When You Should Switch Your Second Brain App (And When You Shouldn’t)

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When You Should Switch Your Second Brain App (And When You Shouldn't)

I’ve had some form of a Second Brain (a personal system of knowledge management) for a couple of decades now, and during that time it’s been hosted on four different platforms. Recently, I sat down to reflect on what made me switch from one platform to the next and why I haven’t moved yet to another app. So in this blog post, I cover what the best time is to switch your notetaking app, 3 situations in which people commonly switch apps that I think are ill-advised, and how new technologies mature and what that means for your choice of notetaking app.

What It’s Like to Hire a Speaking Coach: Discovering the Power of Spontaneous Self-Expression

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The Power of Spontaneous Self-Expression

Around the time my first book Building a Second Brain came out in June 2022, I started looking for a speaking coach. I had just delivered my first keynote to a large audience at World Domination Summit, followed soon thereafter by my Google Talk. These experiences had been not only fantastic promotional opportunities but fulfilling…

Organize Your Bookmarks with the PARA Method for Lightning Fast Web Browsing

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PARA in your browser

I don’t know about you but I spend a BIG chunk of my workday in my browser (I use Chrome). It’s where I draft landing pages in Google Docs, send emails in ConvertKit, publish blog posts in WordPress and check sales numbers in SamCart. Everything I create becomes ultimately a link, a URL that needs…

The 6 Pillars of Our Book Promotion Strategy

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Part 5: Book Promotion Strategy

There’s something book publishers don’t tell you when you sign their offer on the dotted line: almost all the responsibility for promoting your book will fall on your shoulders. A lot of authors complain about this fact, as if it represents publishers shirking their duty or being lazy. I see it quite differently: authors are responsible for selling their book because they are by far the best positioned to do so.

The Last 100 Exercise: How I’m Delegating 85% of My Work

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The Last 100

I recently completed one of the most powerful exercises I’ve ever invented for delegating aspects of my work to others. After hosting an insightful weekend retreat with other founders last month, some of whom had significantly larger businesses than mine, I realized I was ready to take a major step I’d been contemplating for some…

5 Surprising Insights From My First Mastermind

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The creators at the first "Wholesome Mastermind"

I recently hosted our first-ever in-person mastermind, unanimously dubbed “The Wholesome Mastermind,” at a retreat center in Ojai just north of Los Angeles. I’ve been interested in masterminds for years, but the ones available never seemed quite right for me – whether because of the travel requirements, the format, or the kind of people who…

What’s in Your Meaning Portfolio?

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What's in your meaning portfolio

I don’t pay much attention to my investment portfolio, but I watch my meaning portfolio like a hawk. A meaning portfolio is your collection of “meaning assets” – the reasons you get out of bed in the morning. They are the sources from which you derive your sense of purpose, fulfillment, self-worth, and ultimately, happiness….

The 5 Pillars of My Writing Process

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Part 3: The 5 Pillars of My Writing Process

In the second part of this blog series, I shared how I treated my book as a series of small projects culminating in a final product. The same was true for each of the 10 chapters it contained: each one was its own project, with a deadline and a goal for what that chapter was trying to achieve. Each chapter had its own project folder (according to my PARA Method), where I collected everything I would draw on – notes, sources, supporting materials, stories, action steps, and key details.