Coffee Powered Systems

If you’re a designer or just someone who likes having the fancy layers and advanced options that come along with design software like Photoshop, but you aren’t too fond of the price tag, this episode presents a great alternative option.

Links Mentioned In This Episode:

• Affinity Photo
• Canva
• PicMonkey
• Tech Stack: Choosing the Right Tools for the Right Task [Part 2]

Related Blog Posts:

• Canva is the Real Deal. How Are You Editing Your Photos?

Other Helpful Links:

Free Productivity Power Pack

Website

Instagram (@mirandamerten)

For Full Show Notes

https://www.mirandamerten.com/44

Send A Voice Message:

https://www.speakpipe.com/CoffeePoweredSystems

Having an email inbox over flowing with unwanted messages is no fun - not to mention a time suck. Why do we torture ourselves with sifting through a pile of messages we don’t want? If this sounds like you, here’s a plan for you to tackle this weekend so you can take back control of your inbox.

Discussed In This Episode:

• Reasons why you might stay on someone’s email list
• Why you should just unsubscribe if you don’t want to be on a list
• How to create a plan for your unsubscribe days

Related Blog Posts:

• 21 Ways to Manage Your Out of Control Inbox
• 12 Cool Gmail Hacks: Did You Know You Could Do That?
• 034: Why Are You Still Writing the Same Emails Over and Over Again?

Other Helpful Links:

Free Productivity Power Pack

Website

Instagram (@mirandamerten)

For Full Show Notes

https://www.mirandamerten.com/43

Send A Voice Message:

https://www.speakpipe.com/CoffeePoweredSystems

If you are in need of a landing page builder, or if you are ready to start a website but not quite ready to jump into the world of hosting and building, there’s a new AppSumo deal on the market that could be perfect for you. Find out more and grab this deal while it lasts!

Links Mentioned In This Episode:

• Swipe Pages (deal from AppSumo)
• Swipe Pages website
• 002: AppSumo: The Treasure Trove of Software Deals [Tip Tuesday]

Other Helpful Links:

Free Productivity Power Pack

Website

Instagram (@mirandamerten)

For Full Show Notes

https://www.mirandamerten.com/42

Send A Voice Message:

https://www.speakpipe.com/CoffeePoweredSystems

Happy Tuesday! It’s election day in the United States and with the amount of stress we’ve all been through this year, I want you to think about the things that ground you and bring you to your safe space. Honor your personal boundaries and don’t be afraid to voice them to your immediate circle. This election day, think about the things you can do for yourself to keep you grounded as we find out who our president will be for the next 4 years.

Other Helpful Links:

Free Productivity Power Pack

Website

Instagram (@mirandamerten)

For Full Show Notes

https://www.mirandamerten.com/41

Send A Voice Message:

https://www.speakpipe.com/CoffeePoweredSystems

Part 2! Listen to part 1 here (episode 37) → https://www.mirandamerten.com/37

Not all apps are created equal. Sometimes you need a simple note-taking system or to-do list, other times you’d prefer a full-blown project management software. Maybe you need time tracking or collaboration. So what tools do you use for what tasks in your business?

This will vary from business to business because we all have different needs and we’re at different stages, but the key is to know what types of things you need to do in order to run your business well. Today, I’m going through a list of tools you might want to have in your tech stack - but don’t get overwhelmed, you won’t need them all. So pick and choose the ones that make sense for your business or personal productivity.

Discussed In This Episode:

So many links! For the full show notes and links to all the tools mentions, visit: https://www.mirandamerten.com/40

Links Mentioned In This Episode:

Social media planning

• Plann (for Instagram)
• Tailwind (for Pinterest)
• Facebook Creator Studio (for Facebook and Instagram)

Website

• Wordpress
• Squarespace

Landing pages

• Instapage
• Leadpages

Email automation

• ActiveCampaign
• Flodesk
• ConvertKit

Design

• Canva
• Affinity Photo

Other Helpful Links:

Free Productivity Power Pack

Website

Instagram (@mirandamerten)

For Full Show Notes

https://www.mirandamerten.com/40

Send A Voice Message:

https://www.speakpipe.com/CoffeePoweredSystems

Episode 39. Sarah Torres-Ferrick joins me for my first interview of the show to talk all things growing a team in your small business. Are you ready to expand your team — whether that means taking on a couple of employees or just dipping your toes in the water by hiring a freelancer? Tune in, cause this episode is for you as Sarah tells us what we need to know before diving in.

Discussed In This Episode:

• What Sarah loves about helping small businesses
• Things that are important when growing your team
• Why it’s important to understand what growing a team means for you and your company
• How to know the difference between independent contractors and employees
• Why you should never pay your employees and freelancers with PayPal or Venmo friends & family options
• Why getting a business buddy or coach is important
• How to use a system of consistent feedback when deciding to let someone go
• How to get in the “leader” mindset
• Sarah’s mapping exercise that she recommends you do this week if you are ready to expand your team

Links Mentioned In This Episode:

Radical Candor, Kim Scott

Sarah’s Free HR Toolkit: hrcircleonline.com/toolkit

Connect with Sarah:

Website

LinkedIn

Leading Your Team: A Small Business Podcast

Instagram (@sarahtorresferrick)

Other Helpful Links:

Free Productivity Power Pack

Website

Instagram (@mirandamerten)

For Full Show Notes

https://www.mirandamerten.com/39

Send A Voice Message:

https://www.speakpipe.com/CoffeePoweredSystems

Episode 38. How do you brainstorm? Are you a visual person? Mind mapping might be the thing you need if your head feels like there are ideas and thoughts flying through it all the time. In this Tip Tuesday, I share with you how I use SimpleMind for a mind mapping process so you can explore if it might work for you.

Links Mentioned In This Episode:

SimpleMind

Other Helpful Links:

Free Productivity Power Pack

Website

Instagram (@mirandamerten)

For Full Show Notes

https://www.mirandamerten.com/38

Send A Voice Message:

https://www.speakpipe.com/CoffeePoweredSystems

Episode 37. Not all apps are created equal. Sometimes you need a simple note-taking system or to-do list, other times you’d prefer a full-blown project management software. Maybe you need time tracking or collaboration. So what tools do you use for what tasks in your business?

This will vary from business to business because we all have different needs and we’re at different stages, but the key is to know what types of things you need to do in order to run your business well. Today, I’m going through a list of tools you might want to have in your tech stack - but don’t get overwhelmed, you won’t need them all. So pick and choose the ones that make sense for your business or personal productivity.

Links Mentioned In This Episode:

So many links! For the full show notes and links to all the tools mentions, visit: https://www.mirandamerten.com/37

Other Helpful Links:

Free Productivity Power Pack

Website

Instagram (@mirandamerten)

For Full Show Notes

https://www.mirandamerten.com/37

Send A Voice Message:

https://www.speakpipe.com/CoffeePoweredSystems

Episode 34. Finally achieve your goals by shielding yourself from distractions. Serene prompts you to set one goal per day and break that goal into clearly defined intervals of focused work and regular breaks. Download the Chrome extension, select the websites you want to block & when you are ready to work, start your 20-60 minute focus session. Block apps like Slack and Skype during your active sessions. Price: free trial for 10 hours then $4/month billed annually.

Links Mentioned In This Episode:

Serene App

Related Blog Posts:

Single-Tasking: The Sane Alternative to Multitasking

10 Ways to Overcome Procrastination + A Free Worksheet

003: What To Focus On In Your Business If You Only Have An Extra 5 Hours A Week

006: Discussing The Swiss Cheese and Salami Methods of Productivity

028: How To Set Up A Time Blocking Schedule That Actually Works

Other Helpful Links:

Free Productivity Power Pack

Website

Instagram (@mirandamerten)

For Full Show Notes

https://www.mirandamerten.com/36

Send A Voice Message:

https://www.speakpipe.com/CoffeePoweredSystems

Episode 35. Ready to grow your team, or at the bare minimum get help for specified tasks? Start with Fiverr. I have found some gem freelancers on Fiverr and if you are looking for some simple tasks or need to scale your team, you might just find your diamond in the rough.

Links Mentioned In This Episode:

Fiverr

milenaduric - did my social media graphics + highly recommended!

conceptz_pro - designed my podcast cover art (currently services on hold)

015: Free Personal Productivity Power Pack

Related Blog Posts:

003: What To Focus On In Your Business If You Only Have An Extra 5 Hours A Week

3 Reasons Why You Need To Hire A Support Team

Other Helpful Links:

Free Productivity Power Pack

Website

Instagram (@mirandamerten)

For Full Show Notes

https://www.mirandamerten.com/35

Send A Voice Message:

https://www.speakpipe.com/CoffeePoweredSystems