WHAT WORKS FOR ME
Recommendations, without the hype.
These are the tools, products and services I actually use, have used, or am actively testing. Some have affiliate or referral relationships. Plenty don’t. Either way, I’ll tell you what I like, what I don’t and who I think they’re actually useful for.
The stuff that works for me.
HOW THIS WORKS
A recommendation has to earn its place.
This is a personal working library, not a store. Every item needs context before it earns a place here.
This page changes as my tools and habits change.
I USE IT
If I currently use something, I’ll say so and explain what it is doing for me.
I’VE USED IT
Sometimes I have moved on. That does not erase what I learned or what it may still be good for.
I’M TESTING IT
An experiment is an experiment. It should never read like a settled recommendation.
I’LL TELL YOU WHEN I GET PAID
Affiliate links, referral relationships and partner programs are disclosed plainly.
A commission doesn’t make something good. And the absence of a commission doesn’t make something less worth recommending.
MY CURRENT STACK
The things earning their place right now.
A rotating selection of the tools, products and services earning their place in my life right now. Click through for the context, not a sales pitch.
HighLevel
The CRM and automation platform I actually use.
WHY IT WORKS FOR ME →Starlink
Reliable internet where I could not rely on traditional options.
WHY IT WORKS FOR ME →Pro-Ject Juke Box E
The turntable that got me listening to records again.
WHY IT WORKS FOR ME →Dyson Supersonic
Expensive. Also ridiculously good.
WHY IT WORKS FOR ME →goodr sunglasses
Finally, sunglasses that fit my big head.
WHY IT WORKS FOR ME →WP Engine
The managed WordPress host behind sites I run.
WHY IT WORKS FOR ME →Semrush
Research and visibility tools I use to make better decisions.
WHY IT WORKS FOR ME →Kadence
The WordPress tools I use to build a better site.
WHY IT WORKS FOR ME →Gusto
Payroll and people operations that stay straightforward.
WHY IT WORKS FOR ME →Descript
A practical tool for getting video and audio work done.
WHY IT WORKS FOR ME →Epson EcoTank
The printer that makes everyday home-office work less annoying.
WHY IT WORKS FOR ME →Each card links to my experience or a relevant article. If a financial relationship is ever used, it will be labelled and disclosed.
BROWSE WHAT WORKS
The whole list, organized around real life.
The library is growing deliberately. These are the categories I am using so it stays useful instead of becoming an endless product grid.
BUSINESS + TECHNOLOGY
CRM, web hosting, WordPress, forms, accounting, payroll, AI, email, SEO, video and design.
REAL ESTATE
Technology, marketing, photography, agent tools and the systems around a real practice.
HOME
Things I own, use and would have a real opinion about around the house.
WORK + TRAVEL
Starlink, travel gear, laptop and mobile equipment, and remote-work necessities.
OUTDOORS + FITNESS
Hiking, golf, walking, running, shoes and the gear that makes getting outside easier.
STYLE + LIFE
Everyday clothing, shoes and the things I wear and use enough to have a real opinion about.
WHY IT WORKS FOR ME
The recommendation is only useful with context.
I don’t care much about finding the product with the longest feature list. I care whether it solves the problem I bought it to solve. Sometimes the cheaper option wins. Sometimes I pay more because something saves me time. Sometimes I buy something everybody loves and think it’s terrible.
WHAT DIDN’T EARN ITS PLACE
What I stopped using belongs in the story too.
Sometimes the most useful recommendation is what I left behind—and why. Bench is the first story: The Madrona Group used it for three years before we changed course. I’ll explain what it did well, what stopped fitting and what I would consider before making the same switch.
Future comparisons will include the Sierra Interactive-to-HighLevel switch and other decisions where the context matters more than a simple review score.
A QUICK NOTE ABOUT AFFILIATE LINKS
Clear about the relationship.
Some links on this site may be affiliate or referral links, which means I may earn money if you purchase or sign up through them. It does not change what you pay. I do not recommend something because it has an affiliate program; if there is a financial relationship, I will tell you.
READ THE FULL AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE →TOOLS + SYSTEMS
A tool isn’t a system.
What Works for Me is about individual products and services. BUILD is about how those pieces fit together into something that actually works.
EXPLORE BUILD →THE NEXT CHAPTER
I’ll tell you when something earns its place.
One email a week about what I’m building, learning, investing in and figuring out between Seattle and Tucson.