It’s the holiday season, and although we’re not running any Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals at amplifiedNOW, it doesn’t mean we’re not thinking about the holidays. So, I’d like to bring you the first-ever amplifiedNOW gift guide for digital entrepreneurs.
Digital entrepreneurship is a mixed bag. There are huge perks (you don’t have to leave the house, you can exercise any time you want) as well as huge downsides (you never leave the house, you let urgent things get in the way of important things like exercise), but the truth is, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you have a digital entrepreneur on your list, or you’re a digital entrepreneur yourself who’s scratching your head wondering what you should ask for, scroll through my personal suggestions.
A book for inspiration
Leading with my own book? How self serving, right? But actually, I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback that this is the kind of book that helps entrepreneurs at all levels, from beginners who can’t yet see how they can build a business online to people who have been around awhile and are thinking about their next revenue stream. Get it here.
A notebook
Everyone should have a good notebook or five. I resisted them for years… “Pssch! I work online, with all these apps and tools and such! Why should I need a notebook?” Well, past self, I’ll tell you why: because writing helps you figure out what you think. My notebook is always on my desk, always turned to a blank page, always ready. To me, a notebook has to be spiral bound. The fancy ones that are bound with glue? They’re fine, but they take just a bit too long to get to the good stuff, and sometimes inspiration is so fleeting that the idea is gone by the time I find the notebook, open it to the right page, and open my pen. Which brings me to…
A pen that makes them feel like a writer
If you’re going to the trouble to get a good notebook, the next logical step is to include a very nice pen. I am a big fan of fountain pens in general, and the one I’ve fallen head over heels in love with is a Sailor pen with a broad nib. But since fountain pens can range from “wow that’s a lot for just a pen” to “holy cow can you drive it?” I’d give the digital entrepreneur in my life a set of gel pens. Chances are, they haven’t played with gel pens in a long time, and these are a bit higher-end than something you could pick up at the grocery store.
A 5-year diary
The world moves fast, and people who work for themselves have a really difficult time marking their progress. Enter the five-year diary, a place for one line per day, for five years. Encourage the digital entrepreneur in your life to take a few minutes at the end of every day to jot down a quote, an accomplishment, or a feeling.
A cue to stay hydrated
This is the water bottle I have on my desk as I type this. I know I’m not the only one who works from home and sits on my butt so much I’ve been to see professionals about my sciatic nerve. What does a water bottle have to do with sitting around too much? Well, even someone in a deep state of flow can’t help but get up after they’ve consumed 40 ounces of water. It’s a built-in break, that, oh, bonus, helps keep us hydrated.
Fuzzy slippers
It’s no secret that the work from home life requires very little in terms of footwear. But we do have feet, and they’re often left bare. So a nice new pair of fuzzy slippers that will last a long time would be perfect. Pro tip: get them in an outlandish color. One they’d never wear out of the house. Because they DON’T have to leave the house!
Something for their mind
To say that the Waking Up app has improved my life is a huge understatement. I’ve never kept up with any meditation efforts in the past, even though I am an active participant in my local yoga studio. But I love this. Sam Harris has a voice I could listen to read the encyclopedia, and in addition to the daily mediation, he adds interesting conversations he has with a wide variety of people: neurosurgeons, other mediation teachers, and sometimes cult leaders. I don’t always like the guest, but the conversations are so interesting.
Something to help with the housework
I turned 40 this year, and my dad sent me a sweet note that said he wanted to give me something special, something memorable, something worthy of such a milestone year. After a bit of back and forth, we settled on this: a Roomba to replace the one that broke my heart recently when it stopped working. Not only that, though. A Roomba with automatic dirt dispensing, which means this baby empties itself! I have a dog that has the fur of five dogs and after running this thing daily, the house is markedly cleaner. It also has a WiFi thing so you could run it while you’re out of the house, but since I work from home, I am always able to simply get up and walk over to it to turn it on.
Something to keep them alive/awake/alert enthusiastic
I moved from Portland, Oregon to Phoenix, Arizona in 2018, bringing my general food snobbery and specific coffee snobbery along with me. And to this day, I get coffee shipped directly to my door from Double Jump Coffee Roasters. And it’s the best coffee I can get. I love this subscription and I love how flexible they are with shipments. Coffee gear is probably a whole other post, but for now, let’s assume that the recipient in your life already has their preferred way to make coffee. Get them a subscription to some of the best coffee around.
Something for their skin
No gift guide from me would be complete without at least a passing mention of Taui, because chances are, if we know each other, I have given you a jar or two of this amazing stuff. I order from Taui in bulk: nine jars at a time. Five No. 1’s, which is their universal balm and good for face, lips, hands, cracked skin, scraped knees, itchy bug bites, and any other skin discomfort. I also buy four Face balms, which I adore. It’s a bit lighter so I use it for my face exclusively. The balm is super-premium but really very affordable. I can’t say enough good things about this brand. It has replaced every single thing else I used to add to my skincare regiment.
That’s it! Those are my top ten suggestions for the digital entrepreneur in your life.
Thanks for reading the 2021 gift guide for entrepreneurs!
This was really fun to put together! What’s on your list?