There are three physical things that I use every single day that help me in my business, that I don’t think enough people talk about.
In fact, they’re not just used in my business.
Everything from cooking, to working out, my creative hobbies and filming content are all made much easier when I use these five things.
1. The #1 YouTube tool no one talks about
Not many people know this but I studied Product Design at university.
My original goal was to work for Lego, but I just didn’t have the talent that I was hoping to uncover at university.
So while I migrated to marketing and sales, I still hold a deep fascination with physical product design and, part of me, always wants to release a physical product.
And something that I use almost every single day, especially in my YouTube content, but also when I’m exercising or cooking is a metal arm with a clamp.
“Clamps” come in a ton of sizes and shapes and traditionally are used in woodworking.
But smaller ones, just google “SmallRig Clamp”, are basically what holds my office setup together.
They’re SO useful (and strong!), I use them everywhere.
Holding cameras, screens, phones, microphones, notebooks.
Honestly, YouTube is BUILT on clamps and no one talks about them
2. I use this 4-8 hours a day
If chefs make sure that their knives are the best they can be, because they use them for hours and hours a day, what does a writer use?
My keyboard is a Keychron Ultra Slim K3.
For keyboard nerds, you probably know who Keychron are. But if you don’t, they make tons of different types of keyboards for different types of users.
You can get REALLY detailed and specific about the type of keys, switches, caps and layouts for a keyboard.
I’ve bought dozens of keyboards over the years and my K3 is easily my favourite.
It’s “low profile” so it sits close to the desk surface. There’s hardly any “travel” which means I don’t have to press down on the key very far to register an input and, while that all sounds a bit nerdy, if you’re writing thousands of words a day, it makes a huge difference.
3. Block it all out
I’m the type of worker that needs silence.
If I’m at my co-working space, while I like the buzz and noise, it gets a bit distracting.
So, I use noise cancelling headphones to help me focus.
It does two things.
First, if my headphones are on, it means “do not disturb”. So people are less likely to talk to me when I need to get my work done.
Second, it blocks out the interesting noises I want to focus on and allows me to zone in to my work.
I sometimes pair it with brain.fm which plays soundscapes as I’m not good at working and concentrating and listening to music or podcasts.
So I’d love to know what physical things you use everyday, in your life or for work. Hit reply and let me know.
