Share
Written By
Brian Sacawa is the Founder of He Spoke Style and one of the original men’s style influencers.
More5 of my favorite productivity apps that help me and the HSS Team get. shit. done.
I am always on the hunt for apps to help me be more productive. This applies to both my role here at He Spoke Style as well as in my personal life.
As the HSS Team has grown recently and we’ve starting increasing our content volume, adding new content franchises and expanding horizontally, it’s become even more important for me to be able to manage everything (and everyone) easily and efficiently – wherever I am. As a result, I’ve come to rely upon a few choice methods for doing so.
Here are five of my favorite productivity apps.
1. Google Drive
I used to use Dropbox, but I find the global availability of Drive to suit my needs – and the needs of my team – much better. I’ve become extremely adept at media management and creating folder systems, which my mother, who used to complain about my organizational skills, would be proud to know.
Seriously though, if you have trouble managing your digital mess, shoot me an email because I can probably help you out. The ease of sharing and ability to manage permissions is a big plus.
2. Asana
Quite simply, Asana has been a lifesaver. Since the team has grown, I’d been looking for a global solution for managing and keeping track of everyone’s tasks. (N.B. It’s more of an aid for me than my incredibly self-sufficient and driven team.)
The Asana interface allows me to assign tasks and deadlines, create teams, have conversations within and about specific tasks (meaning no long-ass and confusing email chains), and share files. I can’t tell you how comforting and calming it is to have everything all in one place.
3. Alarmed
If you’re an iPhone user, you’re probably familiar with Reminders and Alarmed isn’t that much different. It’s a pretty straightforward reminder/timer app that’s a little bit more powerful. Also, I find it much easier to use and enjoy the various types of reminders you can set, including ones that are dependent on location.
4. Google Sheets
I hate Microsoft Excel, but I love Google Sheets. I know they’re basically the same program – how much different can spreadsheet programs be? – but to me Sheets is way more intuitive.
I use it for everything from creating a monthly global marketing calendar, keeping track of upcoming shoots and as a living idea dump for myself and members of the team. Add to that the fact that it’s easily accessible across my devices – iMac, MacBook Air and iPhone – and it is truly an invaluable tool.
No, this isn’t an app you’ve never heard of. I’m talking about a good old fashioned paper notebook and pen. As much as I like managing things in digital form, I have a lot of trouble keeping track of things – especially things of the inspiration variety – in a digital place.
Not that I haven’t tried. But, for me, I’ve found that I just plain forget about things – even if I’ve taken good notes – if they live someplace on my iPhone or computer. I love being able to flip back and forth and often rediscover old ideas in a notebook.
My favorite: a monogrammed Smythson.
What productivity apps can’t you live without? Chime in and share your favorites!
Stylishly Yours,
Brian Sacawa
He Spoke Style
Photography by Rob McIver Photo
Brian Sacawa
Brian Sacawa is the Founder of He Spoke Style and one of the original men’s style influencers. Since 2013, his goal has remained the same: to provide men the advice and inspiration they need to dress well, develop their personal style, and gain more confidence. Brian’s interest and passion for men’s style and luxury watches has led to his writing for The Robb Report, The Rake, and Sotheby’s and he has been quoted on menswear in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Today.com, Brides Magazine, and the Huffington Post. He lives in the woods north of Baltimore with his wife, Robin, kitties Nick and Nora, and German Shepherd/Collie mix Charlie.
