Our Blog
Feature releases, updates, inspiring stories, and productivity tips & tricks.
Write All Day, Hurt Less: Essential Ergonomics for Stenographers
Ergonomics for stenographers is critical to preventing injury and supporting a long, healthy career at the steno machine. As a court reporter or stenographer, you spend hours on your steno machine, and repetitive motions or poor posture can lead to long-term...
The Tiny Profile Update Making a Big Difference
Ever wish you could get just a little more clarity before inviting someone to work on a transcript? Now you can. ✨ (Like maaaaaagic!) Stenovate profiles now display location by country, helping you make faster, smarter hiring decisions—without awkward conversations....
The Dark Side of Hiring Remote Scopists & Proofreaders: Risks Every Reporter Should Know
When you send a transcript out for scoping or proofreading, you're not just passing along a document. You’re handing over real people’s lives on paper. Testimony. Medical details. Private addresses. Exhibits. Social security numbers. And in many cases, it's...
The Idea of Stenovate: Where it All Began
What is Stenovate? Before we begin discussing how and why Stenovate came about, let's briefly define what Stenovate is. Stenovate is an online platform designed specifically for transcript professionals — court reporters, scopists, and proofreaders — to...
How to Write a Job Post to Find the Right Scopists and Proofreaders
As a court reporter, finding the right scopists and proofreaders is essential for saving tons of time, increasing your reporter income, and ultimately keeping your sanity. However, creating the perfect job post to attract the right candidates can be tricky. All too...
Tripod vs. Lap Desk Showdown: Who Will Win?
Tripod vs. Lap Desk: Which Setup Supports You Best? As a court reporter or stenographer, having the right equipment isn't just about convenience — it's about protecting your body. Whether you're in court, at a depo, or reporting from home, your setup can play a...
Sharable: Why Stenographers Seem Bossy — And Why It’s Exactly What the Legal System Needs
Ever been in a courtroom or deposition and heard someone firmly say, “Please speak one at a time,” or “Slow down, please”? That wasn’t someone being difficult — that was a certified court reporter doing what they do best: protecting the official record. When a...
How Stenographers Type Faster Than the Speed of Speech
How Stenographers Write Faster Than You Can Speak Have you ever wondered how stenographers — also known as court reporters — manage to type so incredibly fast? How do they capture every word during a court proceeding or deposition without missing a beat? It’s...
Guilt-Free Massages for Court Reporters
Why Every Court Reporter Deserves a Massage — And How to Make It Guilt-Free Ever notice that during a workers’ comp deposition, you start feeling your own back ache just listening to the witness describe theirs? Coincidence? Maybe. But more likely, it’s a sign...
Tidy Up Your Transcript Workflow: How to Spark Joy in Your Court Reporting Business
Marie Kondo’s approach to tidying has helped millions clear clutter from their homes — but what if we applied that same energy to our transcript businesses? Whether you’re a reporter, scopist, or proofreader, organization isn't just about files and folders. It’s about...
How to Grow Your Freelance Scoping Business (and Get More Clients)
Want to know how to get reporter clients for scoping? Whether you’re new to the profession or ready to scale your freelance business, attracting the right court reporters requires more than just editing skills — it takes strategy, visibility, and the ability to stand...
Fantastic Scopists and Proofreaders and Where to Find Them
Finding the perfect scopists and proofreaders may feel like a daunting task. Luckily, Stenovate has the resources to help you find them! Is My "Perfect Match" Out There? Most of the time when someone is asked if they use a scopist, they’ll say one of...
Sleep. How to do it better.
Tired of counting sheep? Here are some of Stenovate’s top tips on how to catch some more Zzzs (and how to make some more money too! 💸💸💸) Why Are We Talking About Sleep? Scientists aren’t really sure why we sleep, but they do know that it...
Why You Should Join a Professional Organization
We’re often told that “membership has its privileges†(see: AmEx marketing) but many times we find that we’re hard-pressed to see them. “What have you done for me lately†issues often lead our thinking. Here’s a primer on what membership in a...
What Your Rate Sheet Says About You
Scopists & Proofreaders. This one's for you! Having trouble getting long-term reporter clients? Get a lot of inquiries but nothing more? Let’s take a closer look at your rate sheet and see if this is what’s scaring potential clients away! 5 Key...
Preparing to Work with Scopists & Proofreaders
We know that starting a new scoping or proofing relationship can be scary. But with a little preparation, you CAN start to understand and communicate your expectations. Now, this isn’t the first time we’ve talked about How to Find, Vet, and Hire Scopists...
Overcoming the Fear of Working with Scopists & Proofreaders
Are you nervous about using a scopist or proofreader? There’s no doubt about it. You’re definitely not alone. Relinquishing Control 😱 Our small Stenovate team fully understands that many reporters prefer to do their own work because –...
The Court Reporter Panic Post
If you’ve explored a forum that is designated to connect court reporters with scopists and proofreaders, you’ve likely encountered a post that reads something like this: “HELP! I need a [scopist or proofreader] on [insert CAT software here] for a 300-page...
Changing Your Work Paradigm: Be Willing to Let Go
Let it go! Let it go! (We’ve all got the song in our heads now, don’t we? Sorry!) Is the thought of letting a scopist look at your raw, unedited writing...comfortable? A little scary? Or maybe even downright terrifying? Well, guess what? You were...
Court Reporter Shortage: Bridging the Gap
Every stenographer, scopist, and proofreader knows about the court reporting shortage…unless you’ve literally been living under a rock without Internet. And it would be really hard to do our jobs without the lnternet. You’ve likely heard about the Ducker...
What Just Happened in Texas?
Something pretty magical just happened in Texas last week. Court Reporters finally got someone to listen to their concerns about “low-cost digital alternatives.â€Â The Backstory Texas is a licensure state, and its reporters are governed by the JBCC which...
The Fearless Stenographers Conference RECAP!
Shaunise Day, steno advocate and event planner extraordinaire, hosted one of the most remarkable steno-centric events we’ve seen in the last decade. If you’ve ever attended a multi-day conference, you know there is a LOT to organize. She almost single-handedly,...
Raising the Bar with Ratings & Reviews
When you're browsing Amazon for Christmas gifts or planning a vacation, what’s the first thing you check? The reviews, of course. Reviews and ratings are powerful. They offer real insight, build trust, and boost your confidence in what you're buying, or who you’re...
Earn More, Work Less: The Real Benefits of Hiring Scopists and Proofreaders
What if you could spend more time in the reporter’s chair while your off-the-record “homework†was completed for you? And what if you could do all this while doubling your profit per hour? For anyone who currently works with a scopist and proofreader, you...
Court Reporter Tips for Managing Scopists and Proofreaders
So you’ve built your dream team. You found a scopist and proofreader ready to help you get more done and grow your transcript business. Now it’s time to switch gears from hiring to managing so that you can build winning partnerships with your transcript...
How to Find, Vet, and Hire Scopists and Proofreaders
The next time you pull an all-nighter to finish a surprise expedite, you’re going to wish you had a transcript team What’s a transcript team? It’s you (the court reporter) and your go-to scopist and proofreader. These teammates are invaluable — and they...
How to Crush Expedites with Confidence in 4 Steps
Years ago, as a new court reporter, nothing raised my blood pressure more than a surprise expedite. I’ll never forget my first BIG, scary job — a heated doctor deposition. Not only was the medical jargon flying faster than 225 words per minute, but the...
Lesson 7: How to Beat Procrastination… For Good!
Picture this: It’s mid-morning and you sit down at your desk with a big, hot cup of coffee. The sun is shining through your office window. You boot up your computer, ready to knock out your first task: Scope yesterday’s transcript. But instead of opening up your...
Time Management Lesson 6: The Art of Delegation
Court reporters are like unicorns. Powerful. Magical. Rare. Your skills are in high demand and in short supply. You graduated from a rigorous training program. You’re constantly building your dictionary and improving your skills. You basically keep the entire US...
Time Management Lesson 5: Getting Organized — and Staying That Way!
Clutter can be all-consuming. And not just the physical clutter that takes up space in our homes and offices. Digital and mental clutter can be even more distracting. We waste countless amounts of time and energy navigating around clutter. The solution? Get...
Lesson 4: Protect Your Time by Setting Boundaries
Barbara Corcoran — the famous real estate investor and ‘Shark’ on ABC’s Shark Tank — has learned hard-fought lessons about time management. “Years ago, I gave my time away to just about anyone,†she said in an interview with Entrepreneur Magazine....
Lesson 3: Scheduling & Planning for Court Reporters
Welcome to Lesson 3 of Time Management for Transcript Pros! Who knew a simple calendar trick could change your life? Get More Done with Time Blocking. “Either you control your calendar, or it controls you.â€Â In the last two lessons, we learned how to set...
Lesson 2: How to Prioritize Like Oprah and Eisenhower
Welcome to Lesson 2: Prioritization for Transcript Professionals! Today, we'll learn how to use a simple tool that keeps us focused on our most important tasks: The Eisenhower Matrix What do you, Oprah Winfrey, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower have in...
Time Management Lesson 1: Setting (and Crushing) Goals
Welcome to Stenovate's Master eCourse on Time Management for Transcript Professionals! In this first lesson, we'll lay the foundation for successful time management: Setting Goals Nothing feels better than CRUSHING your goals. But sometimes we get...
Transcript Management 101: How to maximize your productivity and grow your legal transcript business.
As the demand for court reporting surges, many reporters are being asked to take on more work than ever. Now is a great chance to grow your legal transcript business, but you may be feeling maxed out with your current workload. If you’d like to produce more...
3 Productivity Tips to Grow Your Transcript Business
Ever have those days where you feel more like a firefighter than a transcript professional? Running around from crisis to crisis, you put out fires while new ones ignite. You're working more, earning less, burning out, and spending less time doing things you love....
Court Reporting: The Sexiest Underrated Job in America
We've all heard about the court reporting shortage. Youngins aren't rushing off to court reporting school like they used to. But why? The debate rages on, but at the end of the day, it boils down to a simple fact: People don't think court reporting is sexy. It's time...
New Stenovate Features Alert! Introducing Job Boards and Social Feeds
Ready to get more done and have more fun? Stenovate has just released two, brand-new features: Scoping and Proofing Job Boards Social Feeds These features are now LIVE for all Stenovate users Be the first to try them out. Scopist and Proofreader Job Boards Need help...
5 Steps to Prepare for the Post-Coronavirus Surge in Court Reporter Demand
Uncertainty is often harder to handle than outright bad news. That's the challenge shadowing the court reporting industry uncertainty about the future of our livelihoods as court reporters, scopists, and proofreaders. With court and depo proceedings at a...
An Important Message About Stenovate’s Launch
To say, "We live in interesting times," is a massive understatement. For reasons I am about to share, we must temporarily postpone Stenovate's public beta launch. It breaks my heart to deliver this news. You have been part of the Stenovate journey from the beginning,...
NEW! Progress
After reviewing the brand new Transcript Dashboard, you know that you have access to a complete picture of your workload and progress at a single glance. (Yaaaay!) Diving a little deeper, every transcript has a "Workspace" with great tools for you and your teammates....
NEW! Transcript Dashboard
You need a transcript dashboard. Let us explain. We know you have your own system for organizing your transcript-based business, but here’s the thing: You’re working too hard to keep it all straight, and it’s slowing you down! Believe us when we say we have no...
NEW! Files
We’re just going to come out and say it. For transcript professionals, Stenovate kicks Dropbox’s boo-tay in storing files for several reasons. Yes, you heard me. I said we’re better than Dropbox (and just as secure) because Stenovate is specifically built for...
NEW! Network
Find Yourself a Dream Team…without Facebook! Some reporters have found their dream team of scopists and proofreaders, and others are still searching for their wordy and witty matches made in heaven. There’s a reason why the most popular Facebook groups for...
How a Community of Hardworking Women Inspired Me to Build Stenovate
Dear Transcript Community, Every court reporter, scopist, and proofreader has been there: That moment when deadlines pile up, clients are fussy, and time is vanishing into thin air. As they say: When it rains, it pours. As a freelance court reporter, I've...
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