Hi friends 👋
I’m officially back after a long holiday break. As someone who’s running her own solo business, I don’t remember when was the last time I took a long break like this. I signed off for Christmas and returned to work just this week. Returning was quite a challenging thing to do, to be honest, but it’s been a few days, and the week/year has started quite hectically.
I mostly focused on some admin stuff, planning, and resetting a few things to enhance my workflow for the coming year.
A couple of small changes stood out, and I thought I’d share them in case they help you too.
One workflow change that already made a difference
For years, I’ve been avoiding meetings, and keeping them to minimum. But since the 2nd part of 2025, I found them super insightful and started to enjoy them.
Now, I see meetings as space where a lot of good ideas happen, whether they’re with clients or brand partnerships.
But there’s a lot of context that gets lost in meetings as well.
I’ve used Otter.ai for years to take notes for me during the meeting. But lately it started feeling clunky and unreliable. So after hearing a lot of great things about Granola, I finally gave it a try (new year, new tool, I guess).
Granola feels more like a notes app, enhanced with AI. It transcribes the meeting like any other meeting note-taker. But it also does MUCH MORE (and better).
Here’s why I’m enjoying it so far:
It structures meeting notes into clear sections automatically, so I can easily find key points later
You can jump in and tweak the AI-generated notes or take quick manual notes during the meeting if I want to
You can ask its built-in AI questions like “Did we talk about X?” or “What was decided about Y?”
Sharing notes or sending a follow-up email takes seconds with Granola’s native AI
Since it’s an app, it works for online calls AND in-person meetings alike
You can use it when attending webinars or other online/in-person events as well, so you don’t need to worry about losing the great ideas you’ve heard on those either
It’s one of those tools that remove mental clutter, which is exactly what I want AI to do.
Note: I’m not affiliated with or sponsored by Granola. I’m just sharing my honest, recent experience.
A small thing I’m building on the side
This summer, I randomly met two other content creators in a coffee shop.
Turned out we all work in SaaS / tech / AI content.
We started hanging out regularly, sharing experiences, asking questions, helping each other out. And it quickly became obvious how powerful that kind of community was.
So we’re opening this up into a free community for SaaS, tech, and AI content & UGC creators.
Inside, we’ll share:
Real experiences (what works, what doesn’t)
How to work with brands
Filming, editing, pricing, pitching, portfolios
And access to Digital Drops: 1-year licenses to emerging AI tools in exchange for a UGC video you can use in your portfolio
If that sounds like you or like someone you know, here’s the form to join.
One habit shift I’m working on
I’ve never been a “wake up at 5am” person. Still not. And not even trying.
But one thing I changed recently is that I started moving my workouts to the morning.
I used to go to the gym in the afternoon. And as someone who usually gets into a work flow later in the day, that decision was always annoying:
“Do I keep working? Or do I stop and go to the gym?”
Now I just removed that decision altogether.
I started going to the gym in the morning and it’s been surprisingly good for my energy, mood, and productivity throughout the day.
It helps me wake up, get into motion right away, and feel more comfortable in my body before the day really starts.
I actually got this tip from a speaker last month, to move in the morning on the day of a talk. I tried it and felt lighter, more grounded, and way more comfortable. And that’s the energy I want more of in my everyday work too.
If mornings really aren’t your thing, that’s okay.
Even a 15–30 minute walk or a short home workout can do the same job.
It’s something that’s been working really well for me and might help if you want to structure your days more and generate consistent energy for the day.
I’ve also noticed that I get a flow of a few content ideas after (or sometimes during) a workout and I always take notes immediately.
The goal is to move your body and get the energy flowing.
That’s it for this week.
I’ve got a few interesting projects coming up, and I can’t wait to share more once they’re ready.
Until then, take it easy as you get back into the hustle mode.
See you next week,
Kate 🌟
