// The Word This Week

Welcome back to the trenches, my fellow music industry survivors.

Last newsletter, I promised to stop with the vague "get organized" advice and actually show you the tools I use. Because telling someone to "just be more productive" without showing them how is like telling a drowning person to "just swim better."

Super helpful. Much wisdom. Wow.

So today, I'm opening up my actual toolkit. The apps, templates, and systems that keep me from completely losing my mind while juggling multiple businesses, creative projects, and the crushing despair that comes with being in the music industry in 2025.

No affiliate links. No sponsored bullshit. Just the stuff that works.

Before we dive in, a quick reality check: tools don't fix broken systems. If your entire approach is fundamentally chaotic, no app is going to save you. That's like putting a Band-Aid on a severed limb and wondering why you're still bleeding out.

Fix your systems first (see last week's newsletter if you missed it), then optimize with tools.

With that caveat out of the way, let's get into the goods.

THE PRODUCTIVITY STACK THAT DOESN'T MAKE ME WANT TO DIE

Task Management: Notion

Yes, I know. Notion is the CrossFit of productivity apps – people who use it won't shut up about it. I used to roll my eyes too. Then I actually tried it.

What makes it work for me:

• Everything in one place (tasks, notes, projects, ideas)

• Flexible enough to adapt to my weird brain

• Works perfectly as my Second Brain/Knowledge Vault

The key to Notion is not trying to copy someone else's perfect system. That's a recipe for abandoning it within a week. Instead, start with just one thing – maybe a simple task list or project board – and build from there.

Calendar: Google Calendar (with Time Blocking)

Revolutionary? No. Effective? Yes.

The game-changer for me was time blocking. Instead of a calendar full of appointments with empty space between, I schedule blocks for different types of work:

• Deep creative work (songwriting, producing, etc.)

• Administrative tasks (emails, planning, etc.)

• Meetings/calls

• Recovery time (yes, schedule this or it won't happen)

Color-code these blocks and suddenly you can see at a glance if you're spending too much time on admin and not enough on actually creating.

Email: Thunderbird

If you're juggling multiple email addresses (personal, band, label, whatever), Thunderbird is my go-to. It pulls all your inboxes into one interface and lets you:

• See everything in one place

• Easily switch between accounts

• Create email templates for common responses

• Filter and organize without the bloat

Is it the sexiest option? No. But it's reliable, doesn't spy on you, and doesn't cost a penny.

THE "NEVER LOSE ANOTHER FILE" SETUP

Cloud Storage: iCloud + Google Drive

I use iCloud as my primary storage since I'm in the Apple ecosystem, but Google Drive serves as my redundancy and sharing platform. Here's my folder structure:

It takes about an hour to set up, and it will save you YEARS of hunting for files.

Backup: Time Machine

Nothing fancy here – just Time Machine running on my MacBook, backing up to an external drive. Simple, built-in, and it's saved my ass more times than I care to admit.

Remember: If it doesn't exist in at least two places, it doesn't exist at all.

THE "RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT" SYSTEM THAT ISN'T CREEPY

CRM: Google Sheets

Forget fancy CRM software. A well-organized Google Sheet does 90% of what you need without the learning curve or subscription fees.

My client relationship tracking spreadsheet includes:

• Name and contact info

• How we connected

• Last contact date

• Follow-up date

• Notes from our interactions

• Project status

Add some conditional formatting to highlight contacts you haven't touched in a while, and you're golden.

THE AI PROMPTS THAT HAVE CHANGED MY WORKFLOW

Forget templates – it's 2025, and AI is the new assistant we all need but can't afford to hire. Here are the prompts I use daily with Claude and ChatGPT to save hours of brainpower:

Email Draft Prompt

Write an email to [PERSON] about [TOPIC]. Tone should be [PROFESSIONAL/CASUAL/ENTHUSIASTIC]. Include these key points:

• [POINT 1]

• [POINT 2]

• [POINT 3] End with a clear call to action asking for [WHAT YOU WANT]. Keep it under [NUMBER] words.

This saves me from staring at a blank email compose window, especially for those awkward follow-ups or cold outreach emails.

Social Post Batch Creator Prompt

Create 5 different social media posts about my new [SONG/EP/ALBUM/SHOW].

Key details:

• Title: [TITLE]

• Release date: [DATE]

• Theme/Story: [BRIEF DESCRIPTION]

• Links: [LINK]

• Hashtags to include: [HASHTAGS]

Make each post different:

1. Behind-the-scenes/creative process

2. Emotional connection to the music

3. Question to engage followers

4. Quote from the lyrics or about the meaning

5. Call to action to listen/attend

Keep each post under 280 characters.

Run this once, tweak the outputs, and schedule a week's worth of content in 20 minutes.

Copy Editor Prompt

Review this text for clarity, grammar, and impact:

[PASTE YOUR TEXT]

Please improve it by:

1. Fixing any grammatical errors

2. Making sentences more concise

3. Highlighting any unclear sections

4. Suggesting stronger word choices where appropriate

5. Ensuring the tone matches [DESIRED TONE]

Return both the edited version and a brief explanation of major changes.

Perfect for press releases, bios, or that important email to the booking agent you're trying to impress.

Creative Brainstorm Prompt

I'm working on [PROJECT TYPE] and need fresh ideas.

Current concept: [BRIEF DESCRIPTION]

What I'm stuck on: [SPECIFIC PROBLEM]

Please generate 7 different approaches or ideas that:

• Range from safe/conventional to unexpected/risky

• Include visual/thematic elements

• Consider practical implementation

• Might solve my specific problem

For each idea, include a brief explanation of why it might work.

Perfect for breaking through creative blocks on lyrics, artwork concepts, music video ideas, or promotional angles.

THE MINDSET HACK THAT MAKES ALL OF THIS STICK

Tools are useless if you abandon them after a week of halfhearted use. The key to making any system stick is to start ridiculously small.

Don't try to overhaul your entire life in a day. Pick ONE thing from this newsletter – maybe it's setting up a basic folder structure or crafting an AI prompt that solves your most common writing task – and implement just that.

Get comfortable with it. Let it become a habit. Then add the next thing.

The goal isn't a perfect system. The goal is just a little less chaos than yesterday.

THE LAST WORD (FOR NOW)

I know this newsletter was more tactical than inspirational, but sometimes what you need isn't another pep talk – it's actual, concrete tools you can implement today.

Because the truth is, all the passion and talent in the world won't save you if you're drowning in administrative chaos.

If you found this helpful, my book "Build Your Foundation" goes even deeper on all of this – with detailed tutorials, templates, and frameworks you can steal. Grab it at v13.store/products/build-your-foundation.

And if you know another artist who's constantly losing files, forgetting follow-ups, or generally living in chaos, forward this to them. We all need a little help getting our shit together.

Until next time, build something that lasts.

—Lance

P.S.

Next week: The industry roles that actually matter (and the ones that are just expensive middlemen in fancy shoes). It's time to talk about who you actually need on your team, and who's just taking a percentage for vibes.

If you want to join our community and learn from us in real-time, check out our V1LLAG3 Discord server. Ask questions about music, the industry, promotion, and anything else your heart desires. Just don’t ask us to write your essay (Lance might actually do it)