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Tools They Use

Tools They Use

By Keep Productive

Tools They Use unlocks what apps and tools people use every single day to be productive.
Guests include high performing professionals to discover what apps they use day to day to get things done.

Tools They Use is a Tool Finder production.
Tool Finder helps people find the best productivity tools - toolfinder.co
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85: Should You Change Project Management Tools?

Tools They UseMay 29, 2020

00:00
07:18
85: Should You Change Project Management Tools?
May 29, 202007:18
84: OmniFocus CEO Ken Case shares his toolkit and story of OmniGroup
May 25, 202014:42
83: Will Roam Surpass Evernote as Number One Note-Taker?!
May 22, 202006:24
82: News: Trello goes dark, Newton returns, Zoom updates & more
May 18, 202006:31
81: Roam's $15 pricing, Woven adds Home and more news

81: Roam's $15 pricing, Woven adds Home and more news

This week, we explore all the latest productivity software news - including Roam's new pre-released pricing, Woven's new home tab, finance in productivity.

This episode is sponsored by Woven.

Woven is a powerful, smart calendar for managing meetings and planning your week.
It's my go-to calendar app, check it out here.

Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

Apr 27, 202006:50
80: Beyond the To-Do List with Erik Fisher

80: Beyond the To-Do List with Erik Fisher

This week, we have Erik Fisher, creator of Beyond the To-Do List - a podcast all about task management, time management, and productivity.

This episode is sponsored by Woven.
Woven is a powerful, smart calendar for managing meetings and planning your week.
It's my go-to calendar app, check it out here.

Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

Apr 20, 202013:58
79: The No Code Revolution with Ben Tossell

79: The No Code Revolution with Ben Tossell

This week, we have Ben Tossell, founder of MakerPad and no code enthusiast as we discuss the future of tools, his chosen tools and the building blocks to future productivity.

This episode is sponsored by Woven.
Woven is a powerful, smart calendar for managing meetings and planning your week.
It's my go-to calendar app, check it out here.

Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

Apr 14, 202007:18
78: OmniFocus Workflows, iOS Shortcuts & Nested Folders with Rosemary Orchard

78: OmniFocus Workflows, iOS Shortcuts & Nested Folders with Rosemary Orchard

This week, we're lucky to have Rosemary Orchard - co-host of Automators FM and Nested Folders to discuss her love for OmniFocus, iOS Shortcuts and lots more.

This episode is sponsored by Woven.
Woven is a powerful, smart calendar for managing meetings and planning your week.
It's my go-to calendar app, check it out here.

Thank you for tuning in and see you next week!

Special Guest: Rosemary Orchard.

Apr 06, 202015:11
77: Being Productive as a Doctor, YouTube & Learner with Ali Abdaal

77: Being Productive as a Doctor, YouTube & Learner with Ali Abdaal

This week, we host Ali Abdaal - a friend, YouTuber, NHS doctor and lifelong learner - we chat about his toolkit for work and life

You can subscribe to Ali on YouTube here.
Thanks again for Ali for coming onto Keep Productive. You can watch the video edition over on the channel!

Thanks for stopping by folks!

Special Guest: Ali Abdaal.

Mar 23, 202008:33
76: How Minda Harts of the MEMO Organizes Her Company & Life

76: How Minda Harts of the MEMO Organizes Her Company & Life

This week, we host Minda Harts, the creator of the MEMO - a book helping women of colour to secure a seat at the table.

Get the US edition of the MEMO on Amazon: here
A big thanks to Minda for coming on and sharing her adventures with work and productivity.

Thanks for stopping by today folks!

Special Guest: Minda Harts.

Mar 05, 202008:49
75: Woven is the New Sunrise & Why
Feb 27, 202006:02
74: Notion Competitors & The Current Modular Work Tools
Feb 20, 202008:32
73: Fantastical 3, monday.com 2.0 & New Milanote upgrades
Feb 13, 202006:25
72: Mindful Productivity with Ness Lab Chief Editor Anne-Laure Le Cunff
Jan 22, 202015:03
71: Florence Ion shares her favourite Android Tools, love for TwoBirds and how she manages her day
Jan 13, 202021:12
70: WireCutter's Melanie Pinola Chats Offline Weekly Lists & Productivity Tool Balance
Jan 06, 202015:59
69: Preparing for 2020 and Setting Goals

69: Preparing for 2020 and Setting Goals

This month, December 2019, Tools They Use is sponsored by TMetric.com

This episode covered the key ways you can implement goals and resolutions and looking into a worshop based method of improving your goals and work.

Thanks for a fantastic year on Tools They Use folks!

Special Guest: Tiago Forte.

Dec 30, 201909:40
68: The Second Brain with Tiago Forte

68: The Second Brain with Tiago Forte

This month, December 2019, Tools They Use is sponsored by TMetric.com

Here's Tiago Forte's course, the Second Brain - check it out for more details.

Our final episode of 2019 will be all about goals and resolutions.

Dec 16, 201923:57
67: Founder of TickTick, Zhimin Chen shares the future features

67: Founder of TickTick, Zhimin Chen shares the future features

This month, December 2019, Tools They Use is sponsored by TMetric.com

This is a re-post from the Keep Productive YouTube channel.

We were so lucky to have the marvellous TickTick co-founder on and it won't be the last time.

Dec 09, 201917:55
66: The Full Toolkit of OmniFocus 3 Master, Peter Akkies

66: The Full Toolkit of OmniFocus 3 Master, Peter Akkies

This month, December 2019, Tools They Use is sponsored by TMetric.com

This week's guest Peter Akkies shares his inner working and use of OmniFocus 3 and many more tools in the ecosystem.

Next week, we share our interview with TickTIck co-founder, Zhimin Chen.

Special Guest: Peter Akkies.

Dec 02, 201923:47
65: The Future of Keep Productive in 2020

65: The Future of Keep Productive in 2020

A new look, a new course and a new vision for the next year!

*This week, we've got Joshua Zerkel from Asana on! WooO! A bonus episode. *

Nov 25, 201907:31
64: Why Modular Tools Aren't Always The Best

64: Why Modular Tools Aren't Always The Best

Modular productivity tools are the new tools in the space, also known as no-code productivity tools are the rising stars.

We discuss whether these tools can affect our productivity if you don't set up rules that guide us.

*We're back next week to chat the Future of Keep Productive and what's next! *

Nov 18, 201906:58
63: Creative Productivity Expert David Kadavy dives into how mental states can impact your productivity and his love for Todoist

63: Creative Productivity Expert David Kadavy dives into how mental states can impact your productivity and his love for Todoist

This episode is perfect for those creators out there or those looking to boost their creativity and productivity at the same time. Ideal for designers, professionals and freelancers - David's mental state approaches are fantastic to implement.

You can find David here on Twitter: here.
Follow the "Love Your Work" podcast here

All David's Tools: find them here.

And the mental states article and how David uses them, you can find that here.

If all goes well with my scheduling, I will have the marvellous Ali Abdaal on Tools They Use to discuss and share his student related productivity insights.

Special Guest: David Kadavy.

Nov 11, 201935:29
62: Zapier CEO Wade Foster chats about the future of work and automation tools

62: Zapier CEO Wade Foster chats about the future of work and automation tools

This episode will be really fun whether or not you are a Zapier user, Wade shares his insights into remote work, automation tools and what the future of work looks like.

Find Wade on Twitter: here
Check out Zapier and how it can help you automate work.

Next week, we have David Kadavy - a creative productivity expert sharing his insights into weekly workload, themes and mental states. Make sure you are subscribed!

Special Guest: Wade Foster.

Nov 04, 201919:50
61: Offline Productivity, Mastering Journals & BuJos - with Matt Ragland

61: Offline Productivity, Mastering Journals & BuJos - with Matt Ragland

Matt Ragland is well-known for his offline productivity tips and tricks and Notion BuJo set-ups too! This episode his insights into how to balance the digital with the physical is super interesting!

Follow Matt on YouTube here!
We highly recommend that!

You can learn more about Matt below!

  • Follow Matt Ragland on Twitter: here.
  • Learn mote about Podia (where Matt works): here.

Next week, we chat with Wade Foster, the founder of Zapier - and we chat automations galore!

Special Guest: Matt Ragland.

Oct 28, 201926:54
60: The Most Organized Human in the World Chris Dancy Stops By

60: The Most Organized Human in the World Chris Dancy Stops By

Chris Dancy is called the most connected human in the world but in my opinion, one of the most organized people in the world too. This conversation was gold as Chris explores productivity, toolkits, daily routines, mortality, being connected and much more. You will learn so much for this podcast!

Listen to our Airtable tour: here

**Get Chris's Book "Don't Unplug": here.

*Follow Chris Dancy below! *

  • Chris on Twitter: here
  • Learn more about Chris's tasks & speaking: [here](chrisdancy.com)

Thanks so much for stopping by, stop by next week for a full interview with the legend of BuJo tours, Matt Ragland!

Special Guest: Chris Dancy.

Oct 21, 201935:22
59: Superhuman - is it worth $30 per month? ft. Joel Kai Lenz
Oct 14, 201925:24
58: Top 10 Tools for Remote Workers ft. Justin DiRose

58: Top 10 Tools for Remote Workers ft. Justin DiRose

Justin, the host of the Effective Remote podcast and community, shares his insights into what tools matter to his day-to-day remote work. Justin has been a routine guest of Tools They Use, and he's back to share all these useful tools and why they're awesome for Tools They Use.

Justin and how to find him

All The Tools We Mention

  • Discourse
  • Loom
  • Nexstand or Roost
  • SetApp
  • CalZones
  • Audible
  • Noise cancelling headphones
  • Twist
  • CleanMyMac X
  • Mattermost (open-source self-hosted slack alternative)

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Special Guest: Justin DiRose.

Oct 07, 201944:46
57: Tech Journalist Jill Duffy weighs in on over-work research & her spreadsheet productivity
Sep 30, 201923:02
56: Total Evernote Use & Lessons from the GTD method with Stacey Harmon
Sep 23, 201921:45
55: MAKE TIME... with John Zeratsky - Halt Distractions & Boost Focus
Sep 16, 201938:13
54: Save Money & Review Your Productivity Tools

54: Save Money & Review Your Productivity Tools

Want to save money with your productivity software? Well, it's time to audit it!

Our Courses

Notion Made Simple - your forever guide to Notion and organizing your total Notion set-up. Be ready and take the first module free: here.

Essentials of Todoist - your guide to getting started with Todoist and mastering the applciation. Here's the course, use the code "PRODUCTIVE20" for 20% off: here.

Next week, we have John Zeratsky, the author of MakeTime book. Exciting stuff!

Sep 09, 201910:25
53: Q&A: 500+ Tasks, Goodbye Productivity Tools, & What Tool Would I Create?

53: Q&A: 500+ Tasks, Goodbye Productivity Tools, & What Tool Would I Create?

It's time to answer your questions. We've put together 5 questions from the Keep Productive community and Patreon. Ranging from using productivity tools less, to tackling a 500+ long Todoist list.

Our August Sponsor

Sanebox is our first sponsor back. Time to get your email under-control!

And get $25 off and 14-day free trial with our link (new accounts):
https://www.sanebox.com/toolstheyuse

Questions from you
  1. Should you remove productivity technologies when you do technology audits? - Adam Staples
  2. I have 500+ tasks in my Todoist account, how do I deal with that? - No name - RGauffman
  3. If you could build a new app from scratch - but with all the resources in the world - what would it be? (Alex)
  4. How do you guys externalise your productivity system? For example friends/family/SO who are less reliable, so even delegations become more stressful where you have to constantly check up on (how's the party planning coming along, how's your visa application, etc) - Edison
  5. Do productivity tools actually make people more productive? Or are they just making people less forgetful and enabling easier reporting on what you've done/have to do - No Name
  6. What is the recurring “pain point” that you see in task/productivity management, and what are some of the solutions that either you or others have come up with to address it? - Eric Bower
Sep 02, 201918:22
52: 7 Outstanding Ways to Stay on Task
Aug 26, 201915:37
51: How Woven & Tim Campos aim to upgrade your calendar with AI
Aug 19, 201924:27
50: 5 Ways to Curb Loneliness in Remote Work

50: 5 Ways to Curb Loneliness in Remote Work

Loneliness is a real thing in the remote work environment. Today, we discuss exactly how you can curb that and about our own issues that we've faced since working without colleagues around us.

Justin DiRose

Follow his Twitter here and check out Effective Remote Work here.

Our August Sponsor

Sanebox is our first sponsor back. Time to get your email under-control!

And get $25 off and 14-day free trial with our link (new accounts): https://www.sanebox.com/toolstheyuse

The 5 Tips & Recommendations
  1. Disconnect - Take a walk, lay on your bed, relax and set a 5PM out time.
  2. Local Gym - Get outside and visit your local gym - being around people helps
  3. Hobby Groups - Find a group that shares your interests and invest time in this community
  4. Coffee Friends - Befriend your local barista and chit chat
  5. Relationships/Work - Taking time out to respect the differences between the two.

Tweet us with your requests: here.

Special Guest: Justin DiRose.

Aug 12, 201942:32
49: The Art of Choosing the Best To Do List App

49: The Art of Choosing the Best To Do List App

A solo episode this week, with your host, Francesco D'Alessio.
We tackle the age of question. How do I find the best to-do list application for my needs?

Our August Sponsor

Sanebox is our first sponsor back. Time to get your email under-control!

And get $25 off and 14-day free trial with our link (new accounts):
https://www.sanebox.com/toolstheyuse

The 3 Part Process
  1. Needs - Create a list of features your to-do list app needs, and the situation you're in.
  2. Research - Shortlist the top 3 tools that match needs, then trial one for a full 90-days.
  3. Optimize - Finetune your application through courses, videos and discussing workflows.

Tweet us with your requests: here.

Aug 05, 201916:18
48: How to Be a Productive Teacher in 2019 with TickTick, Notion & Plenty of Focus

48: How to Be a Productive Teacher in 2019 with TickTick, Notion & Plenty of Focus

Tools They Use is back! After 2 months off, we're back with regular episodes. This first episode back, we have Martine Ellis, host of the Teaching Space and teacher on a mission to boost teacher productivity and awareness of time-saving methods.

Our August Sponsor

Sanebox is our first sponsor back. Time to get your email under-control!

And get $25 off and 14-day free trial with our link (new accounts):
https://www.sanebox.com/toolstheyuse

With plenty of advice, tools and ways to stay ahead of the game. Martine explores the very topics that matter to the teaching industry and how to become a productive teacher in the process.

EP48: Podcast Notes
  • Martine Ellis on Twitter: here.
  • The Teaching Space Podcast: here
  • Our Episode on Teaching Space: here
  • Martine's Book for Productive Teachers: here

Special Guest: Martine Ellis.

Aug 01, 201923:24
47: Evernote's Behind the Scenes Search & Editor

47: Evernote's Behind the Scenes Search & Editor

Today, we discuss Evernote's new series "Behind the Scenes" - a look into what the Evernote team are working on!

MENTIONED

Next week, we'll have a feature on the different life stages of productivity and how to handle them.
Back next week, with a solo segment!

Jun 03, 201905:15
46: Ultimate Productivity Tips with Scott Friesen

46: Ultimate Productivity Tips with Scott Friesen

Today, we discuss productivity techniques with Scott Friesen of Simpletivity - one of the most popular productivity YouTube channels out there.

Become a subscriber of Simpletivity on YouTube: here

Thanks so much to Scott from coming and sharing his insights, applaud everyone to check out his YouTube channel and all the smashing content over there!

Back next week, with a solo segment!

Special Guest: Scott Friesen.

May 13, 201927:16
45: The Future of Todoist with Amir Salihefendić, Doist Founder

45: The Future of Todoist with Amir Salihefendić, Doist Founder

Today, we chat with Amir Salihefendić, the founder at Todoist & Twist - one of the most popular to-do list tools.

You can follow Amir on Twitter: follow here.

This was recorded at the Business of Software Conference in Cambridge.
Thank you to their team for hosting us and it was great fun!

Special Guest: Amir Salihefendić.

May 10, 201916:11
44: Co-founder of Notion, Ivan Zhao shares his story + vision

44: Co-founder of Notion, Ivan Zhao shares his story + vision

Today, we chat with Ivan Zhao, the co-founder at Notion - a fast growing productivity software

INFORMATION SHEET

Thanks to Ivan for having me in the office to interview him.
See you next week for the Todoist CEO, Amir.

Special Guest: Ivan Zhao.

Apr 29, 201912:40
43: Preview: Notion Offices + CEO Interview

43: Preview: Notion Offices + CEO Interview

On Monday, we'll be interviewing Ivan Zhao, co-founder at Notion all about his story and vision

INFORMATION SHEET

On 6th May, we have Todoist CEO Amir ready to interview - stay tuned!
Please, if you have 2-3 minutes, pop us a review!

Francesco :-)

Special Guest: Ivan Zhao.

Apr 26, 201903:36
42: Optimising Your Mental Fitness for Work and Life with Marc Champagne

42: Optimising Your Mental Fitness for Work and Life with Marc Champagne

Today, we chat with Marc Champagne, creator of KYO about mental health and fitness at the workplace.

FOLLOW MARC AND KYO'S WORK

Let me know if you want to hear more on the topic of health at work!

Thanks for stopping by guys! :-)
Francesco

Special Guest: Marc Champagne.

Apr 08, 201923:14
41: 10 Productivity Channels to Follow in 2019

41: 10 Productivity Channels to Follow in 2019

Today, we discuss the best resources for improving your productivity!

10 CHANNELS TO FOLLOW FOR PRODUCTIVITY

  1. Thomas Frank: here.
  2. Matthew Encina, Futur: here, our Notion chat here.
  3. Carl Pullein: here.
  4. CharliMarieTV: here.
  5. Wandering Aimfully: here.
  6. Matt D'Avella: here.
  7. Mariana's Study Corner: here.
  8. Atlassian Blog: here.
  9. Jeff Eisley: here.
  10. Paul Minors: here.

100% worth following all these guys! They are brilliant!

Thanks for stopping by guys! :-)
Francesco

Apr 01, 201910:54
40: ADHD, Productivity Tools & Coping with Overwhelm: A Chat with Pete Wright
Mar 25, 201925:30
39: To-Do List App Switching is Dangerous, We Should Stop it!

39: To-Do List App Switching is Dangerous, We Should Stop it!

Today, we discuss the concept of switching in to-do list applications, and why we should try not to do it once we've made a base.

BUSINESS OF SOFTWARE, UK EVENT: here

SWITCHING ADVICE

  1. Write out your 3-5 of the key features you need - shortlist the features that will make your to-do list manager. These are a must-have for this choice of application.
  2. Filter your options to 3 tools:
  3. Use the Matrix here to determine what sort of tool you need here.

Thanks for stopping by guys! :-)
Francesco

Mar 18, 201913:21
38: Evernote Death Spiral, Methods Before Tools & How GTD Changes Lives with Stacey Harmon
Mar 11, 201919:37
37: The Case for Personal Project Managers
Mar 04, 201911:20
36: Common Productivity Dilemmas, Managing Tasks and Reference Materials with Justin DiRose

36: Common Productivity Dilemmas, Managing Tasks and Reference Materials with Justin DiRose

With our first guest episode of 2019, we chat with Justin DiRose today - we chat everything productivity tools from OmniFocus to Evernote, and everything in between, highlighting the importance of methods above tools too.

Give some love to Justin

Thanks again to Justin for a lovely chatter and our post conversation will probably discuss self-employed loneliness - a topic that I think will help professionals manage a new workplace issue.

Thanks for stopping by guys! :-)
Francesco

Special Guest: Justin DiRose.

Feb 25, 201925:57