Actionable Advice for Operators vol 3
My latest post "How I Built A “Second Brain” to Enhance My COO Effectiveness in a Startup" and two books to remind you that you're problems aren't special ;)
Happy first day of “let’s circle back in 2025” season
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It’s likely planning season where you are - an exercise that should not start with a blank document (I’m more of a blank spreadsheet kind of gal, but you do you) but often does.
Wouldn’t it be ideal to start with your best thinking from the last time you went through this? Or with all those great ideas you read about in the summer when annual planning was the last thing on your mind? You need a Second Brain - keep reading!
I recently wrote…
How I Built A “Second Brain” to Enhance My COO Effectiveness in a Startup
TL;DR: Using the Second Brain framework by Tiago Forte has transformed how I channel my reading into actionable insights in my role as a startup COO in a corporate setting. This technique lets me operate efficiently and authentically by effortlessly commencing projects with resonating ideas. Tiago recently released a book on the subject you can buy here!
The Second Brain is a Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) system that is organized into four parts:
C: Capture
O: Organize
D: Distill
E: Express
This article focuses on how I capture external inspiration, including how and why I use Notion for my Second Brain, and how I leverage it to jumpstart projects in a corporate setting. In the corporate world, most of us are forced to use separate Capture and Organize tools based on the tools our companies use. Let me know if you’d like me to explain how I organize my work within the confines of my company’s workspace.
Here’s a reality that may seem obvious: we each only have one brain. And while our brains are incredibly powerful machines, they can’t absorb unlimited information without consequence.
We all know how easy it is to become overwhelmed - we consume so much data every day that although we may understand it, our brains can’t necessarily process and retain it all. In my work as an executive leader and COO, I know firsthand the importance of being able to effectively sift through copious amounts of data and process key learnings into actionable strategies.
Enter the “Second Brain.” As Tiago Forte explains in his book, the Second Brain is a framework that allows you to combine your cognitive energy and the power of technology to become more productive and efficient. A “Second Brain” enables knowledge workers to steal like artists by assembling external insights and best practices into a unique approach for their organization. I find this especially impactful for operational leaders who are implementing new-to-their-company initiatives, such as startups operating in highly regulated industries.
Like many, I felt the allure of the “Second Brain” concept but couldn't quite pin down its corporate applications.
Here’s the thing - while I love the idea of sharing and teaching, creating YouTube content isn't on my agenda. After many trials testing how YouTube creators implemented the system, and some inevitable errors, I've tailored the system to my corporate setting. Here's my journey and method.
$15 ideas: books worth their $15 price tag (if not exponentially more!)
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow
History repeats itself, it leaves clues, and human behavior is fairly predictable. If you’re feeling lonely, as operators and senior leaders often are, do yourself a favor and read about leaders from yesteryear. Take comfort that they struggled just as we do and you might even learn a few time-tested approaches to solve your current challenge.
If you find yourself on the edge of a breakdown because you’re doing the work of several people, something is fundamentally broken in your organization. We have better tooling, easier access to outsourcing non-competitively advantageous work, and the ability to ask for help from almost anyone.
If you don’t even know where to start, reach out.
Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal
Ali Abdaal dominates my YouTube feed, so I had to check out his book. It’s full of useful tactics to bring more enjoyment to your work. I appreciated his examples of how planning works in the military and found it inspiring to think about how a totally different industry handles planning within highly uncertain conditions. Again, we are not alone!
If you made it this far, let me know why!
I write to pay it forward by sharing what’s worked well for me. Reply to let me know what resonates with you and how I can be helpful.
If you found anything in here helpful, please share it to someone who could benefit. I appreciate you!