EP051: Essential Equipment for Your Digital Office with Sachin Patel

Welcome to the Perfect Practice podcast where we share the most innovative strategies to help you build a successful functional medicine business, attract your ideal patients, serve your community, and get paid what you're worth. Each episode is packed with practical steps that you can take to immediately grow your influence and serve more people. Our mission is to share golden nuggets from successful practitioners, technology experts and innovators from around the world. Your host, Sachin Patel is a functional medicine and success coach, international speaker and best selling author. He's calling in all his favors to bring this information to you so you can create your perfect practice.

Hey, what's up everyone? It's Satya. I hope you're super awesome today. In today's podcast, I want to discuss the essential equipment that you really need to create an online presence and get your message out there into the world. You know, if you're operating in a digital era, you need the right equipment. And in order for you to make that message propagation easy and efficient, and of course, highly effective, you want to get the message out there in a high quality way. You want your videos to look good, you want your audio to sound awesome, and you want to seem like you're a professional that knows what they're doing because you are right. So how you do one thing is how you do everything. And if people are going to see you and hear you for the first time online, if that's your strategy, then you want to make sure that you that you're giving off a great first impression. Now, depending on where you are in practice, if you're just starting out, all I had when I started out was a phone, and that can suffice. But as you come further along in practice, you're gonna wanna continuously update or upgrade your equipment. And had I known better, I probably would have started from the very beginning. So it's never too early to get the right equipment and to do the work that's necessary to get your message out there. And what I find is when we sound better, when we look, when we have the right camera, when we have the right lighting, when we have the right equipment, it gives us certainty, it gives us confidence, and it makes it easier for us to step into our office or step into our makeshift studio, so to speak, and get our message out to the world. So whatever you can do to make your life easier, to make your image have a higher quality, is gonna help you advance your message by leaps and bounds. And so I've tried lots of different gadgets over the years. I've, you know, tried things that have worked, I've tried things that have failed. And so today I want to talk about the things that I'm using currently in my practice and in my online strategy that I love, that are easy to use, that make my life easy, and I'm hoping that they can do the same for you. Now, I've recorded a video about this particular topic in our online group, which is the perfect practice, you know, group for functional medicine practitioners. So you can watch the video there. And of course I can't show you the images here, but if you go to the show notes, we're going to be sharing with you links to the exact equipment that I'm talking about. So I made your life easier. I'm not just going to talk about what I use. I'm going to share with you the exact links of the products that I use so that you can go out there and purchase them. You know, I just a disclaimer. I've used Amazon where possible because, you know, they ship to the most places in the world and you can probably get things the next day. I highly encourage that you, if possible, when possible, work with a local photography studio or not studio, but a photography equipment shop or a local electronic shop. Because I just like to support local businesses. But also more importantly is there's people that are professionals that know this equipment way better than even myself that can probably give you some pointers and some tips and you know, hey, they might even direct you a little bit differently. But I'm going to share with you what's working for me and we're going to cover things like cameras, microphones, headphones, lighting tripods, laptops, monitors, what kind of desk I use and what kind of chair I use as well. So I'm actually recording this particular presentation on my V moda headphones and I've got a special adapter microphone that picks up the audio. I could have also done this on the other mic that I'm going to be talking about, which is the one you probably see in all the videos that I do. So let's get started. Let's start by your camera. And so one of the nice things about the era we live in is that it's super easy to use your smartphone. So any smartphone this day and age will suffice. I personally like the Samsung. I like the camera quality on a Samsung phone. I currently use an S8 and you know, I've had it for two years. It's been the best phone in, super reliable, hasn't slowed down, hasn't skipped a beat. And so I'd probably upgrade to an S10 if I had to purchase a new phone. But that's what I've been using and it's worked out really, really well. I like the selfie camera on it. I also like the rear facing camera on it. I find that works really well to capture great video and also great audio as well as still images as well. Now, if I'm in my studio or in my office, the webcam that I'm using is called the Logitech Brio 4K. So if you're ever wondering if using, you're, you know, man, it looks sharp when I watch Sachin's videos is because that's the camera that I'm using. It's about $199, so about, you know, five times the price of a cheap webcam, but worth every penny in my opinion. And so I love the Logitech Brio. If you're looking for a great point and shoot camera that's small, that's compact, that has the photo and video quality of an slr, then the camera that I really love is a Canon G7X. It's ultra portable, super high quality, and I haven't had any issues with it. And it's what I would call a prosumer camera. So it's something, you know, that's a consumer and pro in between. Check it out. I think you'll love it. It's a great investment, not just for your practice, but really for your family. You can capture some really cool shots with that camera. And it's of course, a lot more advanced than your smartphone camera. So check that out and see if that's something that is of interest to you. So now let's also talk about microphones and headphones. If you're going to need a few different microphones, actually, to be honest, if you want the best versatility. So the thing that's going to give you the most versatility is a wired lapel mic. And the one I use is made by Audio Technica. The Audio Technica mic requires a phone adapter to enable you to plug it into your smartphone. So make sure you get the one with the adapter. I've included the exact link as well. The next one is a wireless lapel mic. So if you're doing Facebook lives, if you're doing, you know, things like that, then you want your audio quality to be high. People will watch your Facebook lives or presentations, things like that that you're streaming. If the audio is great, video can be compromised, but people can still listen. So audio is the most important visual or not visual, but the most important medium that you want to get your message across. And, and if you're doing Facebook Lives and you're just, you know, plugging in your phone and you're standing far away, the sound is not going to be great. What you're saying is super important. So make sure it's captured appropriately. So I use the Rode Filmmake wireless lapel mic. Used it for a few years now, never had any issues with it. Amazing quality. The sound is great and the battery life is great on it as well. Now with this mic, you'll also need a smartphone adapter. So I've included the link to the exact adapter that you'll need as well. Now the next thing is your desktop mic. Few options here. I started off using a blue Yeti mic. Some of you might be using that mic. Great mic, little bit tinny. So the audio quality is not the greatest. Kind of looks like a cool mic and it gets the job done for sure. If you're looking for something that plugs right into your computer, then the audio Technica 2100 is great. Kind of not the best looking mic. So if you're doing video casting, then maybe there's a better mic for you. The blue Yeti definitely makes a statement. And also the Rode USB nt, that's probably a higher quality audio mic and that's the one I have as well. So I've got a few different mics I've played with. You know, figure out what fits in your budget and go from there. If you're looking for a podcast quality mic, then there's two options. One that plugs right into your phone. Specifically if you have an iPhone, it's the Shure SM88. And this is a phenomenal little mic. Don't let its size fool you. It works really, really well. In fact, many of the podcasts I've recorded have been on this particular mic and it's a condenser mic, so the quality is really, really great. Now, as far as desktop podcast quality mics, the one I usually use is the Shure sm. This is the same one Joe Rogan uses. This is the same one that was recommended to me by my podcast hosting company and it has served me really, really well and it gets great reviews online. If you do get that Shure SM7B, you're going to need a cloud filter, which kind of filters out some of the digital noise to ensure the highest quality. You'll also need some XLR cables A mic stand to hold it up. And then also you'll need an interface. So I use the Scarlett 2i2 interface, so I can plug in two different audio sources if I wanted to, or I can just plug in one and I can have amazing sound. Now, when you do speak into the Shure SM7B, you're going to have to mix it to mono. And if you don't know what that means, that's okay. It just means that it's going to record on one side and you're going to have to then digitally edit it so it includes both sides. You're not just speaking into one side of the headphones. So. So those are the mics that you might want to consider, and then you might want to strongly consider a good set of headphones. I have my headphones on for about four to five hours a day, either when I'm doing calls or listening to audiobooks or listening to meditation tracks, whatever the case may be. So you want a set of comfortable headphones that are high quality. I prefer wired headphones so I don't have to worry about charging them or anything like that. The ones I use are called the V Moda M1 hundreds. They these are wired headphones. Super awesome couple hundred bucks, high quality. I love them. And then I've also got a special mic attachment that I'm recording this presentation on, so it picks up my voice and it's kind of a gaming attachment, but it works well for audio and that's exactly how I recorded my audiobook is using this headphone and mic combination. Now, next thing that's important for your home office is lighting. Lighting is huge because it can make you look beautiful. So if you are a Seinfeld fan, you probably remember that episode where that one lady that Jerry was dating, the lighting had to be perfect. And when the lighting was great, she looked great. When the lighting wasn't great, she just didn't look that hot. And that's obviously from the episode. So if you're not familiar with Seinfeld, go check that one out. But it was really, really entertaining. And here's what's interesting about that, is that based on your facial features, based on the ambient lighting in the room, and, you know, natural light sources in the room, sometimes you're not going to look so hot. And that's okay because if you look at pictures and videos of me with all the lighting off. I actually did this with a client on a call the other day and I showed her how much the lighting made a difference and the Camera made a difference. She's like, oh my God, you look scary with your laptop, you know, with your laptop camera and all your lights off. And, and that's what the natural setting and the ambient setting of that room was. But once I flicked on all the switches and turned my lighting equipment on and upgraded to my 4K camera, then she's like, oh my God, that's a night and day difference. And so if I didn't have this equipment, I'm very unlikely to go on camera because of course we can all be self conscious. I mean, even if we have a powerful message, we want to look good so we can feel good and feel confident. And lighting goes a long way. So the lighting equipment that I use is a three light setup. It's by Neewer, it's an LED lighting bundle. And I've again included the exact link for you so you can check that out in the show notes. What that link does or what that lighting does is it gets me from three angles. I can adjust the heighting, I can adjust the intensity, and I can also adjust the color temperature to suit my needs. So lighting is huge. And depending on the structure of your face, you might want to have lighting coming from above you sometimes you might want lighting coming from the sides. And of course, if you have glasses, you might want to make appropriate adjustments so that the lighting isn't reflecting in your lenses. So lighting goes a long way. I like this setup because it's very cost effective, very reliable. It's worked well for me so far. And I get three lights for a few hundred dollars. And they come on tripods and they're also rechargeable. So I can move them around pretty easily if I wanted to, but I can also keep it plugged in if I wanted to. So when I walk into my office, all I have to do is flick one switch, all three lights turn on because they're plugged into a power bar. And. And then I just plug in my microphone and I plug in my camera, two USB ports on my computer, and everything is good to go. So pretty easy for me to get set up. And I have this beautiful desk in my office that I work off of and everything is set up for me to be successful. I don't have to break things down, I don't have to build things up over and over again. And that makes it easy if I want to record a three to five minute video. Makes life super easy when I can do that. Next thing aside from lighting is tripods. And tripods are going to hold your equipment up. So there's a couple that you might want to get. One is a selfie stick. Okay. So if you're doing Facebook lives and all that good stuff, get a good selfie stick. The one I like is made by Blitzwolf and this one is a tripod and a selfie stick. So the handle actually opens up into a tripod. So you could have it standing in front of you on a table. You don't have to hold it the whole time. Or you can hold it and use it as a regular selfie stick. $21 or so. Very, very nice, beautiful, high quality selfie stick tripod. Now, for my desktop webcam, I have a special tripod. It's a neewer 20 inch aluminum tripod and I love it because it holds that camera nice and still. For me, if you're moving your desk a little bit, you want a tripod that's going to be able to hold that nice equipment. And it can also double up as a camera tripod not just for my webcam, but also for my digital SLR or for my Canon G7X. Tripods are huge because, you know, they can allow you to adjust the height and everything appropriately. So I really like this one. Works out really, really well. Now, in terms of laptop and, you know, computer equipment, I Personally use a MacBook Pro 15 inch with the retina. I actually have two MacBook Pros. One is my daily driver, if you will, my beater. And then I've got a new one that I purchased last year and that one is a 15 inch as well. But when I do host events and things like that, sometimes I need two laptops so I have a backup one and they're both synced so everything is all in one place when I need it. And then make sure you get a laptop stand that's great for your posture. So the one I use is made by Rain and, and it just allows me to prop my laptop up so it's more at eye level. And then I've got a couple accessories like a keyboard and mouse from Apple. And so that allows me to have good ergonomics when I'm sitting at my desk. Another thing that I find is often overlooked in people's offices is a second monitor. So I know you can probably get a lot of your work done on your laptop, but what I also know is that you are going to need a second monitor when you're doing webinars because a presenter screen is something that some of you might need in order for you to have your Notes there. You know what next slide is coming up when transition is coming up. And you obviously don't want your audience to see that. So having a second monitor allows you to kind of be aware of what slides are coming up and look at your presentation notes, especially if you're doing webinars. And of course, if you're trying to advance your practice in a digital era, then that's going to be very helpful. I also find a second monitor, a larger monitor is great if you're doing bigger projects, if you're, you know, working on your screen for a longer period of time, or if you're building funnels and if you're editing videos on Camtasia or Screenflow or whatever software you're using, you want to make sure that you've got a nice monitor that doesn't strain your eyes. I personally use a Samsung. It's a 34 inch curved widescreen monitor. Love works really well. It's got a stunning video and image on it and it just makes my life a lot easier. I've got a pretty big desk. I've got a six foot by three foot desk and sometimes having a tiny little laptop screen doesn't cut it. So it's nice to have a big screen. It alleviates some of the strain on my eyes. And then, you know, in terms of the equipment that you use to get your message out there, that's important. These are the things that I've basically covered up to this point. But what's also important to me is your desk. Okay. So when I moved into my house last year, that was one of the first things I did was I bought a beautiful desk. I bought a swarwood desk, and it's a standing desk, so it's been outfitted so that I can raise it and lower it. Now, you don't have to do that, but I do think that you should sit at a desk that makes you proud of what you do. Right? So somebody should walk into your office and you should look like you're a professional at what you do. Your desk should be clean. It should be nice and organized. It's. And I actually shared a picture of this in one of my posts that I did recently in the Facebook online group. You can see exactly how my equipment is set up. Desk should be decluttered. Your office should be feng shui, which is a whole different topic. But make sure you've got a nice desk that allows you to kind of spread yourself out a little bit and allows you to have room for all of this equipment. Because, of course, that makes life easier. So I've got a live edge, solid wood standing desk. You don't have to go all out like that. IKEA makes some desks that allow you to have a standing option, so you can even look into that. And then the chair, right? The chair is huge. I sit much more than I care to admit, and I'm sure you do as well. But that's the nature of our job. I stand as much as I can and move around as much as I can. But when I do sit, I wanna make sure that I'm doing something that's beneficial and not harming my spine. So I actually sit on a core chair. It's a great chair that allows mobility in my lower spine and allows my pelv to move. It's almost like a wobble chair. So as a chiropractor, that was one of the rehab equipment pieces that we would use, was called a wobble chair. And it would allow people to kind of move their pelvis while they're sitting. And it's different than a ball chair because a ball chair fatigues your abdomen, whereas this stimulates the abdominal muscles and core stabilization muscles without fatiguing them. So you can check out core chair if you want. So there you have it. There's. That's all the equipment that I use in my practice. You can check out the show notes to get the Google document that I share with you that has the exact links to the products. I mentioned, the products by name. Like I said, you can get them all on Amazon if you want to. And preferentially, if you can try to buy some of these things locally so that you can pick the brain of somebody who is, you know, local to you, that can probably help you make. Make sure that you've got a great setup. I'm always here to help. If you have any questions, then feel free to reach out to me. I hope this helps you get your message out there in a very, very productive way. I know that the equipment is something that makes a huge difference. You know, everything that I talked about in the desk. The desk was expensive. It was about $3,000. But everything else, in my opinion, is very affordable. So for about 2000-2500, you'll have all the digital equipment that you need. You'll have the. Pretty much the exact setup that I have to make your life so much easier. And of course, the computer is more than that too. Right. But talking about the actual equipment, I'm assuming that you probably have a computer already, but you know, I included everything just for completeness. Hope this helps. Have an amazing rest of your day.