Podcasts about can spam

In this episode, Donna Peterson focuses on a key area of B2B marketing—strategies for promoting executive and professional education programs. Inspired by Albert Einstein's belief in lifelong learning, the episode explores how today's busy decision-makers often need more than one touchpoint before they commit.Donna shares practical insights into building trust and driving registrations through a thoughtful combination of targeted email campaigns and banner placements in respected industry environments. She emphasizes the importance of choosing quality lists over broad distribution, aligning messaging across channels, and ensuring your marketing efforts are compliant with GDPR and CAN-SPAM.The conversation also touches on how to create a cohesive, nurturing journey that supports prospective learners from the first impression to the final registration.If you're working to grow your professional education program, this episode offers grounded, actionable advice to help you reach the right audience and improve results without wasting budget.Episode Breakdown:• 00:00 Introduction – The Importance of Continuous Learning• 00:35 The Challenge of Enrolling in Courses• 01:27 Today's Focus: Executive Education Programs• 03:25 Email Strategy for Course Promotion• 06:49 The Power of Banner Ads• 08:45 Building Trust and Closing the Loop• 10:03 Conclusion and Recap• 10:30 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

Tune into our weekly LIVE Mastermind Q+A Podcast for expert advice, peer collaboration, and actionable insights on success in the Probate, Divorce, Late Mortgage/Pre-Foreclosure and Aged Expired niches!Today's episode of the All The Leads Mastermind podcast dives into an open forum-style discussion focused on relationship-building, prospecting, and systems optimization for probate and pre-probate leads. Community members bring to the table real-world challenges and creative solutions, including how to approach estate planning attorneys, offer value to past clients, and leverage personal planning—like setting up your own living trust—as a networking tool.The episode highlights the strategy of “seesawing” between client and attorney outreach to create mutually beneficial relationships. It also explores how agents can refresh and revisit older leads—even those from years ago—with surprising success, especially when there's minimal competition and high motivation from the prospect's side.Bruce discusses updates to the Probate Mastery certification course, emphasizing a newly expanded training format with 30–40+ hours of content and the upcoming launch of free weekly Probate Foundations classes. Meanwhile, listeners share best practices for team calling sessions, utilizing click-to-dial features, and maintaining consistent follow-up.The group also discusses compliance risks around cold emailing and the importance of securing opt-in communication permissions to remain legally sound under CAN-SPAM regulations. The episode wraps up with standout success stories from the community, including a new lead with nine properties and several recent closings, showcasing how consistent action and education pay off in the probate niche.Previous episodes: AllTheLeads.com/probate-mastermindInterested in Leads? AllTheLeads.comJoin Future Episodes Live in the All The Leads Facebook Mastermind Group:  https://facebook.com/groups/alltheleadsmastermindBe sure to check out our full Mastermind Q&A Playlist Support the show

Episode Summary:In this episode of the B2B Marketing Excellence Podcast, Donna Peterson dives into a critical challenge facing industrial B2B marketers: avoiding email spam traps and maintaining high-quality, compliant email lists. With 80% of marketers struggling with deliverability issues due to low-quality lists, Donna outlines practical strategies to ensure your campaigns reach the right audience while protecting your domain reputation.You'll learn:The Risks of Poor-Quality Lists: Spam traps, blacklisted domains, and disengaged buyers.Laws and Compliance: How regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM build trust and ensure accountability.Actionable Checklist: Tips on source credibility, audience alignment, data hygiene, opt-ins, verification tools, and regular updates.The Cost of Neglect: Real-world examples of companies who suffered long-term damage from using cheap or outdated lists.Resources Mentioned:Target Audience Worksheet - https://bit.ly/B2BAudienceWorksheetEmail Quality-Control Checklist - https://bit.ly/AvoidBadEmailListsRecommended Tools: AtData (www.atdata.com)Episode Breakdown:[00:00] Introduction: Why email deliverability matters.[00:20] Understanding spam traps and their impact.[01:47] The risks and long-term damage of low-quality lists.[05:42] Overview of compliance regulations.[09:17] A step-by-step guide to maintaining list quality.[15:21] Closing thoughts and how to get additional resources.Download the checklist and Target Audience Worksheet to ensure your email campaigns avoid spam traps and stay compliant. Have questions or need help? Reach out to Donna directly at dpeterson@worldinnovators.com.Connect with Donna:LinkedIn: World InnovatorsWebsite: World Innovators

On today's episode of Ad Nauseam Amy and Daniel have a special guest – Allyson Himelfarb – who is joining their discussion of CAN-SPAM and FTC enforcement of email marketing rules.Questions & Comments: amudge@bakerlaw.com and dkaufman@bakerlaw.com

In this episode of the Grow a Thriving Practice Podcast, I dive deep into why building an email list and staying consistent in communication is essential for wellness practitioners. Whether you're just starting or looking to grow your practice, email marketing is a powerful tool that can connect you directly with clients who need your services. We'll cover how to build trust through consistent messaging, the importance of getting permission before adding anyone to your list, and how to overcome the fear of being a “bother.” Key Topics Discussed: Why Build an Email List: The value of staying connected with clients and how regular emails keep you top of mind. Overcoming the Fear of Bothering People: Why it's okay to send frequent emails and how the right clients will stay engaged. Getting Permission: Why consent is crucial when building an email list, and the legal reasons behind it (CAN-SPAM, GDPR). The Power of Direct Connection: How email outperforms social media by providing direct access to your audience without platform restrictions. Consistency is Key: How often to send emails and why weekly communication builds trust and authority. What to Include in Emails: Tips on creating valuable, engaging content that keeps your audience interested. Measuring Success: Key metrics to track like open rates, click-through rates, and subscriber growth. Real-Life Success Story: Example of a practitioner who's transformed her businesses by embracing email marketing. Don't miss out on our upcoming Energy Reboot session happening on September 30th! Sign up now to clear energetic blocks and step into your power with clarity. https://jillianfaldmo.com/energyreboot

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Molly Martinson is a lawyer at Wyrick Robbins, a Raleigh-based law firm with outstanding privacy compliance credentials. She advises clients on a whole range of applicable privacy frameworks (CCPA, CPRA, FCRA, CAN-SPAM, COPPA, HIPAA), data breaches, laws regulating data brokers, and laws governing website and mobile application privacy policies. She also regularly advises international and U.S.- based clients on the applicability and requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).  Molly received her B.A., cum laude from Wake Forest University and her J.D. with honors from UNC Schoolors Writing Scholar. She also received the Gressman-Pollitt Award for Excellence in Oral Advocacy. Molly served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert N. Hunter, Jr. on the Supreme Court of North Carolina and the North Carolina Court of Appeals before entering private practice. References: Molly Martinson on LinkedIn California Consumer Privacy Act Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act Colorado Privacy Act Utah Consumer Privacy Act Summary of the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (National Law Review) Connecticut Data Privacy Act Florida Privacy Protection Act Montana Consumer Privacy Law Oregon Consumer Privacy Act Global Privacy Control Wyrick Robbins

Welcome to Part 3 of this four-part series on The Online Business Family Tree, where we trace back how we arrived at this moment in internet marketing and online business and who are the key leaders who brought us here. In this installment, we're time traveling from WWI and WWII all the way to today, where clickbait, ClickFunnels to hell, and faking it 'til you make it have spread across the branches of this rotten business tree, poisoning the fruits that fall to everyone clamoring for their taste of success. Remember, this stuff didn't start on the Internet — it goes back hundreds of years. To understand marketing history is to understand ourselves and our culture — marketing is the fuel for the engine of capitalism. Let's take a trip through time, so you can be a more informed consumer and, hopefully, a more ethical marketer. What you can expect in Part 3 of the Online Business Family Tree: What ex-employees are saying about Brooke Castillo and The Life Coach School How a bro marketer gamed the system to launch a chart-topping country music album (by tricking people into buying it) The true story of the country's first famous "snake oil salesman" and how he culturally appropriated his way across the country Why we can thank Frank Kern for the CAN-SPAM act and how he still brags about building his business illegally That Tony Robbins scene in "Shallow Hal" and how he hypnotized his way to the top The appalling truth of ClickFunnels and why Russell Brunson thinks Adolf Hilter is a business leader — while the industry co-signs this concept What Nazi leaders learned about marketing from American propaganda How Christian nationalist preachers built the advertising industry What Jenna Kutcher, Amy Porterfield, and Mel Robbins really did on their Napa Valley mastermind and how they leverage parasocial bonds to sell to your sense of loneliness Who monetized her friend's death to boost her clickthrough rate Why no one can be Gary V, even Gary V, and the problem with corporations masquerading as people How "more good millionaires" isn't the answer to systemic problems About Lisa Robbin Young Lisa Robbin Young has 30 years of business experience as a coach and creative entrepreneur: she is an award-winning speaker, best-selling author, and accomplished musician with multiple albums to her credit. You may even recognize her from the Disney+ show “Encore.” She is also the host of the “Creative Freedom” show — I highly recommend her music video parodies. Check out “There are worse things I could do” for a Marie Forleo crossover with Awkward Marketing. She specializes in helping creative entrepreneurs build a business that works for how you're wired to work. An annotated guide to the episode can be found at MarketingMuckraking.com in the show notes here.

I went digging...into the origins of email as a communication medium. Along the way, I found a ton of really interesting timeline milestones that are amazing, interesting, and in some cases pretty funny.So, in this episode, we explore those milestones - from invention to the CAN-SPAM act, and how we really haven't fixed a whole lot along the way.Here's the article I reference - with a full timeline with resources, links & pictures: https://toddcaponi.com/history-of-email-in-sales-and-marketing/@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

Welcome back to the podcast. I've always been a huge advocate of change, but not always the good kind. Usually the “shake the snow globe, throw caution to the wind” chaotic kind. Lorca from episode sixteen, season three, sporadically sends a newsletter which, as a person who hates all newsletters because they melt me down into an unproductive diatribe about marketers who clearly have no regard for CAN-SPAM laws—I love receiving this one. This week's newsletter subject line was “Resilience Loves…Change”:“People who want clearly are dangerous to the status quo. They are natural catalysts. Things will change around them.”Up next is our eleventh mini-episode which is comprised of audio you sent in, answering the question: “How did climbing change your life?”We're always taking audio submissions and pitches. Contact us through our submission form on fortheloveofclimbing.com, and tune in next Monday, April first, for the first episode of season six.For the Love of Climbing is presented by Patagonia. Additional support is from deuter USA, Allez Outdoor, and Ocún.Music is by Chad Crouch. Additional music is licensed by Music Bed.Read the transcript here.Catch up on podcast (pod-Kath?) updates and general life things: @inheadlights.Therapy is for everyone: BetterHelpFLC is public media which means we're supported by listeners like you. Become a patron in exchange for a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Let's face it, successful email marketing is hard and there are a lot of nuances that go into doing it right. Here to demystify email marketing and guide you to peak conversion rates is Casey Stanton, the Founder of CMOx, a Fractional CMO, and author of the Wall Street Journal #1 bestseller, The Fractional CMO Method. Casey shares great advice for anyone using email marketing as a channel including why they need a separate domain for emailing “Yellow Light contacts, what's required for a successful multi-part email campaign, and how marketers can improve their email delivery rates with one simple question.   Takeaways: It's vital to protect the primary domain of your rational clients if you ever want to have any measure of success with using email as a channel. Spammy practices can get your domain blocklisted by your own email tool and by the recipient's email provider. The two biggest email and spam-related regulations that senders need to be aware of are CAN-SPAM and GDPR. CAN-SPAM applies to emails sent from or to email addresses in the US. GDPR applies to those in the European Union. For “Yellow Light” contacts with a higher risk of unsubscribing or reporting your email as spam, it's safer to send emails to them from a separate domain and email. This protects the reputation of your fractional client's company website and emails. To set up a separate email for “Yellow Light” contacts, you'll want another domain that is at least a week old. For example adding company.co if you have company.com. Set up a 301 redirect so any traffic to that website is sent to your actual website and add UTMs. The first email you send to a list is crucial. Know what outcome you want and build a multi-part email series to accomplish that. Multi-part email series should range from 3-5 emails with each successive email filtering out those that have taken the action. Write emails as if it's to your mom. People are more likely to engage with casual emails that are entertaining and enjoyable to read, rather than boring and dry corporate emails loaded with logos, links, and images. Consider timing and frequency when sending emails, ideally sending between 10am-3pm ET on Tuesdays-Thursdays for most businesses. This impacts email open rates, so it's important to choose the right time to send your emails for your niche. By asking recipients to reply to your emails, you can improve inbox deliverability and avoid being marked as spam.   Quote of the Show: “You never want to email someone multiple times to ask them to perform an action that they've already taken” - Casey Stanton   Shout Outs: MX Toolbox: https://mxtoolbox.com/  SEM Fresh & Spam Eating Monkey: https://spameatingmonkey.com/lookup  MailerLite: https://www.mailerlite.com/ Sendinblue: https://www.sendinblue.com/ NeverBounce: https://neverbounce.com/   Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyStanton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystanton/ CMOx Website: https://cmox.co/call/ The Fractional CMO Method: https://cmox.co/book/   Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/039bc2d6-c1b5-4ced-ac2a-437e69546e7c/fractional-cmo-show Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fractional-cmo-show/id1592740671 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1HGwnjsXA4c4gYQvj4w53E?si=bd6e0908e25749ec Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mcmFjdGlvbmFsY21vLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlpNDTveb0AhUXEFkFHaZcDtYQ9sEGegQIARAC YouTube: https://youtu.be/U92XEmY4i-Y   

The irony of the CAN-SPAM law. When genuine kernel drivers go rogue. Apple patches everything. Stealing data via secret radio waves. E-commerce supply chain drama. Original music by Edith Mudge Got questions/suggestions/stories to share? Email tips@sophos.com Twitter @NakedSecurity

This week on the 2nd Act Entrepreneur show we dive into 5 ways to avoid the spam filter with your email marketing. Some are based on tech and some are simple tweaks you can make to your email marketing practice that will ensure you get more eyeballs on your emails. Be sure to stay tuned until the end because you won't want to miss the bonus tip toward the end of the episode. Consistently showing up in the inbox is a great way to build rapport with your new email subscribers.  But did you know that it is also a GREAT way to ensure you stay out of the SPAM filter too? More on that in the episode. One of your first opportunities to practice consistency is with your welcome email series.  This simple series ensures that you show up in the inbox of a new subscriber 5-7 times. Yet that pesky sequence can sometimes feel overwhelming to create. You're not alone if you feel that way. I've met so many entrepreneurs who struggle with creating a powerful welcome sequence. If you have blank screen syndrome, struggle with what to include, and rush through sales phrasing just to put something out into the inbox. Fear not, help is on the way! Download your free copy of the Welcome Sequence Guide and get the step-by-step system to write a compelling email sequence that not only gets emails opened but also builds rapport and trust which will lead you to the sale and out of the SPAM folder. Download your free copy here. All of the tips at the beginning of this week's episode are tech-focused.  But fear not if you don't like the tech pieces of email marketing. Each of these tips can be implemented or changed by you OR you will know what to ask for when you meet up with your website/email tech person. 1. Ensure that you are training your subscribers to find and look for your emails.  This starts with your thank you page.  You will find some great tips on what to include during the episode. This step starts before you hit the inbox, so be sure to tune in. 2. Ensure that your email domain has met all the spam prevention criteria.  Including setting up your website URL with SSL and also having your DMARC and other spam requirements set up as DS records with your website host.  If all of those acronyms through you off, don't worry.  You can use this tool to spit out a report for your website, email, and more so that you can show your tech guru what needs to be done.  Don't have a tech person, schedule a free call, and let's see if we are a good match. 3. Get permission and track that you have. Adding people to your email list or buying email lists is not only horrible for your email marketing reputation it can get you in some hot water legally.  Be sure to follow all the email marketing guidelines like GDPR and CAN-SPAM for your country and state.  A great rule of thumb is don't add anyone to your list unless they have explicitly said it's okay to do so. The other tool I mention in the episode helps you analyze the health of your list.  You can sign up for a free account with Emailable to do that here. 4. Avoid writing spammy headlines and headlines that include SPAM triggers. Headlines can be tricky.  Other marketers have ruined some of the best phrases and symbols and now if you use those words or symbols, bummer you will get sent straight to SPAM, junk, or even the trash bin.  Need some help deciphering which words to avoid?  No problem, download this free guide and get 350 words to avoid in your headlines and copy. 5. Use an email service provider that is well-known and has a good reputation. Not all email service providers are built the same.  My two favorites are Convertkit and ActiveCampaign.  They have excellent functionality and deliverability.  I recently looked at another provider and when I started to review their email deliverability it wasn't good.  It caused me to not switch to them for my email and other needs.  The short way to find out if an email service provider has a good reputation is to Google their reputation and reviews. Don't forget to tune into the entire show to hear the bonus tip. Comment with your favorite tip or even one I missed below. Until next week, Stay well and take care! ~Alisa      

This week on The Download: Acast buys Podchaser, PodcastOne strikes out on their own, SiriusXM and Comscore expand their deal, Disney's integrating with The Trade Desk , and Podnews caught 240 spam emails. This Monday Podnews started off the work week with a big announcement: Acast is acquiring Podchaser in a $34 million dollar deal.  “Podchaser, which will continue to operate as a separate brand and independent business, was founded in 2016 and is home to the leading global podcast database, covering more than 4.5 million podcasts and more than 1.7 billion data points — including hundreds of thousands of ratings and reviews, and the advertisers of the world's top 5,000 podcasts. This unique, proprietary data — which will also remain open to all — spans and powers the entire open podcast ecosystem, and is used by listeners, podcasters, advertisers and industry professionals.” Podchaser has created strong integrations with hosting platforms to receive data, exported data to podcast apps and hosting platforms, and has a competitive intelligence tool built to enable publishers and buyers alike to improve their revenue streams.  General industry sentiment of Acast currently is a bit lukewarm unless you're actively working with them as a publisher or a buyer. As previously reported, Acast has—or at least had— a marketing strategy involving unrelenting spam emails encouraging podcasters to switch to their services. With mass emails to RadioPublic users and their siloed relationships with partners like Patreon, it's hard for some podcasters to give this deal the benefit of the doubt.  We're very happy for our sponsor Podchaser, and the entire team there, and truly hope the independent nature is maintained. We still question the comfort of existing and new integrated partners providing data to a competitor. Last Friday LiveOne issued a press release announcing that their company PodcastOne, having just raised 8.1 million in funding, is looking to separate and become an independent company.  “PodcastOne is the leading advertiser-supported on-demand digital podcast company, offering a 360-degree solution for both content creators and advertisers, including content development, brand integration and distribution. Acquired by LiveOne in 2020, PodcastOne has had more than 2.1 billion downloads a year since its acquisition, across the more than 350 weekly episodes it distributes.” Their talent stable includes names like Jordan Harbinger, Adam Carolla, and T-Pain. In the press release PodcastOne president Kit Gray said:  “The podcasting business has exploded over the past five years and PodcastOne is one of the largest independent podcast companies in the world. The company is one of only two independent podcasting publishers in the top 10 of Podtrac's list of Top Publishers. We believe that by trading as a separate public company, PodcastOne will have the opportunity to access the public capital markets as well as be better positioned to both acquire podcast platforms and attract significant podcast talent.”  PodcastOne offers its own self-built platform and operates as an ad sales network for its publishers. It's weathered a lot of storms in podcasting and investment like this during a recession shows confidence in the ability for them to stand on their own. It will be interesting to see how their products and services come to market faster, and who they cater toward. Much like the acquisition last story, this announcement shows podcasting deals aren't going stale. Last Thursday SiriusXM and Comscore announced the expansion of their collaborative agreement to bring predictive audience targeting to podcasts. This new expanded agreement will bring Comscore Predictive Audiences to both AdzWizz and SXM Media clients. General Manager of Comscore activation services Rachel Grant said:  “With podcast consumption skyrocketing and the regulatory environment still very fluid, it's critical to give advertisers the ability to develop privacy-forward and future-proof audience targeting on podcasts”  Prior to this AdsWizz was already working with Comscore for their contextual targeting based off of keywords for the Podscribe tool (not to be confused with the company Podscribe). The new deal expands into a targetable dataset for those buying through Adswizz programmatic offerings, either as a buyer using their demand side platform to buy anywhere in podcast programmatic, or buying directly into their open marketplace Podwave.  The continued highlighting of it being privacy-first is a bit misleading. AdsWizz is still providing the IP address to match off of, which we at Sounds Profitable do not find to be an issue. That Comscore has built a new dataset not built on cookies is a step towards the aforementioned future-proofing. The dataset looks to come from Comscore opted-in panels, which is different from universal ID solutions looking to match first party data. While podcasting is always probabilistic matching - as it's based on IP address - this is also probabilistic targeting.  It's neat to see Comscore focusing a bit more on podcasting while many other major data partners are snoozing on it. In a rare twist we only have one article posted on a Tuesday for you this week. Last Tuesday AdExchanger's James Hercher published “Disney Integrates With The Trade Desk And UID2 In Pursuit Of Better Addressability.” “This new integration with The Trade Desk, which was born from recent meetings in Cannes, will accelerate Disney's ambition to automate and target more of its overall pool of data, Barnes said. Advertisers will be able to more effectively find their audiences across Disney inventory and the added precision should help improve ROI and post-campaign results.” Disney is a major player in podcasting, both directly and through partnerships. So much of what Disney does today uses programmatic for efficiency's sake. A company of that size can't easily do manual IO's for every cookie-cutter campaign. As Disney continues to invest and grow their podcast offerings creates synergy with the majority of podcast SSPs being configured to purchase from The Trade Desk. There's  real potential for further increase in podcasting programmatic as the industry takes care of the small discrepancies and differences that stand in the way of podcasting as a main advertising channel.  While the article is worth engaging with on its own merits, script writer Gavin Gaddis wishes to spotlight the piece's cartoon of Toy Story stars Buzz and Woody selling ads with the caption ‘to automation and beyond.' Three months ago Podnews editor James Cridland laid a trap to learn more about the methods and companies using shady tactics to cold-call podcasters via email. On Wednesday he published the results in “the podcast industry's biggest spammer.”  “In May 2022, we amended Podnews's podcast RSS feed to produce a near infinite amount of trackable email addresses as a kind of spamtrap. We wanted to discover who was scraping our RSS feed for emails; what user agent they were using, when they scraped it, what tag they scraped it from, and whether the messages were legal under the FCC's rules (the so-called CAN-SPAM Act).”  Cridland's honeypot strategy attracted 240 emails over the three month period. Some fall within the boundaries of CAN-SPAM, some seem pointed in their lack of transparency.  The specific companies involved are not necessarily important to the overall story. Podcasting needs good governance as growth continues and the industry constantly redefines what constitutes ‘normal' business practices. It's on those within the industry to make podcasting better through what's considered an acceptable marketing strategy. It's perfectly legal to scrape email addresses from RSS feed tags and send them unsolicited emails as long as they follow loose FCC and other governmental regulatory rules. In an industry growing as fast and consistently as podcasting one has to question if it has a place for an antiquated cold-calling strategy perfected in the late 90s.  Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week's two Quick Hits are  The Most Important Things We've Learned About Making Successful Podcasts with Brands by Dan Misener. Misener, formerly Director of Audience Development at Pacific Content, provides a great list of learnings on his way out the door. One of the greatest minds at Pacific, Misener has been skilled at breaking down complex data and making it accessible to the masses. His heart has always been focused on growing all of podcasting and Sounds Profitable fully supports him in whatever he's doing next. We know it'll have an impact.  And secondly: a press release from Pushkin media: Pushkin Industries Expands Production Capacity With Acquisition of Creative Podcast Company Transmitter Media. Here we have yet another example of a podcast production company growing to the point they need to buy another podcast production company.  The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Evo Terra are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable. Special thanks to our media host, Omny Studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Download: Acast buys Podchaser, PodcastOne strikes out on their own, SiriusXM and Comscore expand their deal, Disney's integrating with The Trade Desk , and Podnews caught 240 spam emails. This Monday Podnews started off the work week with a big announcement: Acast is acquiring Podchaser in a $34 million dollar deal.  “Podchaser, which will continue to operate as a separate brand and independent business, was founded in 2016 and is home to the leading global podcast database, covering more than 4.5 million podcasts and more than 1.7 billion data points — including hundreds of thousands of ratings and reviews, and the advertisers of the world's top 5,000 podcasts. This unique, proprietary data — which will also remain open to all — spans and powers the entire open podcast ecosystem, and is used by listeners, podcasters, advertisers and industry professionals.” Podchaser has created strong integrations with hosting platforms to receive data, exported data to podcast apps and hosting platforms, and has a competitive intelligence tool built to enable publishers and buyers alike to improve their revenue streams.  General industry sentiment of Acast currently is a bit lukewarm unless you're actively working with them as a publisher or a buyer. As previously reported, Acast has—or at least had— a marketing strategy involving unrelenting spam emails encouraging podcasters to switch to their services. With mass emails to RadioPublic users and their siloed relationships with partners like Patreon, it's hard for some podcasters to give this deal the benefit of the doubt.  We're very happy for our sponsor Podchaser, and the entire team there, and truly hope the independent nature is maintained. We still question the comfort of existing and new integrated partners providing data to a competitor. Last Friday LiveOne issued a press release announcing that their company PodcastOne, having just raised 8.1 million in funding, is looking to separate and become an independent company.  “PodcastOne is the leading advertiser-supported on-demand digital podcast company, offering a 360-degree solution for both content creators and advertisers, including content development, brand integration and distribution. Acquired by LiveOne in 2020, PodcastOne has had more than 2.1 billion downloads a year since its acquisition, across the more than 350 weekly episodes it distributes.” Their talent stable includes names like Jordan Harbinger, Adam Carolla, and T-Pain. In the press release PodcastOne president Kit Gray said:  “The podcasting business has exploded over the past five years and PodcastOne is one of the largest independent podcast companies in the world. The company is one of only two independent podcasting publishers in the top 10 of Podtrac's list of Top Publishers. We believe that by trading as a separate public company, PodcastOne will have the opportunity to access the public capital markets as well as be better positioned to both acquire podcast platforms and attract significant podcast talent.”  PodcastOne offers its own self-built platform and operates as an ad sales network for its publishers. It's weathered a lot of storms in podcasting and investment like this during a recession shows confidence in the ability for them to stand on their own. It will be interesting to see how their products and services come to market faster, and who they cater toward. Much like the acquisition last story, this announcement shows podcasting deals aren't going stale. Last Thursday SiriusXM and Comscore announced the expansion of their collaborative agreement to bring predictive audience targeting to podcasts. This new expanded agreement will bring Comscore Predictive Audiences to both AdzWizz and SXM Media clients. General Manager of Comscore activation services Rachel Grant said:  “With podcast consumption skyrocketing and the regulatory environment still very fluid, it's critical to give advertisers the ability to develop privacy-forward and future-proof audience targeting on podcasts”  Prior to this AdsWizz was already working with Comscore for their contextual targeting based off of keywords for the Podscribe tool (not to be confused with the company Podscribe). The new deal expands into a targetable dataset for those buying through Adswizz programmatic offerings, either as a buyer using their demand side platform to buy anywhere in podcast programmatic, or buying directly into their open marketplace Podwave.  The continued highlighting of it being privacy-first is a bit misleading. AdsWizz is still providing the IP address to match off of, which we at Sounds Profitable do not find to be an issue. That Comscore has built a new dataset not built on cookies is a step towards the aforementioned future-proofing. The dataset looks to come from Comscore opted-in panels, which is different from universal ID solutions looking to match first party data. While podcasting is always probabilistic matching - as it's based on IP address - this is also probabilistic targeting.  It's neat to see Comscore focusing a bit more on podcasting while many other major data partners are snoozing on it. In a rare twist we only have one article posted on a Tuesday for you this week. Last Tuesday AdExchanger's James Hercher published “Disney Integrates With The Trade Desk And UID2 In Pursuit Of Better Addressability.” “This new integration with The Trade Desk, which was born from recent meetings in Cannes, will accelerate Disney's ambition to automate and target more of its overall pool of data, Barnes said. Advertisers will be able to more effectively find their audiences across Disney inventory and the added precision should help improve ROI and post-campaign results.” Disney is a major player in podcasting, both directly and through partnerships. So much of what Disney does today uses programmatic for efficiency's sake. A company of that size can't easily do manual IO's for every cookie-cutter campaign. As Disney continues to invest and grow their podcast offerings creates synergy with the majority of podcast SSPs being configured to purchase from The Trade Desk. There's  real potential for further increase in podcasting programmatic as the industry takes care of the small discrepancies and differences that stand in the way of podcasting as a main advertising channel.  While the article is worth engaging with on its own merits, script writer Gavin Gaddis wishes to spotlight the piece's cartoon of Toy Story stars Buzz and Woody selling ads with the caption ‘to automation and beyond.' Three months ago Podnews editor James Cridland laid a trap to learn more about the methods and companies using shady tactics to cold-call podcasters via email. On Wednesday he published the results in “the podcast industry's biggest spammer.”  “In May 2022, we amended Podnews's podcast RSS feed to produce a near infinite amount of trackable email addresses as a kind of spamtrap. We wanted to discover who was scraping our RSS feed for emails; what user agent they were using, when they scraped it, what tag they scraped it from, and whether the messages were legal under the FCC's rules (the so-called CAN-SPAM Act).”  Cridland's honeypot strategy attracted 240 emails over the three month period. Some fall within the boundaries of CAN-SPAM, some seem pointed in their lack of transparency.  The specific companies involved are not necessarily important to the overall story. Podcasting needs good governance as growth continues and the industry constantly redefines what constitutes ‘normal' business practices. It's on those within the industry to make podcasting better through what's considered an acceptable marketing strategy. It's perfectly legal to scrape email addresses from RSS feed tags and send them unsolicited emails as long as they follow loose FCC and other governmental regulatory rules. In an industry growing as fast and consistently as podcasting one has to question if it has a place for an antiquated cold-calling strategy perfected in the late 90s.  Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week's two Quick Hits are  The Most Important Things We've Learned About Making Successful Podcasts with Brands by Dan Misener. Misener, formerly Director of Audience Development at Pacific Content, provides a great list of learnings on his way out the door. One of the greatest minds at Pacific, Misener has been skilled at breaking down complex data and making it accessible to the masses. His heart has always been focused on growing all of podcasting and Sounds Profitable fully supports him in whatever he's doing next. We know it'll have an impact.  And secondly: a press release from Pushkin media: Pushkin Industries Expands Production Capacity With Acquisition of Creative Podcast Company Transmitter Media. Here we have yet another example of a podcast production company growing to the point they need to buy another podcast production company.  The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Evo Terra are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable. Special thanks to our media host, Omny Studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Download: Acast buys Podchaser, PodcastOne strikes out on their own, SiriusXM and Comscore expand their deal, Disney's integrating with The Trade Desk , and Podnews caught 240 spam emails. This Monday Podnews started off the work week with a big announcement: Acast is acquiring Podchaser in a $34 million dollar deal.  “Podchaser, which will continue to operate as a separate brand and independent business, was founded in 2016 and is home to the leading global podcast database, covering more than 4.5 million podcasts and more than 1.7 billion data points — including hundreds of thousands of ratings and reviews, and the advertisers of the world's top 5,000 podcasts. This unique, proprietary data — which will also remain open to all — spans and powers the entire open podcast ecosystem, and is used by listeners, podcasters, advertisers and industry professionals.” Podchaser has created strong integrations with hosting platforms to receive data, exported data to podcast apps and hosting platforms, and has a competitive intelligence tool built to enable publishers and buyers alike to improve their revenue streams.  General industry sentiment of Acast currently is a bit lukewarm unless you're actively working with them as a publisher or a buyer. As previously reported, Acast has—or at least had— a marketing strategy involving unrelenting spam emails encouraging podcasters to switch to their services. With mass emails to RadioPublic users and their siloed relationships with partners like Patreon, it's hard for some podcasters to give this deal the benefit of the doubt.  We're very happy for our sponsor Podchaser, and the entire team there, and truly hope the independent nature is maintained. We still question the comfort of existing and new integrated partners providing data to a competitor. Last Friday LiveOne issued a press release announcing that their company PodcastOne, having just raised 8.1 million in funding, is looking to separate and become an independent company. “PodcastOne is the leading advertiser-supported on-demand digital podcast company, offering a 360-degree solution for both content creators and advertisers, including content development, brand integration and distribution. Acquired by LiveOne in 2020, PodcastOne has had more than 2.1 billion downloads a year since its acquisition, across the more than 350 weekly episodes it distributes.” Their talent stable includes names like Jordan Harbinger, Adam Carolla, and T-Pain. In the press release PodcastOne president Kit Gray said:  “The podcasting business has exploded over the past five years and PodcastOne is one of the largest independent podcast companies in the world. The company is one of only two independent podcasting publishers in the top 10 of Podtrac's list of Top Publishers. We believe that by trading as a separate public company, PodcastOne will have the opportunity to access the public capital markets as well as be better positioned to both acquire podcast platforms and attract significant podcast talent.”  PodcastOne offers its own self-built platform and operates as an ad sales network for its publishers. It's weathered a lot of storms in podcasting and investment like this during a recession shows confidence in the ability for them to stand on their own. It will be interesting to see how their products and services come to market faster, and who they cater toward. Much like the acquisition last story, this announcement shows podcasting deals aren't going stale. Last Thursday SiriusXM and Comscore announced the expansion of their collaborative agreement to bring predictive audience targeting to podcasts. This new expanded agreement will bring Comscore Predictive Audiences to both AdzWizz and SXM Media clients. General Manager of Comscore activation services Rachel Grant said:  “With podcast consumption skyrocketing and the regulatory environment still very fluid, it's critical to give advertisers the ability to develop privacy-forward and future-proof audience targeting on podcasts”  Prior to this AdsWizz was already working with Comscore for their contextual targeting based off of keywords for the Podscribe tool (not to be confused with the company Podscribe). The new deal expands into a targetable dataset for those buying through Adswizz programmatic offerings, either as a buyer using their demand side platform to buy anywhere in podcast programmatic, or buying directly into their open marketplace Podwave.  The continued highlighting of it being privacy-first is a bit misleading. AdsWizz is still providing the IP address to match off of, which we at Sounds Profitable do not find to be an issue. That Comscore has built a new dataset not built on cookies is a step towards the aforementioned future-proofing. The dataset looks to come from Comscore opted-in panels, which is different from universal ID solutions looking to match first party data. While podcasting is always probabilistic matching - as it's based on IP address - this is also probabilistic targeting.  It's neat to see Comscore focusing a bit more on podcasting while many other major data partners are snoozing on it. In a rare twist we only have one article posted on a Tuesday for you this week. Last Tuesday AdExchanger's James Hercher published “Disney Integrates With The Trade Desk And UID2 In Pursuit Of Better Addressability.” “This new integration with The Trade Desk, which was born from recent meetings in Cannes, will accelerate Disney's ambition to automate and target more of its overall pool of data, Barnes said. Advertisers will be able to more effectively find their audiences across Disney inventory and the added precision should help improve ROI and post-campaign results.” Disney is a major player in podcasting, both directly and through partnerships. So much of what Disney does today uses programmatic for efficiency's sake. A company of that size can't easily do manual IO's for every cookie-cutter campaign. As Disney continues to invest and grow their podcast offerings creates synergy with the majority of podcast SSPs being configured to purchase from The Trade Desk. There's  real potential for further increase in podcasting programmatic as the industry takes care of the small discrepancies and differences that stand in the way of podcasting as a main advertising channel.  While the article is worth engaging with on its own merits, script writer Gavin Gaddis wishes to spotlight the piece's cartoon of Toy Story stars Buzz and Woody selling ads with the caption ‘to automation and beyond.' Three months ago Podnews editor James Cridland laid a trap to learn more about the methods and companies using shady tactics to cold-call podcasters via email. On Wednesday he published the results in “the podcast industry's biggest spammer.”  “In May 2022, we amended Podnews's podcast RSS feed to produce a near infinite amount of trackable email addresses as a kind of spamtrap. We wanted to discover who was scraping our RSS feed for emails; what user agent they were using, when they scraped it, what tag they scraped it from, and whether the messages were legal under the FCC's rules (the so-called CAN-SPAM Act).”  Cridland's honeypot strategy attracted 240 emails over the three month period. Some fall within the boundaries of CAN-SPAM, some seem pointed in their lack of transparency.  The specific companies involved are not necessarily important to the overall story. Podcasting needs good governance as growth continues and the industry constantly redefines what constitutes ‘normal' business practices. It's on those within the industry to make podcasting better through what's considered an acceptable marketing strategy. It's perfectly legal to scrape email addresses from RSS feed tags and send them unsolicited emails as long as they follow loose FCC and other governmental regulatory rules. In an industry growing as fast and consistently as podcasting one has to question if it has a place for an antiquated cold-calling strategy perfected in the late 90s.  Finally, it's time for our semi-regular roundup of articles we're calling Quick Hits. These are articles that didn't quite make the cut for today's episode, but are still worth including in your weekend reading. This week's two Quick Hits are  The Most Important Things We've Learned About Making Successful Podcasts with Brands by Dan Misener. Misener, formerly Director of Audience Development at Pacific Content, provides a great list of learnings on his way out the door. One of the greatest minds at Pacific, Misener has been skilled at breaking down complex data and making it accessible to the masses. His heart has always been focused on growing all of podcasting and Sounds Profitable fully supports him in whatever he's doing next. We know it'll have an impact.  And secondly: a press release from Pushkin media: Pushkin Industries Expands Production Capacity With Acquisition of Creative Podcast Company Transmitter Media. Here we have yet another example of a podcast production company growing to the point they need to buy another podcast production company.  The Download is a production of Sounds Profitable. Today's episode was hosted by Shreya Sharma and Manuela Bedoya, and the script was written by Gavin Gaddis. Bryan Barletta and Evo Terra are the executive producers of The Download from Sounds Profitable. Special thanks to our media host, Omny Studio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting legally compliant with GDPR, Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation and CAN-SPAM with how you're sending email sounds intimidating… until you listen to this podcast episode or read its transcript. >>GET RESULTS ON REPEAT HERE

Getting legally compliant with GDPR, Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation and CAN-SPAM with how you're sending email sounds intimidating… until you listen to this podcast episode or read its transcript. >>GET RESULTS ON REPEAT HERE

About Rickey White and Start Inboxing: Experienced Deliverability Professional with a demonstrated history of working in the internet industry. Skilled in Reputation Management, Analytical Skills, Industry Best Practices, and well versed Can Spam and CASL. Strong communicator and thought leader. Formerly of Fuquay-Varina, NC, Rickey now resides in Orlando, FL, home of Start Inboxing, LLC. With over 12 years of experience in email deliverability he is well respected in the deliverability community. His experience includes 2 years as a deliverability expert with Merkle as well as employment with Maropost, iContact, and Contactology. Within his roles Rickey executed client vetting, deliverability consulting, reputation management and managing all ISP relations for over 9 years. He was also the lead on developing and implementing new deliverability tools to scale the monitoring and detection of issues for clients. Rickey specializes in successfully leading teams of consultants and analysts, while specializing in managing sending reputation for their high profiled clients. He is an active participant and certified facilitator in the M3AAWG working group. He is a proud father of three and has a passion for FPV Drone Racing. His other hobbies include R/C cars, trucks, boats, and fishing. When Rickey isn't facilitating, parenting, or enjoying his hobbies, he is looking for ways to grow his brand. He loves molding new talent and exploring new aspects of his industry.

Adam Robinson is the co-founder and CEO of GetEmails.com, which is the worlds first ever email based retargeting software. He recently relocated from NY to CO because he is an avid skier. During our call we discuss: – How his roommate, one of the founders of Vimeo, inspired him to become an entrepreneur. – Adam shares the business super power he wishes he had. – He shares how and why his original plan failed, which cost him over hundreds of thousand dollars. – Why he pivoted to GetEmails.com and why it was the best decision. – We break down the 66% email open rate case study which blew my mind. – Best practices for engaging new email subscribers. – Adam shares how one of his ecommerce clients got a 10x ROI using his service during their Black Friday campaign. – He shares how a publishing client was able to lower his cost per lead by 80%. – We talk about how GDPR and CAN-SPAM laws impact this email retargeting strategy. – Adam shares his favorite growth tool/software. – He recommends one of his favorite books. – PLUS a whole lot more. Adam's website: www.GetEmails.com adam@getemails.com ——————————– If you enjoyed this episode, please RATE / REVIEW and SUBSCRIBE to ensure you never miss an episode. Connect with Dennis Brown  AskDennisBrown.com LinkedIn Twitter Instagram [Free Giveaways]

In this episode, Kristin gets steps into the wild world of privacy and security. Kristin interviews Dennis Dayman, Privacy and Security Expert and Maropost CPO. Kristin and Dennis cover the important tips you need to know to protect your business and brand. Listen to this episode to ensure your company information and client trust is protected.TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:[00:58] Today's topic: Privacy and Security - Special Guest Introduction: Dennis Dayman[01:57] Tell us more about you.[06:18] Dennis' involvement championing females by supporting Pioneers in Skirts - social impact documentary that aims to advocate the conversations about women in the workplace.[12:20] With all of the new data laws popping up across the globe, how can a small business set themselves up to protect their customers and themselves?[15:30] Privacy by Design[16:14] Would you do to your grandma what you do to a client? Build in a privacy by design process and a privacy impact assessment.[18:03] When should privacy become important for a business?[21:45] Is there a difference between anti-spam laws and privacy laws?[25:00] What to do about Can Spam?[26:50] When will the US enact data regulation similar to GDPR?[30:38] Security session - how does a small business protect themselves and their client from data theft?[31:50] Can a hacker steal information from a Point of Sale Service virtually?[33:30] Get your passwords out of an excel sheet![33:48] Why should marketers care about protecting their domain/email from phishing attacks or other threats? How can they go about doing this?[38:40] Phishing is a real concern. Do small businesses need security training like big companies?[42:40] The iOS14, impact on remarketing, and protecting yourself from third party app tracking[45:23] The future of live events - what privacy concerns will businesses face by asking event attendees for proof of vaccination?[50:57] How do you protect a remote team from security threats?[54:00] Hacks and Facts Lightning Round[57:30] Thanks for listening! To stay updated with marketing trends, go to www.sourcemarketinggroup.com for more information.PLATFORMS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE:EloquaTunnelBearLEAVE SOME FEEDBACK:What should we talk about next? Please let us know by emailing info@sourcemarketinggroup.comDid you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review.CONNECT:@marketlikeabadassContact us: info@sourcemarketinggroup.comFollow our podcast on Apple or Spotify!

OVERVIEW: Jason A. Duprat, Entrepreneur, Healthcare Practitioner and Host of the Healthcare Entrepreneur Academy podcast talks about email marketing. He highlights three regulations business owners should be aware of and compliant with, and also shares tips for optimizing your email list hygiene.  EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Email is the most highly used and most effective way to reach prospects and customers online.  There are 3.8 billion email users and 1 billion accounts.  Email has about a 6% conversion rate and a 3.7% click-through rate.. Comparatively, social media has an engagement rate of about 0.50%. The ROI on email is well over 4000%, as costs are low compared to traditional marketing, such as direct mail.  The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to anyone residing in the EU. It’s extremely strict about how a company should post its privacy policy and how subscriber data is used. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is geared towards large corporations but there are good practices worth googling.  Jason shares the five components of the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act (CAN-SPAM), which applies to all promotional emails. If you’re making an offer or selling something, it’s considered promotional.  Jason also provides three tips for optimizing your list hygiene.  One, maintain low unsubscribe rates. You can do this by avoiding list buying, which hurts deliverability because these emails are often marked as spam.  Two, maintain good open and click-through rates by sending relevant content to segmented audiences within your database.  Three, if subscribers don’t open your emails in 60-90 days, consider deleting them from your database.  The overall movement in digital marketing right now is to protect consumer privacy.   3 KEY POINTS: Because there are more than a billion email accounts and the cost of sending mass emails is very low, it’s the most highly used and effective online marketing strategy.  Business owners should check out the details of the GDPR, the CCPA and the CAN-SPAM Act to make sure they’re compliant. Avoid buying email lists. Send only relevant emails to relevant segments of your subscriber database. TWEETABLE QUOTES: “(When it comes to engagement), email marketing blows social media posts out of the water.” - Jason Duprat “Keep good email list hygiene.” - Jason Duprat RESOURCES: GDPR: https://gdpr-info.eu/ CCPA: https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa CAN-SPAM: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business HEA Facebook Group for Digital Businesses: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HeathcareEntrepreneurAcademy/ HEA Facebook Group for Bricks & Mortar Businesses: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HealthcareEntrepreneurAcademyBrickandMortar/ #HealthcareEntrepreneurAcademy #healthcare #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #podcast #emailmarketing #onlinemarketing #onlinestrategy #consumerprivacy

What do you do, as a new head of marketing, when your marketing budget is zeroed out, but your lead generation goals remain unchanged? This week on The Inbound Success Podcast, David Kirkdorffer talks about creating a "campaign in a box" and, together with his sales team, using it to drive new pipeline and new closed won deals at a time when his marketing budget had been eliminated.  David's approach is one that any marketing leader can use, whether they have a big budget or none at all, to drive greater alignment with sales and increase pipeline opportunities from an existing database. Check out the full episode, or read the transcript below, for details. Resources from this episode: Connect with David on LinkedIn Learn more about Josh Braun, Chris Walker, and Andy Raskin Transcript Kathleen (00:00): Welcome back to the Inbound Success Podcast. I'm your host Kathleen Booth. And this week, my guest is David Kirkdorffer. David is an experienced marketing leader who has helped a number of companies grow and exit through acquisition. He is also currently advising a number of companies as an outsourced CMO. And David, I know you're looking for your next gig. So I have a feeling you will not be available for long. I was excited to talk to you because I've gotten to know you through a number of the CMO groups that I'm involved with and you shared some great stories of getting pretty big results on not a big budget, which is always one of my favorite things to talk about because that I think is a situation that plagues a lot of marketers. But before we jump into it, maybe you could give my listeners a little sense of who you are, what your background is and, hey, why not share what you're looking forward to doing next in case somebody is listening? David (01:37): Kathleen it's a pleasure to be with you here talking and to everyone in the audience. I hope the conversation that you're about to hear is going to be helpful to you. Yes, as Kathleen mentioned, I've been doing software marketing for a number of years. In fact, my career has almost followed the history of software in so many ways where it used to be on prem, and then moving to the cloud and all the different technologies that have been enabling along the way. I enjoyed being in the marketing side of the software companies and oftentimes I'm on the side of marketing that's closest to sales. I've always had a demand gen remit and as my career has advanced of course, then my remit has expanded to include other things like positioning, and messaging, and PR and AR, and so forth. But there's always been the core needs to, to satisfy the hungry mouths of the sales team to keep them satisfied and smiling. Kathleen (02:31): I love that you look at it that way. I've always said that sales is one of my biggest customers as a marketer and not every marketer thinks that way. David (02:42): My function, you know, most of the time it's, it's really very much been that way. I've worked in, many times they're like, series B or series A and a half type of companies. And so naturally the situation there is how do we find you customers. But also when I'm working in larger, at one point I was working at CA and obviously that's, as I said, largely yet almost right. Again, it was entirely focused on trying to provide leads or as we were calling them then, inquiries. We were very early adopters of the Sirious Decisions, waterfall language back in 2006, which is awesome language by the way, just as a side note. So it's always been around keeping the sales teams and the sales managers happy. Kathleen (03:29): Now to that point you know, it's one thing to come in as head of marketing and be given a big budget and then be told to go out and make it rain. It's entirely another thing to be thrown into a situation where company leadership is expecting big results and they're not giving you a big budget or any budget. It's true. I know you found yourself in that situation from time to time and you've figured out a great way of approaching that and, and being able to still show ROI in that situation. So maybe give us some background on that and let's start to break down what you did. David (04:17): So I joined a cybersecurity as a service company a number of years ago. I was brought in by the VCs to restart marketing. The company had a number of years of history and installed customer base. And soon after I arrived, the VC organization started a hostile process to oust the existing Founder/CEO. And while that was going on, the marketing budget that had been promised went to zero because that process turned out to be rather expensive. So my goals didn't change and the VP of sales who also came in at the same time, his goals didn't change. So I'm like, what are we going to do? Kathleen (04:58): Oh my God. That's like the nightmare for every marketing and sales leader. We're keeping your goals the same, but we're eliminating your budget. David (05:07): Right. so, and it was unknown how long this process was going to play out because it's a legal process. And, and so those things kind of, it's always unexpected situations in that. Now every company situation is different, the resources available, the existing database, the market you're going into, you know, are you a brand new brand into a brand new category. That's a different context of marketing than here is a, here's a technology and a category that's somewhat well-established. Your competition is oftentimes more based around price rather than unique new capabilities, right? Because the market has matured and there's a lot of sameness across the market. So in this particular company, there was a bit of that. There's an established category, this software as a service category, targeting small and medium size organizations across North America primarily the USA. David (06:05): So at this company, I, of course like any good marketing person you try to see what's in the company database right? That HubSpot, that Pardot, that CRM, whatever. And you try and do an emailing delicately because you never know what kind of SPAM traps might be awaiting you. And so my typical technique is to break out that one dataset into four separate emailings. And I use the first letter of of the person's email address so that I don't by accident knock out all of the employees at a particular company by sorting by company or by geography. But I might knock out all of the Adams, so trying to mitigate my risk factor there, I found that that particular dataset was really not re-performed at all. In fact, I did get caught on a spam trap and I had to subscribe or apply to see if they would want to resubscribe one quarter of the dataset because my vendor. David (07:02): At the time, HubSpot of course appropriately put me through a process to try and verify it. And this is because this company had been existing for 10, 15 plus years. And so there were many email addresses that had obviously turned over and so forth. So if you're familiar with any of that emailing type of scenario, you're going to understand that story. So what I did know, or what I did put together, was what I call the campaign in a box. And in this particular scenario, I had access to a large data set about 250,000 records that had found its way into Salesforce and about nine sales rep, SDR individuals who working in teams and kind of playing a little bit underneath the CAN-SPAM rules. I know that those SDRs leveraging Outreach, which the company also had, could send a certain amount of emails every day. David (07:53): And indeed they had been and they were seeing poorer and poorer results. There was a bit of a spray and pray kind of mentality. How many names can I find in Discover.org? Can I bring in those records into Salesforce? Can I then put together an email or two that I blast out to my territory, right? They were geographically based. And if you're listening to this, you might find your company and your teams might be doing something similar, right. Because when you don't have a budget, this is a way to be able to communicate with an audience. And sales is taking its fate into its own hands this way. There's oftentimes that scenario where sales does these things, because it feels as if marketing isn't really supporting them. And perhaps that's a whole other conversation for another day. David (08:43): So what I say is this process can work, but can we do this in a more targeted, more refined manner? And the first step in any kind of emailing is who are you sending to? So I spoke with the VP of sales and said, I proposed an idea and we spoke to two of his sales directors. And I said, what about this campaign in the box idea? What that means is I would put together a list for your teams. I would provide targeted emails by industry. It turns out in the security world, the drivers of security at a legal firm are very different than the drivers of security at a university or a credit union. They have different compliance situations. They have different user populations. There are different challenges in securing those environments. Ultimately they all want the same security. David (09:36): So you talk to the message better. So we talked about the message, tried to say what if we did this in sprints? So all the team is working together for that kind of you know, Viking shield wall approach of like, let's all do it and we can all learn together. And then let me put together some training on each of these industries some of the team has experience with, with, you know, industry X or interest you, why some of them don't. So let's level up and share what we know and add some information into the training so that you can have a better conversation when you did reach out and speak to someone. So that was high level. That's what I proposed. Kathleen (10:10): I love it. I just want to pause there because I really love that you took it upon yourself to train the sales team. I think you know, as marketers, we're all taught to create personas. And hopefully, you know, we're doing that in some way, shape or form, or at least profiling our target customer, you know, creating an ICP. And but I, I don't know that all marketers necessarily go that extra step to really teach the sales team about what they've learned. I feel like, I feel like a lot of marketers actually do the reverse where they're like sales, I need you to tell me what you're hearing. And there's a lot of like one way, like, tell me what questions you're getting, tell me what pushback you're getting, you know, give me all this information sales so that I marketing can create content around. It can create messaging around it, but there's not a lot of like, Hey, we, as marketing are going to come in and tell you all the things that we know about the customer. David (11:09): I think you're absolutely right. And, and all those questions that marketing asks of sales are still great questions to ask, but there's an opportunity to also bring something to the table. Here's something that we have learned that we are aware of. And many times that kind of teaching happens under the radar in collateral that's created. So you said marketing might create certain collateral that has that educational elements to it, if you will, or captures the the synthesis of that education. And it gets put into a website page or a, an industry note or something which is great, which is not bad, but the personable let's walk through it. Let me extract the points that are interesting. I'm curious why this is useful kind of, and being available to answer questions about that learning is going the next step. So maybe what this means is that the content team who might be, if you have, if you, if you're lucky enough to have a content team, right. Okay. especially the startups can, can provide like notes that go with the document in some capacity, or perhaps a kickoff I'm kicking off this particular piece of content and live or recorded, provide some kind of extra color around that learning. Cause I think you're absolutely right. There's more going on. That's understood by marketing than sales ever gets to hear of. And it shouldn't be that way. Kathleen (12:37): Well, and it's an opportunity because, you know, if I had a dollar for every time I heard a marketer talk about the challenges of sales and marketing alignment, I would be retired and living in some sort of tropical Island somewhere in a palace. You know, and so obviously that's a challenge. And I think looking for these opportunities, as you say, to give something back is a great way to build bridges, to demonstrate that it's a two-way relationship and to really form great relationships with your sales team. David (13:08): It definitely is. It makes my life easier. Right. I remember when I was interviewing at one particular security company, a number of years ago, they said I was one of those situations where I'm in the room and all the different people I'm supposed to meet with come by one by one. And everything went very nicely and every single one of them was saying, we're looking for connective tissue. We want connective tissue. So obviously that had to become a conversation point and, and I felt well, okay, this is what I am. I'm supposed to be connective tissue. And, and that's, that's been the challenge. How do you connect the two groups? And it's not just sales, right. And, and, and, and kind of demand gen marketing, but it's product as well. Right. and sometimes it means even connecting finance, but that's a, that's another conversation, but yes, it's all about this kind of understanding what we're all working on. David (14:01): Having trust that what we're working on is meaningful to each other, right. That sales can trust marketing is actually working on something worthy of time that will enable and facilitate penetrating accounts and advancing accounts through opportunity cycles. And it's that trust and the trust is it's, it's given kind of cautiously when you first arrive. There's always a lot of pent up demand when a new marketer arrives. You don't just arrive and look, we're now trying to find things for you to do is typically a long stack of things that they'd like you to be getting to finally you're here. So and then you have to keep earning the trust, right. Campaign by campaign. And if you're a marketer who's reporting up through sales, that's an interesting and challenging environment because you can find yourself a bit more on the tactical trying to meet tactical needs that are quantifiable in various ways. David (14:58): And you might find yourself trapped in the chase for MQLs, as opposed to trying to build something a bit more sustaining, less tactical, more strategic that brings traffic to your website, which is kind of a different approach. But I can dive into some of the details on this campaign in the box if you'd like that. So the first trick, as, you know, as in real estate, it's location, location, location. So yeah, with email or direct mail it's list list list. So for each industry, I'd go through Salesforce and see what records do we currently already have. And in some industry categories and these categories, I was looking at where like legal, law, credit unions, manufacturing, banks, special campaigns targeting CFOs and small to medium business because they often a lot of that decision and universities and colleges, those are the industries. David (15:58): So for each industry we said, well, what do we have already in this great big database of 250,000 names? And I saw there were lots and lots of records in some categories and very few in others. So we went category by category, because it just made it easier to kind of get something out of the gate and I would aim to have as small a list as I could put together that would give each of the team members enough coverage in each of their geographies. So in some industries, I would go back to Demandbase myself and say, Oh, I just need some more people in the Southwest because we don't have, for some reason, anyone, you know, the right way. And then I would limit very strictly by job title, the types of people we would go after. And if I had an abundance of names, which sometimes happened, for example, in the banking, smaller, medium size, I would avoid the major football cities. David (16:49): I would avoid the major metropolitan areas and go more to the rural areas. Why is that? So two reasons. One, this isn't the time pre COVID when people actually could travel as sales reps, right? So take New York state, for example. Manhattan. Huge, huge market for this type of thing, right? And all the sales reps are often based in the city and really don't want to go to Rochester. They don't want to drive to Syracuse and meet a customer. So those customers in those rural States are less visited and receive less targeting. So that's one side of it. The other side of it, which is true in the cybersecurity space and probably generalizably true to all types of IT environments is talent leaves those areas, those rural areas, and moves to the big city where the bigger companies are. David (17:43): And those bigger companies are attractive because they pay better. You have an opportunity to work with better technologies. There is more opportunity to move from one job to another. So if you're a great basketball player in your college you want to go play for the Boston Celtics, of course, right. Or perhaps the Lakers, I suppose, as the second time you don't want to go play for the Wooster bees or the you know, the San Jose, I don't know who they are. You want to go play where the best coaches are, the best facilities are. It's the same thing with tech people. They want to go to those. So, so by targeting the companies that are headquartered out of the smallest cities, I'm with my cyber security as a service offering more attractive because they have a greater need because they lack the skills, they lack the available staff. And so the service that we're offering becomes a much better proposition for them because they have, they have a bigger void to fill. Kathleen (18:48): Do you think that that still holds true now with COVID and everybody kind of being able to be anywhere? David (18:55): Probably. Yes. So perhaps to a lesser degree because I, because companies, software companies and sales teams are, we're creatures of habit, and we want to go where it's easiest and where it's easiest often seems to be where we've gone before. And so we have this history of going to the bigger cities and the bigger companies, perhaps this, I learned this, I kind of was introduced to this notion of going to the boonies, if you will, from another Boston based company called Toast, POS, they are in the point of sale systems business. They provide technology for mom and pop bakeries and coffee shops and so forth. And in chatting with a friend working over there, he kind of said, well, we were doing this because there's this untapped market of, of, of coffee shops that no one is approaching. And so that's great. Let us be the guy. And so Toast is a big success story. They've grown a lot. Absolutely. So it was like, huh, that's really insightful. And as we all do, we borrow and steal, Kathleen (20:06): Oh my gosh, yes. I just did a LinkedIn post on this as a marketer. Don't try and reinvent the wheel, just copy what the successful people are doing and make it your own. David (20:16): That's exactly right. And great artists. You can find quotations by great artists who say the exact same thing. So if it's okay for Picasso it's okay for me. Right. Kathleen (20:23): And it's like the same thing with writers, there are no new stories. You know, all of them are just some version of the Hero's Journey that Joseph Campbell wrote about. David (20:33): And Joseph Campbell, if you're not familiar with him, is a phenomenal read that's fully worth checking out. So, so we started with the list. Okay. So if I had too many, I was always targeting by job title. So for your business, you might want to kind of think about what that would mean. Right. and keeping each of these lists to small numbers. I maxed out at a thousand per SDR. They were paired up for their entire territory messaging. Okay. So as I said, each of these industries has got different kinds of drivers as to what is causing their security requirements, different compliance mandates, perhaps different types of customers, different kinds of user populations. And so I did my research. You know, what is it that, what are the issues that drive a law firm versus what are the issues that drive a university and, you know, spend a day or two in the you know, the library, on the internet called Google, you'll find law written on, on various topics trying to help you understand, you know, in security space. David (21:43): There are periodicals that are, you know, the, the law review every now and again, there's an article on securing your law firm that type of thing. So I capture all this knowledge, put it into you know, documents, try and synthesize it sort in my mind, kind of playing professor, if you will, what is this a marketing, you know, program manager put together some draft emails. And I would, my approach to drafting emails is I try and tap into the three or four themes. Maybe it's compliance, maybe it's security, maybe it's cutting costs, whatever you will, themes are right. The planks of your messaging. And then write lots of emails around those. Kind of work through my demons. It's a creative process wiggling the wording. And then I would go to sales with my top three or four and say, what do you think? You've been doing this longer than I have after all. I've just joined this organization. You sales directors have been here for a year or two, right. What do you think? What can I improve? I'm trying to get their buy-in. Kathleen (22:47): Yeah. I was going to say, because not all sales teams were, would necessarily be receptive to marketing coming in and saying, here's what I want you to email. David (22:55): That's exactly right. Right. I want, the more, what's more important to me is the big picture on the overall refinement that the process is going to give me rather than any one particular element of the process going my way. Right. that's not the point. I was really trying to steer a bigger picture here. I've got this resource. I have no budget. The sales teams can be executing these emails using outreach, which is just as sophisticated as HubSpot, as far as managing cadences and who opens and who clicked and all of that. But I wanted to improve the message, improve the timing and improve the intensity of the team doing work together. And the individual components were less important to the big picture game. So I get some refinement on positioning, so on the messaging, excuse me. David (23:44): And indeed, when I targeted credit unions, they had messaging they wanted me to use because the company had a history of success with, with certain messages. And I was like, that's great. Excellent. Thank you very much. Right. So, so this is, this is good. The next part was to kind of organize coordination. And I, I tried to work with these two week arcs and the kickoff would be, I I'd agree with the sales managers, when is a good time to kick off this particular campaign in the box. And the arc of the campaign started with a training session. So I I'm in marketing. I put together a PowerPoint presentation, surprise, surprise, and the team moved into the conference room for two hours. For one campaign it was particularly long training. Other times it was more like an hour 90 minutes. David (24:29): We would walk through here's what's important. Here's the training. Here's the lists that I've put together for you. Here are all the materials to support this particular campaign. And I'll get into some of that. But we start out with this opportunity for everyone to talk with each other and across to each other. I sold this to this company. These are the things that were important because you had some junior team members and some more senior team members. And so this is a way to kind of create this old talking together because ironically, while everyone's working in an open floor space every day, they go to their desks and do the same thing and sometimes don't even talk across the room to each other as they're trying to keep up with, you know, their day. So this is an opportunity to kind of come together as a team. David (25:14): And so that's how we kicked things off. The formal kickoff, if you will, would be we chose a date to send emails. I worked with someone who was on my team, who put together the individual sales team lists. So after we had the master list, then that person went through and broke it out for each team. So that all the person, the team needed to do was select the report that had already been built for them so that they can load in the records into their Outlook sorry, Outreach environment. So it was all taken care of who to mail to. There were three emailings or four emailings in each two week arc. They could choose as a team which second and third emails would be sent, but the first ones were sent the same time for that sense of we're all doing it together. And they found much better open rates and click-through rates because I also kind of gave them subject lines. We had AB testing on the subject lines too, right. As you can do you know, Outreach provides SDRs the same campaign management tools and capabilities as 25 years ago, Bank of America was paying a million dollars a year for Kathleen (26:31): Isn't that crazy though? I mean, it really is interesting too, to think about like how much technology has enabled us to, to do these very sophisticated experiments to optimize what we're working and to just do it all seamlessly and automatically for a very low price. David (26:48): I was at a company in the nineties that sold campaign management software. So I'm kind of innately familiar with this and it, you know, you can do more with outreach than we could do back then. As far as if then else type of cadence conditioning or condition trees and so forth, it's, it's, it is very true. However, while the mechanics have become simpler, what you say and how you say it and the message that's never been simpler, that's gotten much more complicated actually. And so that's the, that was the principle point of this is trying to put together the messaging so that they didn't kind of, so you didn't do silly things quickly. David (27:35): So we'd kick off these emails. Are they sort of much better open rates? I think we were seeing open rates in the, in the kind of 25, 30% range, which was like phenomenal. And we could learn campaign in the box to campaign in a box what kinds of subject lines were resonating? Right. So we can kind of make the next campaign slightly better because we would have incremental learning, which is always what we do. And I never asked or, or, or suggested, or I purposely said, I'm not asking you to call all of these people. You've just mailed to, I don't think that's appropriate. Maybe you'd want to call the ones who you think are appropriate to call. It's follow up. And here's a voicemail by the way that I would propose that you could use very similar to the emails. I think I would take a very different tack today on, on voicemails provided. Because I think I've learned a few things since then. Kathleen (28:35): Oh, I would love to know what, you know, what you would change. David (28:39): Since doing those campaigns, I've been much more active on LinkedIn as perhaps many of us have in the last year or so. LinkedIn seems to have just blossomed as a great place to go for information. And I have always enjoyed reading what Josh Braun has to say. If you're not familiar with Josh Braun, he's somebody who perhaps you might want to follow. Ironically, I first met him in 2007 when I was at CA and he was just another company and he was trying to sell me some technology, which I quite liked by the way, but the rest of the team didn't think it was a good idea at the time. But Josh makes a practice of introducing ideas and ways of thinking to help AEs and SDRs penetrate accounts. David (29:30): And do quality discovery in a way that doesn't leave you feeling or leave you as an SDR or an AE feeling kind of dirty, right. So as a marketer and as a person in marketing this very close to sales, while I, I started my career as an SDR, I'm not an SDR now, but it's very informative for me to read what they are thinking, what they are learning, what the current techniques, current, current best practices are. And I look at what Josh does as a source of great great best practices for me. So that's good. Kathleen (30:06): Great resource for people to check out who are listening. I'll put a link in the show notes to his LinkedIn profile. David (30:15): So that's fine. I'm a big fan of Josh. Too many SDRs are quite young in their career, and so he he provides a great insight in a way that makes me feel like, wow, I can do this. Yeah. I can do that. That's great. That's I feel so much better than what I think I'm supposed to be doing, because somehow that's what I've been told, but this, this sounds better. Yeah. People are having success with it. So I would, I would adopt some of my my voicemails around some of the things that he's he's. Kathleen (30:47): So you wouldn't necessarily stop voice mailing or like you wouldn't change the channel. It's more about the message in the chat. David (30:53): Absolutely. It's the form, not the, not the medium. Got it. Definitely I am of the, there are some people who would suggest don't leave a voicemail. Wait until you get them alive on the phone. And I'm like, well, you just went through all the time and energy to find the phone. Kathleen (31:09): And the reality is, people right now, I mean, I will use myself as an example. I have robo killer installed on my phone. You can't get through to me unless you're already in my contacts. So the only way you're going to get through to me is if you leave a voicemail and I will, you know, I'll get those, I'm also a big fan of ringless voicemail. You know, cause it's even less obtrusive, but yeah, I think there's going to be more and more people like I am, who just have apps in place that flat out will block any call that isn't a known contact. David (31:38): I do the same. And there are technologies of course, now that will transcribe the voicemail for you so you can read it. So that speaks to the importance then of having something quite clear in your mind to say so that the sentences are whole and complete as it's been written. And that's a different type of skill. That's a different kind of style to, to speaking. So anyway, definitely folks were asked, choose who you leave voicemails with. Perhaps it's the people who click on the, on the, the resources we provide them. Perhaps it's the people who open, perhaps they didn't open at all, but you know, that they're the right person because of previous history. You know, these people in this territory, it's not like all of them are new to you. Right. so that was the, the idea was to be an enabler, not a driver of what you're supposed to do. David (32:28): And at the end of the first week, we'd have you know beers and debrief. Well, it was, for me, it was a debrief. For them it was beers. Get them talking, how did it go? What did you like? What did we hear? What did you learn and share across the team? So it was all part of this. We're all doing this together factor. One of the other things that this campaign kind of data is aside as a side note was really helped raise morale. And this is something that I didn't, I didn't think of starting this, but became very important to me as this process went on. You can imagine you're a young sales professional and your company's CEO is getting fired by your VCs. What does it mean? Are we going out of business? David (33:21): Lots of unanswered questions because people don't necessarily have good answers and catastrophizing and, you know, we can kind of get together and talk about what does this mean? So this process was successful and it was successful on two fronts. Really one, nobody in marketing had ever done this for sales before. And I put together all this stuff and, and what this stuff, I should say where there wasn't already a web page dedicated to a particular vertical and our cybersecurity as a service capabilities for that vertical, we created one where they didn't already exist. It is a kind of a data sheet note for that vertical. We created one where there might have been resources around case studies or videos or other information. We captured that and made it very easily accessible so that all of a sudden the sales team was like, wow, I didn't realize that we had all this stuff to do with cybersecurity as a service firms. David (34:28): And I'm thinking of law firms, just because you know, that, that, that stands out in that particular market. And look, we're not talking to the biggest law firms because they're kind of out of our league. They're not in our SMB space and we're not targeting the small one to four person law firms. Here are the law firms that are really in our sweet spot, as far as the firmographics go. And here are the job titles. And so, and marketing was putting this all together so that it was like, Oh, and it will seem so obvious when you look back in hindsight why weren't people doing this? Well, they might have been two years ago, but then those people who were holding it together and doing it were not there. So you, so by doing this process, sales was feeling supported, failed sales was feeling enabled and they were finding better open rates and their conversations and voicemails were receiving better replies. And so this was, this was great. And they were getting meetings and dental opportunities and you pipeline was added Kathleen (35:31): Talk about this, cause this is like, this is my favorite part of these conversations. You know, everybody talks about, Oh, I got great results, but like, I want to hear, I want to hear the details. David (35:45): In the first six weeks of running these campaigns in the box. So that would represent perhaps three campaigns in a box because we went on two week sprints, we'd been switched to another industry. The sales team added one about $1 million in new pipeline opportunity value, if you will, for a solution that had an average sales price of $40,000. Kathleen (36:06): Wow. That's great. David (36:08): So part of it is because this was an opportunity to, in an organized way, go back to where they previously had maybe had conversations part of it because it opened brand new conversations that they'd never gone to before. Never had never had that success. So that was, that was a real plus. And within that same six weeks, they won over $300,000 in actual business closed. Kathleen (36:31): That's good. David (36:31): This is a tremendous shot in the arm, right. If you do something that's new and you find success. Kathleen (36:35): Wow, that's great. David (36:39): And you know, for the morale factor, and then as a, as a practice, as a process, so after we'd done one or two of these, they were like, well, when's the next one coming? And what's the next industry. So that's where I go back to the sales directors and say, what industry do you think we should do next? What date would you like to do the kickoff on it? Because it's continuously organizing and coordinating with them where next and so forth. And they pick a date and they say, okay now I've got to create this material. If we, what we do and don't have, what do we have? Okay. you know, manufacturing, do we have, do we have a manufacturing note? You know and, and, you know, these notes that I talking about, they're like data sheets essentially, where 30% of it is unique to the individual industry. And 60% is kind of the same service. Just maybe tweaking a word here or there and change a couple of images. So it doesn't look like a bank. David (37:32): And we just cycle through these. And it was a great, it was a great kind of feeling of like, wow, this is, this is going to be possible because of course, it's the marketer with no marketing budget, with a marketing number to get, and the sales VP with a marketing person who has no budget, not do any marketing where we're looking at each other across the table, like, what are we going to do? And I, I very much remember sitting in our little kitchenette with the sales VP there, like, I think this is going to work. Kathleen (38:01): Now, you mentioned, you mentioned in the first six weeks adding a million dollars in new pipeline. And I think it was $300,000 in new closed won. How did that, and I don't know if you have this at the tip of your fingers, but how did that compare let's say to the six weeks prior? In other words, like what factor of growth did that represent? David (38:19): So that's a great question. We found that there was on average, 20% increase in deal size that went along with this and that they had a 37% increase in close rate. Kathleen (38:36): Wow. That's huge. Both huge, right? Yeah. so, you know, so what part of this is me? What part is the team I'm just enabling? Kathleen (38:49): I don't think it even matters honestly. Like that is something that I rant about a lot, which is that marketer, this is a problem in, this is why we have the sales and marketing enablement problem is that there's too much like siloing and, and organizations put in place incentives for sales and marketing leaders to try and claim sole credit for something, when really we're all on the same team, trying to get more revenue. And so if we're all comped on revenue, if we're all incentivized on revenue, then it doesn't matter. Right. That's, what's good for the organization. David (39:28): It's very true. And, and you want to think carefully about how you compensate or what dials and OKRs you put in front of people, because people will bend their behavior to meet that need right? So if I was giving them an MQL number, I have to fight for years not to create MQLs. And I want to lower the bar on what an MQL might be. Give me an MQL number, give me a ratio number, give me a ratio of how many inquiries I've provided that turn into opportunities. The better the ratio, the better I'm doing. So it incents me to, instead of adding 10,000 inquiries to a system, which is just noise, downstream noise, what do you do with 10,000 inquiries? Whether you're trying to filter through them, if you only put in a hundred, but they each had 10 times better chance of closing. Your sales teams are happier. David (40:22): Bunch of people it's like, wow, okay. The ratio of my phone calls to something meaningful happening goes up. So incent on quality would be my advice and then try and scale how you get that quality. You know, one of the things I mentioned earlier is, depending on what kind of company you're working in, is it early stage? Is it in an established category? Are you a new category? You need, you have different challenges. And I have increased, over the years, increasingly come of the opinion that having a brand makes it a lot of help to everything down pike. Kathleen (41:04): Oh, 100%. I say that I'm a big believer that, you know, you can have a great product. You can have a great marketing strategy and still not do well because brand is what generally gets you what I would term as at-bats right. Brand gets you a seat at the table. Then is when you need to have the great product and the great messaging and the great sales product. But if you don't even get an at-bat you're, you're out of the running, well, even if you do give the at-bats, they're not ready, right? David (41:34): So interestingly, at that company where I was asked to be connective tissue, also the other term that came up or some at-bats, we, if we got more at bats, we do better. After six months of doing, you know, leaves for this company seen, we had doubled the number of at-bats, but the number of deals that we're advancing, were getting stuck at that 30% kind of point in the opportunity cycle, why that company was targeting larger enterprises with a new category of technology that was proven, absolutely working because we had an installed customer base who was doing it, but larger companies take a longer time to cycle through the, is this a good idea? It is a good idea. Let's move forward with this good idea and displace what we have now for this new thing. It's just a longer cycle. So if you're early with a new technology and a new capability, you might generate great leads that in two years, we'll close it. Doesn't do your, this quarter numbers. Very good, which is, which is again, why it comes back to an industry challenge. If you're reporting up through a sales kind of you know, management line, they want this quarter type of results. And sometimes that's possible depends on the category. Sometimes all the best marketing in the world can only get you at the table. It can't make your clients change their plan. Kathleen (43:02): Yeah, absolutely. Well, I could talk to you about this all day, David. Both because it's fascinating and I love hearing your take on it. And also because I love your accent and I could listen to it all the time. You have a very, it's almost, it reminds me of Sean Connery, even though it's not the same accent. That is what your voice sounds like to me. David (43:24): My wife would be thrilled and delighted if she believed that. Kathleen (43:31): I think it's great. I love it. Sounds great. Thank you very much. No, no, no. Of course. Well, I want to make sure we leave a little bit of time because I always like to ask my guests two questions at the end of our conversation. One is, of course the podcast is all about inbound marketing. And so is there a particular company or an individual that right now you think is, is setting the standard for what it looks like to be a great inbound marketing? David (43:56): So that's, that's a great question. And it's one that I like to find the answer to. We don't, I don't, I don't hear from other in-company folks as much as I wish. So I'm going to provide two answers, but there are agencies, which is a little different, right? So I'm on the East coast. Refine Labs and Chris Walker. I came to him through LinkedIn. Again about a year and a half ago. Kathleen (44:32): He has a strong LinkedIn presence. David (44:32): He has a strong voice. He has strong opinions. He backs them up. He's entertaining. He's energetic and dynamic. And he has found a truth that works for him, right. And it's a particular kind of play to drive traffic to your website, very specific kinds of traffic. And his, his arguments. I hope I'll get this right. You know, for the audience is basically you want the leads that will close, that your sales team will enjoy the most are the people who were saying, contact me, I'd like a demo, or they're looking at the pricing page. He's not about trying to sell whitepaper downloads, right? He's looking for people who are closer to intent who have actual interest. Certain research we read says that 3% of the overall market in your particular category is in a buy now mode and 97% are not. Kathleen (45:26): And they don't want you to contact them, which is why they have things like robo killer on their phone. David (45:31): Exactly. Right now they're interested in learning, right? Many of them go through a long learning cycle. They know they'd like to do this, but they're in a contract. They can't do something. They're not in a position to make a change right now. So you know, I've, I've suggested to people change your CTAs. Make your, the button that you press at the bottom of the page to get free information that's not gated because I believe in the non gated world, right. Make the button say something like, you know, I'm learning about this. This is interesting. Thanks. Or I need to make sense of all of this. And I know about this already, but now I need to make sense of it. And now I need to make sense of it. I've learned about this stuff. I already kind of know about it, but now I need to do something right. But I haven't said, call me, or I want a demo. Kathleen (46:22): A whitepaper does not equal call me on my phone. David (46:25): That's right. However, it does happen when you are trying to, actually, now I need to, I've known about this category. I've been on your nurture list for the last year and a half, but now I actually need to do something. Right. That's what we're always trying to figure out. Right. Kathleen (46:38): Well, I love Chris Walker. He has a great presence on LinkedIn. And if people haven't checked them out, they definitely should. David (46:46): He has a weekly Tuesday night, or Tuesday afternoon depending on what coast you're on, demand generation live show. So his presence, you can find him on the West coast. Similarly, there's a company called Directive and the CEO Garrett Mehrguth. Kathleen (47:02): Who I have interviewed on my podcast. David (47:05): Who, who that similar kind of idea. Right. And the trick is to, you know, obviously they're not going to know your product as well. They know the mechanics of how to kind of turn a crank, but they're going to rely on you for the creative though. They can also provide creative, both of these organizations, but you need to know your market. They can just help you with the mechanics of what to do and how to do it. Yeah. so those are two kind of leading lights, if you will, for me that I go to. I mentioned Josh Braun. If anyone's in the marketing side of things, if you're doing positioning, if you're doing campaigns, even though you're not an SDR or an AE, I think he's got great insight to share. And understanding what the SDR and AE world is, is, is vitally important to, to demand gen folks in marketing and the other person, maybe most of the managers, marketing managers is Andy Raskin. David (48:05): Andy Raskin, based in California, speaks about the strategic narrative. And he works almost exclusively with CEOs of large and small companies in a variety of industries. But the way he frames how to message, who you are, what you do, why you exist is different. And when, when successful, makes demand generation so much easier because if you're, take the hero section of your website, you are doing research on some new category. You go to a bunch of websites and doing some research. If you can't understand what they are, what this website is saying to you, in 10 seconds before the chat bot pops up, or before the invitation to an event that you didn't want to really go to pops up, or before all these other pop-ups get in the way, if you can't understand what these guys do and how it can help you, you move on. David (49:12): So crafting the end, if I have spent all this marketing money, trying to drive you to my website, and I've done a great job of driving a lot of traffic, but no one's clicking on anything. It's because the message isn't resonating. And so I'm getting that, that strategic narrative at a company level or at a product level is something demand gen side of world doesn't always get to control, right? That's out of there. But if you can have a, if you're in a company that's small enough, where you could, Andy Raskin and his approach is old way, new way way of trying to create compelling need is something to think about, because I think it will change how you're writing the email. It'll change, how you do a presentation, change how you create content. And that is how you get people to decide, I want to talk to you and that's the goal we're after. Kathleen (50:12): I like those suggestions. Yeah. And I, so this is funny because now my second question that I always ask, I think I might know the answer to based on what you just said, but we'll see, which is that marketers very often say that trying to keep up with the changing world of digital marketing is like drinking from a fire hose. So how do you personally stay up to date and keep yourself educated? David (50:31): Well, that's a, that's a really yes, I have to challenge just like everybody else. So LinkedIn has become my library. Kathleen (50:38): That's what I thought you were going to say. David (50:40): It's become my university. Yeah. you can learn a lot quickly. The trick is to figure out who to follow. It makes sense to you and then interact with them. Yeah. If they, if, if you, for example, Kathleen, you, you write on LinkedIn and you're there every, you know, once or twice a week, you, you propose an idea. And if I understand it, I'll say, well, I think this is great. Or if I don't, I said, can you explain better? Kathleen (51:06): Well, and that's really how we got to know each other. That's what led to this conversation. David (51:09): That's exactly right. So what's nice about the LinkedIn process is if you discover someone who's, who's, you know, an idea from someone you can ask them about it, and it's a good chance that they will answer your question perhaps, or expand on the idea if you will. And then there's the opportunity to meet with them, have a conversation. So that's definitely a great resource. And if you're, if you're not active on LinkedIn, and I think the statistics show that less than 1% of LinkedIn members are active on LinkedIn posting any content. So there's a lot of people who don't post anything for all sorts of cultural and business reasons, they might be holding back, which is not for me to say it's right or wrong, but you can read. And so if you find some people and you can ask questions, you can ask it's a huge opportunity for sure. David (51:55): Very much. The other place that I would suggest is there are, you know, in the last year that sprouted up like weeds various types of communities. I mean Revenue Collective, for example that's a great resource for sales and marketing professionals to investigate. There are local chapters and within these communities, Rev Genius, there's a CMO group. There are many of these groups. You have an opportunity to ask questions of peers, which is great because especially in the marketing side, unlike sales, many times in marketing, you're the only guy or gal doing what you do. And if you've done 10 years of marketing, you've seen what you learn from books. You read agencies, you've had the opportunity to work with right managers and or teams that you've worked with, but it's a pretty small group of people, especially if you're in a startup, which has always kind of, you know, resource constrained. David (52:53): So there might be 15 people across five or 10 years that you've had a chance to really interact with, with these communities. Now, many of them have Slack environments. You can ask a question because they're seeking that kind of interaction. Hi, I'm interested in learning about category of technology or campaign approach. Does anyone have any experience with this? And now you can tap into a resource of hundreds of individuals and the, and the, the these environments are very collectively helpful. So people want to help say, Oh, I did this, I've done that. Well, I can lead you to this reference. So this has always existed when you went to lunch with your friends and so forth and so on, but this is so much easier now. And so much more effective because it's not just limited to your geography. It's, you've got for literally the country or perhaps even the world. Kathleen (53:49): Yeah. I've had the same experience with Slack groups and I've spoken before in the podcast about what a fan I am of Revenue Collective in particular. That's a big one for me. So I totally agree. Well, I think we're at the top of our hour. So if anyone has listened and wants to reach out and speak with you, ask a question, connect with you online, what is the best way for them to do that? David (54:12): Well, actually, LinkedIn. I think I've discovered I'm the only David Kirkdorffer on the planet, so I'm easy enough to find. So that's a great place to kind of reach out to, and try and connect. And have you had dialogues and conversations with anyone? Kathleen (54:28): Fantastic. Well, I will put the link to your LinkedIn profile in the show notes. So if you're listening, if you want to connect with David and if you listened to this episode, you've enjoyed it, you learned something new, I would very much appreciate it if you would take a moment and head to Apple podcasts or the platform of your choice and leave the podcast a review. That is how we get more listeners. And of course, if you know someone who's doing amazing inbound marketing work, I would love it if you would tweet me at @workmommywork and let me know so that I can invite them to be my next guest. Thank you so much, David. David (55:02): Thank you. Kathleen has been a pleasure and an honor.

We want to avoid being landed into the dreaded SPAM folder or worse yet, have our email account service being terminated because we failed to abide by the CAN-SPAM laws. Here are some useful tips to make sure you avoid trouble with your email marketing service or Uncle Sam. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/deniseglee/message

About this episode In this episode, we're talking about anonymous emailing, a topic that may be considered controversial for some people. This is because many of us don't understand the established laws as it relates to email marketing. Many of us know GDPR because it is the most restricting, but CAN-SPAM, CCPA, and CASL relate to your organization, too. Today, Adam Robinson will teach you how. Adam is the founder of GetEmails, an identity resolution service that has the ability to identify one-third of your anonymous website traffic. The GetEmails solution can obtain email and postal information for your anonymous traffic so that you can market to those potential customers immediately. An ongoing challenge for many entrepreneurs is brand awareness and marketing, but GetEmails solves all of that by pointing you to those who have visited your site but not submitted their email on a lead magnet or made a purchase. Tune in to learn more about Adam's origin story and the incredible service he provides. In this episode, you'll hear. Adam's experience working on the floor of the stock exchange and with the founders of Vimeo. How he got into email marketing with no technology background. The things he had to learn the hard way that helped him start GetEmails. What GetEmails is. The privacy rules around opt-in/opt-out. His greatest challenges since day one. The real-time acquisition and integration of emails that GetEmails provides. How he solves the churn rate issue. Resources from this episode Join Grindology: https://grindology.com/ ExpressVPN: Get 3 Months Free → https://www.expressvpn.com/startupstory Get Emails: https://app.getemails.com/referrals/newaccount?ref=R18HWW5 The Startup Story Inner Circle: https://www.thestartupstory.co/vip The Startup Story on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thestartupstory The Startup Story is now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jamesmckinney The Startup Story on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestartupstory Adam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-robinson-64409348/ GetEmails on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChgG1qKmdGDFF96bL2b08gg Share the podcast The Startup Story community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach. There are three ways you can help. First, the most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Second, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and be sure to share your favorite Startup Story episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @thestartupstory.co so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you! Lastly, share the podcast on LinkedIn. The Startup Story podcast is for entrepreneurs. Don't underestimate the power of sharing on LinkedIn so other entrepreneurs can discover us. With your support, we hope to further our reach in encouraging and inspiring the founders of today and tomorrow. Thank you! EPISODE CREDITS If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Contact him today at https://emeraldcitypro.com/startupstory

EP 49 - Marketing is about Measuring. When it comes to email marketing, there are several metrics you can measure to determine how well your campaign did. It’s important to set goals for these metrics which will help you track the progress of your campaigns as well. If you are someone that has sent email campaigns in the past, this is something you want to look at for prior campaigns and future campaigns and for those of you that haven’t sent anything yet, this is information for when you do. Inside of your ESP, there should be a place for  you to see different metrics from each campaign. You should be able to see how many people unsubscribed, how many emails bounced, how many email in- boxes were full, how many emails were opened, not opened and how many people clicked on the different links you put inside the email campaign.   TODAY WE ARE FOCUSING ON  Bounces,  Unsubscribes and  Full email boxes.  At the end of this episode I’m going to share one very valuable tip for email marketing.  One of the key indicators of how you're doing with your email marketing is to track and review your unsubscribes. Many people will say it’s how many opens you have, but if people are reading it and unsubscribing, it’s a bigger problem.  If people are unsubscribing, it is usually an indicator of 3 things:  You aren’t sending valuable content You are sending too much content Your audience isn’t interested in what you have to offer any longer It’s that simple. The content you send is important. I spoke about this in episode 47 when I gave the example of an agent in NYC sending emails about drainage problems when most of the people on the list were renters or condo owners. If this agent were to send a lot of email campaigns that weren’t relevant to renters and condo owners, then they’ll lose a lot of subscribers and that is an issue in the long run because your prospect list begins to dwindle, for the wrong reasons. It’s essential that you send relevant, valuable content and while it might take extra work, it’s also important to tailor it to the audience rather than being too generic. Another reason why people unsubscribe is that you are sending too much content. You are in their inbox too much and because they really aren’t seeing the value or they aren’t interested any more, they don’t want to see you.  Look at your own email inbox. How many people send you emails every day or every week?  How many of those do you keep and read or just delete? How many do you completely unsubscribe from? What’s your reason for unsubscribing?   Most likely that’s the reason many of the people you send email campaigns to also unsubscribe.  I’m a believer that if you evaluate your own behavior, most likely, it’s similar to others as well. That will help you manage your email campaigns. The last reason people unsubscribe is that they aren’t interested in what you have to offer any longer. This can be tricky. A realtor friend of mine was talking about her email list yesterday and said she gets people that don’t want to see information she is sending out about upcoming listings, but they do want to know about the happy hours or events that she is hosting. (and she and her team have done some very elaborate outings in the past) One of the ways you can manage this is to put a questionnaire at the unsubscribe box asking questions about why people are unsubscribing and if they still want to get emails related to certain content.  By asking this information and giving people options, it could help to salvage a few unsubscribes.   This also ties to list segmenting which I discussed in episode 47 as well. If you have an email list that you haven't sent any emails out in awhile,  you’ll need to send an introductory email or two and let the reader know what you are doing. Give them the option to unsubscribe as part of the content that you send.  Doing this helps you to set a baseline for unsubscribes.  Pay attention to your clients unsubscribing as well. If you have clients that unsubscribe and then you send an informational type of email campaign (like Covid-19 specific information) they might not get it because they unsubscribed to your list.  If people do unsubscribe, you need to look at why, but then let them go. Don’t worry about the ones that unsubscribe, just keep working to create better content and reduce the number of  unsubscribes. Let’s talk about bounced emails.  There’s a few reasons why emails bounce. One is a great marketing opportunity the others are just numbers and there’s not much you can do. When an email bounces and it’s because the email address is no longer good, it’s a indication that your prospect or client has a new email account. Hence, the marketing opportunity for you because maybe they have a new job or they started their own business or maybe they retired. In some cases it’s going from one email provider like yahoo to another like gmail.  Regardless, it’s your opportunity to reach out to them and get the new email address. It’s your opportunity to talk to them and see what changes are taking place in their life. Maybe create a business opportunity for yourself or one of your strategic referral partners. Other reasons why emails bounce include their inbox is full or they are out of office.  One other reason why they bounce is that the email service provider you are using has been blocked by the company you are sending to. For example, in my CEO roundtables, one of my members is a banker with PNC bank. When I send emails to his PNC account they always bounce because I use Constant Contact and PNC blocks Constant Contact. If I send the emails to his personal email address, then there isn’t an issue of him receiving them. Some companies will let their employees white list emails, but not all will allow that, so it’s important to keep an eye on this type of bounce metric as well. It will tell you when you need to get personal emails and not business emails! HERE’S YOUR VALUABLE EMAIL MARKETING TIP: NEVER, NEVER, NEVER BUY AN EMAIL LIST.  It’s the easiest way to get reported as spam and if you get reported as spam too many times your email account will be shut down and it is a very expensive proposition to get it back online.  If you haven’t heard of this before, you are probably thinking I’m crazy. Well, hopefully not because I’ve seen this first hand. In the early 2000’s I was involved with an international networking organization. They did monthly events and with each event, there were 3 events. Initially, we were encouraged to build our lists as much as possible. Personally, I knew better because of my knowledge on email marketing, but not everyone knew the rules. A lot of people just added names without permission and therefore, they were reporting spam. Well, this international organization was shut down. Everything email was shut down. It took them almost 3 weeks to get back up and running. As a result they implemented strict protocols regarding email addresses, but the damage had been done. Imagine not being able to communicate with clients for 3 weeks because of no email. Buying an email list is basically buying a list of email addresses that hasn’t given you permission to  email them. Some platforms like Mail Chimp require a double opt in, so that email list you bought and uploaded will have to give permission to have you add them to mail chimp. Constant Contact flags you if you try to upload too many emails at one time and will contact you to discuss the emails you have before it lets you send to them. If you aren’t truthful about where the names came from and get a lot of spams, you’ll get shut down by them. It’s not something you want to go through. While the intent of the CAN SPAM act is to have an opt out feature, it’s also better if you don’t get reported for spam.  And here’s a little side note….did you know that most CGL’s today do not provide coverage for the CAN SPAM act? Initially they did, but that’s been added as an exclusion now!  I learned that a few years ago in a CIC update I took! - ok, done with the sidebar, if you aren’t sure, read your carrier’s CGL’s and see what they say about the CAN SPAM act. And if you aren't familiar with the CAN SPAM act, then I’d  encourage you to google it and read about it! WRAPPING UP If you like what you’ve heard, please go to iTunes and leave a review. If you know someone that should hear this content, please share the episode with them. If you want to learn more about marketing, join the FB group called the Business of Insurance. I’ll link to it in the show notes and I look forward to meeting you there! If you want to connect with Debbie on LinkedIn, mention you heard the podcast in your request. It helps me identify the spammers from the listeners! Until next time, keep creating opportunities.. SHOW THE LOVE If you haven’t done so already, please like or subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast player. We are on all of the platforms including spotify, IheartRadio and Apple podcasts. If you are listening to this podcast online and don’t know how to listen to podcasts on your phone, reach out to our host, Debbie DeChambeau and she'll help you. CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST ON SOCIAL FACEBOOK GROUP FACEBOOK PAGE TWITTER ABOUT THE HOST This episode of the Business of Insurance podcast is produced and hosted by Debbie DeChambeau, CIC, AAI, CPIA - an entrepreneurer, business advisor, insurance professional  and content creator. Her goal is to inspire you to think differently and explore ideas that disrupt the status quo.  Debbie has an extensive business and marketing background with a focus of helping insurance professionals be more successful.  She is the co-author of Renewable Referrals and produces three other podcasts, Business In Real Life and Divorce Exposed and Seniors We Love.  Connect with Debbie on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram. 

95% of your website visitors are anonymous.Adam Robinson is the Co-Founder and CEO of GetEmails (https://getemails.com/) . GetEmails identifies emails for up to 35% of your anonymous website traffic, then sends you those email addresses you don't have. Since only US emails have opted-in, this is 100% CAN-SPAM compliant. It takes 60 seconds to set up.

No on Poway Unified Measure P.  We break down the Poway school bond as a ploy to pass a tax increase to voters and free up money in the $400M annual budget to pay teachers more.  We also look at the San Diego County Supervisor District 2 race, the Iowa Caucuses, the Democratic Debates and the recent week for Donald Trump.  What a week! We covered a wide range of issues, people and places including Poway school board, Poway Federation of Teachers, John Collins, San Diego Taxpayer Association, San Diego Tax Fighters, Richard Rider,  Steve Vaus, Joel Anderson, Registrar of Voters, CAN-SPAM, privacy, Facebook, Google, Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Andrew Yang, Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar, Tom Steyer, Carl DeMaio, Darryl Issa, Scott Peters, Diane Jacob, ranked choice voting, instant run off, Fernando Garcia, Twister, Three Stooges, Musical Chairs, Donald Trump, William Barr, Justin Amash, Robert Mueller, Billion Dollar Bond, Voice of San Diego, Ashley McGlone, Separation of Powers, Mitt Romney, Ericsson, Nokia, 5G, universal health care, single payer health care #JohnRileyProject #Life #Liberty #PursuitofHappiness JRP0109 Our Sponsor: PowayStore.com:  https://powaystore.com/ John Riley Project Info: Bookings? Inquiries? Contact me at https://johnrileyproject.com/ Donations: https://www.patreon.com/johnrileyproject Sponsorship Inquiries: https://johnrileyproject.com/sponsorship/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJJSzeIW2A-AeT7gwonglMA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnrileyproject/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnRileyPoway Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnrileypoway/ iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/john-riley-project-podcast/id1435944995?mt=2 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3llrMItpbx9JRa08UTrswA Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/john-riley-project Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9qb2hucmlsZXlwcm9qZWN0LmNvbS9mZWVkLw Tune In: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/John-Riley-Project-Podcast-p1154415/ Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/john-riley-project-john-riley-2l4rEIo1RJM/ Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Adam Robinson is the co-founder and CEO of GetEmails.com, which is the worlds first ever email based retargeting software. He recently relocated from NY to CO because he is an avid skier. During our call we discuss: - How his roommate, one of the founders of Vimeo, inspired him to become an entrepreneur. - Adam shares the business super power he wishes he had. - He shares how and why his original plan failed, which cost him over hundreds of thousand dollars. - Why he pivoted to GetEmails.com and why it was the best decision. - We break down the 66% email open rate case study which blew my mind. - Best practices for engaging new email subscribers. - Adam shares how one of his ecommerce clients got a 10x ROI using his service during their Black Friday campaign. - He shares how a publishing client was able to lower his cost per lead by 80%. - We talk about how GDPR and CAN-SPAM laws impact this email retargeting strategy. - Adam shares his favorite growth tool/software. - He recommends one of his favorite books. - PLUS a whole lot more. Adam's website: www.GetEmails.com adam@getemails.com -------------------------------- If you enjoyed this episode, please RATE / REVIEW and SUBSCRIBE to ensure you never miss an episode. Connect with Dennis Brown  AskDennisBrown.com LinkedIn Twitter Instagram [Free Giveaways]

Hold onto your seats folks because this episode of the Startup Life Show is a wild and exhilarating roller coaster ride!Our guest, Adam Robinson, pulls back the curtain and candidly reveals the real startup stories you rarely hear. You'll feel the pain and the glory from his honest insights about the mistakes he made along the way, and the victories he pulled out from the ashes of burned attempts.This is a terrific episode for folks who want to know what really happens when you launch a business. You will be inspired, and you will be a better founder from Adam's entrepreneurial adventure!A little background about this magnificent man: After 8 years at Lehman Brothers (and Barclays Capital, post-bankruptcy) where he was trading credit default swaps, Adam decided to leave Wall Street to pursue his entrepreneurial dream. In 2014, Adam conceived Robly Email Marketing, and in 2015 he launched the product and flipped the email marketing space on its head by guaranteeing 50% more email opens than all other competitors. The marketplace response was huge, and in 2017, Robly was awarded #1 in Customer Satisfaction across the entire email marketing space… only 2 years after launching… that’s amazing!After proving Robly’s viability, Adam’s fertile startup brain conjured up another company: GetEmail, which he and his team launched in 2019. GetEmails is a powerful new technology that legally identifies up to 35% of your anonymous website traffic, and then sends you their email, home address, the page they visited on your site and more, via a daily update. It's 100% CAN-SPAM compliant as all the info is opted-in through third-party partners, and savvy Marketers are using GetEmails to build email lists, retarget visitors via their inbox, and even sending postcards in the mail. Plans start at $10 and Startup Life Show Listeners can try it free with their first 25 emails by using the discount code STARTUPLIFE! Visit http://GetEmails.com to learn more, and be sure to follow GetEmails via the following social media platforms:Facebook: www.facebook.com/usegetemailsTwitter: www.twitter.com/usegetemailsInstagram: www.instagram.com/usegetemailsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/getemailsIf you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! https://twitter.com/AndeLyonsDo you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – ande@andelyons.com. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -> http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletterDo you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAuditDo you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyonsListeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

Establishing a brand for you and your business is a must in today's digital world. From knowing yourself and your target customer, to differentiation and lead generation, Homes for Heroes Senior Manger Content Strategy, Luke Feldbrugge, and Emerging Media Manager, Seth Jeska, break down the tactics and strategies to building a brand for your real estate business online. This is the 2nd episode of a 2 part series on building your brand online.  Helpful resources referenced in episode:  FTC guide for email CAN-SPAM:    Free Style Guide Template:    Blogging Platform Information:  Are you interested in learning more about joining the nation's largest network of real estate agents and mortgage lenders committed to serving this nation's heroes? 

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Adam Robinson. Adam is a serial entrepreneur who has started and bootstrapped multiple companies to 7-figures, most notably, Robly and his latest venture, Get Emails. But, he didn’t start out down the entrepreneur path. He was a trader and investment banker for almost a decade before he made the leap to entrepreneur. In 2017, he made a major change at Robly, where the company changed from everyone coming into the Manhattan office ever day to becoming a fully remote organization – and Adam decided to go on the road working remotely while traveling the world. ​ I am really excited to explore what this change was like and what he learned in addition to his insight on entrepreneurship and how to bootstrap a multi-million dollar company in today’s episode. www.GetEmails.com Get 10% off by using the offer code Misfit when you sign up! ​ www.Robly.com When Adam graduated from college, a friend of his convinced him to go up to New York and get into the trading and investing markets. He managed to get a job at Lehman Brothers. He showed up in New York and was sharing an apart with a few other guys. These guys happened to working on building a business by the name of Vimeo. Adam watched this group of guys begin to flourish and see them really enjoy the fruits of entrepreneurship. While this was going, Adam was doing great at Lehman. He was trading credit default swaps which were the instruments at the center of the 2008 financial crisis. Even though he was doing well, he felt that he had a calling to pursue and build his own business. He managed to save a decent amount of money and in 2011, he left the investment/trading business to start his own business. He invested in several businesses and lost his money. As he says, “The overconfidence of being a Wall Streeter is a real thing.” He didn’t know how to build a team, operating an organization, etc. Fortunately, one of the things he invested in got some legs and eventually became Robly. At the 7:30 mark, Adam talks about how Robly came about and some of the biggest lessons he’s learned on his entrepreneurial journey? Robly came about in a what Adam calls the “luckiest way” Adam made a YouTube video, and the CEO of a failed company, that Adam and his brother were trying to essentially copy and do a better job with, found it and invited him to come meet with him. The CEO showed Adam everything that his company had done wrong and how it could be done right. The CEO essentially gave them the structure of the machine and also showed them some insight and a niche of how to get customers. The big lesson is that “Unless you are very confident that you have an unfair advantage when you are starting, or if you think that if it works out 10% as well as you think is possible that it’s still a great business, keep going.” The key to success was developing one of the first “remarketing” features in the space. Successes and Failures? The main strategy of working the list they had and staying very true to the niche of servicing customers that measured success by “open rate.” It was the success and failure at the same time of Robly to date. Adam had 30+ people dialing every day to sell them. The list ran out faster than Adam thought and trying new lists to market to, outside of the main channel, were not working near as well, so margins began to shrink. The big lesson/failure here was that while things were going well with the main channel, they should have been developing an offering for several other channels/customer types. Because of this, Adam was forced to let go of about 25 of his staff and decided that it would better to make the company a remote work company. Going remote worked out tremendously for the company and the team. Tell us about Get Emails… It is a technology that allows customers to identify up to 35% of the anonymous traffic on their website and get their information to be able to market to. It works because the people identified have opted in and are Can-Spam compliant with lists that can be shared, so they can be given to a business to market to and see who is on their site that may not being captured. This is only legal in the U.S. currently because of the U.S. Can-Spam laws. The only rule is you must have an opt Out link in what you send out to these leads. It is the ultimate niche business. Talk to us about the results you realized from going fully remote as a company? It would have been hard to do with 35 cold-callers. When they scaled down, it made more sense. The effect on the employees when it was done, was night and day. The productivity went up tremendously simply by taking out the daily commute into an office in New York. They eased into it, first going 2 days remote, then 3, and then ultimately full remote was the right way to do it. Having a good operations manager/leader in place will make it easier for you. The employees are happier, turnover The cost is potentially some missing creativity/idea generation that you get when you have a bunch of people in the same office all day, but it is minimal – and the overall benefits outweigh it. What is your best advice on how to be effective as a remote CEO? You must do everything possible to stay connect to people. You must make sure and even over-invest in ways manage and measure accountability. Manage things on a week by week basis with the employees. Have them articulate what they will do over the next week and then when you meet the next week, have them report on it. Track deliverables clearly and concisely What is most important when hiring a remote workforce? The ability self-manage is the single most important skill to have. You need to figure out how to identify the self-management quality when interviewing Having solid remote work experience on a resume is one thing to look for. Interview for examples of times in their life that really required self-management Was there anything that you learned as an investment banker that helped you on your entrepreneurial journey? [Laughs] Almost nothing Adam was shocked when he went out to start a business and sell real products to clients. It was a rude awakening, as nothing he had done really prepared him. His experience would be beneficial in raising capital is needed. Adam learned through self-education ​ What is something you think every entrepreneur should know? Start with an unfair advantage. Find that hack or niche or thing that gives you a real clear advantage. You must have cushion for the mistakes you will make.   Best Quote: A sign that you are on the right track in business is that it will feel so much easier from the beginning vs. trying to force something through. If you haven’t felt that feeling, you need to dig deeper and find a bigger edge or differentiator.   Adam's Misfit 3: It’s all about the team. Not just in your professional life, but personal life. Find the best people to put around you in all aspects of life. The brand is far more important today than it has been ever, especially if you are in software. A sign that you are on the right track in business is that it will feel so much easier from the beginning vs. trying to force something through. If you haven’t felt that feeling, you need to dig deeper and find a bigger edge or differentiator.

Establishing a brand for you and your business is a must in today's digital world. From knowing yourself and your target customer, to differentiation and lead generation, Homes for Heroes Senior Manger Content Strategy, Luke Feldbrugge, and Emerging Media Manager, Seth Jeska, break down the tactics and strategies to building a brand for your real estate business online. This is the 1st episode of a 2 part series on building your brand online.  Helpful resources referenced in episode:  FTC guide for email CAN-SPAM:    Free Style Guide Template:    Blogging Platform Information:  Are you interested in learning more about joining the nation's largest network of real estate agents and mortgage lenders committed to serving this nation's heroes?

When is the last time you talked to a lawyer about GDPR compliance? When is the last time you got to talk to a lawyer who is also a marketer? Wouldn't it be great to hear from someone with both perspectives? Now you can! An Attorney, Digital Marketing Advisor, Podcast Host, and the President of AttorneySync, Gyi Tsakalakis, brings GDPR, email marketing, and SEO centerstage with his years of experience in law and marketing. Have you ever heard someone say “consult your legal counsel”? Check it out!   Takeaways: People hire people based on knowing and trusting them. With the internet, a business can nurture relationships with their buyers prior to them getting at the stage in their cycle where they are shopping around.  GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation, and it is a law that has been enforceable since May 2018. It was put into practice to protect people's data and give them the right to consent to process their data and the right for them to be forgotten by a company. The basic principles to be GDPR compliant is to get consent, get the record of that consent, if there is a data breach, report it, and then have clean data where you can remove someone's information if requested. Read the terms of your software and see what the data retention policy is. This will give you a better idea if the data that you delete, is actually deleted. If you are outsourcing your marketing, be sure that the third-party practices are in compliance with GDPR and CAN-SPAM as you could be held liable. When considering whether or not to spam links to build your SEO, consider the integrity and reputation of your business. Do you want to be around for a while or do you want to be around for a year? With SEO, get informed about how search engines work. “Meh links - Links still drive the engine at Google...they want to build the world around their servers.” - Gyi Tsakalakis Find ways to earn links from other websites that are relevant to your business in terms of topic and location. Culture happens whether you are intentional about it or not. If you don't prioritize it with a core framework, it can become toxic.   Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/gyitsakalakis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gyitsakalakis/ AttorneySync: https://www.attorneysync.com/ Clienting: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clienting/id1329721720 Lunch Hour Legal Marketing: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lunch-hour-legal-marketing/id973563135   Busted Myths: People don't use the internet to hire lawyers. - They DO use the internet to find lawyers. Lawyers may say that most of their inbound comes from word of mouth, however, those word of mouth conversations are now happening on the internet through reviews, and private groups on social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn. GDPR only applies to you, if you are in the European Union. - This is false because if your business is in the United States and it processes data of a resident in the EU, then you are subject to being GDPR compliant. We live in a direct-response only world. - We do NOT live in a direct-response only world. Buyers are everywhere in their journey. They may see an ad, then they are on social media, then they are attending a webinar, and then reading a blog post. The journey model that marketers are dealing with is no longer a structured funnel as there are so many different touches that buyers interact with. Outbound sales is a dead concept. - Outbound sales is not dead. You need to pick your battles, put time in researching your customer, and then go after the targeted accounts. Domain authority is a good indicator for SEO. - Domain authority is NOT a good indicator of the link quality in the local SEO Universe. It is Moz's proxy metric for measurement.   Shout Outs 48:34 - David Meerman Scott

Data shows that using one-to-one, personalized videos in your marketing gets better results, but few marketers or actually using it. This week on The Inbound Success Podcast, BombBomb Chief Evangelist Ethan Beute breaks down the topic of personalized video - from why to use it, to how to do it well, when to use, who it's right for, and what kinds of results you can expect.  Bottom line - by just about every measurement of success, using one-to-one videos gets better results. And with so many new technologies available to make the creation of one-to-one video easy and affordable, there is no reason not to get started. Highlights from my conversation with Ethan include: BombBomb is a video platform that, amongst other things, supports the creation of one-to-one, personalized videos. Ethan says that we are successful when we connect with people and are sincere in our ability to provide value - so this ability to do it in a more complete way, with today's technology, is simply a return to the way business was exclusively done just a few generations ago. The biggest reason more marketers don't use one-to-one video is that it requires vulnerability, and many people are uncomfortable appearing on camera. There is also a behavior, or habit, change required so that when people would normally sit down at a keyboard and type out a message, they think instead about creating a video. A great way to get started with one-to-one video is by sending it to people who already know and like you - for example, your internal colleagues. There are several use cases for one-to-one video, from landing pages with form fills, to frequently asked questions, emails, customer testimonials, and success stories. Other common use cases include when you have to explain something complicated, or demonstrate a product. Ethan recommends that if you include a video in email, you don't put the full text of the video into the email. Use the email like a teaser. The most important thing to consider when making one-to-one videos is what is in it for the recipient. Why would they open your video? A couple of things you can to do increase the chances someone will watch your video are use an animated preview thumbnail, and do something in the first few frames to really customize it, like hold up a whiteboard with the recipient's name, or do a screen capture of their LinkedIn profile. Adding one-to-one video to your emails generates powerful results. 81% of people said they get more replies and responses, 87% of people say they get more clicks, one in six said they doubled or more than doubled their click rate, 68% say they convert more leads, and 10% said they doubled or more than doubled their conversion rate.  These same results all increase by 2 to 5% when you use an unformatted email template meant to mimic a personalized gmail. Resources from this episode: Visit the BombBomb website Connect with Ethan on LinkedIn Follow Ethan on Twitter Learn more about using personalized video in Ethan's book Rehumanize Your Business Check out BomBomb's gmail video solution Listen to the podcast to learn more about using one-to-one video in your marketing. Transcript Kathleen Booth (Host): Welcome back to the Inbound Success Podcast. I'm your host, Kathleen Booth, and this week, my guest is Ethan Beute, who is the Chief Evangelist at BombBomb. Welcome, Ethan. Ethan Beute (Guest): Thank you so much. I really appreciate the invite, and I'm looking forward to the conversation. Ethan and Kathleen recording this episode together . Kathleen: Me too, and I love your t-shirt. People who are listening can't see this, but he's got on a t-shirt that says, "Rehumanize," which definitely is related to what we're talking about today. Let's start out by having you tell the audience a little bit about yourself and about BombBomb. What do you guys do? About BombBomb Ethan: Sure. I've been with the team for eight years full time and two years part time prior to that. A, we've been at this a long time, and B, I've been involved with it for a long time. We maybe had a couple hundred customers when I started full time back in 2011 and more than 45,000 today, so it's been a really interesting journey. And I think it's just, there's so many factors that we're working in our favor at the time. What we do, we make it very easy for people to get face-to-face again through simple video. The ideal situation is that you and I could get together and have this conversation in person, but time and distance are the things that keep us apart. Here, we were able to work out time, and then, we use Zoom to cover the distance. It allows us to be there in person when we can't be there in person, and that's what this style of video is. It's simple, personal videos, typically webcam, smartphone, unscripted, conversational. Not to put on your home page, not to build a YouTube channel with, but in order to get face-to-face again where it matters most for you, and for your customers and future customers. We have a tool set that works in Gmail, in Outlook, in Salesforce, in Outreach, in a bunch of other CRMs and platforms, our own web application, mobile apps, etc. But the premise is, you're better in person. You're going to communicate with people more clearly. You're going to connect with them more effectively, and ultimately, you're going to convert at a higher rate when you get face-to-face. And those conversions aren't just a macro conversion, like a signed contract or something like that. It's also the micro conversions, like more replies, or a return phone call, or more clicks through to fill out that form or to give a review, or whatever the case may be. And so we've found that, when people are a little bit more personal and a little bit more human in their communication, instead of relying exclusively on the same plain black text on the same white screen that doesn't differentiate you, doesn't build trust and rapport, and doesn't communicate nearly as well as if you just looked someone in the eye and just spoke to him or her. And it's a really effective and satisfying way to communicate with people. Kathleen: Yeah, I really could not agree more with that. We're recording a podcast right now, and we're starting a little late, because I had some technical issues. The technical issue I was having specifically is that my webcam wasn't working. And you would think, "Well, why do you need a webcam to record a podcast, which is an audio podcast?" But the reality is that it makes a huge difference if I can see the person I'm talking to and vice versa, not only to forge a connection, but the facial expressions, my hand moving as I talk. And also, not talking over each other. Our ability to have a great conversation is so dramatically influenced by our ability to see each other. Ethan: I agree completely, and I know a little bit more about you. Even before we started speaking. You have a really nice little diffuser going. I can see- Kathleen: My essential oils back there. Ethan: Yeah, yeah. I can see photos of your family. It's the spoken and unspoken things. It's the body language, but it's also the context and all this stuff. It's just so much more rich. And again, effective, as you already said. You know when I'm winding down, and I can see when you're ready to ask a follow up question so we don't speak over each other and things, but it's also more satisfying. I feel a little bit more connected to you. You're able to read the word on my t-shirt, and know that it says something about me and the way I look at things. There's just so much there. That's what all of this is all about. Ethan: It is about getting to the MQL number or the SQL number or the revenue number or whatever, but all of that is facilitated through, and I don't want to sound trite and go, "It's not B2B, it's not B2C. It's H2H." It's true. I don't want to be trite about it, but that's all this is really about. "We are successful when we connect with people, are sincere in our ability to provide value, and so this ability to do it in a more complete way, with today's technology, is simply a return to the way business was exclusively done just a few generations ago." Why more marketers don't use video Kathleen: You just mentioned something really interesting to me, which is "with today's technology." I have noticed that, in the last few years, there are just a proliferation of tools available to support making these kinds of videos. But there actually are an astounding number of marketers who are not taking advantage of them. I would love to just start by talking about why you think that is the case. Ethan: I'll tell you exactly why it's the case. I think one of the biggest hangups is that it requires vulnerability. That's it. We don't want the discomfort of appearing on camera. There are some other things too in that there's not a lot of best practices established. I think a lot of people see people on LinkedIn, with this maybe this style of video and think, "Who do they think they are? I would never do that. I can't do that. Can I do that? Is this good enough? Am I good enough?" Just to bring it back to the vulnerability. "Do I actually have anything to say," and all of these other pieces, and so I think a lot of it is that personal piece of, "I'm not comfortable enough in my own skin to put myself forward in a real and honest way, sitting here in my cubicle," or as I'm doing, standing in a bedroom in my dad's condo in West Michigan. We are who we are. We are where we are. And if we come with the right spirit of service and, again, trade word, value, that it all works out. I think the human factor is the single biggest factor. And then I think, more practically, this simpler style of video, there are not a lot of best practices established. I think there aren't enough people modeling it. A lot of people are ... Any typical adoption curve that's fat in the middle, we're still on the early upside of it, and so the followers that want to be a little bit more cautious and comfortable in, "Oh, other people have done this successfully," we're not quite there yet. I think there are people sitting on the sidelines, maybe waiting and watching. And it's behavior change in general, this idea of hitting record instead of going to the keyboard when I'm responding to a customer inquiry, or making that initial touch, or following up after an appointment, or all these other various places you can drop videos. It's a habit change, so even some of our best customers will confess, "Gosh, I love this. This is great. You guys are awesome people. I love what you allow me to do for my customers and in my business, but gosh, I just wish I used it more often." Even people who have jumped all the early hurdles, and we can get into those more specifically, but even people who've jumped all the hurdles are still struggling to make it a habit, which is the thing that I'm most excited about in the work that I do, is getting more people to be more consistent about being more human in their day-to-day communication. Kathleen: You have hit the nail on the head, in my opinion. Because, and I speak from experience, because at IMPACT, we've had a stated goal in the last year of really weaving video throughout every single thing we do as a company, and I have seen both of the things you said. One, I have absolutely seen and I have experienced it myself, that feeling of, "Oh, I didn't put on a nice enough outfit." Or, "I haven't done my hair, so I couldn't possibly do a video today." I've been experimenting with LinkedIn video a lot in the last few months, and it is funny, I do feel like the days when I wake up and put an effort into my appearance, I'm like, "Gosh, I should record three of these in different shirts so that I take advantage of the fact that I look good." And you find yourself getting all caught up in appearances, as opposed to just acknowledging, "This is what I look like today. Let's show the world, and that's okay." But then also that muscle memory almost that you tap into when you need to communicate. A lot of us don't think of video first. I always think of it as building a culture of video within your company. Again, we've been trying to do this for the last year, and we have some tools in place that help us create one-to-one videos really easily. They're in-browser, and it's interesting to see adoption. There are a couple people who are just amazing at it. They use it for everything. And then there are definitely people who, you can remind them time and time again, and they still default back to writing. And so much is lost in that writing, so much of the context. One of the greatest things that I think we did as a company, and I'm going to give credit to our COO, Chris Duprey, is that we actually had this communication training earlier in the year. And it wasn't so much about video, but what he did was, after the communication training, he asked everybody in the company, once a week, a question about how they were implementing what they learned, and he required them to answer that question via video. You had to post a video of yourself answering his question in this particular Slack channel, and it was a great structured way of getting people used to having that kind of a conversation by video. But it was funny to watch, because there were definitely some people who, you could just tell, they were procrastinating doing it. Or they didn't want to show themselves. Absolutely, everything you just said is true, and I've 100% lived it within our company, the whole spectrum of people who are early adopters to people who are true, true laggers. Ethan: I love it. The confidence piece of, "I feel like I look good today," is a real thing. And when you are feeling it, definitely create opportunities to do that. Even my use is pretty streaky, where I might send 15 or 20 or 30 videos in a day in order to execute something that I'm working on, and it requires benefits from one-to-one communication. If you are feeling it, ride that. But if you're not, know that you care a heck of a lot more about your own appearance than anyone else does. The other cool think that I love that you all are doing there is, and it would be one of the tips that I would offer for anyone just getting started, is start with the people who already know you and like you. These are your coworkers, and so an internal Slack channel with your team members all talking about what we're learning and how we're going to move forward together in these types of things, is a really great way to start getting comfortable, because it is a new skill. You're not just going to pick up the saxophone, or pick up a lacrosse stick, or sit down at the piano, or open up a Mandarin language book and just be expert out of the gate. And this is a new skill. This idea of looking the camera in the lens and speaking as if you're speaking to somebody isn't the most natural thing we've ever done, so this idea that you're going to practice is super, super important. And the idea that you can do it in this safe, closed space is just a killer idea, so yeah, props to Chris. Kathleen: Yeah, Chris is a smart guy. Using one-to-one video in your marketing Kathleen: In terms of marketing, there's so many use cases for these one-to-one videos, but let's zero our focus in for a minute on marketing, because I have some other areas I want to talk about too. Marketing, specifically, can you talk a little bit about some of the use cases you've seen, where one-to-one video can be useful? Because there are plenty of use cases for non-one-to-one video that I think most marketers are very familiar with, but how do you see one-to-one specifically being used? Ethan: I'll start with the common thoughts, which is the idea that it's recorded once and used over and over again, but it goes to one person at the right time. This would be, maybe, something that you would write and script and edit, and it isn't truly in the context or even the spirit of what you and I have been talking about with regard to video. But anywhere that someone is making a transition, this could be from a form fill to a free trial, or a free trial to a customer, or any of these points of transition for the customer that are in marketing's zone of activity or responsibility set. Frequently asked questions is always a great source of video content, whether that is for an email nurture sequence or a YouTube playlist or a set of blog posts. Whatever the case may be. Anything that your best customers are wondering about or need to know in transition from one place to the next is a great place to do relationship building and teaching and nurturing through video. I would add then that, for the marketer in general, some places I've personally ... I was a one-person marketing team for about three and a half years, and then we've dramatically grown the team out over the past three or four years since then. I sent a ton of email, and I did not send it from a group address. I sent every email, whether it was a newsletter, one of these nurture type emails, trade show pre-event marketing or post-event followup, I sent all of them from my own email address. And so A, if you're not sending email from a real person, I encourage you to do so. The reason you're sending email isn't just to blast information out. It's to create conversation and to help people, but the benefit is these replies, the things people wonder about, the things people thank you for, this is how you understand your customers. If you're not getting on a phone with them regularly, this is another great way to have those conversations. And do you need to budget time for it? Absolutely. What I found myself in ... I'll go to a really fun one. If you send emails to large lists of people as I was doing, as the sole practitioner and even as we were building the team before I handed some of this stuff off to other team members, I would regularly get, from time to time, on an email to 80,000 or 120,000 people, get that periodic reply that says, "Why are you in my inbox? I hate you." Foul language. Kathleen: Isn't it amazing how awful people feel like they can be over email? Ethan: Right, unsubscribe. And so, it's funny. What I would do in all of those cases is I would just hit reply, and I promise I'll give you a couple more good use cases, but I would hit reply and I would say, "Hey Jeff, Ethan Beute here with BombBomb. Wanted to let you know I got your email. Hey, I am so sorry. It does me no good to make you upset. I don't want to send you email you don't want to receive. I know the outcome is going to be terrible. I wanted to let you know that I've personally manually unsubscribed you in both of the systems that we use to have email. And if you ever want to get face-to-face with people as I'm doing here, to build a relationship and let people know what's going on, just reply. Let me know. I'd be happy to resubscribe you any time." And about one third of the time, you get nothing back. About one third of the time, you get an, "Okay, thanks." And about one third, maybe a little bit less of the time, you'll get, "Oh my gosh, that was really nice. Yeah, resubscribe me." Again, all anyone wants is to feel like they've been seen and heard. That person who was very angry in the moment, maybe they just lost a deal, or got chewed out by their supervisor, or got a piece of bad news, or woke up on the wrong side of the bed, they get your email and they are just ready to start firing. All they want on the other side is, "Hey man, I see you. I hear you. I'm sorry. This is not in my best interest either. I don't want to spam you, because that's bad for both of us, and I've taken care of the issue." That's all anyone wants. I do customer testimonials, customer success stories. I think, yeah, you could write a rule set in your CRM or something that will produce a list of your most active customers or your longest lasting customers or customers within a particular segment or whatever, and send a mass email requesting that they send a video testimonial or some kind of success story or whatever. That's okay. I typically prefer to do that on a one-to-one basis, because I do want their personal story. I might template the email with three or four tips on how to provide that story or that testimonial, or leading questions or a structure for how they might respond, or go to a third party site and leave that thing you want to give that instruction. But I think, even if it's 85% the same video, I think it's worth 45 seconds a person to let them know that you appreciate them. There's a benefit here too. Smiling is like gratitude in that the more we practice it, the better we actually feel. It's a chemical benefit. It's an emotional benefit. It's a physical benefit to us. And so this idea of anything that's positive in your customer communication, I think the more you can do that and be sincere in it ... Your current customers are your best source of your next customers, period. They're least expensive, the warmest, etc etc etc, and so why not honor those people? Those are the people that you can turn into the loyalists and the advocates, simply by, even with 40 seconds of your time, they're going to say something like, "Oh my gosh, thank you for taking the time to send that video." And you say, "Oh my gosh, it actually took me a quarter of the time it would have to type all this out." Anyway, I could go on, but I think when you look at the times when you're clicking Send, you're going to find opportunities where you can communicate more clearly or make a stronger human connection or make a bigger impact or be much more clear in your communication, and those are the spots where you might take care to hit Record. And again, once you get comfortable and get over those human issues in the beginning, you're often going to save a lot of time. Kathleen: Yeah, there are so many great use cases. Again, speaking from personal experience, and I wouldn't say we're experts at this, but we've been playing around with it a lot, and some of the more effective use cases that I've seen are ... We have a Contact Us form on our website, so for anybody who's interested in talking to someone from our sales team, we actually have one person, her name is Myriah, who everybody talks to first. And so, we made a video of her. On the page, it says, "If you fill out this form, this is the person that you will be speaking with." And it's her saying hi and saying, "I'll be the one you're talking to," and explaining what she's going to cover in the call. That's been very effective, and people really like that. They're like, "Wow, I really did get her on the phone." And then- Ethan: That's the really interesting thing. When people greet her on the phone, there's not just the basic relationship building there, like the psychological proximity. There's also a degree of authority there in this idea that, "Oh, it's really you." This idea that they feel like they know you, and so when you get on the phone, it's like, "Hey, it's you." What a benefit to the entire rest of the relationship, especially if that's the first touch they get. So good. Kathleen: Yeah, we've done that also in a lot of our email marketing, like you were suggesting. Whether it's promoting ticket sales for an event and having somebody ... I'm a user group leader for HubSpot, so whenever we invite people to our next user group meeting, there'll be a little video of me saying, "Hey, I hope you can make it. Here's what we're going to cover." And it's funny, because when you pair that with the email ... We have one of our email templates. We call it "conversational email," but it's basically a stripped down email template. It looks literally like it came out of my Gmail. It's done by design. It still has the CAN-SPAM footer, but it's subtle. We just stripped all the formatting out and made it look like every other email you get. And when we create the email like that and make it very personal and from me, and then have a video of me in it, it's sent through a mass emailing system, but it is astounding, the number of replies I get. People saying, "Oh, thanks for your email. I'm sorry, I won't be able to make it." Nobody responds to a formatted mass email to be like, "I'm sorry. I can't make it." But the fact that they're doing that, it's because it really feels like they're getting a personal email from me. Ethan: There's a social reciprocity element. I feel like it's subtle. You can't describe it. They would never articulate why they chose to reply to that email. If you deliver it as if you're speaking to one person instead of, "Hey everyone." If you're like, "Hey. As someone in the HubSpot community here locally, you blah blah blah ..." When you speak to one person, they feel like it's for one person, and there's this, almost an obligation to participate in a different way. The same as your front desk or your admin who's the first point of contact and the router of all of the opportunities, that she's greeted in a different way as well. I'm not surprised by that result, but I love to hear it. Kathleen: Yeah, you also talked about one other thing, which I've found to be true as well, which is when something's complicated, I actually love video for that. Because it is exhausting to think about having to write out an email about a complicated topic, when you can just turn your video camera on and, in no time, just talk it out. And then send that to somebody. I think it's easier for you, as the person who needs to communicate the message, but it's also easier for the one receiving it to understand it. Ethan: Completely, and so when you fold in something like screen recording, that helps as well. If you need to walk people through a process, or walk through a form or a document, or a piece of software or something else, this idea of being able to blend show and tell together is especially powerful for detailed and complicated topics. And a point of caution here that I would offer people that say, "Oh gosh, this is great. I'm going to add some videos to my emails." A, I definitely agree with your idea of stripping down some of the emails and making them more ... We call it Gmail, Gmail style, Gmailesque. But then I would also say, don't be redundant. The text in the email is meant to support the video, and the video is meant to support the text in the email, to ultimately make it clear to people, "Why did I get this? What's my opportunity? And how do I proceed?" You do need some text maybe to help compel that video play. The video is there to bring the message to life, to maybe add some clarity or add some emotion. In the case that it's an event invite, really build it. Sales is the transfer of emotion, so capture the spirit of the event and what you think is really cool about it, or attractive and why you would just plain not miss it. These kinds of things are going to naturally draw people in, with fellow human beings and fellow social creatures that we are. And then, there's often a tendency then to put all the detail from the video in the body of the email. I strongly discourage that. Then there's no reason to watch the video. Again, these are all habits. No one send is the thing. Just speaking of your HubStop user group, these are people that you reach out to monthly or quarterly. You maybe have some exchanges. You're going to be back in their inbox, and so the more you train them that, "I don't need to watch the video, because it's all here in the email body," they're not going to watch the video. Or the more, in general, let's step outside of the user group. The more emails you send ... Every single email you send, you're training people to open or delete your next message by how good it is. And it's the same thing with any aspect of that email. You're training people to know what to expect from you when your "from: name" and "from: email address" hit their inbox. We need to be careful to keep the human elements in the video. Out of courtesy, if it is a complex topic, go ahead and include a list of bullet points or details, or date, time, location, street address stuff that you don't necessarily want to memorize and put in the video. It doesn't belong in the video. In video, in email, you can use them together, the video and the text to be complimentary, to compel people to ultimately take you up on the call to action, whatever the purpose of that email is. How to do one-to-one video right Kathleen: That's a great point, and I think what it speaks to is, what are some things that you should be aware of if you want to do this well? If somebody says, "I'm into it. I want to create a one-to-one video. I like that tip of 'don't be redundant.'" One of the other things I learned was, when you hit that record button, already be smiling. Because, if you put a video thumbnail in something, and you have a serious face, it's not going to entice anybody to watch. Whereas, if you have a big smile in that thumbnail, somebody's going to want to hit click. It's much more inviting. Are there other tips along those lines that you have for people if they're going to test this out? Ethan: Sure, absolutely. Something that happens when people first get started is they think the video is magic, because a lot of people selling video solutions are selling magic. That's just my shorthand for "dramatic promises that this is the one thing you've been looking for, that it's going to make the difference in ..." What's going to make a difference in your business and a difference in the world at large is being consistent about doing it and making it a habit, and now this is part of the way we communicate. It doesn't replace phone calls, doesn't replace text messages or emails or social messages. It's just part of what we can add into so many of our situations to, again, bring it to life and convey the emotion, have people feel like they know us. What people will often do is just record a video and send it on its own, essentially. And then they wonder, "Why didn't they play my video?" Which is the wrong question. That's backward looking, looking to blame. You can learn and apply it forward, but it's too late. You've already done all the action. If we instead ask, "Why would he play this video? Why should she play this video? Why would they watch this video?" Then we're going to be much more clear. This is just ... and you don't have to go through all these steps every time. Like you're sending a marketing email to 1,500 or 15,000 people every single time you send a one-to-one email, but once you start getting habitual about it like, "Okay, what's in it for this person," and when you're clear on that, you're going to A, record a much better video. Because you're much more clear about the intention and the value to the recipient, but it's also going to come through in your subject line, one line of text to tell someone why to play the video, and then a supporting line of text after the video to drive the call to action, which I assume you'll be talking about in the video. Being clear on what's in it for them from the get go is going to set you up to create a much better experience for them from subject line through opening it through watching the video through following up on the call to action. Being clear on the value is a good one. Something that we do at BombBomb, we take the first three seconds of your video and automatically turn it into an animated preview for you. That gives you three seconds to do thinks like, of course, smile or wave or gesture at something in the room. I keep a little whiteboard on my desk, a dry erase board, and I'll write notes. Sometimes I'll draw people's logos. I'm using the animated preview as well to let people know why they should watch the video. You can do that in a static thumbnail as well. Other people use sticky notes or iPads. You can use screen recording, where your little face is in the corner, and you're over top of their LinkedIn profile or over a blog post that they recently published, or a podcast episode, or a podcast they host. These kinds of things to let them know, "This is just for you. This is not something that I ..." Because as video becomes more common, the same reason that direct mail fell off, I feel like it's having a little bit of a resurgence. The reason it fell off is, we all know this is just ... "This went to everybody. It's not necessarily relevant to me," and all of these things. Video will reach that point. I actually think we're years away from it, because there aren't enough people doing it, for some of the reasons we already described. There'll be a point at which we need to be much more clear about the value of video. I think we still have a window here where, simply using video in some of these places where it's not necessarily expected or common will get you an extra lift right now, but especially as we go forward. This ability to convey the value to the recipient and reasons to participate, because goodness knows, our time and attention are not going to be more available in the future. They're only going to be less available, and so we need to be more clear about these things from the get go. Who should be using one-to-one video Kathleen: So true. Now, what do you ... I imagine there are people who hear this and they think, "Okay, one-to-one video. I get it, but by nature, it is unscripted. It is less polished. It is more informal." What do you say to people who come back to you and say, "My brand, that's not congruent with my brand. My brand is more corporate. It's more polished, and this isn't going to fit with it Ethan: For starter, I would obviously ask some follow up questions. My flippant response is, "You are wrong." My flippant response is what I said earlier, which is just ultimately, you need to honor those elements, and I think some of that's going to come through. Maybe you control your setting a little bit more. You control your clothing a little bit more, but ultimately ... I wrote a piece years ago called The Shiny Authenticity Inversion. It was based on anecdotal evidence from working with thousands of people around this, and people using video in YouTube, in Facebook, even at the time, five years ago, let's say, and in email and these other places. And they say, "I do all kinds of video. I have all this expensive video equipment. I made a studio in my office or in my garage or whatever, and I do all this great stuff." But the videos that generate the best response are my simplest ones, where I just hold out my iPhone and I just talk to people. I organized that, and then I specifically set corporate against human in a table to characterize it: scripted versus conversational, edited instead of one take recording. This kind of shiny, scripted, produced, edited, animated open, like the video opens and we're in a polished video. And I think the reaction to the simpler style is a reaction to, or an echo reaction even, to Seth Godin's television industrial complex. This idea that, if you had budget enough to produce a video and put it in front of enough people that you would inherently and immediately have trust, the idea that you had enough of a budget to create a television campaign in the '80s and '90s, was enough for people to say, "Oh, these people are super legitimate." And now I think we're overtrained that way. This idea of pulling the curtain back, and stop putting on all of this overdressed ... Brene Brown's language for it is like armor, and some of these other things, this overly produced scenario, where we act as if. We act as if we're not the same as you. We're not the same as ourselves. We're better than ourselves, all this dressing up. There are places for it, and I think there are ways to do this that honor the spirit of your brand and are true to who you are. But ultimately, people want to know that. They want to see you and hear you just like they want to be seen and heard. They want to know and trust the person who's on the other side, and so I think the more we can ask why when we feel defensive about these ideas of being more honest, and being more direct, and being more personal, and being more human in the work that we're doing. Another thing is, "This doesn't scale." It doesn't, but you've got to pick your spot. I say, if you as an agency are doing high value/low volume, then I think there are a lot of places to do this. If, like us, as a software company with 40,000 customers, are doing high volume, you need to pick your spots and say, "I'm going to do mass emails for this," but when people reply or when I go through the analytics, I'm going to follow up underneath and be truly person. You've got to pick your spots where it's going to make the most sense and the most value for your organization. I would say the same thing to your question of, "That's not me." And by casual unscripted, I don't mean you have no idea what you're going to say when you hit record, or that you're going to do it in the parking garage, the fifth floor of the parking garage underneath your office building. I'm not suggesting that it's intentionally trashy, although my shiny authenticity version was. I feel validated. About a year later, the Content Marketing Institute, which produces a ton of amazing content, a gentleman did a piece called Visual Realism: The New Way to Build Trust. And he broke down how Levis, Coca-Cola, Betabrand, and some of these other really big companies are intentionally dumbing down the quality of their photos and videos in order to ... appear more trustworthy. And so, while we're down here wondering how we can put more gloss and polish and budget behind our video efforts, these companies that have 100,000x your budget and more people and more time and all of this are trying to find their way back down toward the rest of us, in terms of being approachable and being trustworthy. I would just encourage you, if you take this position of, "I can't do that because," ask a couple layers of why, and be honest with yourself, because ultimately, you're going to win when you can put yourself forward more often. Kathleen: You know who nails this, who's a great example of it? And I think proof that you can really get real and not jeopardize your business credibility, is Dave Gerhardt, who is the head of marketing at Drift. Drift is a very, very successful company that is growing like gangbusters, that sells into other very, very successful companies. And Dave not only does super informal one-to-one style videos, but sometimes he'll do it after a workout when he's sweaty, or walking down the street with one of his kids. He takes it to an extreme, but it's because the stuff that he's saying is so valuable that nobody cares what the setting is. And let's be honest. We're all human. We don't walk around 24/7 in tailored suits. We all have lives, and so it shouldn't come as a shock to anybody that people work out, people have kids. But if you have a message of value to deliver, I think, being willing to do that any time, any place, is very humanizing. When you talk about trust, it's funny, and you talked earlier about every email you send is an opportunity, or reinforces whether somebody should open or delete. What started turning in my head was actually Jason Fried, who is one of the founders of Basecamp. In his books, he talks about something called the trust bank, and he talks about it with respect to employees, but I think it's just as applicable here, which is that, he talks about when he hires somebody, he has a full ... He has a trust bank, and every action you take, every interaction you have, either puts more money into the trust bank, or it takes it out. I think it's the same thing with video and with email. Every piece of content you create is either going to add to that trust bank or remove from it. Yes, while you might make a fancy, polished video, is that adding to the trust bank or is that withdrawing from it? Is it going to make you feel colder and less accessible or is it going to invite somebody in? Ethan: Yeah, and is it self motivated or is it in the service of the other person? The other interesting thing then is, with Dave, which is a great example, and you'll find other people of note, familiarity, large companies or big names in and of themselves, doing this. I think, if you find yourself standing back and saying, "I would never do that," or "I just don't have the same kind of value to add," I think, A, he's getting the benefit of some of the things I got when we turned our cameras on to start this conversation, which is, I see where you work. I know some things about you. There's some things around you that I can attach myself to and say, "I have some affinity with her," without us ever saying a single word. And it's the same thing with him. When he's leading his life and allowing you into it, it's not just about the message. It's also about, "I like this guy a little bit more." Or, at a minimum, "I know more about him." And the value of that is so intangible, but significant. And the other thing I would say, for people who think, "Gosh, if I'm going to step it up and I'm going to communicate these messages in video, I need to have something extraordinary or extra special or super insightful," or these kinds of things. I just don't think that that's true. I think, for starters, most working professionals, who've achieved even some moderate level of success, have a lot more to teach and share than they would ever give themselves credit for. And then again, going back to customer value, you probably know, if you're a competent marketer, you know where people get hung up and where people are successful. You can communicate these things en masse or one-to-one to people who are stuck. They've maybe been with you for awhile, but they're stuck and they need to move forward. Or people that are just getting started with you. Short line on that is, you have a lot more value to offer than you probably recognize or give yourself credit for. If you look around, you're going to find spots where you can be more personal and more helpful, and you can do this and you are good enough. How does one-to-one video translate into marketing results? Kathleen: I love it. I feel like I could talk to you about this forever, but I'm realizing that we're running out of time, and there are some important questions I want to ask you before that happens. First one is, we've talked a lot about the why and the how. Can you address ... How does this move the needle? How does this translate into marketing results, and what have you see in your experience? Ethan: Sure. I've seen all kinds of wonderful things, from an anecdotal standpoint. Again, as a front line guy for years, who sent all of this stuff personally, I have relationships with hundreds and hundreds of our customers, and I know their stories and how they're using it and all that. Survey data, 81% of people said they get more replies and responses to their emails. Again, the goal of the email oftentimes is to generate a reply, especially in sales. As you start moving into the MQL or SQL range, depending on how you're structured, you might still have a BDR or SDR function within the marketing team. Some people separate it. It's actually separated at BombBomb. It's now on the sales side of the fence, not that we don't have a ... You've got to draw a line somewhere, not that we don't have ... collaboration. More replies and responses. 87% of people say they get more clicks through their emails. I think it was one in six said they doubled or more than doubled their click rate. 68% of people say they convert more leads. I think 10% said they doubled or more than doubled their conversion rate. This one gets more into, and not necessarily a hardcore marketer, but 90% of people said it allows them to stay in touch more effectively. I think it was 40% said they doubled or more than doubled their ability to stay in touch effectively. And then I think it was 56-57% of people say they generate more referrals. And those numbers, specifically in our Gmail instance, again, the question was, "Compared to traditional, typed out text emails, how much of a lift does BombBomb video in email give you?" When we asked the same thing exclusively in the Gmail context, all the numbers were the same, but with two to five points on top of it. Which, again, goes back to this idea of the simpler style email. Not necessarily the full blown design header, graphics, colors, these things that, again, signal to people that this is polished, this is for everybody, this has some gloss on it. And it's appropriate in moments, but I think the more we can strip it back a little bit and get straight to the heart of it, typically the better off we're going to be. On the CS side, which may not necessarily be directly of interest to marketers, but there's something there. First touch resolution has dramatically improved, so when someone reaches out with a problem or a question, which again, I got as a marketer, being able to send a video and even a pre-recorded video that addresses that specific question, dramatically reduces the back and forth time, which A, eats up your time as a marketer or a team member, and then B, frustrates the customer in that, "I'm going back and forth. I have a meeting to go to. I still don't have my resolution. I'm not clear. I don't understand." These longer exchanges, so first touch resolution, people filling out satisfaction surveys increases. And I think it goes back to this reciprocity piece in your story of, "Oh my gosh, it's really you on the phone." It's that. How to connect with Ethan Kathleen: Yeah, yeah. I like that. Well, if somebody wants to learn more about this, or they want to reach out to you and ask you a question, what's the best way for them to reach you? Ethan: My name is Ethan Beute, E-T-H-A-N B-E-U-T-E. You can hit me up on LinkedIn. You can email me directly, Ethan, E-T-H-A-N at BombBomb.com. I co-authored a book on simpler personal videos called Rehumanize Your Business, and you can learn more about that at BombBomb.com. It's just the word bomb twice, B-O-M-B-B-O-M-B.com/book. And, of course, you can find it on Amazon as well. We walk through all the stuff. What is this all about? Why does it matter to you and your business? Who's actually doing it? When do you send a video instead of text? How do you technically do it? And then we have some advanced ... How to get more emails open, how to get more videos played, how to get replies, responses, clicks, etc. And then how do you follow up? What happens when you send a video email to 500 people? What do you do with the 168 people who opened it but didn't play the video? How do you follow up with that? So a bunch of follow up strategies as well. We want to make this accessible. I am sincerely convinced that, when this becomes a more standard business practice, and again, I don't see this as a strategy or a tactic. This is just a different and better way to communicate using today's technology. The bandwidth that we have as recorders and senders, and the bandwidth that our customers have as recipients, and the nice cameras we have built into our laptops and our phones and all of this. This isn't ... My vision and my hope for this is that this becomes a more standard way to work, because it's going to bring us closer into relationship with one another. It's going to close this, "We're more connected than ever, but we feel more disconnected and lonely and unseen than ever." It's just going to be a better way to live and work as a practitioner on the company side, and as a stakeholder on the customer side. I'm very encouraged by its growth and the receptivity to it. I recognize the human challenges, and I hope people can go forward. I hope the book is of some value in that process. Kathleen: Amen. Well, I will put those links in the show notes for sure. If you want to connect with Ethan or check out the book or BombBomb, head to the show notes. Kathleen's two questions Kathleen: Two questions I always ask my guests, and I'm curious to hear what you have to say. The first is always, company or individual, is there a particular person who you think is doing inbound marketing really well? But I'm going to twist it and ask you, is there an example of a company or individual who's doing personalized one-to-one video really well? Because you work with a lot of these companies, so who should the audience check out if they want to see a best practice example? Ethan: Good one. We just spent a lot of time with one of our really good customers who's just ... We're all in Colorado Springs. I'm not at the moment, but our company is and I typically am. But there's a company called Madwire Marketing 360 that's up in Ft. Collins. They were already a really good company culture, and you can see that when you get into some of the content that they produce, but they really just took this on and ran with it. Ethan: The adoption there was just really amazing. I've been a part of the adoption of video on a variety of teams and company situations, and they just really, really ran with it. It's been really inspiring, and the results they're getting are fantastic. Kathleen: Great. Well, I'll definitely put that link in as well. And then, digital marketing is changing so quickly, and I always hear marketers complaining that it's like drinking from a fire hose. How do you personally stay up to date and keep yourself educated? Ethan: I read a lot of books, and I read them in print, and I read them with a pencil. I'm not a hardcore gadget, tool, tech guy. I'm not looking for new apps. I'm not looking for new tools. I want to understand the problem first, and so I think there's something about reading. The pace of it, especially reading with a pencil, where you're very clear about what's super important, which I underline. And when it's also of secondary importance, which I put in parentheses. There's something about that process. I think so many people run to digital tools, but they're not clear on the real problem they're trying to solve, and therefore, the implementation is either incomplete or potentially even not helpful. They think that just by evaluating three solutions and subscribing to one of them that they've solved their problem, and in fact, that's just a very, very beginning, and very often, it's a reflection of the fact that you didn't truly understand your problem. I'm much slower. People on our team, thank goodness it really does take a variety of disciplines and backgrounds and stuff, because I do have gadget guy and gadget gal and app guy and app gal on my team, which is awesome. That's what helps me as well is my colleagues. If you're not that type of person, it's okay. It took me awhile to come to terms with that myself, but know that we all add value in the process, and being very, very clear on what you're actually trying to solve is the most important step to staying abreast of the latest changes in martech. Kathleen: Yeah, I love that you're a pencil and hard copy book kind of guy, because I love nothing more than making notes in margins and underlining and marking books up. All right, well we are just about out of time, so again, head to the show notes if you want to know how to contact Ethan or if you want to learn more about BombBomb. You know what to do next... Kathleen: And if you're listening and you liked what you heard or you learned something new, please consider leaving a five star review on Apple Podcasts. If you know somebody else who's doing kick ass inbound marketing work, tweet me @WorkMommyWork, because I would love to interview them. Thanks so much, Ethan. It was fun. Ethan: Thank you so much. I really enjoyed it too, and if you're listening, if you've listened to other episodes, go leave that review. It really matters. Kathleen: It does. Thank you for saying that. All right, see you next time.

Last week was text messages. This week - Email. Do you know about CAN-SPAM? Find out more with Geoff and Nabeel on this episode.

Last week was text messages. This week - Email. Do you know about CAN-SPAM? Find out more with Geoff and Nabeel on this episode.

In This Episode: [2:45] How Marlon played a key role in lobbying for affiliates during CAN-SPAM legislation. [04:48] Politicians are not business people and that's not a good thing. [07:25] Too often we over react and toss the baby out with the bathwater. [09:41] Marketers always need to be ready to adapt. [10:54] You can just type the freaking thing up and mail it. [11:18] Shared IP servers are not one of Marlon's favorite things. [12:58] The stress of email marketing. [17:45] Open up every channel for interaction. [19:46] Why do we have such complex automation when nobody uses it? [26:12] Why no one is listening to us right now Jim! [28:03] Nobody cares. [28:38] People just want an easy part time income with no big effort. [31:29] Business opportunity seekers are not business people, they are hobbyists. [33:29] People want a money button they can just push. [40:35] Why Marlon won't be writing a book. [41:15] Software sells because all you gotta do is push a button. [42:16] No matter what you sell, make it a toaster. [46:15] Marlon's latest project.

Today's episode is one of those foundational episodes. We're discussing the 5 most important online tools you need in your business. These are tools that your business couldn't run without. These are fundamentals… and they are where proficiency is required because they will be touched on a regular basis. The first of these tools is your online home – that is your website. This website must live on it's own domain but can either be self-hosted WordPress or a hosted solution like Squarespace, Wix, Weebly or even a builder through your hosting platform. It doesn't really matter how your website is constructed. What matters that you have a consistent and reliable home base which can be the central hub for all the other online spokes. Your website can do a lot for you, but regardless of where things are at with regards to SEO and content marketing, having a place to call home online is super important. If you're not on a self-hosted WordPress website and want to delve into SEO and Content Marketing, make a plan to migrate your site in the next 6 – 12 months. The migration will boost your ability to leverage those techniques. But the key is to have the online home base first. It is extremely difficult to run an online business without an online home! The next tool that your business requires is an EMS. (We just did a series on email marketing so if you haven't listened to that, scroll back in your podcast app to episodes 58 – 63.) An EMS is an email address collection tool and a vehicle for sending out emails. Somewhere on your website, you'll have a simple form which allows a website visitor to sign up for a freebie or opt-in gift in exchange for providing you with their email address. The exact regulations as far as what you can do with that email address are beyond the scope of this episode. Be sure to check out the CAN/SPAM act and the EU GDPR regulations to make sure your email collection and usage are compliant. When looking for and researching an email marketing platform, or any piece of software really, it's not about evaluating the cost versus benefits as your business resides today. It's super important to put yourself 6 – 12 months down the road to figure out what to invest your time, energy and money in right now. So, while there is nothing inherently wrong with any one system you choose, the idea here is that you want a solution that won't be in need of replacement too soon nor will it be something you cannot fully utilize for eons. My top recommendations are on the resources page at https://techofbusiness.com/resources/ . The two EMS listed there are ConvertKit and ActiveCampaign. Both these solutions will work for you at the get go and be able to support your vision as your business blossoms. Our third tool is more a family of tools because the exact tool you use is going to differ greatly based on the type of business that you run. This family of tools is your content delivery mechanism. If you are supplying your clients with a full blown membership experience, you'll want to use a content delivery tool that provides the membership experience. If you are delivering a course, then a course delivery platform will do well. Now, if you are providing worksheets that go along with your one-on-one work or small group program, you might not need any fancy to deliver them… you could choose to use your website or a cloud storage location. Or you could, use the entry level version of a hosted platform like MemberVault or Thinkific. The important thing here is to know that you have a home for all the content that you want to deliver to your clients (and for that matter to your leads as well.) Do you know what? Back in episode 28 with Amanda Thebe, we discussed meeting your clients where they are, tech wise. And for that Amanda chose her content delivery tool to be email. She knew that the best chance for her clients to be successful with her program was for it to show up in their inbox every week. "When choosing a content delivery tool – be realistic with your time and energy and that of your audience as well. I believe that using MemberVault or Thinkific for content delivery is not going to steer you wrong." - Jaime Slutzky" Right on the heels of delivering content we need to discuss is a mechanism for taking payments. We can't exactly deliver our products if we can't sell them! The two most popular flavors of online payments are Stripe and PayPal. And the biggest difference between the two options is how the transaction is processed. With PayPal you'll have payment buttons on your website that will direct your client over to the PayPal website to perform the transaction and then PayPal will send them back to your website once complete. The entire payment process resides within the PayPal website and therefore your business will not be in contact with the client's sensitive payment information. PayPal has become an industry standard. A PayPal business account is free to open and you are charged a fee, based on the amount of the transaction, for using this service. Stripe has approached online payments differently. In this case, Stripe transactions happen “in line” on your website. There is no transfer of the client from your website to the Stripe system and back. What this means for us, is that it is now our responsibility to own and maintain the appropriate online security protocols. I love Stripe because it allows us to have our clients remain in our environment throughout the transaction. Stripe is also free to setup and they charge a fee just like PayPal does. In general, the Stripe fee is slightly lower than PayPal but because there is the overhead of security, they are pretty much as wash. If you've selected a tool like MemberVault or Thinkific, they have direct integrations with PayPal and Stripe. Their integration with Stripe is likely what you'll see as “native” and what I would use. This is how the online infrastructure of your business can get exponentially complicated – suddenly we're using MemberVault or Thinkific for both content delivery and brokering our payment processing. And seriously, this is one of the primary reasons I recommend having a tech stack diagram. It's important to know where things live and how they interact with one another. Let's boil this tool down to its lowest common denominator. Let's make it easy for your clients to make their payments! Simple as that – staying out of the payment process is going to help you immensely. If your clients can “self-serve” this side of things you can focus on over-delivering what they have purchased! The final tool that I recommend all online service providers implement is scheduling software. For this, my top pick is Acuity Scheduling. I have three reasons for recommending scheduling software: When you're in online business you'll have the opportunity to have clients in other time zones. Scheduling software takes this into account. Your clients will be able to easily see your calendar in their time zone and make appropriate decisions. Scheduling software makes it so much easier to nail down a time that works for both you and your client. Before our clients become clients, we often offer discovery calls or other such “good fit” calls.  It's great to be able to publish this availability on your website, on social media and in your emails. You never know where your next client is going to come from. Making it super easy for them to raise their hand and say that they are interested in working with you should be a primary motivation. And a bonus reason for having scheduling software – there are built in reminder emails in most of these systems which greatly reduces the number of no-shows! With these five tools – website, email marketing, content delivery, payment and scheduling, you have everything you need to run a successful and profitable business. Are you looking for more success? More profit? More organization, systems and structure within your online tech tools? Well then, let's book your Tech Audit today. During our 55-minute session we'll get into all the tools that you have in place and get your tech foundation squared away. Just go to https://techofbusiness.com/audit/ to get started. "Everything we implement online for our businesses sets us up for future success."- Jaime Slutzky If you're listening in real time, it's summertime here in the Northern Hemisphere! AND we're officially halfway through 2019! There are a few things I want you to think about: What do you want to accomplish in the next 6 months? Do you have tech that isn't supporting that vision? Are you missing a fundamental tool or do you have extra online hoops that need to be eliminated to make things easier for you, your clients and your team? Start with your website and email marketing. Once those pieces are functionally working better then move on to streamlining your content delivery, payment processing and scheduling needs. And be sure to tune in to next week's episode. I'm going to debunk 5 tools that people think they need but in reality are unnecessarily going to over-complicate things! Connect with Jaime: Instagram: @techofbusiness Twitter: @techofbusiness Facebook: @yourbiztech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimeslutzky/ Email: jaime@techofbusiness.com Book Your Tech Audit

Today’s episode is one of those foundational episodes. We’re discussing the 5 most important online tools you need in your business. These are tools that your business couldn’t run without. These are fundamentals… and they are where proficiency is required because they will be touched on a regular basis. The first of these tools is your online home – that is your website. This website must live on it’s own domain but can either be self-hosted WordPress or a hosted solution like Squarespace, Wix, Weebly or even a builder through your hosting platform. It doesn’t really matter how your website is constructed. What matters that you have a consistent and reliable home base which can be the central hub for all the other online spokes. Your website can do a lot for you, but regardless of where things are at with regards to SEO and content marketing, having a place to call home online is super important. If you’re not on a self-hosted WordPress website and want to delve into SEO and Content Marketing, make a plan to migrate your site in the next 6 – 12 months. The migration will boost your ability to leverage those techniques. But the key is to have the online home base first. It is extremely difficult to run an online business without an online home! The next tool that your business requires is an EMS. (We just did a series on email marketing so if you haven’t listened to that, scroll back in your podcast app to episodes 58 – 63.) An EMS is an email address collection tool and a vehicle for sending out emails. Somewhere on your website, you’ll have a simple form which allows a website visitor to sign up for a freebie or opt-in gift in exchange for providing you with their email address. The exact regulations as far as what you can do with that email address are beyond the scope of this episode. Be sure to check out the CAN/SPAM act and the EU GDPR regulations to make sure your email collection and usage are compliant. When looking for and researching an email marketing platform, or any piece of software really, it’s not about evaluating the cost versus benefits as your business resides today. It’s super important to put yourself 6 – 12 months down the road to figure out what to invest your time, energy and money in right now. So, while there is nothing inherently wrong with any one system you choose, the idea here is that you want a solution that won’t be in need of replacement too soon nor will it be something you cannot fully utilize for eons. My top recommendations are on the resources page at https://techofbusiness.com/resources/ . The two EMS listed there are ConvertKit and ActiveCampaign. Both these solutions will work for you at the get go and be able to support your vision as your business blossoms. Our third tool is more a family of tools because the exact tool you use is going to differ greatly based on the type of business that you run. This family of tools is your content delivery mechanism. If you are supplying your clients with a full blown membership experience, you’ll want to use a content delivery tool that provides the membership experience. If you are delivering a course, then a course delivery platform will do well. Now, if you are providing worksheets that go along with your one-on-one work or small group program, you might not need any fancy to deliver them… you could choose to use your website or a cloud storage location. Or you could, use the entry level version of a hosted platform like MemberVault or Thinkific. The important thing here is to know that you have a home for all the content that you want to deliver to your clients (and for that matter to your leads as well.) Do you know what? Back in episode 28 with Amanda Thebe, we discussed meeting your clients where they are, tech wise. And for that Amanda chose her content delivery tool to be email. She knew that the best chance for her clients to be successful with her program was for it to show up in their inbox every week. "When choosing a content delivery tool – be realistic with your time and energy and that of your audience as well. I believe that using MemberVault or Thinkific for content delivery is not going to steer you wrong." - Jaime Slutzky" Right on the heels of delivering content we need to discuss is a mechanism for taking payments. We can’t exactly deliver our products if we can’t sell them! The two most popular flavors of online payments are Stripe and PayPal. And the biggest difference between the two options is how the transaction is processed. With PayPal you’ll have payment buttons on your website that will direct your client over to the PayPal website to perform the transaction and then PayPal will send them back to your website once complete. The entire payment process resides within the PayPal website and therefore your business will not be in contact with the client’s sensitive payment information. PayPal has become an industry standard. A PayPal business account is free to open and you are charged a fee, based on the amount of the transaction, for using this service. Stripe has approached online payments differently. In this case, Stripe transactions happen “in line” on your website. There is no transfer of the client from your website to the Stripe system and back. What this means for us, is that it is now our responsibility to own and maintain the appropriate online security protocols. I love Stripe because it allows us to have our clients remain in our environment throughout the transaction. Stripe is also free to setup and they charge a fee just like PayPal does. In general, the Stripe fee is slightly lower than PayPal but because there is the overhead of security, they are pretty much as wash. If you’ve selected a tool like MemberVault or Thinkific, they have direct integrations with PayPal and Stripe. Their integration with Stripe is likely what you’ll see as “native” and what I would use. This is how the online infrastructure of your business can get exponentially complicated – suddenly we’re using MemberVault or Thinkific for both content delivery and brokering our payment processing. And seriously, this is one of the primary reasons I recommend having a tech stack diagram. It’s important to know where things live and how they interact with one another. Let’s boil this tool down to its lowest common denominator. Let’s make it easy for your clients to make their payments! Simple as that – staying out of the payment process is going to help you immensely. If your clients can “self-serve” this side of things you can focus on over-delivering what they have purchased! The final tool that I recommend all online service providers implement is scheduling software. For this, my top pick is Acuity Scheduling. I have three reasons for recommending scheduling software: When you’re in online business you’ll have the opportunity to have clients in other time zones. Scheduling software takes this into account. Your clients will be able to easily see your calendar in their time zone and make appropriate decisions. Scheduling software makes it so much easier to nail down a time that works for both you and your client. Before our clients become clients, we often offer discovery calls or other such “good fit” calls.  It's great to be able to publish this availability on your website, on social media and in your emails. You never know where your next client is going to come from. Making it super easy for them to raise their hand and say that they are interested in working with you should be a primary motivation. And a bonus reason for having scheduling software – there are built in reminder emails in most of these systems which greatly reduces the number of no-shows! With these five tools – website, email marketing, content delivery, payment and scheduling, you have everything you need to run a successful and profitable business. Are you looking for more success? More profit? More organization, systems and structure within your online tech tools? Well then, let’s book your Tech Audit today. During our 55-minute session we’ll get into all the tools that you have in place and get your tech foundation squared away. Just go to https://techofbusiness.com/audit/ to get started. "Everything we implement online for our businesses sets us up for future success."- Jaime Slutzky If you’re listening in real time, it’s summertime here in the Northern Hemisphere! AND we’re officially halfway through 2019! There are a few things I want you to think about: What do you want to accomplish in the next 6 months? Do you have tech that isn’t supporting that vision? Are you missing a fundamental tool or do you have extra online hoops that need to be eliminated to make things easier for you, your clients and your team? Start with your website and email marketing. Once those pieces are functionally working better then move on to streamlining your content delivery, payment processing and scheduling needs. And be sure to tune in to next week’s episode. I’m going to debunk 5 tools that people think they need but in reality are unnecessarily going to over-complicate things! Connect with Jaime: Instagram: @techofbusiness Twitter: @techofbusiness Facebook: @yourbiztech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimeslutzky/ Email: jaime@techofbusiness.com Book Your Tech Audit

Using content to connect with potential patients and grow a medical practice has become increasingly popular. Most practice owners are using some form of content to promote their business including a website, blogs, podcasts, social media posts, and/or email campaigns. In this podcast, the ethical ramifications of content marketing are explored with naturopathic physician and medical writer, Sarah Cook, ND. Download the Guide About the Expert Sarah Cook, ND, is a medical writer and a copywriter for the integrative medical community. She holds a naturopathic doctorate degree from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, a certificate in biomedical writing, a professional diploma in digital marketing, and she is a StoryBrand certified guide. Sarah writes website copy, email campaigns, e-books, and other marketing materials—helping clinicians and small business owners create authentic marketing messages to reach more of the people who need them most. Connect with Sarah at www.ndpen.com.  Transcript Karolyn Gazella: Hello, I'm Karolyn Gazella, the publisher of the Natural Medicine Journal. Using content as a way to connect with potential patients and grow your practice is an increasingly popular trend. Also called content marketing, most practice owners are using some form of content to promote their business. It may be a website, blog, podcast, social media posts, email campaigns. While it's true that content marketing can be extremely effective in growing your business, have you ever thought about what the ethical ramifications might be? Today I'll be talking with Dr. Sarah Cook, who is a naturopathic doctor and seasoned medical writer. Dr. Cook has worked with us at the Natural Medicine Journal on many writing projects over the years. She also helps doctors with content creation and copywriting through her company, ND Pen. Dr. Cook is here to talk about the ethical pitfalls of content marketing. Thank you so much for joining me, Dr. Cook. Sarah Cook: Thank you, Karolyn. I'm excited to be here. Gazella: Well, before we dive into these ethical pitfalls, could you briefly tell us why you think this is such an important topic for clinicians to think about? Cook: Absolutely. So, like you said, most clinicians are doing something with content. They're putting out content for their business, and most of them aren't really thinking about, "Well, how does this relate to ethics?" at all. And even if they thought about some of these things, they might not know where to go for information or really what precautions they should be taking. And I guess you asked why is it important, and I think it's really because it's just really too bad if they're well meaning clinicians, they're coming from a sincere place of wanting to put good information out to help people, and they make mistakes and just because they're not aware, and so then they end up with unexpected consequences. And so that's really what we want to avoid really just by creating awareness about it. Gazella: Yeah, it's such a good point because I do agree; I think the clinicians are coming at it from the correct perspective. Now you mentioned unexpected consequences. What do you mean by unexpected consequences? Cook: So, I mean, I can give a couple of examples of some things that I've seen happen. So for example, there was a doctor who I worked with to help him create his content for a while, and before I started working with him, he had been producing a blog, and one of his blogs, again, he just made a mistake. He found an image online that he thought went well with his blog and he posted that image along with that blog post, completely innocently, not trying to steal somebody else's content and not realizing that this image had a copyright and he was not supposed to use it. And ended up he got a letter in the mail for copyright infringement, and the thing is that the fines for copyright infringement, they're in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and so this is not a small thing. So, one unexpected consequence certainly could be financial. And maybe even worse, I think the other thing to think about is your reputation. Really your reputation is on the line when you're putting content out for your business. And so I can share another example of where I recently saw this play out on social media, and essentially what happened was there was ... I try to stay out of the weeds on these things. I don't get involved, and so I don't have all the details on this, but essentially it was some sort of wellness practitioner, I think a nutritionist of some sort, was creating a lot of social posts and blogging about a concept that actually another better known physician who had written a book about this topic had really already coined these ideas and like I said, written a book about this specific concept, and this other practitioner essentially was promoting the same ideas using the same terminology and not giving credit to that original doctor who had come up with the ideas and had written the book about it. And what happened, what I saw kind of play out on social media, was that people noticed and really her reputation was slammed for that. And I don't know, maybe ... We don't know. We can give her the benefit of the doubt. We don't know if she went intentionally stealing the ideas or if she just thought that she was putting helpful information out, but the mistake that she made was that she didn't give credit to the original person who came up with those ideas. So, I think that is really maybe even more important than the financial consequences is your reputation. Gazella: Oh, I would agree. I think that's such a good point. I mean, your whole business model moving forward stands on your reputation, whether or not you get new patients, patient referrals, et cetera, so I would agree. I think that's critical, and I can see that the stakes are high. So what is your direct experience with the ethics of content marketing? Cook: Yeah, so I mean, I can gratefully say that I haven't really personally suffered these consequences of making ethical mistakes. It doesn't mean I haven't made minor infringements. I'm sure I have, but I haven't been caught. But I've really just been forced to learn some of these concepts over the years of writing and creating content for the integrative medical community just really from being in the trenches and needing to. So for example, you know very well, Karolyn, when we write anything for a dietary supplement company, we need to be extremely careful about the words that we use so that we don't make any claims that that supplement treats or prevents disease, right? And so that is one thing where writing for a dietary supplement company, they usually have their own lawyers, and they make sure that you're being compliant with your language, but even when I've worked with individual doctors where we might be writing a blog and they have a product that they really want people to know about, but it's a specific dietary supplement, and so now we're in the realm of where we have to be very careful about the words we use. And we can get more into this, but you can't talk about that supplement treating disease. You have to talk about it supporting the structure and the function of the body. And so for one way, if there's clinicians listening to this and they're thinking, "Well, I'm blogging about this product," one thing I have done with doctors is like if you have any question, go to the company of that product and say, "Look, I'm writing this blog about this product. Is it okay how I'm wording this and what I'm saying?" I think it's always better to ask than to not exactly know if it's okay what you're doing. So, working with supplement companies, working with doctors is certainly where I have just been in the trenches and having to figure this out as I go. I think the other area is when it comes to email marketing, so collecting people's email addresses, building an email list is huge now as part of content marketing, and the regulations just within the last year, there were sweeping changes in the regulations that actually change what you can ethically do with a person's email address. And so as those changes in regulations rolled out in this last year, any of my clients who I've been helping with their email list, we've had to figure out how to become compliant to these new regulations. So again, a lot of these things are not stuff you can necessarily just Google and find out. A lot of it, for me, has been learning as I go because I have to, and so that's really why I wanted to talk about this subject and make sure everyone else is informed. Gazella: Yeah, it's such a good point, especially about emails, and it's interesting, I know we're going to talk about unsubstantiated claims, but I started out in the natural health industry in the early 1990s. It was like 1992. I became the marketing director of a very large supplement company, and within a couple of months after getting on the job, the company got into significant trouble with the FDA. Dozens of products had to be taken off the market. We had to change labels and literature, and I have to tell you, Dr. Cook, it was baptism by fire. I had to learn very quickly about structure/function claims, disease claims and how to write about products to keep the company safe. So, yeah, I think that that's such important topics. Now, I want to talk about- Cook: Yeah, and I really believe, like you said, you then were like all of a sudden you have to learn structure/function. Well, it's like I also think we can learn from each other's mistakes, and so you and I have worked with structure/function a lot, so if we can share some pearls so that other people don't have to go through what we've been through. Gazella: I know. It's so true, and I do like your advice about contacting the manufacturer because a clinician doesn't have the legal resources, but the larger manufacturers, they have a team of legal people that review content and make sure that the content is safe to publish, so I really like that piece of advice a lot. Cook: And in my experience, they are happy to review an article if you're writing about their product because it helps them. Gazella: Yeah, absolutely. And yeah, it's different when you're talking about a product specifically versus if you're talking generically about a nutrient or herb. Cook: Yes. Yes, absolutely. Gazella: You have to be a lot more careful. Yeah, lot, lot more careful when you're talking about a product specifically. So, let's get to the ethical pitfalls of content marketing. What are some of the common pitfalls that you've seen? Cook: So, I was thinking I would just highlight three so we keep this manageable here, so certainly copyright infringement would be one thing to talk about. Secondly, unsupported claims, which I can get into a bit more what I mean by that, but not being able to support what you say with evidence. And then the third thing, misuse of personal information, and that really comes into play when we're collecting people's email addresses and what we're allowed to do with that personal information. So I think those three things are probably a good place to start. Gazella: Yeah. I would agree, those are perfect. So let's talk a little bit about that first pitfall. What advice do you have for clinicians to help them avoid copyright infringement? Cook: Yeah, so honestly, this one probably is the easiest pitfall to avoid if you just have a little bit of awareness. But copyright applies to any content that somebody else has created, so it applies to words, images, videos, and it even applies to ideas, and so the example I gave of where the practitioner had been using these ideas from a book and not giving credit to the author of that book, she wasn't directly copying any paragraphs from that book, but she was copying the ideas, and it's something that's called derivative work. We use that word derivative where it's basically like she's deriving that content, and that is a form of copyright infringement that people might not realize. You don't have to directly copy the words to be infringing on their copyright. So, derivative work is just something to keep in mind where ... I mean, the point is give credit to the person who came up with that idea in the first place. That's all you need to do. And that really goes across the board for any kind of a word. Any words, written content that you are using from somebody else, it's really just a matter of giving them credit, so either linking over to their website or linking over to wherever it was first published in a different article. Giving credit. Images. Images are something to think about. Again, I gave that example of where the doctor didn't realize he shouldn't be using that image. You can't just go to Google images and use any image that comes up. Most of those would have a copyright on them, and here's the thing about images: it doesn't have to have that little copyright symbol on there. It doesn't have to have a watermark to be copyrighted. If somebody took the time to design that image on their own and put it on their website, by default, they own the copyright to that image, and you should not be using it without their permission. So that's something to keep in mind about images, but probably the safest way to go about using images, I would say there's 2 categories of images that you can use without getting permission because you can always ask for permission, but of course that's a hassle, and probably for the most part you don't want to bother with trying to get permission to use somebody else's images. So, really the 2 types of images you can use would be either what's called royalty-free or images in the public domain. Now, I don't know if you want me to go into what's the difference between those, or what do you think, Karolyn? Gazella: Sure. Let's just, yeah, let's touch on that. Cook: Yeah, so royalty-free images, the free part doesn't necessarily mean they're free. You can buy these, so websites like iStock, you pay for it, but it's royalty-free meaning that you're getting a license to use it freely. And so some royalty-free images are paid for, like the iStock photos. Some royalty-free images are available for free at sites like Pixabay.com for example. But the point of being a royalty-free image is that they're granting you a license to use that image freely, and usually, I always would double check what the license agreement says, but for most of these, the license agreement says you can use this freely. You do not have to tell where you got it. The word is attribution. When you give credit, you do not have to give attribution. So you don't have to even document where it came from. Most of those licenses say that for royalty-free images. And then the second category is images in the public domain. And so those are different in that they actually either never had a copyright on them or the copyright has expired, and so they're just in the public domain, again, for anybody to use freely, you do not have to give attribution. So some of the places that you would find those would be on like Wikipedia or it's called Wikimedia Commons, I believe. And that's a nice place if you're looking for more science kind of ... A lot of times you might want to draw a flowchart of the hormones from the hypothalamus down to the ovaries or something, right? That's not something you're probably going to find on iStock Photo, but you might find it in the public domain on like Wikimedia Commons for example. Gazella: Yeah, that sounds pretty straightforward, and I'm glad that you went into that detail. Now, what about that second pitfall? This is the one that I'm really interested in hearing you talk about. What do you mean by making unsubstantiated claims? Can you give us some examples? Cook: Yeah, so we can start with what we talked about when we're talking about specific dietary supplements. That's really just a matter of needing to use words that talk about how that supplement supports what we call structure/function of the body. So for example, if you're talking about a certain curcumin supplement, you can't say, "Oh, this treats pain and inflammation in arthritis." You have to just modify your wording and say something like, "Supports a healthy inflammatory response." And again, that is when you're talking about specific supplements, and I'm glad you brought up that if it is just you're generally talking about curcumin, you can be more free in your language. However, it kind of brings me to the next point about supporting your claims, and that is even if you're just generally talking about curcumin, you shouldn't be making claims that you can't back up with evidence, and so either being able to link over to some study that supports what you're saying, if you're going to say curcumin really is great for knee pain or something, then you would want to be able to link to a study that showed that or be able to at least say, "Look, this is in my experience or what I have seen with my patients," and that's perfectly fine to use as evidence as long as you're clear that that's what you're basing this on, that's what you're basing your statement on. So it's really all just about being transparent about if you're making a claim, being able to back it up with either research or your personal experience and just being open and honest about that. Gazella: Yeah. That makes a lot of sense, and I think it's a great reminder. Now let's move on to that third pitfall. What does misuse of personal information have to do with content marketing? Cook: Okay, so this really gets into collection of email addresses, and so the thing is, this is a huge trend in content marketing is give away something free. So people call it all different things; they call it a freebie or a lead magnet or a lead generator, but they're giving away maybe like a free PDF download, and it used to be that you could give away this free, really valuable piece of content, and it was just assumed that when somebody put in their email address to download that guide, they're automatically put into your email list of subscribers, and they're going to start getting your regular emails like your e-newsletter or your promotions or anything. And that actually used to be fine, and there's an email regulation called the CAN-SPAM Act, which has some items in place to make sure you don't spam people with mass emails, but it used to be very easy to be compliant with CAN-SPAM if you were using any regular kind of MailChimp or Constant Contact or any of those things, you were pretty much automatically compliant. It was just required things like having a little unsubscribe button at the bottom of every email. But here's the thing is that just in the last year, so May of 2018, regulation went into effect in Europe called GDPR, and it totally changed this situation. So, quick disclaimer, I'm not a lawyer, so please, Karolyn, do not take anything I say as legal advice, Okay? Gazella: That's a great disclaimer. I like it. Cook: This is not legal advice. Gazella: I'm going to make that same disclaimer. I'm not an attorney. Cook: I am not an attorney, but in a broad sense, I think it's useful to understand what GDPR is about because it completely relates to ethically what we do with people's email addresses. So, I want to just broadly tell you what this is. Pretty much what GDPR says is that people should have a say in what you do with their personal information. So, it's really 2 things that we need email subscribers to give us, number 1 explicit consent to email them stuff, so they need to specifically say, "Yes, I want to be on your email list," and the second thing, granular consent. So it means you can't lump everything into a bucket anymore and say, "When you download this guide, you're also going on my general email list." They need to specifically check a box that says, "Yes, I want the guide, and yes, I want to be on your email list," so they need to specifically say they want to be there to be compliant with GDPR. So, it doesn't mean ... We can still use freebies or lead magnets or whatever you want to call them. It's just a slight variation on how you create that form on your website to collect that email so that you'll be compliant. Gazella: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, and clinical practices are used to dealing with personal health information, so as long as they take that same care when dealing with the personal emails I think that ... And it can be confusing. A lot of this- Cook: But wait. Can I say one more thing about ... I'm sorry. Excuse me. Gazella: Uh-huh (affirmative). Cook: One more thing I just want to mention because a lot of people might say, "Well, I'm a US-based business and GDPR is a European law, so it doesn't apply to me," but here is the thing is that GDPR, if somebody in Europe accesses your website, even if you're a US-based business, you need to be compliant with GDPR. And so if somebody sitting in a coffee shop in Madrid, Spain looks at your website and opts in for your guide for smoothies, then you're supposed to be GDPR compliant for that person. And so that ... Oh my gosh, email marketers are doing all different kinds of things, and some are getting really technical and monitoring like, "Oh, if somebody is in Europe and they're on my website, I'll show them the GDPR-compliant form, and if they're in New York and they look at it, I'll show them the noncompliant form." So you can get into the weeds really fast here, but in my opinion, GDPR brings up an ethical issue that is people should have a say in what you do with their information, and if they want to be on your email list, you should get their permission for that. Gazella: Yeah, I think that's a good general piece of advice, but I can also see where some of these issues might get a little complicated quickly. Where do you suggest people go for more information if they have additional questions? Cook: So, that's a great question because I think I mentioned earlier a lot of these things, Google doesn't necessarily get you where he need to go. So, I actually put together a list of resources, at least from what I have, that I can share with your listeners, and so I just put together a resource guide. It has some things of where you can find royalty-free images or images in the public domain, linking over Copyright Alliance is actually an organization that just has really simple to understand information to understand copyright law. I have a link in that guide for where you can find FDA guidance on the structure/function language, and then of course some links to where you can learn more about GDPR. So, I tried to put together just some things that I have found to be reliable and really useful in that guide, and so I think we're going to share that maybe in the show notes, but you can find it. It'll be on my website, which is NDPen.com/ethics. Gazella: Yeah, and we'll also- Cook: Oh, and by the way ... I keep cutting you off, Karolyn. I'm so sorry. Gazella: Oh no, that's okay. Go ahead. Cook: I am setting that up to be a GDPR compliant opt-in so that you can see an example of what that looks like, so you can just download the guide and that's it, or you can choose to be on my email list, but I will not just add you to my email list when you download the guide. Gazella: Yeah, and we're also going to be linking to that guide. On this page of the podcast, there's going to be a link so our listeners can just click over. I mean, from a clinician standpoint, this might be something that you're going to want to share with your office manager or the people who are actually executing your marketing communication plan, your content marketing plan. So, yeah, thank you for doing that free guide for our listeners, Dr. Cook. Now, I have a question here. With all of these ethical pitfalls, do you think that content marketing to grow a medical practice is worth the risk? Cook: Yes, absolutely. Oh my gosh. I mean, here's the thing. The chances, if you are going about this from your heart, with good intentions, honestly the chances of getting in trouble for minor infractions of any of these things is so slim. It's so slim that you would ever get in trouble for anything, and yet the benefits of getting your content out there are massive. So, I mean really, if you're putting content out there, it's a way to really show your expertise, it's a way to get ... I mean, all of these integrative health practitioners, everyone has a unique message. Everyone's message is different. They have their own authentic voice and way of sharing it, and you get that out with your content. And really, yeah, creating content takes time, and you might hire some people to help you with all the parts and pieces, but it is a really effective way to promote your business without getting into a massive advertising budget. So, I mean bottom line is like getting your content out gets you connected with people who need you the most; that's what it's about. It's about getting your message out there and helping people, and I really believe that that content marketing is a solid way to do that and really to just grow a thriving business. Gazella: Yeah, I would agree with you. I have been a content publisher of integrative health information since the early 1990s, and I really feel that content is king. So, I have a love of quality content just as you do, Dr. Cook. I think that you brought up some really good points. It allows the practitioner to showcase his or her expertise. It can help you distinguish yourself from the competition. So for example, if you have areas of expertise or specialty areas that the doctor down the street doesn't have, you can showcase that, and you can actually target the patients that you want coming into your clinic. You can use content marketing as a referral tool. There's so many great things about content marketing, and the fact that you highlighted, Dr. Cook, the fact that content marketing helps practitioners help people; it helps a ton of people, so it's not just the patients that they're seeing, it helps a broader audience, and I think that is very much in line from a vision standpoint for most of the practitioners, and that's probably true in the case of the practitioners that you're working with, that they have this mission; they're on a mission. Cook: Yep. Absolutely. Gazella: Yeah, I think that this is great. Well, this has been a lot of great information, and we are going to be submitting this podcast for continuing educational credits in the area of ethics, so thank you for helping us out it with that, Dr. Cook. Cook: Awesome. Gazella: And I hope you have a great day. Cook: Thanks so much, Karolyn. You too. Gazella: Bye-bye. Cook: Bye.

Email Product Manager Gurbir Singh and the Deliverability Godfather himself Andrew Barrett sit down to talk ISPs (Internet Service Providers), ESPs (Email Service Providers, and how they factor in to your emails making their way into the inbox.       TRANSCRIPT: [0:00:18] PJ Bruno: Hi there, this is PJ Bruno. Welcome back to Braze for Impact. I'm very, very excited to have with me today, two of my very good friends, special guests. One, Gurbir Singh, who's a product manager here at Braze, and he owns email. Hello, Gurbir.   [0:00:33] Gurbir Singh: Hey, PJ. How's it going?   [0:00:34] PJ Bruno: Pretty good, man. Also with us, Andrew Barrett, our director of email deliverability in the house. How's it going, buddy?   [0:00:41] Andrew Barrett: It's going well. It's going great. I'm so happy to be here in the same room with you guys for a change.   [0:00:45] PJ Bruno: I know. Andrew's usually in D.C. Doing the remote thing, but we see them all the time on Slack, the deliverability dojo. He is the Sensei. He's there answering all the questions. Today, I wanted to get these two email champs in the room. Just talk a little bit about deliverability, but also more specifically ISPs and ESPs. What are they? What are they responsible for? Let's pretend I know nothing except a small amount of information. Right now, that is, correct me if I'm wrong, ISPs, they provide the internet, they can leverage spam filters and blacklists to protect people from unwanted mail. Examples, I guess would be Comcast, AT&T, Verizon. Is that accurate so far?   [0:01:33] Andrew Barrett: Absolutely.   [0:01:33] PJ Bruno: Okay. Jump in and stop me as soon as it's inaccurate information.   [0:01:38] Andrew Barrett: No. Everything you said right there is absolutely true, but you take it one step higher. What they really are are businesses. They're businesses that are in the game to make money. Same as anybody who's actually sending mail to users of the inboxes that they provide. One of the big questions out there in deliverability land is, how do you make money off of an inbox that you're not charging anybody to use? Right? It turns out that everything we say about delivering email has everything to do with, not just the business model that we're in as marketers and senators, but also what's the ISP's business model here? Once you understand how the ISPs are making their money, all kinds of light bulbs start going off in your head around deliverability. What you find is that when you align your email sending program to the ISP's revenue requirements, what their business model is, all of a sudden, bang, deliverability happens.   [0:02:39] PJ Bruno: It's magic.   [0:02:41] Andrew Barrett: It is magic. You can't avoid it. It is an inevitable outcome of aligning your business model with the ISP. The great news is, is that everybody wants the same thing. Right?   [0:02:53] PJ Bruno: Right.   [0:02:53] Andrew Barrett: Email recipients want email that they love to read. ISPs want to be able to put that content in front of their users of the free inboxes. That's because the more often those recipients can engage with the email, the more and better opportunities the ISPs have on making money, because their customer is not the inbox user, their customer is the advertiser that's putting contextually relevant advertising alongside the email that we're sending. If we're sending mail that users want to read, the recipients are happy, the ISPs are happy, we're happy, everybody's happy.   [0:03:37] PJ Bruno: I mean, and that's the dream state is making everything happy. But I guess does it mean that traditionally, ISPs look out for the email receiver, while ESPs prioritize the email sender? Is that, not at all?   [0:03:53] Gurbir Singh: No, I mean I think ISPs definitely do look out for the users, but as Andrew said, they definitely look out for their own business model as well. Then, ESPs are really focused on working with the brands. Right? These guys are the delivery agents. They're the ones sending out massive amounts of emails on behalf of various brands around the world. Their goal is to say, I want to get you in an inbox. I want to make sure you're successful. It's kind of hand in hand a little bit. The circle of life is really, if you make the ISPs money, you're going to be good.   [0:04:27] Andrew Barrett: That's right. I mean, anytime our business model is in conflict with the ISP's business model, we lose. All right?   [0:04:34] PJ Bruno: Gotcha.   [0:04:36] Andrew Barrett: It's important to understand that the users of those free inboxes are not the ISP's customers. Right? The users of the inbox are the inventory, and it's an inventory with a super short shelf life. The ISPs, their job is to create a pleasant and curated email experience for the users for their inventory, so that they'll last long enough to show them some advertising.   [0:05:04] PJ Bruno: Right.   [0:05:06] Gurbir Singh: That's a good point.   [0:05:06] Andrew Barrett: If you can just keep that in mind, that relationship between those three parties in this little love triangle that is email-   [0:05:15] PJ Bruno: Email is a love triangle. Don't kid yourself.   [0:05:17] Andrew Barrett: That's right. It's very tightly interwoven.   [0:05:21] PJ Bruno: Okay. Let's take a step back. In the beginning, ISPs showed up materializing out of basically nothing. Right?   [0:05:31] Gurbir Singh: Well, I mean a lot of the original ISPs were just the people who provided the internet. Right? Like AOL. They allowed you to connect to the internet, and then they were like, look, there's this thing called email and you can get it. We'll provide you an inbox where you can receive all your email. Same with Yahoo.   [0:05:48] PJ Bruno: At some point along the way, there were abusers. Is that right? Because this has got to be kind of, I'm talking about-   [0:05:56] Gurbir Singh: Anywhere there's volume, there's to be people looking to game the system. Right? There's going to be abusers, there's going to be people who are going to say, "Click here and get 10 free and ringtones," and you know that takes you somewhere else where you don't actually think you're supposed to be going. There's always going to be people gaming the system, and the ISPs, that does not jive with their business models, so they created a spam folder, and they put these guys in the spam folder, and they got really sophisticated at tracking who is a spammer, who's not. That distinction is really where ESPs, I think, really help along with keeping marketers honest and saying, look, if you put this subject line in, that's spammy, don't do that. Here's some best practices. Here's how you should create your content. Here are the people you should target. Things like that.   [0:06:44] PJ Bruno: Right. It doesn't stop at best practices. Right? We got here, the Gmail Promo Tab, which launched I guess, 2013, when Gmail announced the creation of different inbox tabs, including the promotions tab. Now, initially, it was said that Gmail is killing email marketing. Was this the notion that was kind of felt across the board by marketers that this was a tough pill to swallow?   [0:07:08] Andrew Barrett: Well, marketers definitely felt that way. In fact, we saw a lot of ... A couple of guys I remember back at that time were proposing a class action suit against Gmail, forgetting for the moment that Gmail, at the same time was also providing them for use of this infrastructure that they could use to reach their intended recipients. Nevermind that. Right? They're putting us in the fake inbox. I can understand the frustration. It's hard to have something taken away that you had for so long. But the other side of the coin is that way of thinking that, oh, you're putting me in the promotion set. I think that's wrong thinking on behalf of marketers. I think that that assumes a model of advertising that is more interruptive. Right? Like TV and radio, which is very linear. You're watching your story, and wait a second, wouldn't you like to buy some soap? No? Okay, well let's get on with the story then, and so on like that. Right? Email and other digital channels are not linear. Right? I think that marketers are best served when they can get their message in front of the recipients when they are their most receptive to it, and they are most receptive to marketing messages, not when they're reading email from grandma in upper Poughkeepsie. If you interrupt that, right, you're way more likely to get exactly the wrong kind of attention from the recipient in the form of a spam complaint. On the other hand, if you're enjoying strong placement in the promotions tab, people will turn to that tab when they are ready to see the promotions. I'm not a regular guy because I like email, but I like to see what winds up in there, mostly because I'm curious about the content and-   [0:09:12] Gurbir Singh: Right. It's research for you at that point.   [0:09:14] Andrew Barrett: But I do a lot of buying out of that promotions tab.   [0:09:18] PJ Bruno: The most relevant things are pushed to the top of the promotions tab. That's pretty much how it works. Right?   [0:09:24] Andrew Barrett: It can be, especially with some of this newer stuff that Gmail is rolling out, especially on the mobile side.   [0:09:30] Gurbir Singh: Yeah. It's like the new Gmail promotion tab does that. It groups up your messages based on industries, based on relevant, for when the offer is expiring, things like that. There's a number of variables that Gmail has introduced, but the traditional promotion tab was just if you got there and it's at the top of your inbox, it's there. Right? I think that's what was frustrating for marketers is that they spent all this time learning to get into the primary tab and now they're being asked to say, by the way, we redid the promotions tab and we give you all these new levers to pull and play with. Now, go back into the promotions tab, and people are rightfully so, kind of upset because it's just being thrown at them.   [0:10:10] Andrew Barrett: Well, they're are only upset if they don't remember what marketing was like before.   [0:10:14] Gurbir Singh: Yeah.   [0:10:15] Andrew Barrett: Right? They have this beautiful one-to-one direct channel to ostensibly engaged recipients that never existed before in the history of the planet, and nobody writes a check to Gmail to send email to Gmail's users. It's a gift horse. To get angry about that seems a little disingenuous to me.   [0:10:36] PJ Bruno: It feels very human.   [0:10:37] Andrew Barrett: Well, okay fine. They're human beings.   [0:10:42] PJ Bruno: You get something you want and then you get it taken away, you get pissed off. But no, I mean, they've been optimizing that promotions tab. Right? It's card based. It's like, you know what? We know you want to be in the inbox, but let's create something great in the promotions box that actually optimizes for what you're trying to do.   [0:10:59] Gurbir Singh: Yeah. I think it's a really good push by Gmail. One, they're going to collect way more data around what the message really is. Two, they're going to collect, are people actually interested in these offers, or are we going to push people down? You can see the business opportunities there for Gmail to say, similar to ad, you can pay to be at the top or you can pay to be at the top of your own industry bundle. If I'm Nike and Adidas, I could theoretically page email and say, "Put me always above Adidas." Right?   [0:11:31] PJ Bruno: Wow.   [0:11:32] Gurbir Singh: I don't know if they're actually thinking things like that, but I just see a bunch of different opportunities that they kind of opened, that other ISPs don't even have the luxury to even think about right now.   [0:11:43] Andrew Barrett: Yeah, they could do that, but I think they have a longer game in mind. Right? If they do something that appears to inhibit, in any way, the user's engagement with the inbox in its totality, I think they're not doing themselves any favors. What I think that we'll continue to see, and I'm guessing here, too, is that the kinds of changes we'll see in the promotions tab are those that award senders who are doing a better job at sending content that appears to be more engaging to a preponderance of recipients. That is awarded a better placement in the inbox.   [0:12:25] Gurbir Singh: That's true. I think they also, or actually the first ESP in my opinion that's actually adopted a mobile phone. This update to the promotion tab is directly for people who use the Gmail application. Right? They've acknowledged desktops are going out of time and we are getting switched to a mobile only world, and they're one of the first that are actually adopting. It's like this card that's coming out, it's a static image, but future iterations allow you to scroll and tell different cards and have different images and different links.   [0:12:58] PJ Bruno: Right. That's what AMP is, right?   [0:13:00] Gurbir Singh: No. AMP is completely something that's just interactive email.   [0:13:04] PJ Bruno: But within the email you can actually kind of scroll and click in and see different.   [0:13:08] Gurbir Singh: Yeah. It's like having a website right in your inbox so you don't have to leave, which is another pain point I think for marketers because the behavior is always been, I want to drive traffic to my website, and now all of a sudden, when this thing comes out, it's still in beta, but when it does come out, you're basically telling your customers you're living within the Google ecosystem. Right? You're browsing within the Google ecosystem, they're going to do some actions. You have no insight, no way of knowing what they're doing outside of the parameters you provided them. That's it. You can't dynamically change the workflow on your website as you typically do. This is a bigger change than people think it is, in my opinion.   [0:13:56] PJ Bruno: Gurbir, you're a big part of what we do here with our email at Braze. Obviously, you helped push our content blocks live, email preference center, all this stuff, optimizing the crafting and sending of emails, a big part of what you do. How do you overcome that resistance to change? Do you guys give a lot of thought to that when you're like-   [0:14:16] Gurbir Singh: Yeah. First of all, I mean, I work with a really talented engineering and design team that kind of put all these things together.   [0:14:22] PJ Bruno: Shout out.   [0:14:23] Gurbir Singh: Yeah, shout out. I might be at the face of it when it comes down to external, but there are some true heroes back there. But yeah, I mean, we do a lot of research when we're looking into new features. The content blocks is a great example, right? Content blocks, typically known as the email only feature, with other industries. When we looked at it we said, well, wouldn't it be cool if you could use it in Push, if you can use it on web? The same exact offer being tied to a user across every channel you want. You can have that consistency easily as a marketer, without having to replicate and create these over and over again. That operational cost is what we looked at a lot. Right? The cost of a marketer sending up four separate messages, setting up four different channels, and then ensuring, is the QA right on all four of them? Testing that and then sending it out. Right? If we can reduce the time for you to create all of that, those are the things we look at.   [0:15:24] PJ Bruno: Right.   [0:15:25] Gurbir Singh: But yeah.   [0:15:29] PJ Bruno: Andrew?   [0:15:30] Andrew Barrett: Gurbir is the expert there. Every day, I will defer to his expertise there. I like to keep my head down in the inbox. That's where I'm most comfortable.   [0:15:40] PJ Bruno: That's where he belongs.   [0:15:41] Andrew Barrett: Right.   [0:15:42] PJ Bruno: That's good. I'm trying to get all these things straight in my head. Do we see, traditionally, ISPs, they do want to protect the receivers of mail, right? I mean, obviously they want to protect their bottom line, but will be under the guise of this?   [0:16:00] Andrew Barrett: Well, no, I mean it aligns very well at times perfectly with their own business model because if they're putting their own customers at risk to third parties, they're not going to keep coming back to their inboxes just to get shot at again.   [0:16:14] PJ Bruno: Gotcha.   [0:16:14] Andrew Barrett: They want to keep them around. Keeping bad things, malware, spam, other types of things, out of that inbox, speaks directly to the longevity of their business model and the longevity of their inventory, the users.   [0:16:33] PJ Bruno: Launched back last year, in 2018, you guys know about this, the BIMI. I don't know if they call it BIMI, or if it's just brand indicators for message identification? For those of you who don't know, it's a standardized way for brands to publish their brand logo online and lets logos be easily incorporated into messaging and social media applications. It does this with built in protections, which is building off of D-Mark.   [0:16:58] Andrew Barrett: Right.   [0:17:00] PJ Bruno: I mean, I guess we could say at this point D-Mark is starting to catch on more and people are using it more.   [0:17:06] Andrew Barrett: Absolutely. Gmail has been kind of a kingmaker in that regard. I mean, if you ask Gmail, they would prefer that everybody use D-Mark for everything all time, which is fine. For the longest time, it was really a tool for high value targets like financial institutions, insurers, banks, things like that to keep bad guys from trying to spoof their brand in order to capture login credentials and things of that nature. D-Mark, at its roots though is an authentication protocol, or a platform standing, a reporting mechanism that stands on top of authentication. The timing is really kind of interesting because Google Plus business pages are going away. Right? That whole Google Plus social media experiment is going to get killed off here in a couple of weeks. That was how you got your logo or your picture in the inbox next to your subject line was through validating a business page and [crosstalk 00:18:25].   [0:18:25] PJ Bruno: That was the only way to get it in there?   [0:18:27] Gurbir Singh: Well, you could do it through their promotions tab now, too. You can just pass in a logo and it works. That's why I don't get why?   [0:18:34] Andrew Barrett: Well, yeah, but I don't think they would pick up that logo unless they had some kind of assurance that you were using that logo, that you were an authorized user of that logo, which means-   [0:18:47] Gurbir Singh: You can just pass in any logo when you use the promotions tab. We've tested. I can pass on anything, which is why I find it really funny where-   [0:18:54] PJ Bruno: That's crazy. That's nuts.   [0:18:54] Gurbir Singh: Right, but it's Google, right? Look how big Google is, how many teams did they have? Clearly somebody's not talking to somebody.   [0:19:04] Andrew Barrett: Well, I think BIMI will replace that functionality.   [0:19:08] Gurbir Singh: Probably.   [0:19:08] Andrew Barrett: You've got this authentication standard backing up the presentation of this logo, and suddenly you don't have to rely on Google Plus anymore, and align in the header of your html to prove that you actually own the domain, so that the logo or the picture can turn up in the subject line. It comes at a good time and it helps to enhance this message around adoption of D-Mark.   [0:19:33] PJ Bruno: You said Google is really a big advocate of D-Mark. Do they have a vested interest in D-Mark?   [0:19:41] Andrew Barrett: I don't think that they do. I'm not sure why they're so hot and bothered over D-Mark above and beyond the other authentication protocols, SPF and DKIM, which are sort of prerequisites for D-Mark. D-Mark is just the reporting thing. The question I think that's on a lot of people's minds these days that pay attention to this kind of stuff is, does a more restrictive D-Mark policy get you better inbox? I mean, you can publish a D-Mark policy that says, if it fails, don't do anything. Right? Or you can have a D-Mark policy that says if it fails DKIM, reject it, or quarantine it, or do something with it. Do you get more inbox if you say, if it fails? Yeah, don't do anything.   [0:20:30] PJ Bruno: Or if it passes, is there some sort of reporting? If it passes and D-Mark is present, then you could have some sort of reward?   [0:20:37] Andrew Barrett: Maybe.   [0:20:38] Gurbir Singh: Like positive effect, like a scoring system, goes up or down?   [0:20:42] Andrew Barrett: Do not know. Don't know.   [0:20:44] Gurbir Singh: Black box.   [0:20:46] Andrew Barrett: I think it's still working itself out. I'm not at all sure why Gmail is championing D-Mark.   [0:20:53] PJ Bruno: I mean, this thing, the BIMI thing, it was created by [Authenticators] Working Group, which was led by cybersecurity firm, Agari, and then also representatives from Comcast. Failmail, right? Microsoft.   [0:21:07] Andrew Barrett: Well, Agari is in the D-Mark reporting business. Right? So that's their vested interest in participating, but I don't know what Gmail's is other than having a handy replacement for the death of Google Plus.   [0:21:24] Gurbir Singh: Yeah. I mean, I could see if you can be a better inbox provider and essentially wipe out spam, which is the majority of volume that these guys ever see. Right? It's like 90% plus or something. That's a lot of storage costs. Right? ISPs have to keep every email around. They just do. Right? You can scroll back years and years of your Gmail inbox and you'll see, you can still find it, you can still click it. That's sitting somewhere. They're paying for that cost. If they can wipe away 90% of that somehow with a better authentication system, that's a lot of money for somebody. I can see that being a really big beneficial ad for them.   [0:22:05] Andrew Barrett: I agree with you to an extent. There's a lot of spammers out there who are signing their stuff with a DKIM and SPF and that are publishing a D-Mark record.   [0:22:14] Gurbir Singh: Well, I'm assuming with BIMI, it's another level, essentially. That's why they're working towards that one, and hopefully that one solves it. Like anything, there's always-   [0:22:24] PJ Bruno: There's always counterfeiters out there, man.   [0:22:26] Gurbir Singh: Yeah. Someone's going to break it.   [0:22:28] PJ Bruno: Catch me if you can. Moving on, what's the future, what are the big things on the horizon that email senders should be looking for, as far as feature specific, as far as, I mean, legislation affecting anything?   [0:22:48] Andrew Barrett: Well, I think we can call the legislation one absolutely dead and cold now. The Federal Trade Commission recently completed a two year review of the 16 year old CAN-SPAM federal law and decided it was all good, man. They spent two years looking at that sucker and decided, wow, it just can't get any better than how it is, which is really, really frustrating. I was at the Federal Trade Commission in the spring of 2003 for two days of testimony from a bunch of different groups, and there was five different versions of anti-spam language. It's five different competing versions pending in the lower house in Congress. They were trying to merge all those disparate versions of the language together in what would eventually become CAN-SPAM, and they were taking all this input from nonprofit anti-spam, watchdog groups, senders. They actually had a couple of spammers on the stage talking about why they do what they do, and that sort of thing.   [0:24:02] PJ Bruno: Interesting.   [0:24:02] Andrew Barrett: It was all in. Everybody scrubbed in on this thing. What came out in 2003 act, which was largely the [Burns Widen Act 00:24:14] was terrible. I mean, not only did it fail utterly to advance a definition of spam, which I don't blame them for because that is problematic on its face for a whole bunch of reasons, but where they really fell down is that they failed to advance a meaningful definition of email. Right?   [0:24:37] Gurbir Singh: They left it as a digital communications?   [0:24:39] Andrew Barrett: For the purposes of this statute, email means "an electronic message," period. Full stop.   [0:24:48] PJ Bruno: Great.   [0:24:49] Andrew Barrett: What? Really, really bad. Ideally, the definitive quality of email would have been transit via SMTP.   [0:25:02] Gurbir Singh: Right.   [0:25:02] Andrew Barrett: That's what was needed there. You can never look to lawmakers to predict the future. It's not the law we wanted, but it was probably the law we deserved. It was just that, and so I was really astounded when they decided that they weren't going to make any changes.   [0:25:22] Gurbir Singh: Didn't California, or aren't they evaluating their own special law just for the state of California?   [0:25:29] PJ Bruno: Leave it to California.   [0:25:30] Andrew Barrett: Yeah. Well, they had one before 2003. California is great at passing really restrictive laws, only to have them be superseded by federal legislation months and years later. The California anti-spam law was very restrictive and it was in place for only a couple of months before the federal law came in and eviscerated it, superseded it.   [0:25:55] PJ Bruno: All right, guys, we're at about time. Before we close up shop, any last words of advice to email sender's, email receivers? It can be simple to something you want to go out on. What's the big takeaway?   [0:26:11] Andrew Barrett: Just remember that business relationship between those three parties, and if you can keep that in mind, that relationship will inform every decision you ever have to make as a sender. If I had to define deliverability in one sentence, it would be, how not to look like a spammer. That's it. But there's a whole lot underneath that that can keep folks talking for days, and hours, and careers.   [0:26:36] PJ Bruno: And podcasts.   [0:26:37] Andrew Barrett: And podcasts.   [0:26:38] Gurbir Singh: Andrew's going to write a book.   [0:26:39] Andrew Barrett: And career long podcasts.   [0:26:40] PJ Bruno: I have to make this a whole series. Gurbir, you got some final thoughts?   [0:26:44] Gurbir Singh: I mean, I circled back to Andrew. It is a business. Understanding the motivations of each of these guys will help you, and make you successful.   [0:26:56] PJ Bruno: Absolutely. I'll say to spammers out there, if you're looking for alternative forms of revenue, check out the speaker circuit, because apparently, they'll be willing to have you on stage. Thank you guys so much for coming to hang out with us. This is PJ Bruno, Gurbir Singh, and Andrew Barrett. You guys take care. [0:27:14]

Today I am joined with Alan Chapell, Founder of Chapell and Associates. Alan shares how he got into privacy, the changes Alan has witnessed over the years in the industry, how transparency issues regarding adware and spyware shaped where we are today, how much we are actually protected and how much we should trust companies that have our data, GDPR, and even more dirty dark secrets in advertising.   Takeaways: [2:57] Alan’s first job in the privacy universe was at a small direct marketing firm in Stamford, Connecticut. While working with a bank, he was surprised at how much information on their customers in the data file was accessible without a safeguarding procedure in place. [5:35] Fun fact: Alan wrote jingles for Indian television! [5:51] In 2000 Alan put his aspirations of being an internet lawyer on hold and went into email marketing and tech sales. In November of 2003 refocused on work in the CAN-SPAM territory, and around 2006 he built a good book of business built around the ad spyware space. [7:43] Alan and I discuss past conflation and consumer tech issues in the ad tech ecosystem. Companies would give you free internet access in trade for access to gaining information on personal property and often times misuse this privilege by selling it to other companies. There were also a number of entities placing software on desktops creating downstream issues that had the average user thinking that they “broke their internet.” In addition, those companies were also popping ads over the existing ads on websites, interfering with intellectual property. [11:29] The current dirty dark secret in ad space is that we are not even sure as agencies, advertisers and brands that the reported views are seen by a human being. [15:13] Mark Zuckerberg was able with some level of success to deflect attention away from what Facebook was doing in terms of collecting and utilizing data, and their failure to adequately monitor the machine they have created, and instead blame it on the third parties. [16:06] Alan discusses the number-one challenge and complaint of every privacy professional, extending influence within the organization, along with the watershed moments in the digital media privacy world. [21:54] The NAI Code of Conduct has had a large impact on web-based data collection and use. [25:17] The Google I/O opens up a new privacy issue of disclosing the fact that you are actually speaking with a robot and not an actual human. Google Smart Lock is also another new creation where consumers must be aware where their information is going, and who has access to it. [28:01] Alan and I discuss the current state of data privacy, and the need for way more education and information for those holding roles at both federal and state legislation. [34:01] Alan talks about how we consolidate GDPR for a brand or a marketing agency. GDPR calls for all data, including personal data, to be encompassed by the law. [37:05] Alan compares consent to Fool’s Gold due to the imbalance of power between those collecting and those giving personal data. As it relates to consent pop-ups on video games, If no isn’t a valid option, how valid is yes. [44:59] “Life experience” is a part of that person’s private information that should be protected but isn’t. Examples of life experiences regarding personal data and privacy are graduation, marriage, divorce. [47:57] Alan thinks the trade press is a vehicle for wonderful ideas, but when it comes to privacy or using them as a primary news source, it often garners misinformation and hyperbole for the sake of click bait. [48:39] Alan recommends some sights for those interested in learning more on privacy: The International Association of Privacy Professionals has a good overview on GDPR and the Future of Privacy Form. [58:08] Second fun fact! Alan is an accomplished musician, and has been picked up by a division of BMG. Catch him August 16 at the City Winery in New York!

Setting your Can Spam, Name, and Reply email up in Convertkit If you enjoy todays posting, try Convertkit for your first month free. visit this link to try Convertkit free for a month We're going to fill out the important key information for your Convertkit account. I am still on that page that told us ... Read more Source

Summary: Since Lee's stroke in Dec. 2016, Lee has become familiar with many other stroke survivors who are still struggling to recover from the damages of their stroke. There are some real heartbreaking stories out there. But a story that ends well can inspire us all to keep moving forward. This episode unfolds the story of Kelly Martin-Balestrieri who suffered a major stroke 10 years ago. She could not walk or be alone for the first few months afterward. But she fought her way back to become a 3rd-degress black belt in taekwondo, and regularly spends as much time as she can outdoors with her family. Lee and Kelly discuss the details of their experiences, compare notes on their recovery paths, and theorize on the effects each of their strokes have had on their lives. This episode will bring you closer to understanding the perspective of a stroke survivor. Listen, Subscribe, ShareEmbed episode on your websitePaste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website The Questions Explored in this Episode: Does having a stroke change the way we see the world? What factors promote a fast and quick recovery from stroke? How strokes can vary among individuals. Does personality characteristics affect the speed of stroke recovery? Links and Resources: *** The show notes pages for the IGA podcasts may be updated at any time. To be notified whenever show notes pages are updated, please Join the I.G.A. Insider's Club. The PDF of Strokes Resources and Information: We've prepared a PDF chocked full of information about Lee's stroke adventure and strokes in general. You will find this helpful in understanding the events, circumstances and challenges of those around you struggling with stroke recovery. This PDF contains: Actual brain scan images showing Lee's carotid arteries as well as normal arteries in the same area. A sequence of photos showing how neuroplasticity can be used to minimize, over time, the damages from strokes through the use of deliberate and purpose-driven practice. A 7 minute video where Lee recalls a few chuckles related to his treatment and care in the hospital during his stroke Several arterial anatomy illustrations clearly showing the arterial structures involved in Lee's stroke. Selected videos dealing with understanding cholesterol to help prevent mistakes in minimizing stroke risks How to quickly tell if you or someone with you is having a stroke. Plus more... Get this information in your Email Inbox right now We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Go to top Hi!!! Thanks for visiting the show-notes page. Thanks so much for listening! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below, or you can leave me a message directly to me at Lee@InnerGameOfAging.com If you enjoy the show why not get more engaged by subscribing and/or downloading a bunch of episodes from iTunes. But if you really would like to help spread the word about what this podcast is all about, why not leave an honest review on iTunes. Help us to produce better shows with your feedback. Or help others discover this podcast with your praise. Either way, your honest, respectful input is always desired. Please share this episode using the social media buttons you see at the top left of this page. I hope you have an absolutely terrific day and I appreciate the extra time you took to look a little further!

Summary: As we learned from the previous episode, Lee had suffered a stroke on Dec. 29, 2016. Episode #22 goes into much detail about what Lee went through as he set out on his journey to recovered this stroke and how he would manage himself going forward to drastically reduce the chances of it happening again.It is helpful to listen to that episode before this one. In this follow-up, Lee reviews his recovery progress, his visit with neurology doctors, updates on critical information about arterial plaque build-up and cholesterol, and adjustments he will make to his health plans moving ahead. Lee's journey provides a fascinating view of strokes from the onset to recovery. He considers himself extremely fortunate since many time stroke recovery is a lifetime effort. Listen, Subscribe, ShareEmbed episode on your websitePaste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website What You Will Learn About In This Episode: How people with good cholesterol levels can still end up with arterial plaque buildup What one-man's version of stroke recovery looks like. (remember, everyone is different.) one strategy for reducing stroke risks after the first stroke has occurred. Links and Resources: *** The show notes pages for the IGA podcasts may be updated at any time. To be notified whenever show notes pages are updated, please Join the I.G.A. Insider's Club. How to Recover from Stroke: A Step by Step Guide to Avoid the Worst Mistakes The PDF of Strokes Resources and Information: We've prepared a PDF chocked full of information about Lee's stroke adventure and strokes in general. You will find this helpful in understanding the events, circumstances and challenges of those around you struggling with stroke recovery. This PDF contains: Actual brain scan images showing Lee's carotid arteries as well as normal arteries in the same area. A sequence of photos showing how neuroplasticity can be used to minimize, over time, the damages from strokes through the use of deliberate and purpose-driven practice. A 7 minute video where Lee recalls a few chuckles related to his treatment and care in the hospital during his stroke Several arterial anatomy illustrations clearly showing the arterial structures involved in Lee's stroke. Selected videos dealing with understanding cholesterol to help prevent mistakes in minimizing stroke risks How to quickly tell if you or someone with you is having a stroke. Plus more... Get this information in your Email Inbox right now We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Go to top Hi!!! Thanks for visiting the show-notes page. Thanks so much for listening! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below, or you can leave me a message directly to me at Lee@InnerGameOfAging.com If you enjoy the show why not get more engaged by subscribing and/or downloading a bunch of episodes from iTunes. But if you really would like to help spread the word about what this podcast is all about, why not leave an honest review on iTunes. Help us to produce better shows with your feedback. Or help others discover this podcast with your praise. Either way, your honest, respectful input is always desired. Please share this episode using the social media buttons you see at the top left of this page. I hope you have an absolutely terrific day and I appreciate the extra time you took to look a little further!

Summary: The possibility of having a stroke presents a scary picture to most all of us. Lee Looks at this fear head on as he describes his journey to becoming a stroke survivor. Along the way we learn some valuable and potentially life saving information that should be heard by everyone. Although this episode is on the longer side, listen only to the first 20 minutes of this. if your earbuds are not glued to your ears by that time, then skip the rest of the episode. We're confident that you will find more than enough information to enjoy the whole thing. But you decide. Listen, Subscribe, ShareClick to embed this episode to your websitePaste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website What You Will Learn About In This Episode: How to identify someone (friend or loved-one) who is having a stroke Why time is of the essence is getting medical attention for a stroke. What is a silent stroke and why are they so dangerous. A primer on Types of Strokes Being Fit vs. Being healthy The dangers of Cholesterol and stress Factors that help in recovering from a stroke Time-Stamps for Questions and Topics discussed in this episode: Strokes vs. the "Grow older, not Old" message? (1:25) My reasons for feeling Blessed from this stroke. (4:27) A stroke in much more dangerous when it comes on slowly. (9:41) At the hospital - first day (11:20) The 4 primary objectives of a hospital's care for a stroke victim (14:25) The hospital's initial evaluation and assessment procedures (18:15) be careful with what you think a stroke would feel like? (23:39) F.A.S.T = Face. Arms.Speech.Time (26:06) Understanding strokes - Types, Stats, Facts (28:20) TIA's - the silent strokes are real scary stuff (34:38) What actually caused Lee's stroke? (36:39) Being fit vs. being healthy (39:45) Cholesterol (41:36) Stress (45:56) Evaluating the damage caused by the stroke (51:36) Leaving the hospital (54:59) recovering at home (57:48) recovery, self-esteem and purpose (1:01:02) Links and Resources: *** The show notes pages for the IGA podcasts may be updated at any time. To be notified whenever show notes pages are updated, please Join the I.G.A. Insider's Club. The PDF of Strokes Resources and Information: We've prepared a PDF chocked full of information about Lee's stroke adventure and strokes in general. You will find this helpful in understanding the events, circumstances and challenges of those around you struggling with stroke recovery. This PDF contains: Actual brain scan images showing Lee's carotid arteries as well as normal arteries in the same area. A sequence of photos showing how neuroplasticity can be used to minimize, over time, the damages from strokes through the use of deliberate and purpose-driven practice. A 7 minute video where Lee recalls a few chuckles related to his treatment and care in the hospital during his stroke Several arterial anatomy illustrations clearly showing the arterial structures involved in Lee's stroke. Selected videos dealing with understanding cholesterol to help prevent mistakes in minimizing stroke risks How to quickly tell if you or someone with you is having a stroke. Plus more... Get this information in your Email Inbox right now We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Go to top   Hi!!! Thanks for visiting the show-notes page. Thanks so much for listening! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below, or you can leave me a message directly to me at Lee@InnerGameOfAging.com If you enjoy the show why not get more engaged by subscribing and/or downloading a bunch of episodes from iTunes.

Summary: Social scientists try to specify the defining characteristics of each of the generations. But there isn't a lot of information on how Millennials view aging and older people. If today's guest is any indication, there is a lot to be hopeful for. Brett Roger Gebbie, a 32 year old millennial, is the host of a podcast titled "Inspect Your Elders", where he chats with those having many more years of experience than he to find out the thoughts and events that have shaped their lives. After listening to several of his episodes, Lee invites Brett to discuss his motivations and purpose for doing his podcast and uncovers a thinking that seems rather unique among millennials. Or perhaps we have misjudged what millennials are all about? Adjusting our view of millennials and their opinions will most certainly affect our relationships in the world. You be the judge as to whether Brett's thinking is unique or typical of his generation. Listen, Subscribe, ShareClick to embed this episode to your websitePaste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Questions Explored In This Episode: How do millennials view our older citizens? How does age affect our views? What is the present-day value in listening to the stories of the elders?. Links And Resources: The show notes pages for the IGA podcast may be updated at any time to display new content related to the episode topic. To be notified whenever a show notes page is updated please Subscribe for website updates to receive these updates in your inbox or by SMS text message. READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Email for Brett Rodger Gebbie: inspectyourelders@gmail.com

READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Summary: What do we learn from our humor of others? Can humor be used to promote age-related impressions, opinions and stereotypes among us? Lee explores such questions through a series of humorous stories, jokes and one-liners. He finds the bulk of the age-related humor focuses on our failing memories or our aging bodies. But there is a new brand of humor emerging that could have a much more positive effect on how we feel about aging. Enjoy the laughs. But let's start considering the direction our age-related humor is taking us. Listen, Subscribe, ShareClick to embed this episode to your websitePaste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Questions Explored In This Episode: Does our age-related humor affect our feelings about aging? What does the age-related humor suggest to us about what aging is? How our humor can be an avenue of empowerment rather than denigration? Links And Resources: The show notes pages for the IGA podcast may be updated at any time to display new content related to the episode topic. To be notified whenever a show notes page is updated please Subscribe for website updates to receive these updates in your inbox or by SMS text message. READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pio...

READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Summary: For this episode, Lee stumbles his way through some personal stories as he tries to give advice to an older population on how to exercise. We know that Lee is no wimp in the gym. But how relevant do you think his thoughts on fitness and exercise are to the average person over 60. Hear him express some common sense approaches that should apply to all of us in some manner. Hear him express how he struggles to live by his own good advice.And if you are not yet living an active lifestyle, this episode could give you the insight you need to do just that. Listen, Subscribe, ShareClick to embed this episode to your websitePaste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Key Points Mentioned In This Episode: Lee's super hero fantasies The benefits of physical activity include: increased mental capacity, disease prevention, Improved healing, Improved quality of life, Increased balance, Added longevity, Better mood, Improved immune function, Improved bone density, Mental health benefits. Getting older increases our need for rest between exercise sessions. Working out 6 or 7 days a week becomes too demanding since there isn't enough time for rest. Rest is vital to recover from workouts properly. We are all individuals and our exercise should be individualized. Our triggers and motivations are all slight different, and our motivations changes as we get older. Fitness is not a way of life. It IS life. Our fitness determines how much of life we can take in. Our fitness gives us the endurance, strength, balance and flexibility we need to consume life.

Summary: How do you think it feels to have dementia? Would you like to find out? Before you turn away, consider how such an experience would affect your consideration of those who suffer from the affliction. Would walking in their shoes help you to be a better caregiver? Lee recently experienced the Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT) created by PK Beville from Second, who joins Lee for today's discussion. This experiential demonstration deepens our understanding of what dementia feels like. Click to embed this episode to your websitePaste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. What You Will Learn About In This Episode: How to experience the Virtual Dementia Tour and deepen your understanding of what dementia feels like Tips and trick for being a better caregiver or advocate for a person with dementia How our lifestyles may be increasing our risks for dementia Why our elders are important to us Links And Resources: The show notes pages for the IGA podcast may be updated at any time to display new content related to the episode topic. To be notified whenever a show notes page is updated please Subscribe for website updates to receive these updates in your inbox or by SMS text message. READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Websites Second Wind Dreams website VDT on Second Wind Dreams website Second Wind Dreams Facebook page Lee being set up for the Virtual Dementia Tour READ MORESetting up for the Virtual Dementia Tour[This post contains video, click to play] Other Videos ABC Nightline Why take the Virtual Dementia Tour®? Go to top Hi!!! Thanks for visiting the show-notes page.

Today I'm going to talk about the best practices checklist we use in house for our day to day email marketing. Email marketing is a big deal within my business. Email is my primary marketing vehicle. In spite of the fact that email deliverability has become more difficult, emailing your list is still the most potent and effective marketing tool.  Be that as it may, the use of “best practices” will help ensure that every email stands the best chance of hitting its intended mark.   Accordingly, what follows is a checklist designed to be used before sending any email. Download the Complete PDF Show Notes Free for this Episode Use it yourself or provide this list to whomever sends your email.  Some of these suggestions may seem like common sense, but I find this list to be very useful, ensuring that nothing is forgotten.  Let's get started. [bctt tweet="If you want your emails to be taken seriously, they must be free of misspellings and grammatical mistakes." via="no"] Download the Complete PDF Show Notes Free for this Episode Learn: Spell check Double check dates and times Format Spam filters Check links Check landing pages Make sure that your emails are CAN-Spam compliant Track Statistics Preview Download the Complete PDF Show Notes Free for this Episode Links: Real Fast eMail Marketing Course Real Fast Affiliate Profits Course www.formatit.com My Kick Start Cart (a private label of 1 Shopping Cart) iContact  aWeber CAN SPAM Compliant FTC Link: http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus61-can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business  http://www.nvu.com/ Real Fast Results Community If you are diggin’ on this stuff and really love what we’re doing here at Real Fast Results, would you please do me a favor? Head on over to iTunes, and make sure that you subscribe to this show, download it, and rate & review it. That would be an awesome thing. Of course, we also want to know your results. Please share those results with us at http://www.realfastresults.com/results. As always, go make results happen!

Summary: What is co-housing? Wikipedia defines this as an "intentional community clustered around shared space". But that barely scratches the surface of the possibilities inherent in the concept. Today's guest, Cindy Turnquist, and Lee discuss this intriguing community concept and how it addresses the growing need for seniors to age-in-community. Cindy shares her experience and knowledge to educate us about the many aspects of co-housing that will most certainly appeal to a large portion of our older population. Listen, Subscribe, Share Click to embed this episode to your website Paste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website Join our 'Insiders' Club The Insider' Club: Receive regular updates and notifications of helpful newly-added articles, videos, and podcasts that support the “Grow OLDER, NOT OLD” message. Receive ACTIONABLE tips and tricks for mind, body and spirit that grow the “youth” within us. Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Help guide the decisions and choices that will help this site to further spread the “GROW OLDER, NOT OLD” message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages All FREE, No Risk, No Effort We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. What You Will Learn From This Episode: A greater understanding of what a co-housing community is. How co-housing communities are formed and developed. How to tell if co-housing community living is for you or not. How to determine and evaluate the finances of co-housing arrangements. How are conflicts resolved in such communities. What are the benefits that directly relate to seniors The possible ways in which the community's common areas are used How to find and explore co-housing communities The show notes pages for the IGA podcast may be updated at any time to display new content related to the episode topic. To be notified whenever a show notes page is updated please Subscribe for website updates to receive these updates in your inbox or by SMS text message. Join our 'Insiders' Club Links and Resources: Co-housing sites to explore Sage Hill Partners The Cohousing Association of the United States Fellowship For Intentional Communities Videos on co-housing AARP's Rick Moody on Senior Cohousing Senior Cohousing Silver Sage Village Other Resources and material The Senior Cohousing Handbook Senior Cohousing FAQ Sheet Self-Assessment exercise to determine how suitable you may be for cohousing Bio - Cindy Turnquist Bio - Cindy Turnquist Cindy founded SageHill partners in 2014 to help foster the growth of senior cohousing in Utah.  She is passionate about the benefits of aging in community and recognizes the need to improve community options for our expanding senior population.  She measures her success by her ability to provide a meaningful and positive impact on how and where we can live out our last chapters in life. Cindy holds a degree in Architecture Technology and Construction Management, with an emphasis on green building, universal design and community building.  She sits on the executive team of the National Cohousing Association board and leads their “Aging-In-Cohousing” Initiative.  She is also an appointed member on the Utah Commission on Aging.  She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband Doug and is fortunate to be near her three children and seven grandchildren.   Hey There, Lee Here!! Thanks so much for listening! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below, or you can leave me a message directly to me at Lee@InnerGameOfAging.com If you enjoy the show why not get more engaged by subscribing and/or downloading a bunch of episodes from iTunes.

Summary: We all know by now that volunteering is an excellent way to connect us to our larger world and bring benefit to our own lives. Today Lee speaks with Barbara Coish, a 78 year old fireball who calls herself a "Full Time Volunteer". She has become involved in so many aspects and efforts within her local town of Windham, NH. The discussion they have reveals Barbara's secret for living a life full of energy, passion and purpose. The first part of the conversation simply attempts to list all the things Barbara does in her community. It takes almost 20 minutes to complete this list and hear the stories behind them. The second part of the discussion highlights the effects that her volunteering efforts has on her life. Listen in and be inspired by Barbara's stories. Listen, Subscribe, ShareClick to embed this episode to your websitePaste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Questions explored in this episode: What volunteering does for you as a person? How volunteering benefits our own lives to promote health and well-being? How to find local volunteering opportunities? Links and Resources: The show notes pages for the IGA podcast may be updated at any time to display new content related to the episode topic. To be notified whenever a show notes page is updated please Subscribe for website updates to receive these updates in your inbox or by SMS text message. READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Barbara Coish as a Silver Inspiration on the Growth-Works site New Age Aging - Episode 2 - Volunteerism and the Older Adult   Hey! Its Lee Here. Thanks so much for listening!

Summary: The current healthcare concerns are mounting at a fast pace. It seems the more things cost, the more concerns that surface. And costs are rising fast. For this episode, Lisa Blackstock, from SoulSherpa.net, joins Lee to discuss what she is seeing in her work. Lisa is in position to see our healthcare system on an almost daily basis. She shares with Lee many practices that compromise our care or the expenses for them. Lisa and Lee pull back a healthcare curtain that we are sure will be relevant to the management of your own healthcare. This is part 1 of a valuable discussion that you may want to hear several times. Listen, Subscribe, ShareClick to embed this episode to your websitePaste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. What You Will Learn About In This Episode: How to help your doctor appeal an unfavorable insurance decision. what to watch for when being admitted to a hospital from an ER visit. How to tell if your hospital discharge is complete. Interesting perspectives on healthcare politics Links And Resources: The show notes pages for the IGA podcast may be updated at any time to display new content related to the episode topic. To be notified whenever a show notes page is updated please Subscribe for website updates to receive these updates in your inbox or by SMS text message. READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. SoulSherpa Website Dependable Doc - A Patient push-back app for mobile devices Physician Appeal Template for Medical Insurer DenialPhysician Appeal Template for Medical Insurer Denial[pdf-embedder url="http://innergameofaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/PHYSICIAN-APPEAL-TEMPLAT...

Summary: Consumer healthcare concerns continue to mount at an accelerated and unprecedented pace. Uncontrolled prices are rising more than ever, prompting valid concerns of every patient. In this episode, Lisa Berry Blackstock, from soulsherpa.net, joins Lee in a revealing discussion affecting every patient and future patient. Lee and Lisa pull back the curtain obstructing our view of essential things to know, allowing every healthcare consumer to hear tips and insight relevant to the proper management of your own healthcare. This episode is part 1 of a valuable discussion you may want to listen to several times. Listen, Subscribe, ShareClick to embed this episode to your websitePaste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. What you will learn about in this episode: Factors contributing to the rising costs of healthcare Healthcare profit margins Hospital discharge problems Medical billing errors What to watch for when being admitted or discharged from a hospital. Links and Resources: The show notes pages for the IGA podcast may be updated at any time to display new content related to the episode topic. To be notified whenever a show notes page is updated please Subscribe for website updates to receive these updates in your inbox or by SMS text message. READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. SoulSherpa.Net website DependableDoc Center For Medicare Advocacy Glad to see you here! Thanks so much for listening! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below, or you can leave me a message directly to me at Lee@InnerGameOfAging.

Summary: Where do we learn how to age? Sounds like a strange question, but it is a valid one. We are all learning how to age whether we know it or not. Lee begins to explore this by reaching out to younger people to see how they feel about various aspects of aging. For this week's episode, Lee engages 40 year old Ed Lazzari to get a peek into how this age group views aging for both themselves and their parents. The conversation gave Lee a few eye-openers that he didn't expect. See what your reactions are. Listen, Subscribe, ShareClick to embed this episode to your websitePaste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Questions Explored in this Episode: Manifestations of the "I'm too old" thinking The stereotypes around us - Truth or Fiction How social media promotes age segmentation. Corporate age discrimination The Fear of Mediocrity Links and Resources mentioned in this Episode: The show notes pages for the IGA podcast may be updated at any time to display new content related to the episode topic. To be notified whenever a show notes page is updated please Subscribe for website updates to receive these updates in your inbox or by SMS text message. READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Episode 8 - The Inner World of Lee Change Your POV website Change Your POV Podcast - Episode #063 Ernestine Shepard - Oldest Female Body Builder Thanks for Visiting The Show-Notes Page Thanks so much for listening! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below, or you can leave me a message directly to me at Lee@InnerGameOfAging.comIf you enjoy the show why not get more engaged by subscr...

Summary: Juli Vizza and Alicia Dwyer are the producer and director of a powerful 30 minute video called "Nine To Ninety". This video is being screened around the country and is changing the dialog on how we discuss the end-of-life process. They chat with Lee to explore many of the behind-the-scenes events, the lessons and the impact the video is having on our culture. Watch the video and hear this discussion to experience the full impact. Listen, Subscribe, Share Click to embed this episode to your website Paste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website Join our 'Insiders' Club The Insider' Club: Receive regular updates and notifications of helpful newly-added articles, videos, and podcasts that support the “Grow OLDER, NOT OLD” message. Receive ACTIONABLE tips and tricks for mind, body and spirit that grow the “youth” within us. Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Help guide the decisions and choices that will help this site to further spread the “GROW OLDER, NOT OLD” message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages All FREE, No Risk, No Effort We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Questions Explored in this Episode: Why discussing death is so scary How to make the end-of-life process more discussable Caregiver fatigue Societal roles in caring for our elders The cultural impact of the "Nine To Ninety" video Links and Resources Mentioned: The show notes pages for the IGA podcast may be updated at any time to display new content related to the episode topic. To be notified whenever a show notes page is updated please Subscribe for website updates to receive these updates in your inbox or by SMS text message. Join our 'Insiders' Club Nine To Ninety Website - Has lots of additional information about this video, including a movie trailer for viewing. Nine-To-Ninety Screening and Discussion Guide. Nine To Ninety Discussion Guide for Educators Host a screening of this video in your community Domestic Workers Alliance Hey, It''s Lee Here. Thanks so much for listening! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below, or you can leave me a message directly to me at Lee@InnerGameOfAging.com If you enjoy the show why not get more engaged by subscribing and/or downloading a bunch of episodes from iTunes. But if you really would like to help spread the word about what this podcast is all about, why not leave an honest review on iTunes? Help us to produce better shows with your feedback. Or help others discover this podcast with your praise. Either way, your honest, respectful input is always desired. If you are new to reviews and need a little help, you can go to LEAVE A REVIEW and I will walk you through that step-by-step. Thank you in advance for doing that! – plus, I read each and every one of them! Please share this episode using the social media buttons you see at the top, or bottom of this page. LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW: Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer. I hope you have an absolutely terrific day and I appreciate the extra time you took to look a little further!

Summary: For this episode, Lee shares thoughts with Frank Samson, who has hosted his own podcast (The Aging Boomers)for many years dealing with the issues of baby boomers and preparing them for their elderly parents as well as their own aging. Lee and Frank discuss many of the issues Frank has uncovered and captured in his book.Frank has been in the trenches and offers his insight on such topics as our cultural response to aging, the rise of dementia, care-giving issues, preventing falls in the elderly, and factors affecting longevity. Listen to the end to find out how you can get his valuable book for FREE. Listen, Subscribe, ShareClick to embed this episode to your websitePaste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. In this episode you will gain insight into: How our culture responds to aging The prevalence or inevitability of dementia What are Blue Zones, and the factors that create them. Care-giver fatigue Taking care of loved ones remotely - long-distance care-giving Technological support for the care-giver Preventing falls for the elderly factors the affect our longevity Links and Resources mentioned in this episode: The show notes pages for the IGA podcast may be updated at any time to display new content related to the episode topic. To be notified whenever a show notes page is updated please Subscribe for website updates to receive these updates in your inbox or by SMS text message. READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. Senior Care Authority The Aging Boomers Book The Aging Boomer's Podcast Get 'The Aging Boomer's' Book for FREEFrank has made a generous offer to 5 listeners.

Summary: Respectful Beats? What do you think a business named Respectful Beats does? In this episode, Lee talks to Steve Benedetto, the owner of Respectful-Beats. He conducts interactive drumming workshops for senior citizens throughout New England. His business has grown into a full time mission of inspiring others to feel better through the healing power of music and rhythm. Steve talks with Lee on how Respectful-Beats started, how drumming benefits older citizens (its not what you think), how he conducts his drumming workshops, and generally shares his passion for drumming with Lee and the audience. Dig into this episode to be inspired by some out-of-the-box thinking, and learn about the many benefits of embracing and practicing your inner rhythms. Listen, Subscribe, Share Click to embed this episode to your website Paste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website Join our 'Insiders' Club The Insider' Club: Receive regular updates and notifications of helpful newly-added articles, videos, and podcasts that support the “Grow OLDER, NOT OLD” message. Receive ACTIONABLE tips and tricks for mind, body and spirit that grow the “youth” within us. Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Help guide the decisions and choices that will help this site to further spread the “GROW OLDER, NOT OLD” message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages All FREE, No Risk, No Effort We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. What you will learn in this episode: Why drumming can serve as a therapeutic exercise for senior citizens. How drumming workshops are conducted. How senior citizens respond to drumming as a new experience. Get a FREE Djembe Drum or a FREE Drumming Workshop We love hearing from you, and Steve feels the same way. So he is offering a FREE Djembe drum to one the listener of this podcast. All you need to do is let us know how you liked (or didn't like) this episode of "The Inner Game Of Aging Podcast". Just leave your feedback on this show-notes page below and, 2 weeks after this episode is released, Lee will select a winner from those who have left comments. But that's not all. If you are associated with an organization located in New England that would benefit from a Drum Workshop, Steve will offer a FREE workshop to qualifying listener who has left a comment on this page. Please indicate which organization you are associated with. Again, Lee will select the winner 2 weeks after this episode has been released. Good Luck. Links and Resources:   Hey, Lee Here!! Thanks so much for listening! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below, or you can leave me a message directly to me at Lee@InnerGameOfAging.com If you enjoy the show why not get more engaged by subscribing and/or downloading a bunch of episodes from iTunes. But if you really would like to help spread the word about what this podcast is all about, why not leave an honest review on iTunes. Help us to produce better shows with your feedback. Or help others discover this podcast with your praise. Either way, your honest, respectful input is always desired. If you are new to reviews and need a little help, you can go to LEAVE A REVIEW and I will walk you through that step-by-step. Thank you in advance for doing that! – plus, I read each and every one of them! Please share this episode using the social media buttons you see at the top, or bottom of this page. LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW: Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer. I hope you have an absolutely terrific day and I appreciate the extra time you took to look a little further!

Summary: Patient Advocacy is a growing field that serves many purposes. Lee has the distinct pleasure of learning about the many aspects of this field from Lisa Berry Blackstock, who has been involved with patient advocacy for many years. (website: SoulSherpa.net) Lee and Lisa discuss the history of the field, what services it provides, who it serves, and how consumers might approach seeking the services of a patient advocate. Lisa also provides extremely valuable information by pulling back the curtain on many of the medical billing and hospital practices that compromises the health or increases the expenses of your health care. This is a powerful discussion that will interest all those concerned with their rising medical costs and healthcare maintenance. Listen, Subscribe, ShareClick to embed this episode to your websitePaste the HTML code below to the desired location on your website Join the Insider's clubJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time. In This Episode You Will Learn: What Patient Advocacy is and what it is not. A brief history of the field. The multitude of services provided by patient advocates. Tips for finding the specific services you might need. How patient advocates are certified. Examples of typical medical billing practices from hospitals and insurance companies that increase consumer costs Links and Resources Mentioned In This Episode: The show notes pages for the IGA podcast may be updated at any time to display new content related to the episode topic. To be notified whenever a show notes page is updated please Subscribe for website updates to receive these updates in your inbox or by SMS text message. READ MOREJoin our 'Insiders' Club Signed-up for Insider's Club perks: Receive regular update, notifications and summaries of new content added to the TAA website Receive monthly newsletter containing tips and tricks to maximize your mind, body, and spirit Get access to special messages (audio, video, and articles) distributed only to Insider Club members.  Gain access to greater aging details of Lee and other pioneers under the Aging Academy Initiative Get text transcripts of selected podcast and video episodes Provide useful guidance for TAA to more effectively spread the "Grow Older, Not Old" message. Get Notified whenever there are updates on podcast show-notes pages Access to tools useful in mastering your aging process All FREE, No Risk, No Effort Your email address is your password to Insider Club perks. Use this same email address in order to access benefits and resources in the future. We never spam you or sell your email address. Your information is secure with us. We are CAN-SPAM compliant and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Today's question comes from Eric, who wonders which address he should use at the bottom of his email newsletter. What if he doesn't want to share his home mailing address? Do you have a question about setting up your email list? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Thanks to our sponsor, AWeber. Go to http://www.aweber.com/askpat to get started for only $1.

In todayâs show, Ovie and Bret discuss listener email, discuss hard drive write blocks and imaging devices, sleuthkit V2.09 is out, Safari for Windows is but you better patch quickly, In the news, the first spammer sentenced under CAN-SPAM act, VA budgets 20 million for credit protection for its victims, Secret Service agent spins a tale but surveillance video unravels her story, and Japanese police learn a lesson in security.  The Slurper aggregates 6 unsecure WiFi access points  and web sites of the week: Drobo robotic storage, Cheapest Gas, and Vehicle crash test site.

Three years have passed since CAN-SPAM was enacted, but has this legislation truly contained unsolicited commercial email? In this tip, contributor Joel Dubin examines if the law has effectively cracked down on spamming activities and examines how to put a stop to this email misuse.