Intro: Hello, and welcome to a bonus episode of the Streamlined Solopreneur. It is the annual Gift Guide episode. And whilst I have been doing these alone the last few years, I have felt that that is boring and monotonous. And so I've decided to bring in my friend Cat Mulvihill today. Cat, how are you?
Cat Mulvihill: I'm doing really well. Thanks for inviting me. I love, well, I love talking to you about nerdy stuff, so this I think, this fits. This is a really good idea.
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Joe Casabona: Yes. This, you were the first person and only person I reached out to because I'm like, Cat and I nerd out on gear and stuff all the time. And so if you are a person or have a person who works from home or is self-employed or and you're just like, I don't know what to get them, I feel like this is gonna be a good episode for you. But, Cat, first, breaking my main rule of podcasting, I am going to ask you to let people know who you are and what you do even though you've been on the show before.
Cat Mulvihill: Yeah. I am a Trainer, and I love just, I love teaching a lot of different things. The primary thing I teach is virtual presenting skills. So if you are presenting virtually, how can you make them look more professional and seamless, and engaging presentations. And I also thought, I'm a productivity nerd. So, I also find myself often talking about systems and productivity or tools. I love me some Notion. So I often talk a lot about Notion. But I, yeah. So I love presenting. I love productivity, and those are kind of my two main things.
Joe Casabona: Yes. Which, again, very similar. So I feel like this is good. We have similar backgrounds. We do similar things, but, we have different walks of life and stuff. So, I figure you can, we can approach the same thing from different perspectives. I'm pretty, excited. So, Yeah.
And we will have a very rich, show notes section in the description of wherever you are listening to this. And I also noticed that we didn't recommend, like, a proper mic, though you do have something on the list, and I have, like, a counter if you're gonna bring it up.
So, anyway, let's, what a fun tease. Cat, you're the guest, and then so I'll let you go first.
Cat Mulvihill: Okay. So first is not a thing, but it's something that I try. it's a principle I try to live by when it comes to buying anything and especially investing is that I really want you to ask yourself this Black Friday, what problem do I need to solve? I think that you are going to get the biggest reward from any purchases you get when you are truly making your life better by solving a problem.
And it's so easy to see things online or someone suggests something, and then you think, oh, that seems really cool, but you, it doesn't actually solve a problem. And when you get it, you just might, it just might be fleeting. And so that's a big thing I just wanna say off the top. What problem does it solve? How does it make your life better? And so that is that's just a little thing I wanna say upfront when it comes to it. I don't know if you, if there's anything you wanna say to that before we continue on, but definitely.
Joe Casabona: No. No. I I love that. What I'll usually do is make a list of things I wanna buy ahead of time, and those will be the only deals I look for on Black Friday.
Cat Mulvihill: Yeah.
Joe Casabona: Because it's like, you're right. You can go a little overboard. I've certainly bought things that I didn't use, I never used, from a Black Friday sale. I mean, AppSumo is, like, the number one website of, like, wasted money, I would say, for, like, just taking advantage of deals. But the same thing goes for gifts. Right? Like, I'll buy stuff on Black Friday that I think on a whim might make a good gift, and then I'm like, oh, no. I thought of something better, and I just bought this because it was on sale. So, hopefully, this will save you some money and give you some good ideas going into Black Friday and the holiday season.
All right. Well, all of that in mind, yes, let's get to our first product recommendation here. What's number, well, I don't wanna say number 1 on your list, but what's the first thing you're ready to recommend?
Cat Mulvihill: Okay. So this might seem strange for me to go with, but because I noticed as you were sharing some of the things on your list, there are things around the home. And something that has made a huge difference for me as a solo entrepreneur is that I work at home most days, the air fryer. So just if you don't have one yet, and I know this is a few years behind the trend. However, if you still don't have one, the dual-basket air fryer is a game changer for the solo entrepreneur because you can actually make a really decent lunch in a very small amount of time, and it's delicious. And the reason I say dual basket is because you can put a protein on one side and vegetables on the other side. You can have different temperatures, different times, and that I just can't even believe there was a time before the air fryer.
So if you, especially if you're gifting for someone who spends time at home, your lunches can just go up a notch. And if you're an entrepreneur, you have to treat yourself kinda like an athlete. If you are in this for the long haul, this is not easy. And so making sure that you have a decent lunch, I think, is really important. So that might not be what people expected, but it's what I'm gonna start with and throw that out there.
Joe Casabona: No. This is great, because I'll tell you. As we record this yesterday, I couldn't figure out what to make for lunch, and so I just Door Dashed a sandwich, which I shouldn't have done, but it was easy.
Cat Mulvihill: I bet you could get an air fryer for the price of maybe 4 Door Dashes. So just think about the money you'll save.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. So much money. And, like, way healthier. Right? Do you have, like, a specific one you recommend? Like, is there, like, a brand that you like here? I assume dual basket is not the brand.
Cat Mulvihill: Dual basket's not the brand. Dual basket just means there are 2 different baskets. I would say for air fryer that I don't have a specific brand. I ended up just buying the Costco one that I found a couple years ago, and it's been fine. I think I paid around a one that I found a couple years ago, and it's been fine. I think I paid around a $140. I do actually have a toaster oven air fryer as well. We just don't use it as often because I find that it smokes a lot more easily when if oil touches any of the bottom heating elements, then it starts sometimes it sets off the fire alarm, and no one has time for that. So that's why I've gone with the basket version.
Joe Casabona: I love that. My kids are like, traumatized by the smoke alarm because there's, like, something in the bottom oven of our stove, I guess. And when we turn on the broiler or something, it just, like…
Cat Mulvihill: Yeah.
Joe Casabona: Smoke. But and they're like, we gotta go outside. They're right. So reducing the amount of times the smoke alarm goes off is great.
Yes. Awesome. Well, I'm gonna stay in the kitchen. I assume this is why you added the air fryer, but, my my wife for my birthday I think, not this most recent one, but the one before, got me the Bonavita coffee grinder. Our favorite coffee is the Redding Coffee Company. They're local to us in Pennsylvania. Jazzy Java. It's just, like I can't, I should be able to describe it because it tells us exactly, but there's, like, pecan and chocolate and caramel, and it's just, like, amazing. And it's, like, very, it's like a little holiday, but we drink it year-round. It's so good.
And I like getting whole beans because I have an espresso maker, and I have we have a drip coffee maker. And the Bonavita coffee grinder is the best one that I've personally used. Great settings, works well, and never clogs up. So I'm a big fan of that. If you work from home or someone you love works from home, they're gonna be drinking coffee and making coffee at home, there's nothing better than freshly ground coffee beans in the morning.
Cat Mulvihill: Yes. I am a well, I would, I don't rave about my coffee grinder. I am a full-bean girl. And so I grind, and then I'm a French press. I just 5 minutes in the French press. But the one thing I did do, this wasn't on the list, is since I started making I got a new tea kettle, and I do 200 degrees Fahrenheit. That is the perfect level for the French press, and I do find that it is a better coffee. You kind of get that nice what is it? The crema at the top even in the French press. I think when it's too hot or not hot enough, you don't get that. So having a kettle with the specific temperatures, that's been really great too.
Joe Casabona: Yes. Great point. We have an electric tea kettle with, like, the different settings for whatever caffeine you're going to brew, essentially. And, yeah. That's like I wasn't sold on that, and then my brother-in-law was bringing coffee over, and he would just boil water. And he's like, this doesn't taste as good. It tastes like burnt. And I'm like, yeah. You're boiling the water, and it's making the beans too hot. Like, it's like so yeah. Absolutely. Brew your coffee at the right temperature, friends. I have a Notion document with all the proper grinds based on the coffee maker and how hot things should be.
Cat Mulvihill: Nice.
Joe Casabona: So, yeah. Awesome. All right. What's up next for you?
Cat Mulvihill: Okay. This one is inspired by something else that you had on the list, and I can't remember exactly. But I think you and I are on the same page here. Lamy fountain pen. I know you're a fountain pen person. I don't know if you're specifically Lamy. I have 4, which is you don't need that many. You just don't need that many. But if you do have more than one, it means you can have different nibs, different pen colors. The reason I love it so much is that I had gone so digital that I was really missing physical writing. And this past year, I saw a speaker who was talking about her journal entries, and I thought, you know what I miss? I just miss sitting down and writing in my journal. And what made that experience even better is that I brought out my old fountain pen, which I hadn't used in a while, and it sort of reignited that love of just sitting down and journaling.
And the thing that I also recommend is picking a journal that gives you just enough space. And the reason and I think you know this joke because I was going back and forth about what journal to get, and I landed on one that had a couple of prompts on one side of the page. But then it is just one blank page, and it feels like that's not very daunting. I can write one blank page, and I can answer prompts, but I don't have to. And that's been really nice. I've been doing that now for, I think, around 4 or 5 months. Love the combination of the physical journal with that fountain pen. And for me, I have a nice turquoise or teal ink that I just got, I got the ink from Amazon, and it just fits the pen. And you can get some pretty affordable ink for your fountain pen there.
Joe Casabona: Yes. So on top of, I guess I should've said this at the top of the show, but the show notes will contain affiliate links. So, on top of whatever affiliate link Cat gives me for the specific Lamy pen, I will link to my pen buyer's guide. The, I mean, the great thing about, like, the Lamy Safari is that it's like, $25. Right? It's like an affordable, well-made fountain pen. If you like aluminum, you can get the Lamy All-Star.
Cat Mulvihill: Yes. That's I've got both, and I do love that All-Star.
Joe Casabona: Yes. I have the Lamy 2000. That's, like, the higher end like, it has, like, a white gold nib. My wife, Erin, got it for me for Christmas 1 year, with a custom nib grind. So, like, yeah, this is rabbit hole alert, but, like, big fan of the analog tools because, like, can I tell you that I basically do everything in front of a screen that is just, like, glaring light? And yesterday, I just sat out on my porch. It's exciting to finally be nice and not too warm here. And I just, like, sat and stared out into, like, the middle distance because I was, like, so sick of staring at screens. And and you like, you know, it's not the same effect on paper. It's a pen and paper. It feels really nice. And so, cosign on that. I'm fully with you there.
Okay. So my next we're like so we have a document broken up into categories for those who are wondering how the sausage is getting made here. And we started with the miscellaneous category first. So we're gonna, I think we're probably gonna save tech for last for working in a certain direction.
So the next thing that I am going to recommend is not writing related. It's, it is home comfort. I had pretty severe plantar fasciitis earlier this year. Like, my calves and my achilles heel were, like, killing me. And my friends, on top of, like, the therapy stuff you're supposed to do, recommended a footwear brand called Oofos, O-O-F-O-S.
My friend who runs marathons said that she wears them after the marathon to help her recover. And, like, just a couple of days of these sandals that she has, helps her and game changer. Like, they're so comfortable. It's like walking on foam all the time. So if you, or a loved one is looking for, like, good, at-home footwear, comfortable, they make sneakers. They, but I love the sandals. They're just, like, easy to slip into, and they're very comfortable. And I'm telling you, they heal like I haven't had plantar fasciitis since, like, 2 weeks probably after I got them. So a big fan of them.
Cat Mulvihill: This is really interesting because I had a foot problem also that started a couple years after working from home. And when I went and got help for it, they did say if you're just, if I have hardwood floors through most of the house, and they said, if you're just walking around barefoot a lot in your house, in your home a lot, that can start to potentially cause problems. And so I did start wearing, first, I was wearing running shoes with orthotics in them because it was, I was in a lot of pain. And now I've sort of migrated because that's calmed down. I dom I just wear Birkenstocks in the house, and it does also make a difference. I'm not perfect about it, but I, yeah, I never thought it wasn't until you started talking about your foot problems, and I thought, that's so funny. I also had foot problems, and they kind of blamed that in the, I used to work in an office, and I would always have footwear on. And then when I started working at home, I almost never had footwear on at home. And, yeah. Wearing, yeah. Wearing some supportive footwear. Yeah. Who knew?
Joe Casabona: Yeah. I should be clear to the listeners too that I'm not like, some athletes. I didn't get plantar fasciitis, like, running or something. I'm like, it's just living is what did it for you.
Cat Mulvihill: Oh, man. This is funny. This is probably not what people are expecting on our lists, by the way.
Joe Casabona: But that's cool. We'll get to the tech. We'll get to the tech and EDC stuff. But this is, yeah, this is just, like, a gift because I mean, like, look. Like, 9 to 5 Mac and The Verge and all of those at Wired, they're all gonna have their, like, Top 20 tech gifts for your loved one or whatever. Like, so, like, we're solopreneurs. We work from home. This is just stuff we find useful that we think you or a loved one might find useful.
Cat Mulvihill: So the one, I'm going back to writing. It's a little bit, little bit of a boomerang here. And this is as much as I love writing in a journal with ink, I also like the analog, but don't necessarily always want to keep every single thing I write down.
So, I'm also a really big fan of the Rocketbook. And, yes, there are different, there are varying degrees of capturing notes digitally. The Rocketbook, I just find very affordable and accessible. The other thing is the, so the way it works is it looks like a journal. The paper, though, it's actually a really nice smooth paper. I really like it. And then you have a special pen that you can erase. I have the multicolor pack so that if I want to brainstorm and doodle and capture ideas, I can use different colours on them. And then you could just wipe it clean. Wipe the page clean with a microfiber. The reason I like it is because it's got that tactile experience.
And I only save what I want to save because there are other capture devices where they save every single note you take. 1, they're they're usually a little bit more expensive. And then the other thing is after usually, I'll look through it later and say, oh, I wanna keep this. I'll take a picture, and I you can use the rocket book, or sometimes I'll just take a picture and upload it to Notion. But sometimes I just don't need to save the thing I wrote down, and I can just wipe it clean Versus a journal, I wanna be able to go back and look at those journals. And so it still has a little bit of that analog, which I find for being creative and brainstorming, especially if I am just trying to generate a lot of ideas or, I don't know, map out concepts. I like to do the I really do like the analog a lot. So that's my that's my next plug is the Rocketbook.
Joe Casabona: Yes. Can I tell you that, this concept is at least 24 years old? I remember, first of all, I backed the Rocketbook on Kickstarter when it launched in, like, 2014 or whatever. Do you still have to mic you don't have to microwave it anymore? You used to have to microwave it to erase it. Yeah.
Cat Mulvihill: Oh, was that because it was heat vape? No.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. So it's heat vape.
Cat Mulvihill: You just use a wet just a damp microfiber cloth, and it just erases the pages.
Joe Casabona: Cool. They so they used to say, like, it they would sell an erasable pen, but it they said it worked with any erasable pen, and then you would microwave it for, like, 30 seconds with a little cup of water in there.
Cat Mulvihill: Interesting.
Joe Casabona: And the moisture would erase the whole book. So yeah. Wild. So it's come a long way. But the first the first one that I ever had was it was a notebook and pen set, and this pen looked like one of those, like, physical therapy grip pens, and it plugged into your computer via USB. And so I would take it to school with me. I'd be sitting in physics class, and I'd be taking notes with it in this specific paper that had, like, a dot grid so that it knew on the page where you were. You'd go home, plug it into your computer, and then it would upload all of the the strokes on that page.
And I'm like, this is the future. And now I basically well, actually, this is related to my to my next pick. It's called the rock so I keep I keep messing up the name, because I'm I'm using the 2 words interchangeably, but it's by Astropad, and it's called The Rock Paper Pencil. Yes.
Cat Mulvihill: You know, I just really wanted to finish that and say scissors.
Joe Casabona: So yeah. Right. Yes. That's why I keep messing it up because I'm like I keep calling it the Rock Paper iPad, but it is a matte iPad screen protector and then a custom Apple Pencil tip. And it is because another thing I've been searching for since, like, the beginning of iPad times is a writing experience on the iPad that feels like paper, and the Rock Paper Pencil by Astropad has been the best. I used to get the paper like, but, like, the installation process was annoying. And once it was on, it was on. Right? The cool thing about the rock paper pencil is that it comes with its custom tips, so it feels even more like writing on paper.
But it also uses, like, think some nano something whatever, like, some fancy thing that they say to stick it to the screen so you can take it on and off. Oh. Because, like, the you know, I have the 2024 iPad Pro 11 inch iPad Pro with, like, the beautiful OLED screen. And if you put, like, a matte screen protector on, they're like, it doesn't look great for watching movies, but it comes with a little case, and you could take the screen protector off and just stick it back on when you need it.
Cat Mulvihill: That's good to know. That was my next question is would where do you put it? You don't want it to get tacky or start to leak and stick.
Joe Casabona:. Yeah. So it comes with, like, a little sleeve that I haven't been super diligent about using, but it comes with it. And I love it. I will, you know, I still have like, I have, like, my William Hanna notebook. But, when I'm, like, writing stuff and especially if I know I wanna capture it or review it later, I'll write it in the Apple Notes app because in iOS 18, the handwriting recognition is bananas. So, like, I'll do handwritten notes, highlight it, convert it to text, and paste it into Notion or Obsidian. And it's extremely accurate even for my, like, crappy handwriting. So big fan, rock paper pencil by the by Astropad. If you take a lot of notes on your iPad, like, if you write a lot of notes on your iPad, really good.
Cat Mulvihill: And I don't because I don't love the experience of writing on glass. So that's interesting. I should check that out.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. I'm it's the best I'm not gonna tell you, like, it feels like writing on paper. Like, that's just like a straight-up lie to like, anybody saying that. It doesn't. Right? It feels a lot more like writing on paper. You get that friction. Right? And you get that, like, tactile feel and, like, the scratchy sound. Right? It's not just, like, plastic tapping glass wondering if you're gonna, like, dent it. So big, big fan. Big fan.
Cat Mulvihill: K. Is it my turn? I think so.
Joe Casabona: It is your turn.
Cat Mulvihill: So I'm going to mention something fun. I don't know if this is the thing that you have a response to, and this is for it's for your microphone if you have the mb7, the sm7b, and I think there's maybe one more. And It's got Doc Bops. And they're by my friend, Doc Rock. And I was able to see him last month and got my hands on a few. So I have blue, pink, and purple depending on my mood, and I can change the microphone cover. And, typically, I have actually just had black, and I wear black every time I record videos.
So my microphone has been hidden, but I actually really I still love just wearing black in every video because it just makes all the decision-making very easy. But I like the ability to just add a pop of color to my microphone because my mic is usually in the shot, and I've been mixing it up with these Doc Bop. So I just wanna put a shout out there too for my friend, Doc, and also the idea of the Doc Bop and adding a little bit of color. I think there's also red and green and maybe orange, Blue. Are the ones that are available. Yeah.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. Yeah. Shout out, I guess not really friend of the show because he's never been on, but friend of both of us, Doc Rock. Oh, very cool. Fellow New Yorker living in a different place now.
Yeah. This is super cool. This is not what I had the response to. Okay. But if we're talking about pops of color so first of all, I have the SM7B, so I'm definitely gonna check it out. If he has yellow, I'll wait for, like, yellow because if he's gonna get that,
Cat Mulvihill: I can’t remember all of them. I'm not sure there's yellow, but we could check.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. I'll put in a special request because that's my brand color. You know? I gotta stay on brand. But speaking of pops of color, I just picked up the Kindle Colorsoft, which is the new Kindle, that has the E Ink color screen. I was skeptical because usually, right, if you try to do color, it looks like garbage, on the Ink, but it's been a pleasant, like, a pleasant experience. Like, it, like, puts a smile on my face every time I, like, open up a book cover and it's like I see the color. It's not, like, overdone, but it's nice. And what I like too, because I'm a huge dork, is now you have different color highlights. So, like, you could do, like so I'll do, like, yellow highlighting for, like, facts, and then, like, pink highlighting for, like, a like, something that's caused, like, a separate thought that I might wanna do a blog post on. I don't know if this translates online, but, like, if you're glancing at the highlights on the Kindle, like, it is different colors, and I like that.
And then I've also been experimenting with, they don't support ComiXology yet, which is Amazon's comic subscription. Marvel's comic subscription that I think is owned by Amazon. But they do support, like, the Prime reading comics. And so, like, I've got some Spider-Man and some Darth Vaders. And that's okay. I fully expect that to get better because on the iPad app, ComiXology will let you, like, go into, like, immersive mode and you tap on a frame, and then it makes that the full page that you're looking at.
Cat Mulvihill: Oh, okay.
Joe Casabona: So you're not, like, squinting. So I assume that's gonna be, like, a version, like, a software update. But, yeah, it's a great little size, and, it's got the wireless charging on the dock. And, it's been a very pleasant experience for me so far.
Cat Mulvihill: You know, I don't think I had this on the list, but I just wanna say for anyone else who is I know this is for Canada. I don't know about other countries outside of the US. I ended up last year when I when you talked about solving a problem, one of the problems I had last year is I have a I've had a Kindle for probably 3 years, and use it pretty regularly, and then I found out that in Canada, you cannot borrow library books to the Kindle. And I would result in or would result in me using my phone or my iPad to read, but I really don't like reading on my phone or iPad. And it just dawned on me, I think, a few weeks into I was on a trip, and I kept on reading on my phone, and I was resenting it. And I realized, oh, you know what? I could buy a second e reader and just have a Kobo, which is compatible with my library subscription so that I can take out library books on my Kobo. And I just bought it, and I realized this is solving a headache. And it's almost my my roadblock is that mentally, it felt like I own an ereader. I can't buy another ereader. And then I realized, oh, no. I can because it's solving a problem for me. And so I am reading on I read my library books on my Kobo.
Now I did actually just learn recently that if Kindle stops selling a book that you bought, it can actually just remove it from your Kindle. So the thing I also just did to solve a problem, which is protect the things I purchased, like, I bought them, is that I have started to download to make a local copy. And then I've been using the software Caliber to have an EPUB version for myself. And that means that I could read it on either I could read it on my Kobo as well, so that does make it portable.
And I did I had to watch a tutorial online because you do need a little plug-in and whatnot. So maybe we can share a link to the video that explains how to do that if there's anyone who's interested in that. But I just adding a little extra insurance that every book that I have purchased, is downloaded and backed up. And I think same thing if I purchase from the Kobo. I think the same thing applies if I want to be able to have a local copy and have it in a in format that can be, you know, used on different e-readers.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. Great tip. Because that's a really great I don't think people realize that. Right? It's like you can lose access to things that you rightfully paid for. yeah, really good point. Love that.
How we doing on time? Oh, we've got oh, we got some time. All right. So what is next for you?
Cat Mulvihill: Okay. I'm good let's do a little bit of tech. Yes. So the one that I am going to put a plug, if you have not used a Stream Deck, you're Stream Deck curious, or you have a Stream Deck, but sometimes you work outside of your home, I've been really loving the Stream Deck Neo. It's 99 US. So, you know, as a benchmark, depending where you live, it's pretty affordable. And I have been using it as my portable Stream Deck, but I also just really like it because it's small and simple. It does also have a little bit of a sticky base that if you want, so it won't slide around, which is pretty cool. It's white. It's got 8 keys, but it has little page buttons and sensors. So you can really easily go in between pages. So if you load, say, 3 pages you could just cycle through those really easily. And it's got a digital display, so you could put the time and the date on there if you'd like to. So there are different options for it. So it's just been a pleasant surprise, and I know I already own too many Stream Decks.
However, I just I really like it. So I thought I would throw that out there for anyone who is curious or you're like me and you can just throw it in a backpack and bring that with you. And it's USB C, which is also really nice if you are a Mac user because if you have a laptop and you're traveling, then you don't also have to bring an adapter. So that's another another plus for the Neo.
Joe Casabona: I was worried that this episode might cost me money, and it might. I mean, I'll wait for Black Friday. I also have too many I have 2 Stream Decks. I don't know if that's too many. I think some would say yes.
Cat Mulvihill: I have 5.
Joe Casabona: Dang. Okay. Cool. So I don't have too many. But I love the little display. And, like, my Stream Deck XL has largely turned into timers, like, saved timers and lights. And then there's, like, a whole page dedicated to all my Ecamm livestream stream, screens. But, like, with my Stream Deck Plus, like, the knobs to control my lighting and stuff like that, I could see the Stream Deck Neo being a really nice little, like, keyboard shortcut manager for me, especially when I'm over here. Like, my Stream Deck XL is, like, out of arm's reach now, but, like, the Neo could be here, and I can do some crucial things. Very…
Cat Mulvihill: Yeah. It removes it removes some friction, so it solves solves a problem. You could also you can also use a Stream Deck, another Stream Deck to control which profiles are showing on your other Stream Decks. So it can also, you can treat it like a profile or page manager and use that to launch different profiles to show up on your other stream decks too, which is kind of fun. Extra level nerdy, but it's possible.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. I'm going to plug Cat. Is your course still available? I guess I should have asked you before.
Cat Mulvihill: Yes. Stream Deck Essentials. It is.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. So check that out. I'll have a link in the show notes for that too.
Okay. So, I just mentioned the Stream Deck Plus. I don't know if you also wanna mention that while it's here, because I think you put both of them on the list. Right?
Cat Mulvihill: No. You had the plus on there, and that prompted me to put the Neo. But I was going to agree with you if and but I will say the Stream Deck Plus, if you have the Elgato prompter, which I also put on the list if you don't have a prompter yet, they go really well together. So if you are someone who has the prompter, I love the dials for dialing in the brightness, the opacity. You can also dial in the speed really easily. So if you are going to be someone who's using the Elgato prompter, then I think the plus is a really nice one. It's just it is more expensive than, say, something like the Neo, which is a really nice entry-level, but I do like it. If though I wasn't if I wasn't using the prompter, I did find prior to this, I wasn't using the dials a whole lot. And so in that case, maybe just pure keys for someone might be a good idea. If you don't need the dials, it can feel like you're wasting space not using the dials.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. That's true. I use the dials heavily because I have 3 key lights. I have 2 key lights and a key light air, and I like to control because, like, my egress window is right at my desk, and so I usually like to mess with the color temperature. I have a blackout curtain, but, like, I like to mess with the color temperature and the brightness. And then, I also have, I've assigned keyboard shortcuts to adjust my monitor brightness, and I assigned that to a dial. So now I can turn my dial and adjust the screen brightness on my monitor because if it's dark in my office my kids like to have a dance party down here because I have a bunch of lights. And I turn the brightness of the monitor all the way down so that there's not just, like, this one giant white light in the middle of our dance party.
But yeah. So I do use I like the plus because I use the knobs every day, basically. So ,but yeah. Great for the prompter too, especially until they fix the voice sync issue.
Cat Mulvihill: Yeah. Yeah.
Joe Casabona: Yeah.
Cat Mulvihill: I you know, I have something related with which is a remote control, and Elgato has a remote. And the reason that I love the remote for my lights is that if I walk in in the morning, usually, my computer is not on yet. And I also, in the morning, keep my phone I keep my phone downstairs overnight. So there are times when I walk into my office slash home studio, and I don't have my phone and my computer is not on. And so turning on the lights, so easy with the remote. And so this to me removed, it solved the problem, it removed a lot of friction that I don't have to have my computer on. I don't have to use my phone in order to turn the lights on or off. And so you can actually map your lights to the remote and just press the on button there. And you can also adjust the dials as well if you wanna play around with the temperature and the brightness and whatnot. And but I'm a set-it-and-forget-it person, but I love being able to turn it on or off. Sometimes I'll shut down the computer at the end of the day and then realize I haven't shut off my lights. And so the remote has been a game changer for me when it comes to just removing that little bit of friction.
Joe Casabona: Nice. I, use HomeBridge, which is, like, a third-party thing to connect non-HomeKit things to HomeKit. And so I use HomeBridge to connect my key lights to the Home app, but I feel like that adds more, not less friction. That's, like, just like a nerdy automation thing that causes headaches sometimes. So I wouldn't recommend that, but I did it. And that's so that's but the remote, I like the idea of the remote. So I'll add that in the show notes too.
Okay. Neo plus remote. Now we mentioned the prompter. Anything else we wanna say about the prompter before moving on?
Cat Mulvihill: I don't think so. I just I mean, I guess I would say for anyone who hears prompter and thinks that's for script reading. No. No. No, my friend. It yes. It can be used for script reading, but I really primarily use it for making eye contact when I am on calls with people when I'm doing presentations. And, yes, it's great if you wanna be able to see a script or see your notes, but I actually think it's best for when you're sitting on a virtual call and you can look directly in your camera but also be looking at the person. Like, I'm looking at you right now using the prompter.
Joe Casabona: Likewise here. We're both using the prompter, and we're making eye contact. When I'm not on a call, I have a bunch of widgets, like macOS widgets for my time trackers and the weather and stuff like that. So it's also just like a if you don't want, like, a full-blown second monitor, which I don't, you you have a little dashboard when you're not using it to make eye contact or for scripting.
So Yeah. Awesome. Okay. Do you wanna go next, or should I go next?
Cat Mulvihill: I think, I think you should go. I think I snuck a couple in there with my remote control.
Joe Casabona: Yes. Well, you know, in, related to the remote control and, like, not wanting to use tech, I just bought this from Instagram ads. It's called the Brick, and it's a little it's like a 3D printed gray square with an NFC tag in it. So, like, there's the magic, but it has an app. And so you stick it on your fridge or someplace far away from where you're normally sitting. You tap your phone to it, and it, like, locks down your phone. And it'll only give you, like, up to a certain number of approved apps. And the idea, right, is that I thought why isn't this, like a focus mode thing? Right? You can turn off focus modes. Right? But if you use the brick if I it's on my fridge. I'd have to walk across my office upstairs into the kitchen to unbrick my phone, and so that creates, I think, a good amount of friction. So I just set it up today, so I can't say, like, it's working for me personally.
Cat Mulvihill: This is Brand new. Okay.
Joe Casabona: This is brand new. But the two ways I envision using it, not when I'm working because, like, there are too many other things when I'm working, but at bedtime. Right? When I go, I'll scan in the kitchen and then go upstairs, and then I can't check social media in the middle of the night when I wake up or something. Right? that's how or, like, when I'm out with my kids. Right? If, like, we go for a walk and I just scan the brick, there's you get 5 emergency un bricks. I assume a day, but who knows? But, you know, I literally can't use my phone if I'm out with my kids, right, except for, like, the camera and the message app or whatever. However, I decide to configure it. So if you feel a little too addicted to your phone, this is a this is like good, like, hardware solution that requires physical movement to solve it.
Cat Mulvihill: I really like that because I am an advocate for having boundaries with your phone. I didn't put this on the list, but I'm gonna add it for any of you saying, but it's my alarm. Get a real alarm clock. And the one I use, I got it a few when did I get it? 2021? It's been a while. I have been charging my phone in the kitchen for years now overnight. That is where it lives. It does not come into the room, full stop. And so I, though, like the I think it's Philips, and it's the light alarm clock. So half an hour before your wake time before the alarm goes off, it will slowly like a sunrise, it will light up slowly. So it also you can start to notice that it's starting to be a little bit lighter in the room, and sometimes I'll be able to then wake up before the alarm goes off. Not always. It depends. And then I can go and shut that off. But I love it. Also, if you are sharing a room with someone when the light so when the alarm goes off, you can turn off the alarm, but still keep the light. And it's not too bright. So that if you are someone who's up before your significant other, then you can still kinda make your way around the room without fumbling and bumbling into things. So that's that would be a recommendation for me. Get a real alarm clock for your room. Stop having your phone in the room, and your life will be better.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. I need to do that. I mean, like, I also bring my iPad into the room because I like falling asleep watching TV, which is also not good. But this is good. Maybe I'll get that for my wife, because she is a nurse. Always wakes up well, she sets, like, 4 alarms, so maybe the light on her side will just, like, be enough to wake her up. I always wake up right before her first alarm.
Cat Mulvihill: Oh, interesting.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. I haven't woken up to an alarm in a very long time. Like, the only time I really need to set one is when I have an early flight, and then if I have an early flight, I wake up every hour anyway. Yeah.
Cat Mulvihill: Because you're so nervous.
Joe Casabona: You're gonna Don't miss your flight.
Cat Mulvihill: Yeah.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. And so, like, it's been a long time since an alarm actually woke me up. And so because my wife's is set to around the time I wake up anyway, but I know it's gonna go off at, like, 5:15, I'm usually up right before it. Yeah. So, yeah.
Cat Mulvihill: I'm not. I need an alarm.
Joe Casabona: So awesome. A real alarm clock. The Phillips, the Phillips Hue or just Hue?
Cat Mulvihill: Like I'll I'll I'll look it up. I think it's by Philips, but I'll I'll we'll I'll find it/ So we can put it in there.
Joe Casabona: I mean, they have, like, the Hue brand. So
Cat Mulvihill: I don't think but it's not it's not like a Tricia Hue. It's just you plug it in, you set it, and it Right. You have to set an alarm. But, Yeah. I wouldn't call it smart except for the fact that it starts to light up as well.
Joe Casabona: Yes. Cool. Allright. We are coming up on time here. We have, we have a couple more, and then I have like I don't know if you do a lot of EDC, but I have, like, an EDC bonus round if we have time. So…
Cat Mulvihill: I'm not even sure what EDC means.
Joe Casabona: Everyday carry. So, like, pens. Yeah. It's, like, stuff that you usually always have on you.
Cat Mulvihill: Yeah. You learn something new every day.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. Oh, there's, like, a thing. Don't don't get into it. It's like a whole other rabbit hole thing.
Cat Mulvihill: All right.
Joe Casabona: Okay. Cool. So, my next recommendation is the ifixit kit. It is it's used to, like, repair small electronics, and it comes with, I don't know, 60 maybe? I've got the ProTech kit, and it comes with, like, 60 screwdriver heads or something like that, like, very small ones. I got it on recommendation from a podcast I was listening to last year with a gift guide. But it comes with, like, tweezers and little suction things. Like so if, like, you wanna replace a broken screen, like, it you can do that with it too. It has been amazing mostly for changing batteries in my children's toys, but also just, like, it's got all the heads of, like, something you wouldn't normally have in, like, ahex kit or an Allen wrench, Allen key kit, or, like, a screwdriver.
So, I use it regularly. It's been a game-changer for me. There's, like, a really good utility for it, and it's like a fun little gift because it's like no one's ever gonna say, like, oh, I need that, like, 5-point screwdriver head. But it comes with it, and so you have it if you need it.
Cat Mulvihill: Yeah. That's awesome. I got one for as a gift last year at a conference of a multi-tool, and I love it. Yeah. It's not something I was seeking out, but I have it has come in handy, especially with some of the smaller stuff with tiny screws. Anyway. The so the next one I'm gonna say is full disclosure. I saw them when I was visiting New York and got a preview of them. They just launched very recently. I think yesterday as of when we're recording this, RODE came out with new wireless headsets for your phone. And so I think it's called the RODE Micro. I believe it's what it's called. And they're nice and small. And so if you were someone who's making content with your phone and you want something that's a little bit more discreet than something like the wireless pro, they're a really nice size. And while I do not have personal experience with them because they just came out, and they probably won't be on sale in a couple of weeks, I doubt. But I just still think they're worth highlighting because I was pretty impressed with the size, the carrying case. And a lot of people are making content with their phone, and so having that option, I think, is really nice. And they have a magnet option as well. So you can clip or you can actually magnet behind your clothes, which is a nice option.
Joe Casabona: Yes. This was the thing I had the response to because I have the DJI mic that's, like, similar. The Rode Micro looks smaller, like, a little sleeker. And I know that, like, Rode also has, like, this I think they have the software. Maybe it should have the software, but, it's I love the DJI microphone, but I will say I can't always tell if the mic is enabled, like, because the iPhone just doesn't tell you that. And so, like, that's something good to know. But, yeah, that's, I love the DJI mic. It's their and the the Rode Micro looks way more portable. Just something nice to throw in your bag so you have, like, a decent microphone when you're out and about.
Cat Mulvihill: Yeah. And I recently or I was working with a client, and we used a, let's say, an Amazon find lav mic, and the audio quality was not good. It was not good. Let's just say that.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. Yeah. If you if you want the quality, it's worth the price, like, the price tag. Yeah.
Cat Mulvihill: Yeah.
Joe Casabona: Cool. All right. I know you have one more thing here that I would strongly advocate for as well.
Cat Mulvihill: Really, really quick. Almost every year, I end up buying Black Friday's external hard drive. And, usually, I was buying 1 terabyte, then last year about 2 terabytes, and I think I will continue to to do that if you need something on the go. And so just keep an eye out for storage.
Joe Casabona: Yes. I have opinions about brands, for this, because, like, you don't want the Amazon find for a hard drive. Right? Western Digital is a really good name. Samsung also makes a really great, like, super portable hard drive.
Cat Mulvihill: Yeah. I've got I I've been using the Samsung the Samsung. And, also, they have different colors, blue, red, whatever. So that can help you keep them apart. And then because I made the mistake of buying the exact same looking one. So I'll use a sticker to try to differentiate between them, but that's just something to keep in mind of being able to tell them apart is helpful.
Joe Casabona: Yes. I have one of those, and my photos library is on it. So, like, aside from the Icloud backup, it's on that hard drive. So if something happens to my main computer, I still have, like, the a hard drive with the photos library on it, which I think is neat.
Cool. Alright. Everyday Carry well, so I see EDC, and then you and then you have a software recommendation. So maybe we can do, like, a lightning round for both of us/ As far as just, like, quick recommendations. Do you wanna go first on that?
Cat Mulvihill: So I just wrote down okay. Personally, big fan of Ecamm Live, and I'm pretty sure they do something around Black Friday. And I use them almost every single day, so I just wanna put that out there. But the other thing I'll just say in general is if there's a software that you love that's part of your or maybe it's maybe you don't love it, but it's part of your everyday business. If you've been paying monthly and they have a Black Friday sale, it might be a good time to switch to annual because then you can save money in the long run. The only thing I caution is just pay attention. If you switch all of them, you're going to have a very expensive November every year. And so just make sure that when you're budgeting for the year for your expenses that you keep that in mind.
But I have done that with a few different software, you know, options that I am regularly using. They often have promos, and you might be eligible for the promo if you sign up for the annual. So that's just something to keep your eyes peeled for.
Joe Casabona: Yes. And definitely no. Like, the last week in November is a very expensive week for me. So, yeah, do keep that. And, like, I signed up for, like, ConvertKit on a Black Friday deal. And then, I want well, no. Ecamm was September, but, like, Riverside is in there. Right? But, yeah, if it's software you use all the time, if you can go annual, go annual because, like, you know, It's it does save you some money.
Okay. Cool. So I'll do a quick EDC bonus round here or extra round. I love a good pocket knife. Good utility to it. I use one regularly, mostly for opening packages. But, I picked up the James Brand Folsom knife and it is, like, the perfect combination of weight and size. It's, like, not too heavy. It feels really nice. I got the bone white handle with the black blade, which matches my Apple Watch band very nicely. So, the James brand, I have a couple of their knives. If you're looking for a good pocket knife, for you or for someone, there's a good variety at different prices at different price points.
Shady Ray's sunglasses, I switched this year from Ray Bans to Shady Ray's. Shady Rays are, like, half the price, and they have a warranty. So if you break the Shady Rays, they will replace them at once for free. So I've then they usually have, like, a pretty good, like, buy 1, get 1 deal happening often, and I imagine it'll be for Black Friday too. But there's a lot of different styles there, and I really like them. And, again, way cheaper than Ray Ban Ray Bans.
Okay. Cat, feel free to chime in here at any point as I'm, like, running through this really quick. I have an Apple Watch. I love Nomad, nomadgoods.com. They make a lot of really great watch bands, including the sport band, which is really, like, sturdy rubber in a bunch of different colors. Like that a lot though. I will be switching to my red watch band for Christmas. I always have a red watch band for Christmas. I have the iPhone 16 Pro with the camera button, which I love. The problem is that I don't wanna cut out for my case, and so I got the Beats case. It feels nice. It's like a smooth back. Camera button works really nicely. So if I'm not going caseless, it'll be the Beats case.
And then Bellroy wallet. I just love Bellroy if you're looking for good, like, everyday carry goods.
But the last and probably biggest impact piece of tech for me this year is my Oura ring. I don't know why I'm doing this. No one's seeing it. My Oura ring, I like, I mentioned I have an Apple Watch Ultra. Right? I didn't say Ultra, but I have an Apple Watch. So, like, it's got the health stuff. The Oura Ring has better different health stuff. So, like, sleep tracking is better on the Oura Ring, and it's, like, kinda more in tune to, like, how your overall like, how you're feeling overall, whereas the Apple Watch is really good for, like, activity tracking. But I love having all the data, and the Oura ring is really nice. I benefit from the fact that it can replace my wedding band. I know my wife, like, wears her Oura ring on her index finger because she wants to keep wearing her wedding ring. So I do benefit from still only having to wear 1 ring, but I love my Oura ring.
Cat Mulvihill: So I was an earlier Oura ring. Well, that that's a mouthful. I got, I think, the 2nd generation and had it for a few years, and it was the one that didn't require a subscription, which was very nice. And then it's just sorta died on me, and I decided to try going without it for a little while. So I think I'd used it for 2 straight years. And I was actually logging every morning into Notion. I was putting in my health data. But I ended up saying, okay. What does this feel like without the ring? And I realized that it sort of just eased a little bit off.
So I'm just going to do a counterpoint that I am not against trackers. I also have an Apple Watch. I liked having the Oura Ring, and, also, I liked not tracking anymore. And one of the reasons was that I realized I felt just a little bit of freedom because sometimes the ring would say, hey. Maybe take it easy today. And I would almost I'd get kinda nervous about it, or I would start judging stuff based on the data, not necessarily just checking in with how I'm feeling. And so that was but now I'm also someone who I will not wear the watch overnight. I want my I know there are some people who'd like to get their sleep data that way. I just kind of judge based on how I'm doing.
I think if the ring was still, like, the 2nd generation where you didn't have to pay a subscription, I would maybe consider getting again. But I am I think I'm a convert right now at the moment. We'll see if that changes.
Joe Casabona: Nice. Yeah. That's, I mean, I got it because my wife got it for reasons I don't need it. But, I, you know, I liked the sleep data. I have sleep apnea, so I like comparing, you know, how I sleep from week to week.
So yeah, I totally get that. If you're into that data stuff, I really like the Oura Ring. If you're like, hey. I really wish, like, Apple's watch's sleep tracking was better. I would say the Oura ring is definitely better for that. I think we…
Cat Mulvihill: I have one last thing that I wrote down as as more of a concept for an idea. This goes back to that the concept of solving problems or removing friction. And something I would say if you're this is probably more for yourself, but maybe you know someone in the house who has this issue. If you were someone who there's a really helpful thing that you use all the time in the house, but you have to move it between rooms. And then sometimes when you need it, it's in the other room. Get a second one. Whatever that is.
And a good example is that scissors. I used to have to transport scissors between rooms. I think I would have some upstairs and some downstairs, but then even something if I needed to open something new in the bathroom and then in the office, I was going between. And then, of course, it's never where you want it to be. So I have scissors in multiple rooms because that's the context in which I'll need them. And so having multiple scissors, I know that's a that seems like a silly example, but it's removing that friction.
Same thing with cables. If you are always looking for a cable and you have to go to a different room to find the cable that you need, have another cable in the room that you need it. So just removing that friction, if you are finding that the useful thing that you already own is migrating around your house, it could be helpful to consider just having one a closer proximity.
So I guess the answer is a second one or a third one, depending on what it is. But only you can answer what the thing is. But when if you notice yourself just being irritated because, oh, that's okay. The thing is not where I need it to be, that might be a sign of having another one. And I'm not trying to say be wasteful. I just think that can make your life better. So it's it does solve a problem.
Joe Casabona: Yeah. If, like, you were gonna do something and then you didn't because the thing wasn't where you needed it to be, maybe that's a good like, we have, like, a hand like, a hand vac, right, which is amazing because, like, it's made vacuuming easier. But, like, I needed it, and I couldn't find it. And it wasn't where I needed it to be, and so, like, I just didn't vacuum.
And so, yeah, I think that's a really good point. We have a second Roomba, right, because it's we're not gonna move it up and downstairs. So that's been a good that's been a good one.
Awesome. I love that. We made it. Yeah. Good job without spending too much of our own money, I think, and hopefully we gave you some really good ideas. If you have a, like, must-use thing that you think would be really useful, I'd love to hear from you, over at [streamlinedfeedback.com]. Go ahead and send a message or leave a voice note, and maybe I'll play you on the show.
But, Cat, if people wanna learn more about you, where can they find you?
Cat Mulvihill: Yeah. I spend most of my time either over on YouTube or on LinkedIn. And then also I've got my website, which is [catmulvihill.com].
Joe Casabona: Excellent. I think I've done a good job of keeping track. We'll have a very rich show notes, like I said, for this. It'll be in the description wherever you're watching this. So definitely check out all of this stuff. Leave some feedback if you want.
Cat, thanks so much for doing this with me. This was so much fun.
Cat Mulvihill: Thanks. I had a lot of fun too. I love, I love nerding out with you.
Joe Casabona: Likewise, and thank you for listening, and until next time. I'll see you out there.