How Do I Do It All? I Don't.

When I started Blessed is She in September 2014, I was just following the Lord’s leading to bring women closer to each other and closer to Him.

At the time, I was just listening to the whisper in my heart and wasn’t really sure where it would take me, or where I’d end up. Now, nearly five years later, this ministry is my full time job, and I manage a team of over forty women who have said YES to coming with me on this journey.

I get asked all the time how I do it all. And the answer is that I don’t do it all. I do some, and my team members do other things, and we all use a variety of tools (not the least of which being the Lord’s grace) and somehow, all (or if I’m being really honest with you, most) of it gets done.

Here’s a list of all the tools my team and I utilize on a daily basis to keep our crazy, beautiful ship afloat.

PRODUCTIVITY

G Suite // Google’s G Suite (email + Google drive) is where we keep all our digital documents, including cooperative spreadsheets, resources, calendars, and more. Because it’s Google, it’s so user-friendly, so no matter our level of proficiency, we can manage all of our files in one place for easy access.
Trello // Trello is an online project management tool that arranges projects in little boards – like bulletin boards, almost – in an easy-to-view spread.
Slack // Slack is a workplace app that allows our team to communicate on different channels for different things. Oh, and you can use GIFs, so I’m hooked.
Toggl // Toggl is an online time-tracking tool to help you keep track of the hours you spend on your projects.
WooCommerce // Surprise! The WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is what fuels Blessed is She’s online shop. There are so many functions that we LOVE, and because it’s a plugin, it’s really easy to implement on your own site.
HelloSign // Being that I run a ministry that is almost entirely online, a lot of times we need documents signed over the Internet. Enter: HelloSign.
Google + YouTube // Let’s call these my two favorite teachers.

CONTENT CREATION + COMMUNICATION

MailChimp + ActiveCampaign // I use both of these services to send emails. Their abilities and integrations differ slightly (which is why I have found uses for both of them), so your mileage may vary.
We have a new chatbox on Blessed is She’s site, and we finally found one we really like (after trying a bunch!). Tidio is free, it allows up to three users on at a time, has set Do Not Disturb times, AND looks beautiful! Win-win-win-win ;)
Canva // Spoiler alert! Most of the graphics we make for Blessed is She are done in Canva. This free, web-based graphic design program also comes with a paid business plan, and its templates turn even the most green users into designers.
Sticker Mule // We love to use Sticker Mule to create our stickers! The design process is super easy, and production/shipping turn around is SO quick.
Crowdcast // We love to use Crowdcast for our monthly workshops. Easy to set up, easy to share, and easy to implement. I especially love that the registration page, watch page, and replay page are all the same link. Genius.
Lightstock + Unsplash // If you are looking for stock photography that isn’t cheesy, look no further. Lightstock specializes in Christian photography, so it’s been a nice addition to use using Unsplash.

PODCAST RECORDING

Yeti Microphone // Our microphone is super easy and simple to use. It plugs right into my computer via a USB cord, and my computer picks it right up for our audio! Super simple.
Ecamm for Skype // When Beth and I record with guests for The Gathering Place podcast, we use Ecamm for Skype. When we record with just the two of us, I simply use the Audio Recording function on QuickTime Player.
Anchor // This is what I use to simply upload our mp3s into which then publishes The Gathering Place to all the podcast apps that exist. It’s SO great, so easy, and Anchor is owned by Spotify!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Here’s a list of my favorite social media scheduling platforms. Each one has different capabilities, so I recommend you check them all out to see which would work best for your needs.

Buffer // We schedule our Instagram here (best place ever because they actually put correct spaces in for IG captions!!)
Planoly // This is where we lay out our Instagram plan. You can lay out all of the pictures in a grid then see what works and what doesn’t. Drag and drop and mix around the pictures. Voilà, it’s beautiful! Check out Blessed is She’s Instagram.
Tailwind // We love Tailwind for scheduling out and auto-publishing pins to Pinterest. Our Pinterest is super fun, come give us a follow!
CoSchedule // This works right within Wordpress, which is AMAZING. Right when we schedule a blog post, podcast, or devotion, we can schedule out social media from right within the post. CoSchedule automatically pulls the featured image, it can support SO many different social media channels, and it’s honestly one of the greatest plugins we use on Wordpress.

PERSONAL

Nike Run Club App // Gotta stay active!
Spotify // Can’t do meaningful work without meaningful music.
Amazon // Because Prime. Forever.
Young Living Essential Oils // Because diffusers are better than candles and I like when things smell good. ;)

There you have it – a sort of – comprehensive list of all the things that help us get it all (mostly) done.

What tools am I missing out on? What should I add to this list? Let me know what works for you!

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