Whether I'm teaching short men how to dress well or growing my online business, there are certain tools and resources that I can't live without.
This page is divided into two sections:
- Men's fashion resources
- Blogging resources
From menswear forums to blogging tools that help me earn a living online, everything listed on this page is an integral part of my life and business.
Men's Fashion Resources
Here are some sites about men's fashion I visit very regularly:
Reddit's r/malefashionadvice – This is an amazing resource for guys who want to dress well. From total beginners to advanced style ninjas, everyone will find useful information in this community. I'm often browsing this subreddit, and I even contribute with my own posts on occasion.
Reddit's r/frugalmalefashion – Another great subreddit, this is one of my go-to places to check for sales and discounts. I often use this sub to put together the Deals & Steals section of my email newsletter.
Peter Manning NYC Blog – The more recent articles were written by yours truly; this is some of the most in-depth content about style for shorter men you'll find.
The Buttoned Up Podcast – A collaboration between me and Jon Shanahan (a.k.a, The Kavalier), this podcast shows you what's happening behind the scenes of popular menswear startups and influencers.
Honey – This free browser extension automatically applies any active discount codes to your shopping cart. Basically, you don't have to search for coupons anymore Just install Honey, and you're done!
Blogging Resources
Here's everything I use to run The Modest Man blog, YouTube channel and social media accounts.
Website Hosting & Themes
These are the tools that make this blog run like a well-oiled machine:
WP Engine – Premium quality managed hosting, perfect for any site getting more than 50k visits per month. Not necessary for a new site, but worth the upgrade once you start getting decent traffic!
Bluehost – This was the original hosting I used, all the way up until 150+ visits per month.Cheap, reliable, great customer service. Everything you need from a web host.
WordPress – If you're going to start a blog, you should use WordPress. It's free, and it's a no brainer!
Genesis – The framework on which this site is built. In my opinion, this is the best WordPress “theme” out there.
Content Marketing Tools
LeadPages – I use LP to create my landing pages (like for The Modest Man Style Guide). The pages look great, they're extremely easy to create, and they integrate with my other tools.
Aweber – This is the platform I use to build an email list and send emails to all of my subscribers. I've tried other email platforms like Mailchimp, but I think Aweber is the easiest one to use.
ConvertKit – My new favorite email service provider. It's more functional than Aweber and easier to use than MailChimp (which isn't actually very user-friendly, in my opinion).
Business Tools
PayPal – No explanation needed, right? PayPal is kind of necessary if you're going to do business online. It's also great for personal use.
Stripe – To accept credit card payments…the perfect supplement to PayPal.
Gumroad – This is the platform I use to sell and deliver my The Modest Man Style Guide. I've tried a bunch of different ones, including E-Junkie and SendOwl, but I like Gumroad for its clean design and integration options.
My Favorite Books
The 4-Hour Work Week
– Of all the books I've read, this one had the strongest impact on my life. If it weren't for this book, I wouldn't have started this blog.
If you've ever had the feeling that you don't belong in the 9 to 5 rat race, you should read this book as soon as you can.
Fiction
I enjoy nonfiction, especially business and personal development books. But at the end of the day, nothing beats a great novel.
Reading fiction is my favorite way to turn my brain off and get lost in something completely separated from work and all of life's obligations.
Sure, it takes a little more effort than watching TV, but it's worth it. My favorite fiction books are:
Game of Thrones
– It's hard to explain how amazing this series really is. The TV show is great, but it doesn't do the books justice. The world of GoT is, by far, the richest fictional world I've ever been immersed in.
It's like Harry Potter times a million (I also love Harry Potter). If you like deep, rich fantasy worlds with endless characters and insane amounts of detail, you will love Game of Thrones.
Shantaram
– This is one of the wildest, most entertaining and dramatic stories I've ever read. The crazy thing is that it's true.
Other Cool Stuff
Amazon Prime – For $99 a year, you get free two day shipping on a bunch of items AND free returns. As an avid online shopper (and someone who's bought plenty of shoes, socks and watches and grooming supplies from Amazon), this is totally worth it for me.
Plus, you get access to Instant Video and Music (which is Amazon's on demand music app…kind of like Pandora or Spotify but without the commercials).
Click here to try it free for 30 days.
