This blog is about doing email the right way, from mindset to mechanics. We start with Mailchimp’s Jocelyn Hardy on the simple shift that changes results fast: write to one real reader, show up consistently, and protect deliverability.
Then we zoom out to hospitality’s next edge, treating the inbox as an assistant-driven interface where discovery, decisions, and bookings happen.
✉️ The One Email Mindset You’re Probably Skipping
Mailchimp’s Jocelyn Hardy says the fastest path to better results isn’t a hack, it’s customer obsession. Write like a human for one real person, send regularly, and protect the inbox. Do that, then test everything.
Key Takeaways:
- 🧭 Start with one reader: Segment tightly so each email feels “for me,” not “for everyone.”
- 🧹 Inbox or it didn’t happen: Permission-based list, double opt-in, and validation to keep deliverability strong.
- ✍️ Be human, not perfect: Short, honest updates beat over-produced promos. Ship monthly at a minimum.
- 🧪 Test like a habit: Subject lines, CTAs, and content depth. Curiosity compounds, guesswork doesn’t.
✉️ The Inbox Is Your Next Booking Engine
Hotels pour money into sites and socials, but the smartest brands are moving email to the front desk. This piece argues the inbox is becoming an assistant-driven interface for discovery, decisions, and transactions, so showing up in subscribers’ email (yours and trusted media newsletters) will shape who gets booked first.
Key Takeaways:
- 🧠 AI makes email interactive: The inbox is shifting from promos and links to an action hub where assistants can search past newsletters, recommend stays, and book via APIs.
- 🧾 Richer data than cookies: Email holds durable, user-controlled behavior history that trains recommendation systems better than clicky web crumbs.
- 📰 Be in media inboxes: Placement in trusted travel newsletters compounds over time. Archived issues become a searchable “memory” that can drive future bookings.
- 🏗️ Upgrade your stack now: Treat email as primary UI. Invest in segmentation, consistent value, and technical rails (APIs, preference capture, ID resolution) to win AI-driven recommendations.
🎙️ Cold Email, Newsletters, and the Habits Behind Both
In this episode, I break down how I built a pipeline with cold email, how I bought a 5K-subscriber newsletter and grew it to 250K in a year, and why stacking 2–5% improvements beats any “silver bullet.” We also get into goals, pivots, and the routines that keep me sharp.
Key Takeaways:
- ✉️ Connection over spam: I treat cold email as Person A to Person B. Wins come from cleaner lists, tighter copy, and thoughtful follow-ups.
- 🏗️ Deliverability first: I never send cold from a primary domain. Multiple domains/inboxes and strict daily caps keep us in the inbox.
- 📰 Newsletter as a growth lab: I bought The Nomad Cloud at 5K subs, scaled it to 250K and real revenue, then sold it. Those lessons now power client programs.
- 🧠 Habits > hacks: Daily journaling, real sleep, regular movement, and a disciplined calendar drive better decisions and steady results.
My Last $.02
Better email is focus plus follow-through.
Define the one reader you’re writing to, keep your list clean so messages land, and ship one small improvement this week, whether it’s a clearer subject, a tighter CTA, or sturdier infrastructure.
Do that on repeat and you’ll trade blasts for replies, clicks for calls, and calls for revenue.
Until next time, happy emailing!
Adam