Customer service in the social media age is paramount!  You have to treat your customers like kings.

Well… maybe.

You can’t be afraid to piss off your customers first so that you can make the experience better later.

Good customer service isn’t about making sure that customers never get upset.  That’s impossible.

Good customer service is about responding quickly, acknowledging their concerns and improving your product based on their feedback. It’s about genuinely caring about every user that comes to you.

In the startup world, we all care about our customers.  A lot.  They mean the world to us.

But what we tend to do is over-think our features and our entire product as a result. We think about the people who will be upset if they’re confused or feel like something is missing and end up unhappy.

We had this discussion recently at Feast when discussing the copy that should go on our homepage to explain how our classes work.

On one end, we want to make sure the product is as clear as possible so that people aren’t surprised when they sign up and pay for a class.  They might be upset if they sign up for it and it ends up being different from what they thought!

Good.

I hope they get upset and they ask for a refund.  We’ll learn a great deal from that.

That’s also an opportunity to gain an evangelist when we can come back and show them that we listened to their feedback, and made changes to improve.

But you know what?

They probably won’t get upset.

Because most of the time, we really over-think our products and how our customers perceive it.  They aren’t nearly as needy as we think they are.

Keep it simple.

If you start at the absolute most simple point possible and solve a core problem, your customers will tell you what they want to know, what features they want to see, what information is missing…

But if you try to cover all your bases right away, you’ll end up overselling, and overwhelming your customer with information and features that aren’t actually that important to them.

A customer will often tell you what they want to see added.

They’ll never tell you what to remove.

Let them get pissed off.  Let them tell you why. And then build a product they’ll love forever.

2. What can I do better?

3. Why am I working on Feast?

4. What big decisions are looming over me right now? (I try to answer them on the spot, just based on gut)

5. What other to-do’s are looming over me right now?

6. What’s uncertain? What are questions that need answering?

7. What’s one unexpected thing I can do this week?

Added bonus: What are the elephants in the room?

I started doing this on Sundays before I plan out my goals and schedule for the week.

I write it down in a notebook and write the answers out.

The point is to pull myself out of the daily grind and be completely reflective for an hour (sometimes less, sometimes more).  Make sure I remember the “Why’s”.  Make sure I see the full picture.

#4 is always a big one.  I debate big decisions in my head every hour of every day, but there’s something really effective about just writing it down, and forcing yourself to write an answer right there.  A wrong decision is better than no decision, so just go with whatever you write down.

#7 is important too.  In the day-to-day, it’s easy to just fall in line and do what’s expected.  But when you’re running a startup, sometimes it’s the unexpected that changes everything.

Do you try any reflective exercises like this?

I always seem to have a few things.  Just tasks, obligations, decisions…

Some of them I can’t do anything about.  Like an upcoming deadline.

But most things that loom are things that you can do away with pretty easily.  The problem is they’re never a priority.

They always seem to drop to number 3 or 4 on your to-do list.

They’re usually boring, or tedious tasks.

Mine are usually something with money, like doing expense reports or getting my taxes in order.

Or it’s something administrative, like setting up payroll for the company.

They’re usually things that don’t have a hard deadline.  You just have to do it “sometime”.

Every so often, you’re in the middle of something and you remember “oh shit! I should do that.”

Sometimes you go to sleep thinking about them and you say “I’ll do that in the morning”.

It’s easy to put them off.

Stop putting them off.

The things looming over you are hurting you.

They hurt your positive energy, because you see yourself procrastinating and can’t stop.

They hurt your productivity, because they’re a distraction, taking up space on your to-do list for weeks.

They hurt your motivation, because the same way you gain energy from getting shit done, you lost energy to things that you don’t.

Stop hurting yourself.  Get that shit done. You’ll feel a lot better when you get in the habit of identifying potential “loomers” early, and get them done right away.

The first week of 500 Startups Batch 6 just finished.  It’s been quite a ride already.

On day 1 it was all a bit overwhelming.  We met a lot of people in a really short amount of time.

There was a strong energy in the room, but everyone seemed to be struggling to wrap their heads around it all.

We had a Q&A session with the team, followed by a Q&A session with previous founders the next day.  We were then told that we were going to demo our companies in front of everyone on the spot.

Everyone went up, one at a time and pitched their companies.  Dave stood next to them and would call out any issues in their pitch.  Most people did really well.  Some struggled, especially with language barriers.

There are a lot of international companies in our batch.  I knew that 500 invests in a lot of international companies but I didn’t expect to see it so prominently in the accelerator.  Our batch is about 50% international.  It’s pretty cool to walk around the office and hear a different language at each table.

We really love the founders in our batch.  Most are very social, smart, down-to-earth and easy to talk to. Some keep more to themselves.

I can’t say it was the most productive week in terms of cranking out actual work, but from the company direction perspective, it’s been huge.  We had a mentor meeting with members of the 500 team and Hiten Shah from KissMetrics that really helped us hone in on the absolute most important thing that we have to learn.

For Feast, we learned that there’s one big question we have to figure out.

We have to prove that people will come back and take multiple classes (retention driven business).  If we can’t prove that, then the company will look very different (transaction business), as we’d have to sell classes just once to a lot more people.

I can feel us already starting to find our rhythm but understandably, the first week was really hectic.  We’ve been commuting from the city every day, looking for apartments in mountain view, running a business, taking in all the new 500 dynamics, planning our funding strategy and getting to know the other members of the batch.

I’d definitely recommend moving to Mountain View if you’re participating in the accelerator.  The commute takes a lot out of you.

I was working a lot before, and now it’s like I added 2 more full time jobs to my schedule with 500.  It’ll take a minute to adjust but we understand what we need to do.

We need to get really clear about what we want out of the program and identify the right people in the 500 network who will help us achieve our specific.  If we just “go with the flow”, the flow will carry us away and we won’t get much out of it.  It will actually hurt us more than it helps.  We have to be specific about the direction that we want to go in the program.

I can’t remember that last time I’ve been more excited for something.  It’s going to be a truly memorable summer.  I’m sure of it.

7 days in and we’re already feeling #500strong.

I can’t wait to see what we look like at 90 days.

Photo cred: luv life

Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.” – Peter Drucker

I despise ambiguity.

Every time it shows its stinking, snarling face, I have to use all my strength to face it head on and avoid curling up into a ball in the corner.  Luckily, since starting Feast I’ve been able to count a great deal on my cofounder which makes life a lot easier.

It’s easy to make decisions based on morality or when there’s a clear choice.  It’s when there isn’t a clear choice that the darkness creeps in and you stop dead in your tracks.

Ambiguity will paralyze you. You can’t make a logical decision about something that doesn’t have a clear right answer, right?

“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide. ” -Napoleon Bonaparte

Not making a decision is infinitely worse than making the wrong decision.

The alternative to making no decision is just guessing.  It’s taking a shot in the dark. But if you’re like me, guessing isn’t something you’re really wired to do.  I like making decisions based on gut feelings or data, and that’s it.

The worst news is that ambiguity is inevitable for an entrepreneur.  You will run into crossroads with no signs.  I promise.

The ability to make decisions during these times of ambiguity is vital.  If you don’t, you die.  It’s probably the most important learning I’ve had in my career as an entrepreneur.

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s Not About Fear

If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve already overcome huge battles with fear.

You probably have no problem trying crazy new things and you might even embrace failure.  But ambiguity presents a different battle.  Your lack of movement isn’t a result of fear.  It’s a result of choice.

Sometimes you just have to make the choice to close your eyes and swing.

Don’t strike out looking.  You have to keep moving, whether right or the wrong, YOU HAVE TO KEEP MOVING.  

There’s no such thing as the wrong direction.

The only way to figure out the right answer is to act.  If you’re right, then great keep doing that.  If you’re wrong, now you know that and you can adapt.

“It doesn’t matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions.” -Jim Rohn

 

It’s taken me a long time to be able to face ambiguity in my career.  It’s something I battle with every single day.

A few tips I’ve picked up for battling ambiguity:

1. Ask others.

Asking other people can help, sometimes.  They may be able to provide a perspective that you hadn’t thought.

Ask your cofounders.  Ask your team.  Ask your mentors.  Sometimes the answer can reveal itself by talking to random people with fresh perspectives.

2. Look to examples of success.

Can’t figure an answer out for yourself?  Look at what others have done before you.  There’s a reason they chose that route.  It might just work for you too.

3. Get into the habit of testing.

If you’re planning to test everything you do, then it becomes less of an issue which way you choose because you know you’ll find the answer out quickly.

Even if you think you’re making the right decision, always test.  Compare.  Challenge your assumptions.  You can only learn from your mistakes if you’re able to identify them as mistakes.

I think part of the reason we avoid making decisions is because we’re afraid that it will take a long time to learn whether we were right or wrong.  Which gets to the next point…

4. Realize that nothing is permanent.

At Feast, we’ve changed our product and business model at least 6 times in 6 months.  We’re learning at such a rapid pace that individual decisions at this point aren’t actually that important.  What’s important is that we’re making them, and learning.

5. Acknowledge your ambiguity.

The scariest thing about ambiguity is it doesn’t feel tangible.  It’s this dark abyss. It’s a vague status quo that consumes you, causing you to procrastinate without really knowing why.  You might blame it on not being motivated.  But it’s not motivation that’s your problem.  It’s the discomfort of indecision that we naturally try to avoid.

Acknowledge your ambiguity when it happens.  Call it out and then beat it.

When you have to make a choice and you don’t make it, that itself is a choice. – William James

What have you done to overcome ambiguity?  Please share your experience, because it’s something I think we all face regularly.

This will be my second time going through an accelerator, but my first time as an entrepreneur.  The first time was in Dreamit Ventures when I worked for SeatGeek , and it was one the most amazing experiences of my life.  It set the course for the exciting roller coaster that has been my career.

We worked hard the past couple months to secure a spot in one of the world’s top accelerators.  We networked, met some badass people who led us to more badass people and focused on building a strong product with paying customers.

We applied to the two accelerators that we felt would be a great fit for our company, TechStars and 500 Startups.

We went through many rounds of interviews with TechStars, both with Boulder and Chicago.  During the final round of interviews, Boulder had some concerns about the crowded market of online education and decided it wouldn’t be a good fit, but wanted us to continue to interview with Techstars Chicago.

In the end, we decided to go with 500 Startups because we believe that the program will be particularly valuable in areas that will be important for Feast moving forward: awareness and user acquisition.  It also seems to have a stronger network in SF, which is where we’re building our company.

It was a super tough decision, as I’ve aspired for Techstars since I saw Brad Feld speak at DreamIt in 2009.  It’s a truly elite program that I would have loved to be a part of.

I think there are a few core differences in the programs that we identified through our application experience, that might help you if you’re deciding on an accelerator.

Keep in mind, we haven’t gone through either program, so it could be completely off, but I wanted to share this now so that it can also help the programs see how people might view them from just the interview process.

1. Size of the Batch

Techstars brings in about 10 teams per program.  This creates a really intimate experience.

500 usually brings in 30-40 companies and it’s all in one location.  Much bigger family, but still very much a family.  Batch 6 is actually a little bit smaller.

Recommendation: The more teams in your batch, the more people there will be competing for mentor time and money.  That said, there are more people with whom you can build really strong relationships.  In the end, you’ll probably be really close with only a few teams anyway.  Hard to go wrong either way here.  They’re both families.

2. Structure of the Program

Both accelerators seem to have a different philosophy about how much structure their program should have.

Techstars seems to be much more structured in how teams go through the program and how they’re matched up with mentors.  They seem to hold your hand a bit more to make sure you get set up with the right people and processes.

500, while having some structure (ie. monthly metrics meetings) it seems to be much more of a free-for-all.  Previous companies who went through the program told us that you have to work to get in front of the right mentors, and that the program will totally be what you make of it.  Things aren’t handed to you.

Recommendation: Figure out which one suits your team and the state of your company better.  While 500 doesn’t hold your hand as much, they purposely make you uncomfortable and you’ll have to figure your shit out.  That will make you stronger later on.  Techstars doesn’t seem to be a walk in the park either, but if you’re someone who values more structure, then maybe Techstars would be better.

3. Interview Process

Neither program is super clear about the interview process up front, which may be largely in part to the fact that they’re both always changing (500 especially).

Techstars hosts a big “Techstars for a day” event where a lot of teams who applied early and look promising are invited.  They also do multiple 30 minute online or offline interviews.  In all, we did 4 interviews and were on our way to the 5^th and final interview.  They do seem to put a lot of value in references to get you in the door, but I think they put a lot more weight on the interviews.

500 tried a new system where for the first time ever, they required an application, as opposed to just basing it on referrals like they did in previous years. It feels like references are still the driving force for their decision-making.  Mentors and previous companies are very involved in the process.

We did 3, 10 minute, back-to-back interviews at the 500 office and that was it.  We really weren’t sure what to make of them, as they were so short that it was hard to have a real conversation and get to know anyone (or for them to get to know us).

Recommendation:  For Techstars, get good references to get you in the door and then make a great impression during the interviews.  Apply early.  Only teams who apply by the early deadline can be invited to Techstars for a Day.  If you get invited, GO!  It was an awesome experience and is the best opportunity to get recognized.

For 500, you’ll have less of an opportunity to make a good impression through interviews (if they use a similar process in the future) so take every opportunity you can to make a good impression outside of interviews.  For example, we went to the 500 info session which had maybe 10-15 companies show up.  It was a really good opportunity to meet some of the team and a few previous founders.

4. Accessibility of the Teams

Both programs seemed to be pretty similar in terms of the accessibility of the teams.  David Cohen, Dave Mcclure, Christine Tsai… it’s very difficult to get time with any of them.  The rest of the team (non-board members) is super accessible though.  They’re all really responsive, friendly and do a great job of staying in touch with the teams.

Recommendation:  Get to know the associates and anyone else on the team that you can.  While they won’t make the final decision, they definitely have influence.

5. Accessibility of Previous Founders

For both programs it was a really amazing experience getting to know previous founders.  Overall, they were all really approachable, helpful and honest about their experiences in the accelerators.

Even if we didn’t get into either accelerator, just the process of getting to know previous founders was really really helpful for us.  One of them even became an advisor for Feast way before we knew if we’re getting into a program.

Recommendation: This is HUGE. Take advantage of the fact that you’re applying to the accelerator.  Get in touch with previous founders, especially anyone who’s closely related to your business.  By the end of the application process, I think we got to know pretty much every food company that has gone through 500 and Techstars.

6. Age of Accelerators

Techstars has been around since 2006. 500 has been around since 2011.  Does that matter?  Not really.  They both have massive networks and a lot of credibility.

It did seem like Techstars had a more established process in place overall since they’ve been at it for a bit longer, but even they are still figuring things out. 500 is definitely still figuring a lot of things out but we really liked that because it’s relatable.  500 is a startup too and every batch is different.

7. Location and Reach

The 500 accelerator is in Mountain View.   They just opened up a coworking space in NYC and they’re talking about opening another accelerator in SF soon.  One thing that 500 excels in is providing a global network.  A large portion of 500′s batches are international, and their events all over the world really help expand that network.

Techstars now has accelerators in Boulder, Chicago, NYC, Seattle and London.  They definitely have a large network.  We didn’t get the feeling that it was particularly large in SF but there’s definitely still a presence there.  I’m a big fan of Boulder, its a beautiful, fun city and it’s where Techstars first started.

Recommendation: Where do you want to build your company?  Where are the investors that you want to bring on board?  You’re going to come out of the program with a much stronger network in the area of that accelerator, so make sure you choose one with long term value.

And keep in mind that you’ll be spending the greater majority of your time in the office during the accelerator, so don’t over think it in terms of where you want to live for 3 months.

Summary:

1. Size: Techstars takes a smaller amount of teams. 500 takes a bit more.
2. Structure: 500 appears to be more hands off.  Techstars seems to have more structure.
3. Interviews: Techstars interview process is really in depth. 500 changes every year so far but it seems to be moving toward having more structure/interviews.
4. Team: In both accelerators, the partners are hard to reach and the associates and other team members are super accessible.
5. Previous founders: In both accelerators, the previous founders are fucking awesome and super accessible.
6. Age: 500 is young. Techstars is slightly less young.  Doesn’t really matter.
7. Network: 500 has a strong network in the Bay Area and on a global level. Techstars has strong networks in lots of other US cities.

Final Recommendation: 

It’s pretty much impossible to make a bad decision when choosing between 500 and Techstars.  You’re going to have a life/company changing experience either way.  The best thing you can do is be super crisp about what you want to get out of an accelerator and choose the one that has the mentors, resources and teams that will best help you achieve those goals.

Just the application and interview process made us a better company.  It made us answer hard questions about ourselves that were really important for us to know.  As a result of applying to accelerators, we have a stronger network, one more amazing advisor and we learned a lot.

Now stop reading this post and go build something because the days of getting into an accelerator with just an idea are over.  Get some traction and you might have a chance.

 Thanks Nadia for the reality checks on this post.

Corrected: 500 Startups began in 2011, not 2010.

It probably tells you about using social media, going to networking events, maybe some tricks to get people to remember who you are and how to follow up efficiently.

Now think about how many relationships you’ve actually built that way.

Here’s how you can actually build a strong network:

1. Build something awesome.

Too many people network for the sake of networking.  They think that if they get successful/popular people to know who they are, that they will then become successful.

The single best way to network is to start working on something.  Yes, you in your dark room by yourself hustling away at building something will result in a much bigger, stronger network than if you went to 50 networking events.

Why?

Because people want to get to know people who build things.  You will become sought out instead of always doing the seeking.  People will have a reason to want to talk to you.

“Popular” people are also much more likely to give you their time if they believe in what you’re doing.  If you’re just some random lady asking for coffee for no apparent reason, you’ll never get to know the right people.

2. Write.

Again, by creating something that people become aware of, you become sought out instead of always doing the seeking.

Start writing.  Start creating.  People will read your stuff.  If it’s good and you build credibility, it may even reach the “big shots” you gawked over at the last networking event.

3. Help people, every chance you get.

Give.  All the time.  And never ask for anything return unless you really have to.  Build up that bank of trust.

I keep a spreadsheet of all the amazing people I know who are looking for jobs and all of the amazing jobs I hear about.  I love making introductions and helping people find each other.  It’s extremely rewarding for me, and people genuinely appreciate it.

I also get on the phone and chat with 2-3 companies every week who have questions about community management.  It’s an area that I can bring some insight to in most occasions and I love to do it.

This isn’t a “favor for a favor” thing.  It’s being a good person.  When you truly help people every chance you get, that reputation will get around and people will be more inclined to help you down the line.

–

So here’s your summary:

Build something, share your experiences and be a good person.

You’ll have a massive network in no time and you’ll never have to exchange a business card again.

It happened to me today.  Twice.

I read two Quora answers that you can’t read without experience strong emotions.

One was about being in a relationship with someone who commits suicide.

The other was written by someone who was born and raised in the Nazi Lebensborn Program.

The fact that these questions found these people, especially in the case of the Lebensborn question, is just mind blowing.

The fact that questions like these can be answered, completely honestly, without fear of consequence, is just inspiring.

This post doesn’t have a point other than to just remind you that we’re living in some amazing times.  Knowledge is more available than it has ever been in the history of humanity.

It’s good in many ways.  You can learn anything, and be inspired, or moved, by answers like these.

It’s also a bit scary, because there’s just so much information that it’s easy to get lost and lose focus.  It’s easy to forget that most lessons in life are learned by experiencing them yourself.  You can spend an entire lifetime trying to consume the information available on the web but never really learn anything for yourself.

Anyway, go ask something crazy on Quora. You never know who will answer.

The North Star is that one thing that no matter where a member of your company sits, they can see it at all times.

It’s steady. It never moves.  It’s far away, but clear.

The North Star is your “why”.

“People don’t by what you do, they buy why you do it”.  –Simon Sinek

That same concept goes for employees.

They come into work energized every day, motivated, not because of what they’re doing, but because of why they’re doing it.

Startups can get especially chaotic.  There are a lot of moving parts, a culture that’s still developing, people juggling multiple roles and a lot of strong opinions about the right way to get things done.

Chaos is okay.  It keeps things moving.  It adapts quickly.  But if you don’t have a North Star, then no one knows if they’re moving, or adapting in the right direction.

The North Star HAS to be a why.  Not a how, or a what.

What does that mean?

I’ll use my company as an example:

At Feast, our North Star, our why, is “To help people learn skills that will improve their lives forever.”

If we used a how for our North Star, it might sound something like “Building an education experience using online and offline tools to remove any barriers to learning new skills”.

If we used a what for our North Star, it might sound something like “Online cooking classes with beautiful videos and images and delivery of all the ingredients to peoples’ homes.”

Our why won’t change.

Our how and what will probably change.  One day, we may decide that delivering ingredients isn’t the right approach, or that we need to completely reformat our online class experience.

That’s okay, because everyone in our company knows why we’re doing what we’re doing.  They can see the North Star.

When your company pivots, and changes its how or what, you’ll expect your employees to understand the reasoning for change, and support it.  Right? The only way that happens is if they have a North Star, and know WHY the pivot is important.

This has to start at the hiring process.

Don’t hire people who are “passionate” about the how or what.  That kind of passion is bullshit.

Hire people who can see the North Star without convincing.  Find people who believe in the why from the start.

We don’t want people working with us on Feast because they love food or cooking. We want them working with us because they believe that there’s a better way to help people learn skills that will improve their lives forever.

Maybe they think that what we’re doing isn’t the best approach to reach that goal.  Good! Hire those people. That kind of discourse is what will help you think critically about the why, and adapt your product in the right direction.

It’s okay to adapt the words of your why in order to better convey its meaning.

But if the day comes when you need to actually change the meaning of why your company exists, be prepared.  You’ll have to do some major restructuring, because you’re pretty much building a new company and existing team members and stakeholders may no longer be a good fit.

What’s your company’s North Star?  Can you see it?

–

Hat tip to Wes Radez for inspiring this post over tea.

Photo Credit: Paco CT via Compfight cc

Photo cred: RickyDavid

I’ve been trying some different things to improve my productivity and life in general.

Keep in mind, I’m an entrepreneur, I also do consulting and I work from wherever I want.  So I can be a bit more flexible than others who have less control of their schedules and environments.

Thought I’d share what has worked for me so far.

1. Deleted twitter and facebook from my phone.  Turned off all notifications (especially Path).

Why: Because it was a constant distraction.  I realized I actually became addicted to checking my phone. The notifications are what pulled me in.  Once I got rid of those, it really has an impact.

2. Scheduling out tasks on my to-do list throughout the day so I know when I intend to attack each one.

Why: I had a problem of letting my todo list build up.  I used TeuxDeux which was great, but my list would quickly become daunting, and I would have trouble prioritizing.  Now I just use text edit and manually manage todo lists, and I’ll schedule out slots in my day on gcal for when I will work on them.

3. Start every day with a workout of some sort.  Sometimes just pushups, sometimes a run, sometimes Yoga.

Why: Starts every day off with a win. And I feel better.  Yoga has especially been amazing mentally and physically. Highly recommend trying it.

4. Working in smaller chunks.  Usually something like 11-1.  Then again from 3-5.  Then again from 8-10.  I take time to walk around, read, paint, draw, watch tv, work out again, etc…

Why: If I sit in front of a computer too long, I start to lose focus and end up wasting time.  Plus, I wanted to pick up some of my old hobbies.  Painting has been great.  Gets the creative juices flowing, which helps as an entrepreneur.  Yoga in the middle of the day has also been a good way to reset my mind.  I try to spend some time outside every day as well.  Walking around, or at the top of Bernal Heights for some contemplation time.

5. I wake up early and make a point to not check my computer or email until I’m ready to start working.

Why: I used to wake up, and immediate open up my computer.  Before I knew it, it was 12pm and I hadn’t even put clothes on.  And I’d usually waste a lot of time just perusing news stories.  I found that if I wake up early and spend an hour or two doing something else first, when I start working, I know exactly what I need to get done.  I open my computer with a purpose.

6. I switch up my workspace every couple days.

Why: I think it’s because our moods change, the weather changes, the things we need to do change.  Having the flexibility to choose a place that suits where my mind at and what my needs are has helped me a lot.  Sometimes I work from home and sometimes I go up to the Le Web office.  Sometimes I work out of Wix Lounge (Which has an AMAZING deck and is free) and sometimes I work out of a coffee shop (usually Haus).

7. Listen to Classical music while I work.  I’m listening to Mozart rock out right now!

Why:  I love music.  Maybe too much.  When I listen to music with words, I get really into it and can lose focus on what I’m doing.  Classical music has no words, it’s consistent, it makes for great background music and it’s inspiring.

Hope at least one of these changes might help you too.

Would love to hear what has worked for you. If you have a good one to add to the list, leave a comment.