My oldest daughter loves asking me to tell her a funny story about my wife from when we were dating... and I almost always freeze. It's not because there aren't any funny stories. It's because there are too many to pick from.

This is exactly what happens when you open Zapier without a plan. You're faced with a "blank canvas" and endless possibilities, so you freeze and do nothing.

You've heard about "triggers" and "actions," but you're not sure what your triggers or actions should be. Zapier isn’t a sandbox for people starting out. The secret is to look at the work you're already doing.

I'll walk you through my simple, three-step process to get started. It starts with documenting your tasks, listing your apps, and then using one specific (and often overlooked) page on Zapier's website that will show you exactly what's possible for you.

Stop staring at the screen, wondering where to begin. Let's get your first automation built.

Want to see some real-world examples tailored to your biggest struggles? Take my free quiz at https://streamlined.fm/quiz and I'll email you four automation ideas you can use today.

Show Notes

• Take the Automation Quiz: streamlined.fm/quiz
• Explore the Zapier Apps Page: zapier.com/apps
• Watch the Zapier Apps Page Walkthrough Video
• Leave feedback: streamlinedfeedback.com

Read to build your perfect site? Check out StellarSites.

Our inboxes are about to be inundated with sales emails and affiliate-link riddled round-ups. Should I contribute to the noise?

I'm thinking yes...but I want it to feel different.

What do you think? Let me know at https://streamlinedfeedback.com

Remember diagramming sentences back in school? I always thought it was pointless, but the real goal wasn't the diagram itself—it was understanding the structure of a good sentence.

The same exact logic applies to building automations. It's tempting to just jump into a tool like Zapier or Make and start connecting things, but that's like throwing a bunch of random words on a page and hoping it makes sense. If you want to build automations that actually save you time (and don't break), you need to understand the structure first.

I'm breaking down the four essential components every automation has—the two that are required, and the two "optional" ones that make your workflows truly powerful and intelligent. We'll walk through the difference between a Trigger and an Action, how to use Conditions to make your automations smarter (like "only do this if X is true"), and when to use specific Timing to batch your work.

Are you unsure what you should even automate first? I built a brand new quiz to help you pinpoint your biggest bottleneck. Answer four simple questions, and I'll send you personalized automation recommendations to solve your most crucial problem.

Take the quiz now at: streamlined.fm/quiz – https://www.google.com/search?q=https://streamlined.fm/quiz&authuser=1

Show Notes

• Watch the Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i41JKLS9Uf4 for visuals
• Submit Feedback: streamlinedfeedback.com – https://www.google.com/search?q=https://streamlinedfeedback.com&authuser=1

Read to build your perfect site? Check out StellarSites.