
193
:And if the person doesn't respond
or purchase, it sends another
194
:follow up email that's personalized,
waits another couple of days.
195
:If no one's purchased,
sends another follow up one.
196
:Those are like the things that
get me super excited is when I
197
:can, like, I was doing the math.
198
:I'm like, well, she would
have paid a VA to do.
199
:this, and it's probably
three hours of work.
200
:And if she's doing 20 discovery calls
a week, then that's like thousands of
201
:dollars a month that this, like one
tiny little automation has saved you.
202
:So I think connecting the basic
stuff is great, but I'm really
203
:getting excited about learning.
204
:I'm getting make certified, which
is like Zapier's like friend.
205
:And I go back and forth with both because
it's like, what can integrate with what?
206
:So I really do use both.
207
:Cause a lot of my clients are
practice better and like Zapier
208
:only does practice better.
209
:But I love that.
210
:I've also got one actually for this
podcast that when our VA will put our
211
:podcast after she edits it, she puts it
in a Google drive and make is actually
212
:watching that Google drive folder.
213
:When they see it, it sends the
video to get transcribed and then
214
:sends the transcription to chat GPT.
215
:And then chat GPT writes our title,
our thumbnail, our show notes.
216
:And our short description and
gives us hashtags and that
217
:all happens automatically.
218
:And yes, I could have like my VA
copy and paste it into chat GPT,
219
:like, and do the different prompts.
220
:But this is automatically all of
that information gets populated
221
:into our notion, like YouTube board
for the podcast when that happens.
222
:moves over.
223
:So I've been very much experimenting.
224
:Like, how can I push this to the limit
and just getting really, really curious.
225
:And I think that's important with
both automations and AI is like, if
226
:you're doing it repeatedly, can you
figure out a way to like automate it?
227
:Or I do it for you.
228
:So
229
:rachel_1_07-22-2024_130601: Wow.
230
:I live inside of Jess's brain.
231
:I just, I would dream.
232
:It's a dream.
233
:Okay.
234
:The next tool is.
235
:AI tools.
236
:And I think Jess again has just taken
what normal people utilize like chat
237
:GPT for and has just elevated and
like taken it to a whole nother level.
238
:Just talk to us a little bit about
how AI changed your business.
239
:jess_1_07-22-2024_130601: Basically I
think it's helped me from not having,
240
:like, I do have some assistants that
work with me in the business, but
241
:basically with chat GPT and marketing
magic, which is basically chat GPT
242
:with like preloaded prompts from like
a marketing genius service provider.
243
:She like basically built this app that has
all of her prompts that she would give.
244
:AI into it and you can input stuff
about your business and it can
245
:be in your own brand and voice.
246
:But basically what that's allowed
me to do is provide kind of another
247
:layer of service for my clients where
I wasn't offering like copy before.
248
:And I still wouldn't say like
offer copywriting, I get to
249
:tell them it's starter copy.
250
:Like I'm going to get you started with
this, with this information from like, AI.
251
:So that's one way I use it to
write sales pages, email campaigns.
252
:And it does it so quick.
253
:Like it can be stuff that Rachel just
said she had to write 30 emails for
254
:a launch we're working on together.
255
:at least getting these, like the clay
on the table is what I like to call it.
256
:Like that helps you kind of get over
that initial, like, how do I get started?
257
:Especially when you have like with
Rachel has like, she has a outline
258
:of what emails need to get sent.
259
:When just creating these custom GPTs with
the client's information, the information
260
:about their product, but then also
your strategy is when it becomes super,
261
:super powerful because you're basically
training your marketing assistant.
262
:rachel_1_07-22-2024_130601: I mean, I
don't use it at all to the level that
263
:Jess does, but it always is that like
you creatively, like, Can't always
264
:be on and as a copywriter to myself
that is something that Even if I just
265
:want a prompt or like a starting point
of some sort it has been so helpful
266
:I tend to be someone who I write
how I talk And sometimes that's very
267
:like scattered in the sense of flow.
268
:And so sometimes I'll put it in there
and have it be my like second set of
269
:eyes and be like, does this make sense?
270
:Or how can I make this
clearer kind of thing?
271
:And there's just so many tools you can
use to support in that sense, but also
272
:like even If I'm not ready to hire like
a social media manager, like letting
273
:chat GPT, letting the robots do something
to kind of get me started and build
274
:certain practices and habits until I am
ready to hire that in my business is I
275
:think one of the most impactful things.
276
:I don't recommend that for like everything
because of course like it's not foolproof.
277
:Like you can't say, Build me a
systems, blah, blah, blah, blah.
278
:And then it knows what to do.
279
:I mean, it will give you a starting
point, like Jess said, but I do think
280
:there are certain like limits to it.
281
:But yeah, I mean, it is such a, I'm
obsessed with it is really has helped.
282
:I finally upgraded to the paid version.
283
:Cause I was like, I have to, Oh,
let me just nerd out about this.
284
:One of the things that I have
been doing is uploading survey
285
:results to it and allowing, cause
you're going to upload like.
286
:An X, like CSV and allowing it to be
the analytical side of things too.
287
:It's like, what are the cadence?
288
:Like, what are the tone
of the open text response?
289
:What are the key themes?
290
:And that saves me so much time from having
to sit there and like manually scrub it.
291
:It's amazing.
292
:have three more surveys to do and I'm
like, I'm totally obsessed with this.
293
:jess_1_07-22-2024_130601: One of my
favorite ones, and it's so easy to,
294
:it doesn't have to be like complicated
is I have been uploading emails that
295
:I need to like schedule for clients
in there and been like, change the
296
:formatting, not the copy, to make
this scannable for the reader.
297
:And it'll go through and like make it
bold and bullet point and do all of
298
:these things that like really just brings
my level of service to the next level.
299
:And I literally could probably give a
whole hour presentation about what I've
300
:used chat GPT for and what I use it for
regularly, but you can create custom GPTs.
301
:I have a SOP creator that I've trained on
how to write SOPs based on transcripts.
302
:So I'll share that link actually.
303
:cause with CHEP GPT now you can create
your own custom GPTs and put them on the
304
:marketplace and then people use them.
305
:You get paid as the creator of that GPT.
306
:So I have two that I've created.
307
:One is a SOPT creator and one is
a script creator for my YouTubes.
308
:So I'll link those down below
if you want to check them out.
309
:But basically these are like
preloaded with strategy already
310
:and like how to do what.
311
:a specific task that you needed to do
where the regular ChachiBT is kind of
312
:just like learning, what you tell it.
313
:you can upload whole entire PDFs.
314
:rachel_1_07-22-2024_130601: Amazing.
315
:one of the many questions I
get from everyone is which
316
:email platform do I recommend?
317
:And while I always have a very standard
answer on that, which is depends on your
318
:business goals and blah, blah, blah.
319
:People then say, well, what do you use?
320
:I, and majority of my
clients use active campaign.
321
:Because I think it is one of those,
like the way that people rave about
322
:Klaviyo for e commerce, ActiveCampaign
kind of fits into the bucket of
323
:both e comm and service provider.
324
:And so it really does allow
so much functionality.
325
:Functionability.
326
:Is that even a word?
327
:So much function.
328
:I'm pretty obsessed with like, just
certain things that you can change.
329
:So like when I always say like, Oh,
flow desk can't give you a better,
330
:customer journey experience with your
email list, but active campaign can
331
:retarget based off of browse data.
332
:Like they can say this contact visited.
333
:This sales page three times, let's
tag them as a prospect for that
334
:product in your offer suite and then
retarget them with maybe an email
335
:about, that course and all of that.
336
:So it's like the customer journey aspect
of like really tying automation in.
337
:Along with the buyer, behavior, your
subscriber behavior is just beyond
338
:what I see in other platforms.
339
:And so I'm like, you're going to
outgrow in a lot of single kind of use
340
:platforms, like a convert kit or a,
Mailer light or anything like that.
341
:Like you can really kind of max
yourself out on a strategy, but in
342
:an active campaign, you really do
have everything from the get go.
343
:So it's always my, favorite
platform to recommend.
344
:And I know Jess has a different platform
345
:that she goes,
346
:jess_1_07-22-2024_130601: So I use
Kajabi, but basically because most
347
:of the clients I serve are course
creators or content creators that
348
:have courses as like one arm of their
business or subject matter experts.
349
:And really, it's not for the autumn
while Kajabi has automations,
350
:they're definitely not as robust as
what you can do an active campaign.
351
:But I think a lot of the clients
that are at the level that I'm
352
:serving and how courses play into
their business might not need.
353
:I mean, I'm sure they could
benefit from advancing.
354
:Automations.
355
:But the benefit of Kajabi is that it's
an all in one platform, so it can host
356
:your website, it can host your checkout
page, it can host your email lists, it
357
:can host your courses, your memberships,
it can even host your podcast now.
358
:So if you're really looking to create a
lean tech stack, which is what I love,
359
:that's why I love Notion because it
combines a bunch of different things
360
:into one platform to keep things simple.
361
:It's another reason why I love
Kajabi is because it can do so many
362
:of the things and you're not having
to like use CPR, cause anytime you
363
:like put in another tool, it might
break, so it kind of adds anxiety.
364
:So I think for, ease of use and just
getting started, you know, and my
365
:clients that are using Kajabi or,
under the like million dollar mark
366
:or under the Even most of them are
under like that 500k mark where I find
367
:like Kajabi is sufficient for that.
368
:But Rachel's teaching me ActiveCampaign.
369
:I'm going to be helping Rachel out
with some ActiveCampaign stuff.
370
:So I might change my tune here in a
little bit once I see all the questions.
371
:rachel_1_07-22-2024_130601:
And then our last one is Slack.
372
:So our communication tool, which I
am so surprised that so many people
373
:don't use Slack, in the online space.
374
:I hear a lot of people using Voxer,
which just drives me wild because if
375
:I had to be on my phone, Listening to
voice notes and texting and doing that.
376
:I'm sure they have an app hopefully
on desktop, but it has like, I have
377
:all my workspaces in one place.
378
:I can visually see it.
379
:I can connect it to my calendar.
380
:So my clients know when I'm out,
they know when, I'm in a meeting,
381
:so I'm not typically going to
respond and all of these things.
382
:Like there's so much that goes into a
customer experience that communication
383
:weighs heavily on, and I just don't know
how other people do it outside of Slack.
384
:Like, it's just, I don't know.
385
:jess_1_07-22-2024_130601: I still
have one client who is not on
386
:Slack who has my phone number.
387
:He was my first client.
388
:And I can tell you, Because I
have my Slack set up to like
389
:integrate with my Notion too.
390
:So if someone sends me a message
in Slack, I can tag it to send
391
:to my Notion as the to do list.
392
:So nothing gets lost.
393
:I built the system around it.
394
:So it's really hard for me when I have a
client that comes on and they want to use.
395
:don't think anybody wants to use emails
because everything gets buried, but if
396
:they want to use something else, like
I really push for them to get on Slack
397
:one, it helps you establish boundaries
because like you said, your calendars
398
:on there, you can turn it off when
you're away so that you're not getting
399
:pings and notification on like your
text messages that you're getting.
400
:You can connect it to, your Google
drive and your notion and all of that
401
:to allow for like a seamless experience.
402
:So yeah, now basically every client
that I like work with, You don't have to
403
:create your own Slack, but if you want
to talk to me, we need to have a party in
404
:rachel_1_07-22-2024_130601: Okay.
405
:Okay.
406
:So that was our five tools that literally
run our business and have kind of elevated
407
:how I exist inside of my business.
408
:A little bit of a recap.
409
:So project management is notion.
410
:Our external brain, our
connectivity is Zapier.
411
:And then what did you say?
412
:Make.
413
:jess_1_07-22-2024_130601: Yeah, make.
414
:rachel_1_07-22-2024_130601: Make and
then our AI kind of like starter tools
415
:are chat GPT and then marketing magic,
which will link in the show notes
416
:in case people want to kind of just
click around in their active campaign.
417
:Or Kajabi and then Slack.
418
:So those are kind of the tools
that literally run our business.
419
:I hope that if you found any of these
tools helpful, or if you have questions
420
:about like how much we use these tools
or want to know a little bit more about.
421
:Like one of them, feel
free to send us a DM.
422
:We absolutely, obviously love
talking about these things.
423
:And then be sure to just share
this with your business bestie.
424
:We'll be talking about how to ramp up a
successful launch in the next episode.
425
:And if you have questions about that, drop
it in the DMs, cause we are in full launch
426
:mode right now as we support a new client.
427
:Obviously just mentioned,
I'm writing 30 plus emails.
428
:So, we are in full launch mode.
429
:So it's something we just thought
we want to like get that out.
430
:Cause I know everybody's prepping
for a Q3 launch right now.
431
:At least that's how it's seeming.
432
:So
433
:jess_1_07-22-2024_130601:
We're rooting for you.