May 2019 Summaries

The issue of spam calls is a significant problem, with an estimated 26.3 billion robocalls to US phone numbers in 2018. Most of these calls come from scammers using software dialers to call as many numbers as possible, and enough people fall for these scams that the practice remains profitable. To combat this issue, individuals can take several steps such as enabling built-in spam call blocking on their Android phones, stopping spam calls through their carrier's system, or using third-party apps like Truecaller, Hiya, RoboKiller, and Nomorobo to identify and block spam calls. Additionally, blocking individual spam callers on both Android and iPhone devices can provide a temporary solution, while also considering other methods such as registering for the US FCC's Do Not Call List and enabling call screening powered by Google Assistant.

Excel Online offers most of the features found in the desktop version of Excel, and that includes making charts and graphs. Selecting data and opening the Insert section allows users to create various types of charts by clicking on icons or hovering over chart options for more information. Users can customize their charts using the Chart section of the Ribbon, adjusting elements such as names, legends, and positions until they achieve the desired appearance. Additional resources are available in a beginner's guide to Excel online and through integrations with thousands of apps.

The 7 best Android note taking apps are Google Keep for its seamless integration with other Google apps, Evernote for its versatility and powerful features, iA Writer for its multiple viewing options, Thoughts for its simplicity and focus on productivity, Dropbox Paper for its team-wide collaboration capabilities, Standard Notes for its end-to-end encryption and security features, and Monospace for its barebones note taking functionality. Each app has its unique strengths and weaknesses, making it essential to choose the one that best suits your specific needs and preferences.

You can export your Google Contacts from the contacts.google.com website by selecting the contacts you want to export and clicking on the "Export" option, which allows for CSV or vCard exports to various services such as Microsoft Outlook, Apple's Contacts, or other applications like Mailchimp or CRM systems. Alternatively, you can use Zapier to set up automations that automatically send new Google Contacts to 1,500+ applications, including popular services like Salesforce and HubSpot.

To use RingCentral for sending faxes, log in to your account on RingCentral.com and navigate to the Faxes tab, where you can enter phone numbers, choose a cover sheet, attach files, and send the fax. The process may take a few minutes, but you can monitor its progress through the app. Additionally, RingCentral integrates with over 1,500 other apps using Zapier, allowing for automated fax sending capabilities.

It's essential to recognize that positive and negative reinforcements are not mutually exclusive concepts, but rather complementary aspects of operant conditioning. By acknowledging the existence of negative reinforcement and its role in motivating oneself, individuals can cultivate a more nuanced understanding of their behavior and develop healthier habits. This perspective can be applied to various areas of life, such as personal growth, productivity, and wellness, by identifying and leveraging negative reinforcements that promote well-being and reduce stress.

Reddit is a social media platform that allows users to share content and engage with others through comments and discussions. It operates differently from mainstream platforms like Facebook and Twitter, with features such as voting on posts to determine their visibility, specialized subreddits dedicated to specific topics or themes, and a unique terminology for its functions. To get started with Reddit, users can create an account, subscribe to relevant subreddits, post content, comment and reply to others' posts, send private messages, follow users, and even create their own subreddit. Additionally, Reddit offers features like custom feeds, which allow users to organize their subscriptions into separate categories, and Zapier integrations that enable automation of tasks such as republishing posts from other platforms or receiving notifications for activity on Reddit.

Wrike allows users to share their digital workspace more efficiently by sharing folders and controlling who has access to them. When creating a new folder, users can choose to share it with all team members or select specific users or groups to share with. Existing folders can also be shared with others through the folder's share settings. The Wrike platform offers automation options through Zapier, allowing users to set up workflows that connect their workspace with other apps and services.

Feedly, a popular RSS service, allows users to export their subscriptions in OPML format, which is the universal standard for backing up and exchanging RSS subscription lists. To do this, users can follow these steps: open Feedly, log in, locate the Feeds section, click on the gear icon, and then download the OPML file. This exported file can be used to import into another RSS service or app. Additionally, Zapier's integration with Feedly enables users to automate workflows by connecting it with 1,500+ apps, allowing them to share new articles from Feedly to other services, such as social media profiles or Buffer queues.

Lightmark Media, a digital marketing firm for real estate companies, uses Zapier to automate workflows that help them differentiate between new and existing leads, keeping their clients' CRM clean and organized. By connecting CallRail, a call tracking and analytics tool, with Zapier, Tatiana Sharp can automatically sift through phone calls from clients and send only new leads to their CRM. This integration brings value to the real estate investors and agents by allowing them to focus on building relationships and crafting successful campaigns, rather than managing back-end systems. With Zaps, Lightmark Media creates a backup leads database using Google Sheets, ensuring that client data is easily accessible in case of technical issues with their CRM.

If you want to delete a Bitly link, unfortunately, it cannot be done directly. However, you can hide the link in your account by following these steps: log in to Bitly, click on the URL you want to hide, then click the Edit button and select Hide Link. To unhide a link, go to the Filter sidebar, select Only Hidden Bitlinks, and click Apply, then edit the link and select Unhide Link. This will allow you to see your links again in the main Bitly dashboard.

You can add Google Analytics to any Squarespace website by registering for a free account and finding the Tracking ID code, then adding it to the site using the built-in Squarespace option or manually through the External API Keys setting.

You can track and measure visits to your website, actions taken on your website, visitor demographics, and much more using Google Analytics, a powerful free tool that provides data-driven insights to help you develop a strategy for your website and content. To get started with Google Analytics, access the reports by navigating to the dashboard, which contains several blocks highlighting important overview metrics like site traffic, traffic sources, and visitor locations. You can then view more detailed data in the REPORTS section of the left navigation menu or use the Audience tab to expand it and access all of the audience metrics that Google Analytics tracks. The Acquisition tab shows how your visitors get to your website, while the Behavior tab provides insights into how visitors interact with your website and content. You can also create custom dashboards to display key metrics in a tailored format, allowing you to gain a quick overview of your most important data.

Email marketing stands out as the most effective digital marketing strategy, with an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent. To create an effective email newsletter, it's essential to know your audience and tailor your content to their preferences, interests, and behaviors. This involves segmenting subscribers based on demographics, devices, and user personas, and using personalization techniques such as including the recipient's name in the subject line. The subject line should be concise, relevant, and enticing, with a clear call-to-action (CTA) that encourages readers to engage with the content. Visual elements like images, headers, and dividers can enhance the reader experience, while CTAs can help drive conversions. By optimizing these elements and using the right email marketing tools, businesses can increase engagement, grow their audience, and improve their overall marketing strategy.

Munk Store, a Danish-based eCommerce business, aims to provide a personal shopping experience online by connecting with customers through personalized videos sent after purchases, courtesy of Bonjoro. By automating this process using Zapier and Google Sheets, the team has seen significant improvements in customer engagement, including increased email open rates, click rates, and review submissions. This approach has enabled Munk Store to differentiate itself from larger eCommerce players like Amazon and build a loyal customer base.

Multitasking is often viewed as a productivity hack, but research suggests that it can have negative impacts on mental health, happiness, and the ability to learn new things. The true cost of multitasking lies in its effects on focus, attention, and overall well-being, rather than productivity gains. Studies have found that even if multitasking makes you more productive in the short term, it can lead to feelings of stress, frustration, and lower self-reported productivity. Additionally, chronic multitaskers are less able to fully focus their attention on tasks, leading to poorer learning outcomes. Technology plays a significant role in both our tendency to multitask and our elevated stress levels, with frequent interruptions from notifications and emails contributing to decreased focus and increased stress. Tools such as batching notifications, using productivity apps, and implementing self-imposed limits on distractions can help individuals adopt more productive habits and reduce stress. By limiting distractions and building better habits, individuals can improve their ability to focus, learn new things, and feel happier and more productive.

You can block someone on LinkedIn by selecting the "Report / Block" option from a user's profile, then confirming your intent to block them. This feature allows you to prevent unwanted messages and view their profile. LinkedIn has limited the number of profiles that can be blocked to 1,000, so it's recommended to only accept requests from users you know personally or are interested in connecting with. You can find more information on LinkedIn tutorials and integrations at Zapier's LinkedIn page.

To remove the "Powered by Squarespace" text from your Squarespace website, log in to your account and select the desired website, then hover over the text block or navigation link and click Edit. In most cases, this will bring up a footer editor where you can delete the text block or replace it with new content. Alternatively, if the text is presented as a navigation link, you can find it in the sidebar and click on it to delete or modify it. By doing so, you can customize the bottom of your website with your preferred text or blocks.

Google Analytics is a powerful tool for measuring website performance, but setting it up can be challenging, especially for those without prior experience. To get started, one must obtain a unique tracking ID from the Google Analytics home page and follow platform-specific instructions to add the tracking code to their website. For custom-built websites, developers can use the provided Global Site Tag code to add it to the global code that appears on every page of the site. Other platforms like WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, HubSpot, Shopify, Weebly offer plugins or built-in functions that make adding Google Analytics tracking easier. Once the tracking code is added, users can monitor their website's performance and make data-driven decisions to improve their online presence.

Uploading your resume to LinkedIn can be a smart move for job seekers or those looking to learn about new opportunities, as it makes your professional information readily available to recruiters. To upload your resume, you'll need to click the pencil icon in the About section, select the "Upload" option from the Media section, and browse to locate your file before saving it with a descriptive title. Once uploaded, your resume will be publicly visible on your LinkedIn profile, which can be seen by headhunters or other relevant team members who may need to share your information.

The importance of backing up WooCommerce data is highlighted as insurance against site crashes and technical disasters, allowing for easy restoration and ensuring valuable customer information remains intact. Backups also enable experimentation with new designs and styles without sacrificing the original, facilitating A/B testing and sales-driven design decisions. For free, users can leverage plugins like UpdraftPlus to easily back up their WooCommerce sites, offering automatic scheduling options and remote storage destinations to ensure data safety. Restoring backups is a straightforward process, allowing users to quickly recover their site data in case of an issue.

Deadlines can be a significant source of stress for many individuals, but there are ways to make them work in favor of productivity and motivation. To avoid the negative impact of deadlines, it's essential to set realistic expectations, break down large projects into smaller tasks with specific deadlines, and use tools that help visualize progress. Additionally, finding an ideal level of stress, setting more urgent deadlines, sharing goals and progress with others, and turning meeting deadlines into a game can all contribute to managing stress and improving productivity. By understanding how deadlines affect us in different scenarios and choosing the right deadlines for each situation, individuals can harness the power of deadlines to achieve their goals.

WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that adds eCommerce functionality to a WordPress site, allowing users to design their site through the WordPress designer and utilize tens of thousands of third-party plugins. Before installing WooCommerce, users need to register a domain name, find WordPress hosting, and install WordPress. Installing WooCommerce involves searching for the plugin in the WordPress library, clicking Install Now, and then activating it. Once activated, users can access WooCommerce's features and design their site by going to Appearance or Products.

Think of something you want to improve about yourself. How would you categorize the thing you chose: Is it a strength or a weakness? In all likelihood, you chose a weakness. A study from 2016 found that we tend to see weaknesses as more changeable than strengths—which means we're more inclined to try to improve where we're weak. But various studies have shown that when we focus on developing our strengths, we grow faster than when trying to improve our weaknesses. Plus, people who use their strengths are happier, less stressed, and more confident. When someone says "focus on your strengths," it's easy to read that as "just do what you're good at and you won't need to improve." But that's what Stanford professor and researcher Carol Dweck calls a fixed mindset: Believing that your talents are innate gifts. That's opposed to Dweck's growth mindset: Believing that your talents can be developed. Dweck argues that both strengths and weaknesses can be improved, and she says that people with a growth mindset "tend to achieve more than those with a fixed mindset because they put more energy into learning. In other words, people who believe they can improve put more effort into improving, which, in turn, helps them improve. To grow professionally and personally, it's not enough to identify your strengths and use them. You also need to believe that those strengths can be improved. The first step in growing your strengths is identifying them, and that can be a tricky task. Weaknesses are obvious. You're asked to give a speech, but you feel miserable with anxiety anticipating it. Or you're asked to document a process, but you always did poorly in your writing classes in school, so the blank page mocks you. Exercising your strengths, on the other hand, tends to feel more like moving through day-to-day life. That can make it hard to identify what it is you're really good at. If you're not sure what your strengths are, here are some ways to identify them: Pay attention, look for unexpected praise for something you didn't put much effort into, or consider how different activities make you feel. Something is a strength if it makes you feel successful, drawn to it, fully engages you, and leaves you feeling energized and fulfilled. You can also crowdsource your strengths by asking people in your life what they think your strengths are. Take a strengths or personality test like Gallup's CliftonStrengths test, which measures 34 possible strengths. Create a list of your accomplishments and look for patterns that reveal your strengths. After you've identified your strengths, create a plan to grow those strengths. You can start by learning more about your newfound strength through classes or online tutorials. Think about constructive criticism you've received and use it as an opportunity to improve. Develop related skills that complement your core strength. Use your strengths, teach someone else, and focus on growth over perfection.

Google Tasks is now available in the Google Calendar sidebar, allowing users to add tasks directly from within the calendar interface. This feature provides a more streamlined experience for managing to-do lists and tasks within Google Calendar. However, it's worth noting that there are two separate systems: Google Tasks and Reminders, which may cause confusion among users. The system integrates with other third-party task management tools through Zapier, enabling users to automate the creation of new tasks or update existing ones.

Jira Software is a project management tool designed primarily for Agile software development teams, but its versatility makes it suitable for various types of teams and methodologies. It offers three hosting options: cloud-based web application, self-hosted server, and data center hosting. The tool provides seven-day free trials, discounted plans that bundle Jira with other Atlassian products, and a wide range of features, including project management, bug tracking, and content management. Setting up Jira involves creating an account, choosing a plan, claiming a site URL, and inviting team members to join the platform. Users can create projects, add issues, epics, and subtasks, and customize their issue types to suit their needs. Dashboards provide an overview of work and priorities, while gadgets offer live views of information and issues. Jira also offers backup and import options for users to manage their project data. With its advanced features and flexibility, Jira is a sophisticated tool for managing projects, allowing teams to streamline their workflow and stay organized.

To effectively scale email outreach, businesses need to personalize their messages while maintaining efficiency. The first step is defining the goal of the campaign, such as finding guest posting opportunities or recruiting partners for an affiliate program. Next, identify the target market and build a list of potential contacts using tools like SimilarWeb Chrome Extension, BuzzStream, Hunter, LinkedIn Sales Navigator for Gmail, Mail Merge for Gmail, Rebump, and HubSpot Sales. Once the list is compiled, personalize emails by gathering shared interests or connections, creating bulk personalized messages with tools like Mail Merge, and sending mass automated follow-ups. To further nurture leads, send personalized follow-ups and convert leads into customers as soon as they respond with interest. With the right tools and strategies, businesses can scale their email outreach efforts while maintaining high levels of personalization.

A mentor plays a crucial role in helping individuals navigate professional crises, providing guidance and support to achieve their career goals. A study found that 36% of mentees cited professional development as a top benefit, while 27% mentioned the development of new perspectives. Good mentors offer a safe space for questions, share actionable advice, and provide emotional support. They can be academic, workplace, or lifelong mentors, depending on the individual's needs. To find a mentor, one should look around their current professional network, peruse online communities, share learnings, be proactive, use platforms like SCORE, attend industry events, and approach potential mentors informally to build relationships. Nurturing a mentoring relationship involves discussing personal aspirations, meeting regularly, respecting each other's time, setting an agenda, sharing goals and results, giving back, and maintaining open communication. A mentor-mentee relationship is not a transactional give and take but rather a collaborative exchange of knowledge and support.

Procrastination is not a time-management problem, but an emotion-management problem, according to research. It's often linked to mood and emotional regulation, rather than willpower or forcing oneself to do something. Procrastination can be seen as an "emotion-focused coping strategy" to deal with negative emotions, where the brain avoids tasks that are perceived as stressful or unpleasant. This avoidance technique is similar to anxiety and depression, and can lead to feelings of guilt, self-criticism, and perfectionism. To overcome procrastination, it's essential to manage emotions and develop a more compassionate mindset. Mindfulness meditation, cultivating a "monkey mind" with tasks, and focusing on small actions rather than projects can help. By asking oneself "What's the next action?" and engaging with emotions, individuals can break the cycle of procrastination and improve productivity. Treating procrastination as an emotional regulation problem can also lead to improved quality of life.

As a Customer Storyteller at Zapier, Plushcap uses a questionnaire built on Typeform to collect information from excited customers about their automated workflows, or "Zaps". This form provides valuable insights that help turn workflows into stories. The process involves a multi-step Zap built with Paths, which breaks down the form's response into its pieces and generates a story. The Zap integrates with Airtable and Slack, creating a response feed in Slack and updating Airtable with company information gathered from Clearbit, a lead enrichment app. This database is used to enrich responses with data about the customer's business, including size, industry, and Alexa rank, making it easier for Plushcap to source stories and turn them into engaging content.