A Holiday Gift Guide for Your RevOps Team

If you’re making a list and checking it twice and don’t know what to get your RevOps team members — who are definitely on the nice list — you’re in luck!

We polled our team to see what’s on their holiday wish lists — and they have thoughts. They compiled a list of things they’d like to receive this year, along with well-considered, thoughtful recommendations for a few things they already own and love.

If you have a special RevOps person in your life, read on for recommendations for tech, subscriptions, workspace items, and some items that are just plain fun.

What is one piece of technology on your wish list?

There’s no common theme here, other than general life improvement—which, after all, is what technology should do.

For instance, Megan, a Lift solutions engineer, wants AirPods so she won’t be “the dork who goes around with wires hanging out of her ears”—and Hannah was happy to share her recommendation. 

• AirPods - I recently bought and have been using my AirPods on a daily basis. It’s so nice to not be attached to my computer with corded earbuds during calls. And they connect nicely to my HP. (Hannah Munoz, Community Manager)
• Galaxy Watch 6 - I’ve been so happy with my other Samsung watches and this one looks like it has a lot of great new features! I love all the data it provides. (Victoria Evans, Director, Go-To-Market Advisory & Services)
• We’ve been renovating our kitchen (a very dusty, lengthy process) and one thing I already own but have been so grateful for is this air purifier. Everyone should have one in their workspace. (Fiona Taylor, Head of Content)
• Here’s a niche one, the Insta360 Link - A 4k webcam with built-in tracking and gesture control. It’s the most awesome, over-the-top, work-from-home webcam out there. (Brad Marshall, Revenue Operations Manager and Analyst)
• I’d love an iPad and Apple Pencil. I see a lot of people who love it for notetaking and staying organized. (Katherine Colonna, Revenue Operations Specialist)
• A Rode PSA1 and PodMic for training calls and recording training videos. (Sammi Gallagher, Senior Manager of Marketing, Demand Gen Services & Training)
• Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro 12.9‑inch  . I can use my iPad to work rather than my heavy laptop when I choose to not to work in my apartment.  (Noelfry Veras, Director of Revenue Operations)

What is one work-related subscription you'd love? 

We wanted to know what has made everyone’s life easier and more enjoyable—and got lots of recommendations!

• Canva -  This has been amazing in helping us with creating quick graphics for social, the website, email, etc. I’ve loved it so much with adding a brand and everything in between. Anyone in a creative role should have this subscription. (Hannah & Vic)
• Trello - I love it because it makes it so easy to visualize what’s on your plate and the status of everything you’re working on. I’m also a fan of Zapier because I love being able to automate steps that I used to have to do manually. (Fiona)
• Spotify -  Almost literally can’t live without it. My quality of life is better with Spotify. I’ve found a few great playlists that get me into a flow and help me focus through my work day. (Vic)
• Grammarly - It caught five errors/adjustments as I was typing this sentence. Enough said. (Brad, seconded by Laura)
• Masterclass - I’ve heard such good things about it, and I love that there are so many categories of things to learn from people who know their stuff about them. (Megan, seconded by Sammi)
• Sanebox - it’s a massive lifesaver in terms of email and keeps my inbox manageable (Jess Cardenas, Chief of Staff
• ChatGPT Plus - I’d love to further experiment how we can use AI to be more effective in our daily work routine. (Noelfry)
• YouTube TV - So I can watch my fantasy team kill it.  (Jacey Roth, Demand Generation Specialist)

Editor’s note: We sense a little bit of gloating here from Jacey, who is a force to reckon with in Fantasy Football—but we’ll allow it! After all, one of Lift’s core values is “Play to win—and hate to lose.”

What is one book or audiobook you want to read?

Books are a big part of Lift’s culture, so it’s not surprising that we had many on our lists.

And, of course, our CEO’s Doug’s book is due out in February, so we’re all excited to dig into that!

• Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade by Robert Cialdini Ph.D. - I read his other book Influence in college and loved every bit of it. I bought this book, but it’s been sitting on my shelf staring at me since we moved. (Hannah)
• I started Daring Greatly by Brene Brown forever ago and am really enjoying it. However, I’m so busy, I have a hard time prioritizing reading so my goal is to finish it by the end of January. Also on my list is Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life by Craig Groeschel. I’ve heard him speak on this topic and find his take very interesting. (Laura Gable, Revenue Operations Manager)
• My kid is a junior in high school, and my friend recommended Valedictorians at the Gate. I know applying to college is going to be a stressful process and I want to keep everything in perspective, especially since I live in New York City, the epicenter of competition! I’ve also been eyeing an older book, Factory Man, about the American furniture business. (Fiona)
• Think Again by Adam Grant has been on my list for a while. (Brad)
• Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. This book has been on my to-read list, but it’s long and dense. I’d love it as an audiobook because reading a hardcopy seems daunting. (Megan)
• Atomic Habits by James Clear - This book has been hyped and recommended to me for a while. I haven’t got around to buying it and I’m unsure if I would prefer to read it or listen. (Jacey)
• The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier has been an invaluable resource.  (Jess)
• The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman. It’s a timeless treatise on how to make things that are useful. (Drew Davidoff, Director, Product & Development)

What is one workspace furniture/accessory/office supply on your list? 

Not surprisingly, desks, office chairs, keyboards, and walking pads were high on many people’s lists.

As Jeremy said, “I have been using the same office chair since freshman year of college and it’s just about on its last legs (pun somewhat intended). So, I’m looking to get a new mesh one with good lumbar support and adjustable arms rests.”

And Laura’s looking for a new desk—preferably a standing desk. She says, “Sitting all day at my old kitchen table just isn’t comfortable anymore.”

Today’s their lucky day, because we have recommendations galore!

Office chairs: 

• I got the chair I have now from my last job and it’s very old and squeaky. This ergonomic office chair looks nice and comfy, and it has good lumbar support for when I’m in the zone while coding. (Megan)
• A high-end ergonomic chair because it has a significant impact on day-to-day life. While incredibly pricy, the Haworth Fern or Steelcase Gesture set the industry bar for comfort, warranty, durability, and adjustability. (Brad)

Desks:

• Not on my list because I already own it, but I love my Uplift Standing Desk with all the accessories. I have space for my laptop, two monitors, and plenty of space for decor and needed essentials like a notebook, calendar, and more. And it doesn’t feel cluttered at all while giving me space to stand throughout the day. (Hannah)
• This standing desk from Costco I recently bought, while no longer on my list, has been LIFECHANGING. A glass surface safe for dry erase is the greatest upgrade for any notetakers/doodlers out there. Price has dropped as low as $200 before, so be on the lookout for a good deal. (Brad)
• I wanted an adjustable desk with drawers. Most of them that I found didn’t have drawers at all, or only had tiny drawers that weren’t functional. I’ve had this desk for about six months now and have been thrilled with it. Exactly what I was looking for! (Vic)

Other office items:

• Desk Laptop Stand - I was just talking about how this would help my posture and not always be looking down at my computer. I definitely think it would come in hand (Jacey)
• Blue light glasses are clutch for those days when your eyes start to strain from looking at screens all day! (Jeremy Hartman, Revenue Operations Manager)
• This walking pad was a game-changer for me this year. I went from averaging 3-4k steps on a workday to consistently hitting 10k+ every day. I’m able to focus better and took to walking and typing at the same time pretty quickly. (Victoria)
• I love my wireless phone charger stand (mine is custom but this is similar) because a)  it keeps my phone charged while I’m working and b) it props my screen up so I can easily see when notifications pop up. (Jeremy)
• This is more of a hobbyist’s thing, but a moddable mechanical keyboard would allow me to determine the exact keys, switches, and even PCB a keyboard is using. Noise level, noise pitch, the force needed to press down a key, size of the keyboard - these are just a few of the things you can control. (Brad)
• I’d like to own an automatic zen garden. It’ll help bring clarity to the mind during stressful moments in your day. (Noelfry)

What's one non-work-related thing on your list?

These items might not be specific to RevOps interests, but a few fun items never hurt!

• A window seat/hammock for my cat - My desk sits in front of a big window and my cat’s favorite place is right behind my laptop on my desk. While cute, he lays on a lot of cords and would be much more comfortable in his own space. (Hannah)
• Smart home-compatible lighting! I’m just starting to explore the wonderful world of smart home automation, and I want to transfer ALL my lighting over after a brief experiment. It has been wonderful. (Brad)
• I live near a lake and love to walk along the trail there and watch the critters and plants. These binoculars would make it so much more fun, and let me see the birds who decide to hang out on the water. (Megan)
• I heard an interview with a writer I admire who uses archetype cards to develop characters. I’m still not sure which deck I want but she mentioned Caroline Myss and Kim Krans. A bit “woo” but I’m intrigued. Can’t hurt, right? (Fiona)
• A plane ticket anywhere warm - preferably during the months of February or March. (Vic)

Here’s wishing everyone a happy and relaxing holiday season. We hope you return rejuvenated in the new year!