It takes a special type of person to oversee a business with valuations well into the multi-millions. CEOs have spent many years proving that they have the brains, vision, and tenacity to lead companies that are not only profitable, but also bring out the best in their employees.
Many Creators look up to these influential figures for inspiration. After all, they had to be doing something right to climb up the corporate ladder or pursue their own venture to achieve current levels of success. So we decided to ask nine inspiring CEOs of respected and recognizable brands for the tools that they rely on during the work day to maximize productivity, organization, and creativity. The only catch was that the product, service, or app couldn’t be associated with their own companies.
Check out the full list below, which ranges from planners and email apps to a whole lotta AI. And if you’re looking for more ideas to take your company to the next level, visit our guide to the best gifts for Creators.
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1. Blue Sky Green Earth Planner
"As a busy CEO of a green company, it’s important to be organized and environmentally responsible. I love Blue Sky Green Earth planners because they’re sustainably sourced, thoughtfully designed, durable, and beautiful. In a world of digital everything, my Blue Sky planner helps me understand and retain important information as I write by hand, with big-picture views of my schedule and areas for detailed notes and yearly goals. Its textured, natural look inspires me daily and makes me feel more creative as I write. The planners are made with stone-based paper and soy-based ink, and every purchase gives back to One Tree Planted to support reforestation. I rely on strategic plans in my professional life, but I also believe in strategic life planning –— as they say, what gets written, gets accomplished! I’ve been using Blue Sky calendar planners for many years and, although they’re recyclable, I keep them all as a wonderful record of my personal and professional journeys." - Kelly Blahakis-Hanks, president and CEO of ECOS
2. Calendly
“One tool that has been a game changer for me is Calendly. It saves me a lot of back and forth over email when trying to find a mutually acceptable time for meetings. What’s even better is that I can have two calendars with different availability schedules. This ensures that people don’t have free reign over my schedule.” - Disha Gulati, founder and CEO of Here Here Market
3. ChatGPT
“I use ChatGPT daily! It serves as my virtual productivity sidekick by effortlessly transforming ideas into action with speed and by supercharging my Excel spreadsheet game. In that spirit, ChatGPT helped me write this answer as well.” - Rosa Li, founder and CEO of wildwonder
4. Chopra
“My favorite creativity tool is Chopra. I use it for meditation, which creates space and quiet in my mind so creativity can thrive." - YC CHeng, CEO of Hero Bread
5. ClickUp
“My weakness has always been organization, so utilizing ClickUp has been a major asset in streamlining our team’s efficiency and keeping me in the loop. As a creative, I'm inspired by everything around me for creating ad campaigns. A lot of times inside jokes with friends and random signs I see in NYC will influence a lot of our digital marketing creatives.” - Chris Bustamante, founder and CEO of Lushful Aesthetics
6. Leuchtturm1917 Ballpoint Pen
“While seemingly underrated, this ballpoint pen is one I cannot live without. It has the perfect click with its twisting mechanism, the colors are bright, fun and vibrant, which keeps me feeling creative, and it’s small enough that it fits into a notebook or jeans pocket.” - Paul Voge, co-founder and CEO of Aura Bora
7. Moleskine Notebook
“I love my notebook. It is handbag-sized, has lined pages, a pocket and elastic band to hold it closed. I keep business cards, bills that need paying and, most importantly, my to-do list.” - Christine Faulhaber, founder and CEO of Faulhaber Agency
8. Notability
“This is an amazing app for iPad users. I can sketch, draw, sign documents, keep track of projects, and do practically everything that my business requires on a day-to-day basis. It’s a lifesaver for admin stuff, but also taps into my creativity by allowing me to flesh out different ideas for clients and contractors.” - Anthony Gianacakos, founder and CEO of Anthony George Home.
9. Superhuman
"My favorite productivity hack is Superhuman. It's an email app that has helped me with my inbox zero anxiety because I can process emails in about a 1/3 of the time. Not only is it productive, it makes email a more fun experience.” - Sabeena Ladha, founder and CEO of DEUX
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