Part 2 of 2

Set up your AI workspace

Set up the workspace where Claude works alongside you. Everything else in the program builds on this.

Choose how you'd like to get set up

Before you start

A paid Claude account (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise)
About 25 minutes
A Mac or Windows computer

Don't have Claude yet? Download the desktop app and sign up for a paid plan first.

Part 1: Set Up Claude Code & Obsidian

Part 2: Set Up Permissions, Connect to MCP to Get Your Skills & Agents, Connect Your Tools, and Create Your Key Vault

Prefer to read? Switch to step-by-step ↓

Before you start

A paid Claude account (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise)
About 25 minutes
A Mac or Windows computer

Don't have Claude yet? Download the desktop app and sign up for a paid plan first.

Prefer to watch? Switch to video walkthrough ↑

Download and install Claude Desktop

~2 min

Step 1 of 10

Head over to claude.com/download.

Click Download for Mac
Open the .dmg file that downloads
Drag the Claude icon into your Applications folder
Open Claude from Applications (or hit ⌘+Space, type "Claude")

Click Download for Windows
Run the .exe installer that downloads
Follow the install prompts — defaults are fine
Open Claude from the Start menu (or hit Win, type "Claude")

Sign in to Claude Desktop

~1 min

Step 2 of 10

Open the Claude Desktop app.

If you see a sign-in prompt, sign in with the email you used when you joined the program.
If you don't see a sign-in prompt, look at the bottom-left corner of the app — there's a little icon there. Click it, then sign in.

Anthropic will email you a confirmation link. Click it to finish signing in.

After signing in, you should see three tabs in the sidebar: Chat, Co-work, and Code. We'll be using Code.

When you first open Claude Code, a popup might ask you to install Git or connect to GitHub. Click Allow on both. GitHub is where developers store and back up code — Claude uses it under the hood.

Download and install Obsidian

~2 min

Step 3 of 10

Head over to obsidian.md.

Click Get Obsidian
Download the macOS version
Open the .dmg and drag the Obsidian icon into your Applications folder
Open Obsidian — you'll land on a welcome screen

Click Get Obsidian
Download the Windows version
Run the installer — defaults are fine
Open Obsidian — you'll land on a welcome screen

Create your Obsidian vault

~2 min

Step 4 of 10

A "vault" is just a folder on your computer where Obsidian keeps your work. Don't overthink it.

4a. Name your vault

In Obsidian, click Create new vault
Name your vault — something simple and memorable. Strategic Profits works great.

4b. Choose where to save it

Click Browse to pick where the folder lives on your computer

Save your vault locally — NOT in iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive.

Two reasons:

Obsidian uses links between your notes, and cloud folders corrupt those links over time.
On Mac, Apple sometimes tightens iCloud restrictions and blocks Claude from reading iCloud folders entirely. Even if it works today, a macOS update could break it tomorrow.

Safe place: your home folder — e.g., /Users/yourname/. Avoid Desktop and Documents — on most Macs, both are automatically synced to iCloud even if you didn't set that up yourself.

Save your vault locally — NOT in OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive.

Two reasons:

Obsidian uses links between your notes, and cloud-synced folders corrupt those links over time.
OneDrive's "Files On-Demand" feature can offload files to the cloud, which breaks Claude's ability to read them.

Safe places: your Documents folder (if it's not synced to OneDrive), your Desktop, or C:\Vaults\. Just somewhere local on your machine.

Click Create
Obsidian opens to your new (empty) vault

Tip: Want to rename your vault later? Click the vault icon in the bottom-left → Manage vaults → click the three dots next to your vault → Rename. One vault is plenty.

Connect Claude Code to your vault

~1 min

Step 5 of 10

This is the step that makes the magic happen — Claude Code being able to actually read and write inside your Obsidian vault.

In Claude Desktop, click the Code tab in the sidebar
You'll see a button that says Select folder (or "Choose a different folder" if you've used it before)
Click it, then navigate to your Obsidian vault folder — wherever you saved it in Step 4
Select the vault folder → click Open
Start a new session

Claude Code is now pointed at your Obsidian vault. Anything it creates from here on out gets saved straight into Obsidian.

The first time Claude tries to write to your vault, you'll see a popup asking permission. Click Allow. If you accidentally click Deny, just remove the folder and re-add it — the prompt comes back.

Test the connection

~1 min

Step 6 of 10 — Verification

Time to make sure the two apps are actually talking to each other.

In Claude Code, paste this prompt:

Please create a new folder in my Obsidian vault called TEST FOLDER.

When Claude asks permission, click Allow.

Now open Obsidian. You should see a new TEST FOLDER in the left sidebar.

You're connected. Continue below.

Don't see TEST FOLDER? Stop here.

Don't continue to the next part of the program until this works. Jump to troubleshooting →

Let Claude work without interruption

~2 min

Step 7 of 10

By default, Claude asks for permission before every action — every file it creates, every command it runs. That's safe, but it gets in the way fast. Auto mode flips this: a separate safety system reviews each action before Claude takes it, blocks anything risky, and lets the safe stuff run automatically.

You stay in control. Claude stops interrupting you.

What auto mode actually does

Before every action Claude takes, a separate classifier reviews it. Things like creating files in your vault or running normal commands get a green light automatically. Things like deleting files outside your vault, sending data to unknown places, or running suspicious code get blocked and require your manual approval.

You can turn auto mode off any time. You can also tell Claude in the chat "wait until I review before deploying" and the classifier will enforce that until you say otherwise.

Auto mode requires a Claude Max, Team, or Enterprise plan. If you're on the Pro plan, this option won't be available — see the fallback at the bottom of this step.

7a. Enable auto mode in your account

Go to claude.com/settings in your browser
Find the Claude Code section
Toggle Allow auto permissions mode ON
Save

If you're on a Team or Enterprise plan and don't see this toggle, your admin needs to enable it in Organization Settings → Claude Code first.

7b. Switch your current session into auto mode

Go back to Claude Desktop, Code tab
Look at the bottom of the chat for the permission mode indicator
Press Shift+Tab to cycle through modes: default → acceptEdits → plan → auto
When you see auto in the indicator, you're done
The first time you cycle to auto, you'll see an opt-in prompt — accept it

If auto mode is greyed out, restart Claude Desktop completely (quit and reopen) and try again. The settings change sometimes needs a restart to take effect.

You're in auto mode when: the indicator at the bottom of the Code tab says auto. Type "Create a file called test-auto.md in my vault with the words 'auto mode works' inside it" and Claude should do it without asking permission. Open Obsidian and confirm the file is there. Delete it when you're satisfied.

Auto mode is greyed out or you're on the Pro plan?

Cycle to acceptEdits instead (Shift+Tab once from default). You'll get auto-approval on file changes, but Claude will still ask before running terminal commands. You can come back and enable auto mode later if you upgrade.

Connect to SP MCP

~5 min

Step 8 of 10

This connects Claude to the Strategic Profits platform so it can access your program materials, shared resources, and community tools.

You'll need: your SP API key (starts with sk_sp_, emailed to you when you enrolled).

Can't find your API key? Enter your email below and we'll resend it.

Choose the method that matches how you're using Claude:

Via Claude Desktop App

Run this in Claude Code, replacing YOUR_SP_API_KEY_HERE with your actual SP API key:

RUN THIS COMMAND Add the sp-shared MCP server to my claude_desktop_config.json file. Here is the config to add:

Then paste this JSON snippet into the same message:

"sp-shared": {
  "command": "npx",
  "args": [
    "mcp-remote",
    "https://mcp.strategicprofits.com/mcp",
    "--header",
    "Authorization:${AUTH_HEADER}"
  ],
  "env": {
    "AUTH_HEADER": "Bearer YOUR_SP_API_KEY_HERE"
  }
}

Claude handles the merge — no manual JSON editing, no comma or bracket issues, and it works even if you already have other MCP servers configured.

After Claude confirms the update, fully quit Claude Desktop (⌘+Q — not just close the window) and reopen it.

After Claude confirms the update, fully quit Claude Desktop (right-click the system tray icon → Quit — not just close the window) and reopen it.

E. Verify It's Working

In your Claude Code session, type:

Tell me my sp-shared status

You should see your name, email, and a list of available content. That means you're connected.

If you see an error: double-check that you copied your API key correctly and that you restarted Claude Code. If it still doesn't work, email [email protected].

F. Download Your Skills and Agents

Type this into Claude Code:

Sync my shared content

This downloads your program skills and resources directly into Claude Code. Everything you need for Parts 5–7 comes through here.

You can run this command again any time to check for updates.

You're connected when: Claude can access your Strategic Profits program materials. Try asking Claude about your program to verify.

Connect your tools

~5 min

Step 9 of 10

Claude can already read and write inside your Obsidian vault. Now we're going to give it access to the other tools you use every day — your email, calendar, files, the systems your business already runs on.

9a. Built-in connectors (~3 min)

Claude Desktop has built-in connectors for the tools most owners use. These are one-click — no API keys, no copy-paste. You sign in with your existing account and Claude can use that tool from then on.

Connect at minimum:

Gmail — so Claude can read and draft emails
Google Drive — so Claude can read documents you already have
GitHub — so Claude can manage code and shared content from Strategic Profits
Slack — so Claude can read messages and post on your behalf

Optional but useful: Google Calendar, Notion, Asana, Linear — connect any others you actually use.

In Claude Desktop, click the Settings gear (top-right corner)
Click the Connectors tab
For each tool, click Connect → sign in → click Allow
Repeat for each tool

What Claude can see vs. what stays private: When you connect Gmail, Claude can read and send emails when you ask it to. It does NOT read your inbox in the background. Same for every other connector — Claude only acts when you tell it to.

Each connector works when: in the Chat tab, type "What can you see in my [tool]?" and Claude responds with a real summary.

9b. Strategic Profits connectors (~2 min)

Two connectors are specific to Strategic Profits. We'll set them up using a built-in skill that handles all the details.

You'll need: your SP API key (starts with sk_sp_, emailed to you when you enrolled).

Can't find your API key? Enter your email below and we'll resend it.

SP Shared: In Claude Desktop, Code tab, type:

/sp-connect sp-mcp

The skill will ask for your SP API key, run the connection, and verify it worked. Restart Claude Code when it finishes.

Don't have the /sp-connect skill yet?

Download it here and extract it into your vault's Shared/shared-claude-skills/skills/ folder:

sp-connect.zip

Then restart Claude Code and run /sp-connect sp-mcp as shown above.

GoHighLevel (only if your business uses GHL — skip if you don't):

/sp-connect ghl

The skill will ask for your Private Integration Token and Location ID, then handle everything.

About /sp-connect: This is a Strategic Profits skill that handles all connection setup. Run /sp-connect status any time to see what's connected, or /sp-connect repair to fix broken connections.

Set up your Key Vault

~8 min

Step 10 of 10

As you go through the program, Claude is going to need access to other tools — Stripe to read your payments, Replicate to generate images, MailerLite to send emails, and dozens of other services depending on what you build.

Each of those tools gives you something called an API key — a long string of characters that proves it's you. You don't want those keys scattered across config files on your computer where you'll lose them.

Think of this like 1Password, but for Claude. One vault, all your devices, never lose a key again.

We use a tool called Doppler for this. It's free for personal use, takes a few minutes to set up, and means:

All your API keys live in one place
Your keys sync to every device you use Claude on
When Claude says "I can't find your X key," there's exactly one place to look
When you change a key, every device picks up the new value automatically

In Claude Desktop, Code tab, type:

/sp-connect doppler

The skill will walk you through everything: creating a Doppler account, installing the CLI, logging in, setting up your project, and verifying it works. Just answer its questions when it asks.

Verify Doppler is working

After the skill finishes, run this in the Code tab to confirm your secrets are accessible:

doppler secrets --only-names

You should see a list of secret names (like SP_API_KEY). If you see an error, re-run /sp-connect doppler and follow the prompts.

Adding keys later: Any time a service gives you an API key, just tell Claude: "Add my Stripe key to Doppler. Here it is: rk_live_..." — Claude knows how to do the rest.

Multiple devices? When you set up a second computer, just run /sp-connect doppler again — it'll detect your existing account and project, log you in, and all your keys are available immediately.

Doppler is connected when: doppler secrets --only-names shows your secret names without errors. Run /sp-connect status any time to verify all connections.

You're fully set up. Here's what comes next

Take a look at what you just built:

Claude Desktop installed and signed in
Obsidian vault created and connected to Claude
Auto mode enabled — Claude works without interrupting you
Connected to Strategic Profits — program materials accessible
Your tools connected — Gmail, Drive, GitHub, Slack, Strategic Profits, GHL
Doppler vault connected — every API key has a home

This is the foundation. Everything Strategic Profits teaches you from here builds on this.

A few things worth knowing

Point Claude anywhere

Same Select Folder button, different target. Want Claude to put something on your Desktop? Just point it there.

You own your data

Everything is plain text files on your computer. If Anthropic disappeared tomorrow, your work would still be on your hard drive.

Markdown is AI's favorite format

That's what Obsidian uses by default. Don't worry about it — just know that's why everything ends up as .md files.

Continue: Next Steps →

Troubleshooting

Claude Desktop won't open

Right-click the Claude icon in Applications → click Open. macOS blocks first launches by default. After you do this once, it'll open normally from then on.

If Windows Defender SmartScreen shows a warning, click More info → Run anyway. This only happens the first time. If the app still won't launch, try running the installer again as Administrator (right-click → Run as administrator).

You only see Chat in the sidebar — no Co-work or Code

You're either not signed in, or signed in with an account that doesn't have a paid subscription. Click the icon in the bottom-left → sign out → sign back in with the email tied to your Strategic Profits subscription.

Claude can't find your Obsidian vault

Go back to Step 5. The folder needs to be added explicitly in Claude — Claude won't find it on its own. Make sure you pointed at the vault folder itself.

Files are disappearing or links are getting corrupted

Your vault is probably in iCloud, Dropbox, or another cloud service. Move it:

Quit Obsidian first
Drag the vault folder out of the cloud service into your Documents folder
Reopen Obsidian → Open folder as vault → point at the new location
Then redo Step 5 in Claude Desktop

Your vault is probably in OneDrive, Dropbox, or another cloud service. Move it:

Close Obsidian first
Move the vault folder out of the cloud-synced folder into a local folder (e.g., C:\Vaults\)
Reopen Obsidian → Open folder as vault → point at the new location
Then redo Step 5 in Claude Desktop

Claude is asking me to install Git or connect to GitHub

Click Allow on both. GitHub is where developers store and back up code — Claude uses it under the hood for some features.

Auto mode is greyed out

Quit Claude Desktop completely and reopen it. The settings change requires a full restart. If still greyed out, you may be on a Team or Enterprise plan where the toggle is in your admin's Organization Settings → Claude Code instead of your personal settings.

A connector keeps disconnecting

Some connectors (especially Google ones) require periodic re-authentication. If a connector stops working after a few weeks, go back to Settings → Connectors, click Disconnect, then Connect again.

Claude says it can't find an API key you added to Doppler

Two common causes:

Your Claude Code session was started before Doppler was connected. Close the Code tab and start a new session.
The key was added to a different Doppler config (e.g., prod instead of dev). Run doppler configs to see which configs have which keys.

Doppler login won't complete

Run doppler login --no-browser and copy the URL into your browser manually. Some corporate firewalls block the auto-launch behavior.

SP MCP connection command fails

Ensure Node.js is installed on your computer. The MCP connection requires it. Download and install it from nodejs.org, then try the command again.

Still stuck?

Post in the Strategic Profits community and tag either Jem Erroba or Tom Hammaker — they'll get back to you shortly.

Or email us at [email protected]

Set up your AI workspace

Choose how you'd like to get set up

Watch the video

Step-by-step guide

Before you start

Part 1: Set Up Claude Code & Obsidian

Part 2: Set Up Permissions, Connect to MCP to Get Your Skills & Agents, Connect Your Tools, and Create Your Key Vault

Before you start

Download and install Claude Desktop

Sign in to Claude Desktop

Download and install Obsidian

Create your Obsidian vault

4a. Name your vault

4b. Choose where to save it

Connect Claude Code to your vault

Test the connection

Let Claude work without interruption

7a. Enable auto mode in your account

7b. Switch your current session into auto mode

Connect to SP MCP

Via Claude Code (CLI)

Via Claude Desktop App

E. Verify It's Working

F. Download Your Skills and Agents

Connect your tools

9a. Built-in connectors (~3 min)

9b. Strategic Profits connectors (~2 min)

Set up your Key Vault

Verify Doppler is working

You're fully set up. Here's what comes next

A few things worth knowing

Point Claude anywhere

You own your data

Markdown is AI's favorite format

Troubleshooting