It’s the annual gift guide episode! Except, instead of just talking at you for 40 minutes, This year, I’ve teamed up with my good friend Cat Mulvihill to bring you the ultimate 2024 Gift Guide for solopreneurs and anyone working from home. We talk home goods, tech, productivity, EDC, and more.

Our main goal fits perfectly with the mission too: we want to help you solve a problem…not just spend money unnecessarily.

Whether you’re shopping for yourself or looking for the perfect gift for the solopreneur in your life, we’ve got you covered with thoughtful, problem-solving recommendations that’ll make the work-from-home experience smoother and more enjoyable.

And let us know, what’s something you can’t live without? Leave a message at streamlinedfeedback.com

Find Cat

• Cat Mulvihill
• Cat on LinkedIn
• Cat’s YouTube Channel

Want a special discount on all the Elgato stuff we mentioned? Use Cat's link and discount code:

• https://elgato.sjv.io/catmulvihill
• Rebate Code at checkout: ZZ-CatMulvihill

Home and Office

• Dual Basket Air Fryer
• OXO Coffee Grinder (I incorrectly said “Bonavita” during the show, which is my coffee maker)
• Tea Kettle
• Lamy Fountain Pen
• Joe’s Pen Buyer’s Guide
• Oofos Sandals

Tech

• Rocketbook
• Rock Paper Pencil
• Doc Popps
• Kindle Colorsoft
• Kobo eReaders
• Stream Deck Plus
• Stream Deck Neo
• Cat’s Stream Deck Essentials Course
• Elgato Prompter
• Elgato Light Remote
• Brick
• Philips SmartSleep Alarm Clock
• iFixIt Kit
• RØDE Micro Mobile Wireless Mics
• DJI Mic
• External Hard Drive

EDC

• The James Brand Folsom Knife
• Shady Rays Sunglasses
• Nomad Watch Bands
• Beats Case for iPhone 16 Pro
• Bellroy Wallet
• Oura Ring

Software

• Ecamm Live
• Tella.tv

Contains affiliate links

• (00:00) - Introductions and Advice
• (04:06) - Comforts of Home
• (15:32) - Tech and Gear
• (42:07) - Everyday Carry Essentials
• (47:48) - Software Recommendations for Black Friday
• (55:07) - Removing Friction in Daily Life

Bringing a VA into your business can free up your time and help you focus on growth, but finding and effectively working with the right VA requires clarity on what you need, a structured hiring process, and simple, ongoing communication.

Many solopreneurs are overwhelmed by the process of hiring and working with a VA. You may not know where to start, what tasks to delegate, or how to ensure the VA’s work aligns with your business goals. This leads to hesitation, missed opportunities, and often burnout from handling too many tasks alone.

So today, I’m going to tell you how I work with my VA, and give you a 4-step process for finding and successfully working your VA.

Want that VA Notion template I mentioned? Head on over to https://streamlinedfeedback.com/ and leave a message!

Top Takeaways

• Define and Delegate Key Tasks: Start by identifying tasks that take up the most time but don’t require your direct involvement. Using the “perform, evaluate, and remove” framework helps clarify which tasks are best suited for delegation to a VA.
• Select and Test Multiple Candidates: To find a suitable VA, post a job on platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, or onlinejobs.ph, then test a shortlist of candidates on the same task. Evaluating each VA’s work on a small project helps gauge their skills and attention to detail.
• Create Videos for Each Task: Use video tutorials to record yourself completing each task, explaining each step clearly. Have the VA transcribe these instructions and write out steps, creating a documented process that they can refer back to as they work.

A few months ago I launched a free private podcast called Joe’s Audio Notes. The episodes are very short (7 minutes or less), where I share my thoughts on being a solopreneur, a podcaster, a parent, and other thoughts related to being a productive member of society.

I'm sharing 3 of the episodes here (which you can find in the chapter markers):

• Thinking About my Content Strategy
• How do you pick the right idea?
• Battling the work hangover

If you like it, I'd love for you to join!

You can sign up for free here.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:22) - Thinking About my Content Strategy
• (07:00) - How do you pick the right idea?
• (12:42) - Battling the work hangover