Last updated: June 2026. Disclosure: this page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Every tool here is one I pay for and use to run Lars Miller Media. I do not list tools I have not used.
I run Lars Miller Media as a one-person operation, and this is the full stack that makes that possible. Eight tools cover the whole business: ElevenLabs for audio, Kit for email, Leadpages for landing pages, AdCreative.ai for ad creative, Apollo.io and Closely for outbound, Capsule for CRM, and Unitel Voice for a business phone line. Below I group them into the two stacks I actually think in, the creator stack for making and distributing, and the sales stack for finding and closing, with a short note on how I use each one and a link to the full review.
The creator stack: make and distribute
These four tools take a piece from blank page to published, narrated, and promoted.
Kit (ConvertKit), my email platform
Kit runs my newsletter. I use it for a welcome sequence that introduces new subscribers to my best work, tags that separate audience from prospects, and a weekly broadcast, all built on its visual automation builder. It took an afternoon to set up and runs itself. Start on the free plan up to about 10,000 subscribers.
Read more: my Kit review and Kit pricing guide.
ElevenLabs, my AI voice tool
ElevenLabs narrates every newsletter in a clone of my own voice and produces voiceovers for short-form video. I draft the issue, generate the audio in four minutes, and attach it to the email and the blog post. Half my readers now listen instead of read. The Creator plan at about $22 a month covers my output with headroom.
Read more: my ElevenLabs review and ElevenLabs pricing guide.
Leadpages, my landing page builder
Leadpages builds my lead-capture pages, content-upgrade pages, and simple sites. The template library is conversion-tested, so a non-designer can publish a page that performs. For service businesses, it also handles booking and portfolio pages without a developer.
Read more: my Leadpages alternatives guide and Leadpages vs ClickFunnels.
AdCreative.ai, my ad and social creative
AdCreative.ai generates ad and social visuals to promote my content and client work. I go from a finished blog post to a batch of on-brand creative variations in minutes, which used to take a designer a day. It pairs naturally with Leadpages when I run paid traffic to a landing page.
The sales stack: find and close
These four tools handle prospecting, outreach, client tracking, and a professional phone presence.
Apollo.io, my prospecting engine
Apollo is where I find prospects and reach them. I build targeted lists, enrich them, and run email sequences without leaving the platform. The free plan includes sequencing, which makes it the fastest way to start outbound, and I moved up to a paid tier once it proved out.
Read more: my Apollo.io pricing guide, Apollo.io alternatives, Apollo.io vs ZoomInfo, and best cold email software.
Closely, my LinkedIn outreach
Closely runs human-paced LinkedIn and email touches that pair with Apollo. Apollo finds the right people, Closely reaches them on LinkedIn with timing that behaves like a person rather than a blast. Together they cover multichannel outbound without me living in two tools.
Capsule, my CRM
Capsule keeps my leads and clients organized without the weight of an enterprise CRM. It is simple enough that I actually update it, which is the only test a CRM has to pass. For a solo operator or small team, “simple and used” beats “powerful and abandoned.”
Unitel Voice, my business phone line
Unitel Voice gives the business a real, separate phone number with a professional setup, instead of routing work calls through my cell. It costs less than a streaming subscription and makes a one-person shop sound like a company. I can answer from any device, anywhere.
If you are a freelancer or photographer
The cleanest starting stack for a service business is four tools: Leadpages for a booking or portfolio page, Capsule to track clients and leads, Unitel Voice for a professional phone line, and AdCreative.ai to promote your work. Add Kit once you want to build an email list, and ElevenLabs once you publish any audio or video.
How I would build this stack from scratch
Start with the one tool your current bottleneck demands, not the longest list. If you are building an audience, begin with Kit. If you are chasing clients, begin with Apollo. Add ElevenLabs early, because it is cheap and turns writing into audio in minutes. Bring in a landing page builder when you need to capture leads, a CRM when you start losing track of people, and a phone line when you want to look established. Keep the stack small. Six to eight tools run an entire media business.
Frequently asked questions
What tools do you use to run your business?
Eight, grouped into two stacks. Creator stack: Kit for email, ElevenLabs for audio, Leadpages for landing pages, and AdCreative.ai for ad creative. Sales stack: Apollo.io and Closely for outbound, Capsule for CRM, and Unitel Voice for a business phone line.
What is the best email tool for creators?
Kit (formerly ConvertKit). Its subscriber-and-tag model, automation builder, and generous free plan make it the best fit for writers, coaches, and content-led businesses.
What should I buy first?
Whichever tool your bottleneck demands. Building an audience, start with Kit. Chasing clients, start with Apollo. Both have free plans, so you can validate before paying.
Do you actually use all of these?
Yes. I pay for and use every tool on this page to run Lars Miller Media, and I update this page as my stack changes.
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