-
Weather is Everywhere
Us Minnesotans lurrrvvvvvvvvvv to bring up weather as a conversation starter. But besides being one of the most universal subjects on the planet, knowing the weather can also come in handy when you’re planning your work schedule for the week, dressing the kids for school, or perhaps meeting friends for a patio drink before it gets too cold. But I can just check my phone app. Or navigate to weather.com or just do a google search. It’s true – finding the temp is pretty easy as it stands. However, there are hidden temperatures you can access that sometimes make life a little easier. Calendars Outlook This one is easy to…
-
The Pomodoro Technique: What Is It & When to Use It
You know that feeling when you’re so overloaded with work it’s actually hard to get started? (like me writing this post?!) Here’s something to try: the Pomodoro technique. It’s not an app – though there are apps – but a way to break up time so that you can concentrate on a task long enough to make headway. The Concept The Pomodoro technique was created sometime in the ’80s and named after that little tomato timer your parents had in the kitchen. The idea is that you should be able to work at least 25 minutes uninterrupted without actually disrupting service (so an okay amount of time not to respond…
-
Upgrade Your Spellcheck
Grammarly is a grammar and style application that works everywhere - it has extensions for all of your Microsoft products - Word and Outlook included. It has an application for your desktop, the web, even your phone.
-
How to Manage Your Internet Passwords
On this Tech Tuesday, we're going over two things: a password management tool and a website that tracks your email address in data leaks.
-
This One’s For You Save-a-Holics
Stop manually price-tracking your wishlist with this browser extension.
-
A Keyboard Shortcut for Screenshots
I take a lot of screen shots during the day – some to send to my lawyers, for this blog, even to send important images friends. For a while, I pinned the Snipping Tool app to my desktop But then it takes SEVERAL CLICKS to get the thing done. So sad. But, if you looked closely at the Snipping Tool window, you may notice it gives you a keyboard shortcut: It only took me several months to register the message. It’s a great shortcut to screenshot anything you want. Now practice: Windows Key + Shift + S. Windows Key + Shift + S. Windows Key + Shift + S. If…
-
Remember to Read That Article Later
I forget many things, including all those good articles people recommend on leadership or burnout (I've been really needing that last one recently). So for this Tech Tuesday, let's walk through how to SAVE those articles to read another day.
-
Right-Click for Quick Web Searching
This one will save you a couple seconds of copying and pasting or retyping into a search engine.
-
LinkedIn Ads: How to Assess Content for a Campaign
There are are few ways to start a LinkedIn ad campaign. Sometimes you get lucky and something has been written; other times, you’re meeting with an attorney to discuss possible angles. Either way, your job is to wade through all the talk and content to (1) find your selling point or hook and (2) identify whether it’s possible you can get a message to the intended audience. If you’re a content manager of some sort, I guarantee you do this type of vetting on a regular basis whether you’re aware of it or not. For example, an attorney has a newsworthy topic that is worth pitching to a journalist now…
-
Spend Money to Earn Money?
Sounds pretty absurd, if you’re not familiar with Rakuten. Rakuten is a browser-add on that gives you cashback for purchases you make on sites like… It gives back a percentage of your purchase when you do your regular shopping (groceries, home items, etc.). It’s not a lot, of course. But I do get $40-$60 about every quarter. And over a lifetime? That’s pretty dang good, even if it’s spread out over a few years! Tech Trick Explained First, head to your browser store and find the Rakuten extension (here’s the Chrome extension). Next, you’ll sign up for Rakuten. Now, I am NOT nor have been paid by Rakuten for this.…