Category: Tools I Use

Best books consumed in the past few years

Leave a comment

Writers get better by writing more and reading more. Some writers will purposely read outside from their genre to learn something else.

Here are a few of the best books I have read in the past three years:
Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio

Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity
by Kim Scott 

A Beautiful Constraint: How to Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages, and Why It’s Everyone’s Business 

by Adam Morgan, Mark Barden

Before taking the altMBA, this was one of the books we were mailed and asked to read prior to the month-long course. Found the reframing of constraints from limitations to advantages very helpful with their models and real-world examples.

Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days 
by Jake Knapp

Went to the book launch for this book, read this book, suggested a number of startups use this model to help them, led a 5-day workshop to use this Sprint process and it was very fruitful use of our time to resolve big challenges for those startups.

What are your favorite recent non-fiction books?

Self-Publishing Explained

Leave a comment

In February 2018, Henrik de Gyor presented a lecture about Self-Publishing Explained to the Island Writers’ Network on Hilton Head Island, SC.

Here is an audio recording of this presentation

 

Contact Henrik de Gyor if you have questions.

Schedule a call for consulting about your own book

Tools I Use: digital mind mapping

Leave a comment

Ryan Holiday explains “The Notecard System: The Key For Remembering, Organizing And Using Everything You Read.”

This system may work in the physical world (I respect that if you need everything to be physical for some reason).  I see all this possible as a digital mind map to minimize duplication (it is just a link or lines drawn to the same dot), less rewriting, simpler organization that travels with you anywhere and easier categorization for those comfortable using digital tools.

I find it interesting to watch people squirm while I explain how I do this using digital tools as they still have a reluctance (resistance) in giving up their legacy methods using paper due to their own comfort zones. If they don’t want to change and get out of their own (way) comfort zone, it is their own problem to solve.

I prefer tools and information to follow me anywhere/anytime rather than going to where it is all physically located in order to review/iterate it. Especially since new ideas are fleeting, need to be captured (vs. vanish with memory) and get linked to other ideas/needs at some point.

Yes, one of the tools I use is digital mind mapping. Not on a paper, but rather fully editable ideas. I find it a good tool for forming and dissecting ideas. Before creating an outline for a book, I start with a mind map. As I continue existing projects, I mind map them.

Mind mapping helps create dots (ideas) and connect those dots (drawing lines/relations) such as:

  1. keywords/keyphrases
  2. related articles (links)
  3. related images (links to drawings, photos, infographics whether they are mine in Google Drive or from the internet)

Then, it becomes clearer to see what gaps are there and which gaps you want to fill.

Once you are comfortable with scope (self-imposed limits) of ideas you want to cover (and what you don’t want to cover), it is easier to form an outline for writing a book.

I also use mind mapping to cover who and what topics I have covered with my podcast interviews and what I want to do in the future.

Here is a list of mind mapping tools you can use (free or paid). I happen to use Mind Meister.

And that is how I use mind mapping. How do you use mind mapping?

Need help with tools like this for your business?

Questions?

 

Tools I Use: Fiverr and Upwork

Leave a comment

Disclosure: Links to other sites may be affiliate links that generate us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

When I need creative or design work done such as book covers or logos, I rely on Fiverr.

When I need technical work done such as podcast editing or copyediting, I rely on Upwork.

I have used these services for a few years now because they provide great value and great results.

The quality of the results is based on the individuals you find and task.

Both resources have a lot of talented people you can find with reviews, ratings, and skills you are looking for. I often filter to the most experienced people in their field who are very actively doing their craft really well.

The rates are very reasonable and you can even pay per task completed.

Keep in mind the remote workers need some context to complete the task you assign to them. Most will iterate the work they produce if you present feedback on what needs enhancement and how.

Have you tried Fiverr or Upwork?  If so, how did you like it?

Questions?

Tools I Use: Docusign

Leave a comment

Disclosure: Links to other sites may be affiliate links that generate us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I stopped using an archaic FAX machine a while back because I don’t believe in using paper for anything.

I no longer run to an office supply store to get signed documents scanned into PDF format, emailed to the other parties and archived for my records.

I do not own a scanning printer because I am often traveling when I need access to it.

Instead, I use DocuSign. The best business investment I made for signing and sending documents in less than a minute. Someone emails you the document.

Here is what happens. Someone emails you the document to be signed. Text to speech reads me the document aloud to understand the terms and conditions at any hour.  If I accept, I login into DocuSign, upload the document, e-sign the document as needed and email it back to whoever needs it.

E-signatures are more accepted in a court of law than some scrolly non-sense signature done with an ink pen. E-signatures are often geolocation stamped, time-stamped, date-stamped and IP address stamped. Not so much with a pen.

How long does it take you to sign a document and send it to the respective party in another office? When do you get the countersignature? Have you tried DocuSign?

Questions?