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Stack #1: Your Tech Gal
Okay okay, I'll go first...
Welcome to the very first edition of Pretty Smart Stacks! š
They say to write about what you canāt stop talking about ā and for me, that's all things tech: must-have tools, time-saving workflows, and the hidden gems that power successful online businesses.
I created this newsletter because I love see whatās under the hood and sharing my latest finds with fellow business owners. Inspired by detective-style newsletters like Chenell Basilioās Growth in Reverse, I decided to write the kind of behind-the-scenes tech deep dive Iād been wanting to read but couldnāt find.
And where better to start than with my own tech stack? This week Iām covering what I use right now in my business. If youāve ever wondered, āWhatās the best tool for _____?ā I hope youāll find a few gems here. š
Letās dive in ā hereās the very first stack on Pretty Smart Stacks!
Inside this Newsletter
Stack #1: Your Tech Gal
Before jumping into my tech stack, let me share a bit about my business. Itās important to let your business shape your tech decisions, not the other way around!
In my business, I have two areas of focus.
My first area is tech consulting under Your Tech Gal, where I offer three services:
Power Hour: $297 for smaller tasks
Speed Dial: $497 monthly membership for ongoing support
Fancy Pants: Custom projects
My setup is simple: I have a 1-page website and to work with me, visitors just need to fill out an inquiry form at the bottom of the page. (In the future, I might add some direct buy options for the lower priced plans.)
My second area of focus is this newsletter. š
Iām excited to grow Pretty Smart Stacks to a place where sponsorships can bring in meaningful revenue. For now, the newsletter brings eyes to Your Tech Gal, and Your Tech Gal helps build an audience for Pretty Smart Stacks.
I rely on workflows and automations to handle the admin heavy lifting, freeing me up to focus on creating content, supporting clients, and growing the business. As a one-woman show, tech is my very important right-hand. š
Hereās what my current tech stack looks like, organized into three main buckets:
Communication & Content
Sales, CRM & Analytics
Productivity & Utilities
Here's a quick look at my tech stack in a table format! *Some of the links shared below may be affiliate.
See a š? Read more about this tool in my Hidden Gems section below!
šØ Communications & Content
Software Tool | Description |
---|---|
Newsletter creation & distribution (like the one youāre reading now!) Alternatives includes Kit and Substack, but I like Beehiivās built-in growth and advertising features. | |
Audio and video editing, with the best transcription Iāve found yet. | |
Website builder with a steep-ish learning curve and tons of customization. Probably overkill unless you really want to nerd out. š¤ Good (simpler) alternatives are Squarespace and Framer. | |
The only graphic design tool I use! Who doesnāt use Canva? | |
CleanShot X š | Easily create screenshots, screen recordings (video & GIF) plus annotations. |
Content ideas, copy feedback and so much more. I may give its competitor, Claude, a try ā more on that soon! |
š Sales, CRM & Analytics
Software Tool | Description |
---|---|
Easy-to-build forms & surveys. Iāve tried them all and this is my favorite. It offers the most customization at a fair price. | |
My favorite CRM ā thereās nothing else like it in terms of price and customization. | |
Invoicing for projects and subscriptions. | |
Website data and analytics. Itās free and a must-have for all sites. | |
Bookkeeping, taxes and financial reporting. | |
TidyCal š | Scheduling tool that syncs across multiple calendars (like Calendly, but a one-time fee) |
š Productivity & Utilities
Software Tool | Description |
---|---|
Projects, notes, monthly task planning and so much more. Everything ā business and personal ā lives in Notion! | |
Workflow automations across multiple apps. Another great alternative is make.com. | |
Password management for my business and personal accounts. I recently switched from LastPass and love the user experience of 1Password so much more! | |
TextExpander š | Keyboard automations and shortcuts |
Workflow of the Week
One of my favorite workflows Iāve recently built was for a promotion to attract new subscribers to this newsletter.
The goal was simple: gift the next 25 subscribers a free live tech audit with me. But I needed it to be fully automatedāno manual emails or back-and-forth scheduling.
This workflow wouldnāt be worth it unless it could run on autopilot.
Hereās how it works:
Awesome person signs up for my newsletter in beehiiv.
They get a special automated email introducing the bonus. To redeem the bonus, they need to complete a survey.
They complete a quick survey in Fillout, which sends responses straight to my CRM, Attio (this happens behind the scenes).
They are taken to TidyCal to schedule the bonus call with me.
Once itās booked, the call details are sent to Attio via Zapier (another behind-the-scenes step).
What I love about this workflow is that it:
āļø Uses URL parameters to pass the subscriberās email address and name where possible, so they only need to enter their details once (instead of three times!).
āļø Maintains a centralized record of subscriber information in my CRM for easy tracking.
āļø Keeps it simple! No complex multi-step automationsājust straightforward integrations and processes.
Software Spend
While I may not be able to provide an expense breakdown for every business I profile in Pretty Smart Stacks, Iāve got the data for my own business, so here it is. ā¬ļø
My monthly software expenses have ranged as high as $2k+, but now theyāre at the lowest theyāve ever been: $269.13.
Hereās a look at my current software expenses based on my stack:
With my lowest priced offer, Power Hour, priced at $297, I would only need to sell just 1 to cover my software costs ā and still have some left over.
As my subscriber base grows, Iāll expect costs to increase ā but honestly, not by much. For instance, even if I 10x my audience, my Beehiiv plan would only increase by $60/month. Thatās the beauty of an online business ā scalability! š
Would you be interested in my FREE Notion Software Tracker template?I'm happy to share it if you think it'll be helpful for you! |
Thatās a wrap for the first edition of Pretty Smart Stacks!
Howād you like it? Any questions or topics youād love to see covered?
Iām an open book, so if youāre curious about anything Iāve shared, feel free to reply or comment. No gatekeeping here!
See you next week!
Always stack smarter,
Cynthia
What did you think about this week's newsletter?I want Pretty Smart Stacks to be your inbox favoriteālet me know how Iām doing! |
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