Build A Hermes Second Brain In 30 Minutes (Free)

A Hermes second brain takes 30 minutes to set up — and it transforms what your AI agent can actually do for you.

This is the literal step-by-step.

By the end of 30 minutes you'll have:

OMI installed and recording memories.
Obsidian set up as your second brain vault.
Hermes pulling memories on every prompt.
A working personal AI that remembers you.

🔥 Want guided second brain onboarding? Inside the AI Profit Boardroom, I share my full OMI + Obsidian + Hermes config + weekly live coaching where I'll set this up with you on a screen-share. 2,800+ members. → Get the setup

The 30-Minute Plan

5 minutes — install Hermes (skip if you already have it).
5 minutes — install Obsidian + create vault.
10 minutes — install OMI + connect to Obsidian.
5 minutes — configure Hermes to read the vault.
5 minutes — test the second brain with a real prompt.

That's it.

Step 1 — Hermes Install

If you don't have Hermes yet, follow How To Setup Hermes Agent for the one-click install.

If you have it, skip to Step 2.

For broader Hermes context (multi-agent, swarms, dashboard), see Hermes Agent Workspace.

Step 2 — Obsidian Vault Setup

obsidian.md → download → install. Free.

Open Obsidian → Create new vault → name it "Memory Vault" or whatever you like.

Note the file path of your vault folder (you'll need it).

To get the path on Mac:

Right-click the vault folder in Finder.
Get Info.
Copy the "Where" path.

Save that somewhere you can paste from later.

Step 3 — Install OMI

omi.com → download Mac app → install.

Launch OMI.

Grant permissions:

Microphone access (for voice capture).
Screen recording (for visual context).

Privacy note: you can disable any of these any time. I keep screen recording on, microphone selective.

Step 4 — Connect OMI To Obsidian

Inside OMI:

Click "Apps".
Find Obsidian in the list.
Click "Connect".
Point at your vault folder path.
Save.

OMI starts writing memory files into the vault.

You should see new markdown files appearing within minutes.

Step 5 — Tell Hermes To Use The Vault

Open Hermes (terminal or workspace).

Send this prompt:

"Use my notes from the Obsidian vault for your memory, particularly from OMI. Vault path: [paste your vault file path here]"

Hermes confirms it can read the vault.

It now uses your second brain on every query.

Step 6 — Test The Memory

Try a query that requires personal context.

Example: "Knowing what you know about me, what should I prioritise this week?"

Hermes should reference things from your vault — your projects, decisions, notes.

If it gives a generic answer, refine your prompt: "Read the OMI memory files in [path] before answering. Use that context."

Watch The Build In Action

Here's the broader Hermes framework I run — second brain is one piece of it:

That covers Hermes setup, multi-agent, profiles, dashboards.

For the OpenClaw equivalent (different agent, same pattern), here's the OMI + OpenClaw walkthrough:

What To Watch For During Setup

Three common issues in the first 30 minutes:

1. OMI permissions denied.

System Settings → Privacy & Security → enable Microphone + Screen Recording for OMI.

2. Obsidian vault path wrong.

Always use Finder Get Info to copy the path.

Manually-typed paths usually have typos.

3. Hermes ignoring the vault.

Your prompt needs to specifically tell Hermes to read the path.

"Use my Obsidian notes" isn't enough — give the explicit path.

What Memory Looks Like After 24 Hours

Within a day, OMI will have:

50-100 memories written.
Tasks captured from screen + voice.
Goals identified.
Decisions logged.

After a week, you'll have hundreds.

Hermes uses all of this automatically.

🚀 Want help getting your second brain dialled in? The AI Profit Boardroom has weekly live coaching where you can share your screen and we'll set up your OMI + Obsidian + Hermes together. Plus the 2-hour Hermes course + 6-hour OpenClaw course. 2,800+ members. → Join here

What To Do After Day 1

Three immediate next steps.

1. Add manual notes to Obsidian.

Don't rely only on OMI. Drop in important decisions, plans, context.

2. Test multiple Hermes queries that need memory.

The more you test, the better you'll learn how to prompt for memory recall.

3. Connect to OpenClaw too.

Same vault works for OpenClaw — see OpenClaw Memory Persistence.

Daily Workflow After Setup

What it looks like:

8am — open Hermes. It knows what's on for the day.
Throughout day — OMI captures meetings, decisions, screen context.
Evening — Hermes suggests next-day actions based on captured memory.

Used to take 20 minutes daily explaining context.

Now zero.

Privacy Best Practices

If you're handling client data or sensitive info:

Exclude specific apps from OMI screen recording.
Disable microphone during private calls.
Encrypt your Obsidian vault folder if needed.

OMI processes locally so data doesn't leave your machine.

But still — apply common sense privacy hygiene.

Why This Setup Wins Over Cloud AI Memory

Cloud AI memory (ChatGPT memory, Claude memory) has limits:

Bounded by what the platform stores.
Lives on someone else's server.
Doesn't transfer to other agents.

Local Obsidian + OMI:

Unlimited storage.
Lives on your machine.
Works with any local agent (Hermes, OpenClaw, Claude Desktop).

For privacy + portability, local wins.

Common Setup Mistakes

1. Skipping the file path step.

Without the exact vault path, Hermes can't find your memories.

2. Not testing the memory recall.

If you don't test, you assume it's working.

It usually isn't on first try.

3. Recording too much too fast.

Start with screen + selective microphone.

Layer in more after a week.

The Real Win

After 30 minutes of setup, you've moved from a generic AI agent to a personalised one.

Every Hermes prompt gets sharper.

Every recommendation gets more relevant.

Every conversation builds on the last.

That's the second brain compounding effect.

FAQ — Hermes Second Brain Setup

Can I really set this up in 30 minutes?

Yes — if you have Hermes already installed.

If not, add another 30 minutes for that.

Is OMI safe to give microphone access?

Processes locally.

You control what's recorded.

But always apply judgement with sensitive content.

Will Hermes work without the second brain?

Yes — but it'll be generic.

The second brain is what makes it personalised.

Can I share my Obsidian vault across machines?

Yes — sync via iCloud, Dropbox, or Obsidian Sync.

What happens if my vault gets corrupted?

Markdown files — easy to restore from any backup.

OMI keeps a copy of recent memories too.

Should I encrypt the vault?

If you handle client data — yes.

For personal use — your call.