The following resources are some of the invaluable tools and sites that I use to get through the day, a big project, or life in general. I will keep this list updated as I discover cool new stuff. This list is just an intro/overview. I will link to in-depth blog posts as I write them.
Some of the tools below might include affiliate links, which means that I get a small benefit (free service, a small commission, etc.) from that company if you sign up through my link. It never costs you anything, but rather it is a way for me to help pay for the expenses of running and maintaining this site.
Hardware
This is a current list of the hardware I regularly use to get through the day or create content.
Computing Devices
iPhone
I have an iPhone 13 Pro in a Peak Design case. I have been very impressed by the cameras and speed since I upgraded from an Xs.
Laptop
I replaced my 11-inch iPad Pro with an M4 MacBook Air in March of 2025. I love having all the portability and battery life of an iPad with the power of macOS. Now all my Keyboard Maestro macros and shell scripts get to come along!
Desktop
After 8 years of use, I retired a 27-inch iMac and replaced it with a Mac mini (2023) with an M2 Pro chip and a Studio Display monitor. I have been blown away by the jump in performance and the absolute silence at my desk now, even when exporting video while on a Zoom call.
Mac Mini
I bought a low/mid-tier Mac mini (2018) just a few months before they announced the M1 version to serve as a headless server. I run Plex, most of my automations, and a variety of other background processes via it. Being able to offload these types of things to the Mac mini certainly stretched out the life of my old iMac, but I really wish I had known about the impending M1 version.
Mouse & Keyboard
After years of using Apple’s peripherals, I switched to the Logitech MX Master 3 mouse and Logitech MX Keys keyboard. The ergonomics and customization options have made a noticeable difference during long work sessions, and the ability to seamlessly switch between multiple devices is invaluable.
Creative Devices
Camera
I have a small collection of cameras that each serve different purposes. My main photography camera is a Sony A7R IV. The photos are massive but incredible. I really enjoy the Sony mirrorless cameras and am starting to build a lens collection to enhance their versatility. The main lens is a Sigma 24–70 f/2.8 DG DN Art.
My Sony A7S II has found new life as a dedicated webcam in my home office. As a remote worker and video producer, having a professional-grade camera for video calls and recording has been a game-changer.
For family adventures and hikes, I use a GoPro Hero 11. It’s the perfect companion for capturing those moments when bringing the full Sony setup isn’t practical.
Microphones
I have been a Rode fan from the start. Years ago, I bought a Rode Video Mic Pro, and it was my go-to recommendation for years. If I ever need some type of microphone, I look to see what Rode has in the product category. I use a Rode NTG4+ for my mobile off-camera needs. For my in-studio videos, voiceovers, and daily Zoom calls, I use a Rode Procaster plugged into a Rodecaster Pro.
If I had any notes for Rode, it would be in the naming department…
Tripods
For years, I used an Amazon Basics tripod, but I upgraded to a Vanguard Alta Pro 2+, and it is a world of difference! It is rock solid and extremely versatile.
In the same B&H order, I also bought a Joby GorillaPod 5K for mobile/hiking use. Another game-changer.
Bags
I’m a Peak Design convert when it comes to bags. I have three that form a complete system for different scenarios. My Everyday Backpack V2 (30L) goes with me on every trip, every flight, and any time I leave the house for more than a few hours. For shorter outings, I grab my Everyday Sling (10L), which carries a streamlined version of my everyday carry. For overnight trips, the Travel Duffel (35L) serves as my carry-on and holds my camera gear in a Peak Design camera cube along with a tech pouch full of charging cables and adapters. Each bag stays packed with essential items, so I can grab the right one for any situation without having to think about it.
Omnipresent Apps
These are apps I use dozens of times every day in various contexts on all of my devices. They are so ingrained in my workflows that I can’t fit them into any one category.
1Password
Like most people, I was using the same variation of 2 or 3 different passwords for everything. I knew I shouldn’t have been doing that, but there was no other option. I was wrong, 1Password and other apps like it are essential in this day and age. Every password I have is unique and as strong as each service will allow; 1Password remembers it all for me and even keeps me up-to-date on security breaches, so I am never vulnerable. I wrote a blog post about 1Password that you can find here.
Drafts
I have tons of posts and videos about Drafts. It is the most straightforward app to use and, at the same time, one of the most powerful. Every person who has an Apple device should have Drafts installed.
Claude
I was a late adopter of generative AI, but I have really been blown away by how helpful LLMs are. I am not talking about having it do my job for me. What has been most helpful has been using Claude to help me create little scripts and bits of code to improve my day-to-day experience on my computer, like this little AppleScript to maintain my tags in Things.
This script is something I knew was possible, but I never would have taken the time to learn how to do it because the effort would not have been worth the result. But now, Claude can whip something like this up in just a few minutes.
Mac Whisper
Mac Whisper has become an essential part of how I work. It’s an incredibly accurate dictation tool that I use constantly throughout the day. I’m even using it to write this right now. I’ve taken it a step further by creating a custom prompt that uses the Claude API to clean up the dictation even further, perfectly turning my spoken words into text on the screen. As someone who has always struggled with spelling, dictation has always been appealing to me. This is by far the best dictation experience I’ve ever had.
Productivity
My default mental state is that of a lazy, disorganized procrastinator. I have to work hard to trick myself into being the reliable and proactive person I want to be. These apps help me be that person.
Find all of my productivity-related posts here.
Automation
Automation is one of my favorite forms of productivity. I love being able to solve the puzzle of making it work and reap the benefits of computer precision replication of tedious but essential tasks. At its core, I see automation as a way to create time for my future self.
Keyboard Maestro
My number one tool for automation is Keyboard Maestro. It is the most powerful and complex tool at my disposal. However, it is only on macOS and has a cognitive barrier to entry, which means it is not my first automation recommendation to someone just starting.
Hazel
Hazel is another Mac-only tool, but it is an excellent solution for handling complex or tedious file/folder organization. In a slightly roundabout way, it also allows you to remote control your Mac.
Shortcuts
While Shortcuts is now available across Apple’s platforms, I use it almost exclusively on my iPhone. I find it excellent for manipulating calendar data and running fitness and nutrition-related shortcuts. It’s become a daily driver for those specific use cases, even though I stick with Keyboard Maestro for my Mac automation needs.
Task Management
Things
Things has replaced OmniFocus for me. You can read about my decision here. In short, my life is less complex than it was when I was a teacher, and I can get by with a less robust task management tool. That being said, OmniFocus is still wonderful.
Fantastical
You might not think there is a lot of room in the calendar app world. You would be wrong! Fantastical is a beautiful and powerful calendar app. If you are looking for the best way to interact with your calendars, Fantastical is it. Fantastical wrangles and synthesizes my personal Google Calendar and my work Office 365 calendars. I can see and manipulate all of my calendars, regardless of platform, from anywhere.
Content Creation
Over time, content creation has gone from necessity to personal development project, hobby, and even an income generator. Here are the apps and services I use to create the content you see on this site, my YouTube channel, in my classroom, and at home.
MindNode
When it comes to note-taking, brainstorming, or planning, I have been an outline person for most of my life. I still use outlines a lot, but recently I have taken to mind maps. MindNode is synced on my phone, tablet, and computer; it makes beautiful mind maps and makes them easily. When I make a mind map, I reach first for MindNode.
Videos
Video is my first love of content creation. I started creating videos during my student teaching in college, took that skill to my football and track coaching positions, and eventually teaching. I even grew the skill into a boutique video production business, making wedding highlights and corporate videos. Today, I use this distilled experience to create YouTube videos on my personal channel and in various professional training positions.
Final Cut Pro
Hands down, Final Cut Pro X is my video editor of choice. I can quickly create any video I need. The tools built into Final Cut are powerful, easy to use, and because it is built by Apple, it efficiently uses every ounce of power my computer has to process and export videos quickly. Using a professional program to edit video can be intimidating, but you can never go back once you learn.
Adobe Audition
Only in the past few years have I begun recording external audio for my videos. With this higher-quality audio, I have begun learning more about audio editing, and the dramatic improvement in my videos is evident. This improvement has been motivating, and I am fully committed to going further down the rabbit hole of the audio world. Adobe Audition is the industry standard for audio editing, and I have been able to find many in-depth resources and tutorials for it online.
Descript
I’ve been experimenting with Descript for creating captions and animated text emphasis in my videos. It’s particularly useful for those quick screen-share videos I need to clean up and share with colleagues. The workflow is fast enough that I can polish and distribute a private recording without much friction.
Blog Posts
I started writing blog posts in June 2015. My 100th post explains why I blog (and why I think you should too). These are the tools I use to create my blog posts.
WordPress
WordPress is the CMS I use. It also powers about 40% of the internet, so I’m not sure how much I can add to the conversation here. Anything as popular as WordPress will have plenty of haters, but you can’t argue with the organizational power, extensibility, and broad support of WordPress. In my mind, it is the obvious choice for supporting my blogging endeavors.
DreamHost
To have a website, you need to host it somewhere. Since my first website, I have used DreamHost, and I have never had reason to look elsewhere. I have run everything from a simple one-page business card site for a friend to a fully functional LMS, all on DreamHost servers. I have never had a problem that they have not solved, happily, I might add. If you need to host a site, look at DreamHost.
Enfold Theme
Most of the time, I fall in that area between developer and user, known as a power user. This means I can pretty much always use any part of a program and even customize it some. That being said, I do not want to develop my own WordPress theme; I use Enfold. It provides tons of customization options and handles all of the coding so I can focus on creating and designing content.
Photography
Lightroom
I used Aperture for many years and was sad when Apple shut it down. However, this was a blessing in disguise. I use Lightroom to manage three different libraries and handle all of my photo editing. Lightroom has been everything I need in a photo editing app, and every photo my wife or I take goes into Lightroom.
Storage
Creating digital content in all aspects of my life means I have to store a lot of files. Many of those files are quite large. For data security and workflow reasons, I have several different ways I do that.
Google Drive
I use Google Drive as the backbone of my digital storage system. I have a workspace account with their File Stream app installed on all of my Macs. As a teacher, everything was exclusively in Google Drive, and a ton of my personal stuff ended up there as well. Even though I’ve not used it professionally since leaving teaching, I still find it to be great. While I create far fewer Google Docs and Slides these days, I still really like and rely heavily on Google Sheets. I’ve never lost a file in Google Drive, which gives me confidence in using it as my primary storage solution.
BackBlaze
I love taking photos and recording videos of my family. I also place a lot of importance on these digital memories, so I use BackBlaze as my offsite backup for these files, and everything else on my computer. I have it running on two of my Macs for comprehensive coverage. Read my post about BackBlaze.
Synology NAS
I run a four-bay Synology NAS that serves multiple purposes. It’s the home for all of my Plex media and acts as local backup storage for all of my photos and important files. Every night, rsync automatically backs up critical data from my main Mac to the NAS, giving me peace of mind that I have local copies of everything important.
LaCie External Hard Drives
I use LaCie external hard drives for two specific purposes. One drive is dedicated to SuperDuper backups of my main Mac, providing a bootable clone in case of disaster. The other is a 5TB drive that holds my Lightroom library with all those massive photo files. I also do all of my video editing from this drive, keeping the heavy lifting off my internal storage and ensuring smooth performance even with 4K footage.
For me, teaching has always been a digital-first job. This has only ramped up with remote learning, but these tools have helped me easily excel at that job.
Quizlet
Quizlet was a huge part of my anatomy and physiology classroom, and I even bought a paid account for my son to use as a student this year. I think it’s a pretty awesome tool from both sides as a teacher and as a parent. Active recall and spaced repetition are two of the most powerful learning interventions we’re aware of, and Quizlet allows you to tap into those very easily. Read more about Quizlet here.
InDesign
Adobe InDesign has spoiled me. Any document more complicated than a markdown file has me reaching for InDesign. The ability to control every element of the page exactly as you see fit is irreplaceable. For the last few years of my teaching career, every single handout and everything I ever printed started as an InDesign document. Even now, in my role as a technical trainer, I make my slides in InDesign. I even use InDesign to make my call sheets when I coach my son’s flag football team.
Ecamm Live
I got Ecamm Live when we needed to have a virtual capstone project celebration for the program I taught in the spring of 2020. Then when we started doing synchronous remote learning experiences in the fall of 2020, I used Ecamm Live all day every day to run my class, and now I’ll never go back. I use Ecamm for every virtual meeting and instruction that I provide in my day job. Whenever I use any of the Ecamm functionality, everyone is blown away by the production quality.