In 1992, Carolyn Creswell bought Carman’s Kitchen for $1,000 and, in the three decades since, her successful philosophies, including loving what you do and trusting your instincts, have turned it into a $100 million business making breakfast foods and wholesome snacks.

Here, she tells us about the essential tech she relies on to keep herself, her business and her family organised, as well as her favourite apps.

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Luggage Trackers

Because I travel a lot, I’m quite obsessed with these. I have one in my computer bag, one in my wallet, one in my carry-on and in my checked luggage, if I have any. Recently, our luggage didn’t arrive in Canberra with us, so we were out and about and my phone pinged to tell us it had landed. We’d driven back there to collect it before the airline had told us it had arrived.

What to Try 

Woman holds thin card bluetooth wallet finder up in the air for close-up view.

Fitness Watch

I use this for many things, but I love doing a step challenge. I try to make sure I do enough steps every day. I actually go to an app called Social Steps every morning. I’m in a group with friends and work colleagues, and we’re all fighting to get the little crown. I always check to see if I was out-stepped after I went to bed last night. It’s really fun and somehow brings you closer to friends.

What to Try  

Four fitness smart watches from Officeworks featured large with colourful backgrounds.

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Laptop

I split my time between my laptop and my phone. When I’m travelling I might decide to just rely on my phone for a full day. That’s why having a phone with a big screen is good because you can actually work from it. I’d say I do probably about 20 or 25 hours a week on my laptop and the same again on my phone.

Having a good laptop that is fast and has great capabilities is important. I think people sometimes hang on to their laptops too long, until the point where the battery dies really quickly and that type of thing. I have a philosophy around technology: if you use it a lot then you should presume it will need to be replaced fairly frequently. You need your technology to be fast and efficient.

People need to embrace upgrading technology. They tend to want to hang on to it because it cost them a certain amount of money, but it can mean you get more hours back in your day because you’ve got the right tech. It’s a bit of a false economy not embracing what the technology can do.

We use Teams at work, and the basics like Outlook, OneNote, Reminders. The important thing is that everything goes into them and they’re really well connected. That’s so important.

What to Try  

Close-up views of three laptops set against colourful backgrounds.

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Wireless Headphones

They allow me to have great sound when we’re having Zoom meetings. It’s so much better than just using the sound on the computer. I’ve also got the type with the microphone that comes around, so I can pace around while listening to a meeting and don’t have to be sitting in front of the screen. Sometimes I do my best thinking while I’m pacing.

What to Try

Close-up views of four sets of wireless headphones from Officeworks set against colourful backdrops.

Home Automation System

I have two, but I use Google Home more often. The kids are always asking it to play a song. I love to know what the temperature is. We also use it to turn the lights on and off. We have about 16 lights, including lamps, connected to the system. My favourite command is, “OK Google, turn off all the lights,” when it’s time to go to bed. 

What to Try

A variety of home automation systems and smart lights for high-tech homes.

SEE ALSO: Smart Homes, Cloud Gaming and More: New Tech Trends For 2023

Favourite Apps

“The app I use all the time is Last Pass, a password keeper,” she says. “Everything goes into that. It keeps all the bits of information for our entire family – passwords, log-ins, usernames – in the one place.”

Recently her kids have introduced her to BeReal, the app that notifies all its users to take a photo of themselves and post it in a two-minute timeframe, plus she’s a big fan of Blinkist, an app that condenses business books into a 15-minute read or podcast. When she’s travelling, especially somewhere a little off the beaten track, Carolyn uses TripAdvisor.

“There’s another app called TouchNote that lets you send postcards,” she says. “If you take a photo you can upload it, and it gets printed in the location. So, if I’m in Europe, I upload it, it gets printed in Melbourne and my parents get it a couple of days later.”