I have a confession to make. I am a total tool and app lover. I get really excited when I find something that makes my work easier or more fun. Honestly, I could spend an hour setting up an automation that saves me five minutes, but here’s the thing – those five minutes add up so quickly, and I could be spending that time in a better way.
Since summer is a little slower, I thought it would be fun to share some of the new tools I’ve been using and workflows that might fit into your life too. If you’re like me and love finding ways to work smarter, not harder, then stick around because I think you’re going to find something useful here today.
My goal over the last year has been to implement tools that help me get more free time to myself. Instead of putting that time back into the business, I’ve been working hard to enjoy life outside of my work. I hope these tools can help you find some fun and joy in your life too.
Claude AI for Content Creation and Strategy
The first tool transforming my workflow is Claude AI. While there are many AI chatbots out there, I find that Claude’s responses are more personable, making it a better fit for my marketing tasks.
Brainstorming and Episode Planning
Claude introduced an audio feature through their mobile app that has been a game changer. I love using this while driving when ideas are running through my brain. I open the app and start voice recording, chatting about a recent client call or project launch, discussing everything I learned throughout the process and how it turned out. Then I ask Claude to brainstorm podcast episodes around what I just shared.
The audio chat feature gives me really creative feedback that I wouldn’t get from typing. It feels like having a conversation with a creative partner who never gets tired of brainstorming.
Content Organization and Outlines
I also use Claude to help create outlines for my episodes. When I come up with a topic I’m passionate about, I usually have six or seven points I want to make. I share the topic and my key points with Claude, along with relevant project examples, and ask it to create an organized outline.
This has been incredible for staying on track during episodes. Before using AI, I was spending so much more time organizing my content in a way that made sense for listeners. Since we’re all busy, I want to share my knowledge in a way that helps you take action, and having organized content is important for that.
Website Audit Automation
Another powerful way I use AI is for the website audits I provide to clients. When someone orders an audit, I ask for access to their Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and any heat mapping tools they use.
Here’s my process. I open their website and record an in-depth audit using Descript (another tool I’ll discuss). I go through page by page, analyzing keywords, analytics, user behavior, calls to action – everything – while speaking into the video recording.
After I finish recording, Descript provides a transcript. I take that transcript and feed it into ChatGPT (I use ChatGPT for this because it’s more structured). I’ve actually created a custom GPT with specific prompts that create a comprehensive report based on my audit.
The output includes sections on the homepage, about page, navigation, overall design, SEO, and more. This allows me to brain dump everything verbally during the audit, then have AI create a beautiful, organized report that’s easy for clients to digest. It even includes a to-do list for actionable next steps.
I do something similar for strategy calls, recording them and using the transcript to create summaries and task lists for both myself and clients. This saves tremendous time and ensures nothing gets missed.
Arc Browser for Ultimate Organization
If you’re anything like me, you have a million tabs open at one time. That’s just how my brain works, and I don’t want to close those tabs, but nothing is worse than seeing them cluttering the top of your screen.
Arc Browser has been a beautiful solution. It allows you to have an organized dashboard with one section for business and one for personal that you can easily switch between by swiping left or right.
On the left side, I have icons that look like apps for Gmail, calendar, LinkedIn, and sites I use for website design projects. Below that, Arc allows you to create folders for open tabs. I create a folder for each client containing their Google Drive, shared links, client portal, and anything else I want to save for that project.
Even though I still have many tabs open, everything feels organized and tidy. If you’re looking for something to help stay more organized with your tabs, Arc Browser might be worth checking out.
Canva Code for Custom Website Elements
Canva had a major update in early June that introduced Canva Code. If you open Canva and click on the “Code” section, you can create designs and get the actual code for them. You can create price calculators, font accessibility tools, and my favorite – custom timelines.
This has enabled me to create beautiful, custom coded animations and designs that used to be incredibly difficult to do with traditional coding. What’s even better is that I can create designs in Canva, grab the code, and then work with AI to refine it further.
If you haven’t checked this out yet, I encourage you to open Canva, go to Canva AI, and explore the code features. You might find something creative to add to your website.
Airtable and Zapier for Powerful Automation
My Airtable and Zapier connection has been going strong for a long time and continues to save me hours each week.
Podcast Workflow Automation
I have an Airtable database for all my podcast episodes where I keep my podcast flow. After I create the title and outline (working with Claude), I record the episode in Descript. Once I have the transcript, I add it to Airtable.
Here’s where the magic happens. When I change the episode status from “In Progress” to “Repurpose,” it triggers a Zapier automation that sends the transcript to ChatGPT with multiple prompts.
Within minutes, I get back:
- Podcast description for my podcast player
- LinkedIn post ideas
- Facebook post content
- Email newsletter drafts
- Blog post outlines
- Additional repurposing content
I don’t use any of this content straight from AI since it needs editing to sound like me, but it gives me an incredible foundation. This automation saves me hours for each episode I publish.
Project Documentation and Case Studies
I have a separate Airtable setup for projects. When I complete a project, I enter information about it and include a freeform section where I discuss where we started, where we ended, what happened in between, and any results the client achieved.
When I change the project status, another Zapier automation creates social media posts and blog post case studies based on my input. This helps me consistently document and share my work without spending hours writing from scratch.
Most of my business lives in Notion, but Notion doesn’t have the powerful Zapier integration I need for these automations. That’s why these two workflows have stayed in Airtable, and I think they will for a while.
Zapier for Seamless Connections
Zapier connects apps that don’t naturally talk to each other. I covered this extensively in episode 5 about apps and tools I use in my website design business, so I won’t go into all the details here.
But I have automations set up for new client onboarding when they pay through contracts, social media workflows, and adding consultation prospects to my newsletter when they opt in. If you’re trying to connect two pieces of technology that don’t work together natively, Zapier might be the perfect solution.
Descript for All Video and Audio Needs
Descript is where I record podcast episodes, edit them, and record all my videos. It has essentially replaced Loom for me. While Loom used to offer unlimited recording and transcripts, their current limitations make Descript a better choice.
With Descript, I can record videos for however long I want with no time limit, and I get complete transcripts. Since I use those transcripts for so many AI applications, having reliable access to them is important.
If you’re recording screen reviews, audio content, or any type of video, Descript might be a great option because of the transcript capabilities and unlimited recording time.
Making Smart Tool Investments
These tools solve specific problems and save me time every day. Some are free and some are paid, but I find that the paid tools give back so much time and free time to my life that they’re absolutely worth the investment.
The key is identifying your biggest time drains and finding tools that specifically address those pain points. Every few minutes saved adds up to hours over time, and those hours can be spent on what matters most to you.
Your Next Steps
Think about your current workflow. Where are you spending time on repetitive tasks that could be automated? Which of these tools might solve a specific problem you’re facing?
If you’re ready to make your website work harder for your business while you focus on what you do best, consider booking a discovery call with me. We can discuss how to optimize your online presence so it works around the clock to attract your ideal clients.
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