Let's make July AMAZING, [FIRST NAME GOES HERE]​!


6 July 2024

The Tech Stack

Hi there, Reader!

Welcome back to The Tech Stack! Can you believe it's July already? We're officially half way through the year. 🤯 It just doesn't seem real, at all!

Pretty sure last weekend I was moving to Oklahoma in a negative degree blizzard. Now we're hitting 110 on the daily. 🥵 Listen, I thought for sure 12 years in Florida prepared me for this weather...

I hope wherever you are this fine Saturday, the weather is treating you kindly and you're having the best summer of your life. We're actually having a cold snap this week with highs in the 80s!

Enough about the weather already! Let's dig into this month's content!

This is my monthly newsletter full of tech tips and support. If you prefer not to receive the monthly newsletter, but want to stay on my list for other special offers, please click here.

Letter from Delana

As I'm sure you've realize by now, Reader, we are half way through the year. I know, we talked about this already 🤣 But what I want to say here is that if you're feeling discouraged because you're not where you thought you'd be this year, it's okay.

It doesn't mean that anything's wrong.
It doesn't mean you're doing it wrong.
Sometimes things just don't go the way we expected them to.

If I'm being totally, brutally honest with you, this year has been a struggle bus for me.

In January I moved half way across the country, away from friends, family. Just me and my dog, Oakley. I had done it before when I moved to Florida, so I can do it again, no problem!

I love it here. I miss Disney World. But Florida got hot, and crowded, and expensive. And I wanted the opportunity to live somewhere that functions like a big city but feels like a small town. That's exactly what it feels like here.

But, I'm not going to sugar coat it, my introverted self struggles going out and meeting people. So while I have ventured out and done some fun things, it's still just me and Oakley most of the time. plus most days you can't pay me to go outside when it's 100+ degrees.

So I've decided to use this time of hibernation, if you will, to reset. Resetting and revamping
what I want my business to look like
how I want to create and share content with you
the best ways I can support you with the behind the scenes of your business

All of this to say, if you're struggling this year, business or otherwise,
a) you're not alone
b) you'll get through it
c) its okay to take some time to figure out what's next

Quick Tech Tip

Anchor Links in Squarespace

So I love this tip for long sales pages in Squarespace. Anchor links let you link a button to another section on the sales page.

For example if you have a buy now button at the top of your page you can link it to the section of the page that has different checkout options.

Check out the video for a step by step walkthrough to elevate your sales pages!

New on YouTube

video preview

Create Email Marketing Automations with ConvertKit in MINUTES (easy tutorial)

This week kicks off a series on setting up and using ConvertKit with your online business. Whether it's time to upgrade and you're moving over from another service, or you're setting up email marketing for the first time, this series will get you started with ConvertKit in no time!

Introducing ConvertKit in a Box!

A brand new mini-course to get you set up with ConvertKit in no time at all!

Purchase now to save $10 and get instant access to ConvertKit in a Box when it releases on Wednesday, July 10.

Includes:

  • a walkthrough to create and set up your account
  • 3 new email templates and how to customize them to your brand
  • 2 automation templates including sequence and form templates and how to customize them

Don't miss out on this special introductory pricing!

Things To Do This Month

  1. Update your June KPIs. Tracking KPIs is super important to make sure your business is moving in the right direction and you're spending your time and energy on the right things. Take a few minutes to update your KPIs so you can see your progress!

    My favorite app for tracking KPIs (and all things marketing, really) is Enji.co.
  2. Update old blog posts. This is something one of my clients and I have been working on. In the summer, we generally create less content so we can enjoy those summer vibes. 😎 But we obviously don't want to stop showing up all summer. So we've been using this time to update and re-share old blog posts.

    We started with the blogs that are getting traffic from Google (according to Google Search Console) and from Pinterest. We make sure the blogs have updated pin images and current CTAs. Then she pops in and makes sure the content is still up to date. Once it's good to go, we let Google do it's thing, reshare it on Pinterest and via email.
  3. Have FUN! What, not another business thing to do? Nah. Because it is summer. And maybe your kids are home from school. Maybe you've got a big vacation planned. Whatever it is, its okay to take a lil step back and freaking enjoy it. You'll find me wherever there is air con. 🤣

Monthly Inspiration

You can't delegate your destiny.
-Taylor Hanson

I've been fortunate enough to see Hanson play many, many times at EPCOT. They have this one song called I Was Born that came out in 2017, I think. And I remember them playing it like every single set that year at Disney. Great song, but every single set?

But the more I listened to it, the more it spoke to me. Especially since at that point, I was about a year into my business and still wondering WTF I was doing.

Several years later, I got to see them play in Tampa at a full blown show (not an abbreviated EPCOT show) and Taylor gave a little intro speech before they played this song about how everyone was born to do something incredible.

And the line that stuck out to me was, "You can't delegate your destiny."

So this is your friendly reminder, that you have a destiny. Maybe you don't know what it is right now. I'm not sure I know what mine is yet. But its our job to figure it out. No one else can do it for us. 💜

What I'm Enjoying

🎬 Presumed Innocent This is a new one on Apple TV+ with Jake Gyllenhaal. It's a murder mystery type show which seem to never get old. It's still airing, so you have time to get caught up before the next new episode!

In the same vein, also on Apple TV+ is Defending Jacob. Its a few years old now and stars Chris Evans. I just rewatched it and it's also worth a look if you haven't seen it yet!

🎵 My Faves Playlist This is literally a playlist of all the albums of my favorite bands. I had been listening to Taylor Swift and Hanson pretty exclusively for some time now. Still love them both and they are on this playlist too, ha. But you know that feeling when you're like "I want to listen to something but I don't really know what"? This playlist fills that spot for me. Bands I'll pretty much never skip. Here they are in no particular order 🤣

  • Lifehouse
  • 3 Doors Down
  • Hanson
  • Matchbox Twenty
  • Daughtry
  • The Fray
  • Taylor Swift

I just put this 2-day long playlist on shuffle and am good to go. So, if you don't have a massive playlist with all of your favorite artists music, I highly recommend making one!

Recent YouTube Videos

🛠️

5 Business Tools You Need as a Solopreneur

💻

Connect Your Domain to Squarespace FAST

🔗

Custom URL Redirect Links to the Rescue! (Pretty Links)

My Latest Masterpieces (aka phone snaps)

Some June adventures! Yes, in the HEAT!

  1. Oakley just looking spectacularly cute (if I do say so myself) after a bath.
  2. Launch event for a new beer.
  3. and 4. Welcoming Stella Atom to OK! Route 66's newest roadside attraction!

When you're ready -
Here's how we can work together

Tech Power Hour

Have a few tech questions or need help with a small project, book an hour with me and let's get it done. ✨

Tech Intensive

Have a bigger project you're ready to conquer? Book me for a day so we can get that project off your plate for good. Learn more and book your day. ✨

If you're new to my community or it's been a minute since we chatted, Hello! I'm Delana and I'm so happy you're here. I am an Online Business Manager (OBM) and Tech Specialist. I help 6 figure solopreneurs conquer tech and create the systems they need so they can get back to their clients… and their life!

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Delana Simmons

Join me for my monthly newsletter, The Tech Stack, for tech and systems tips plus a little encouragement and motivation to keep carrying on. ✨ I'm an Operations Manager and Tech Specialist/Virtual Assistant for solopreneurs who have spent countless hours trying to learn tech but aren't getting anywhere. It's time to hand it over to your own personal Tech Fairy Godmother and get back to your clients… and your life!

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