An Email Interview with EyeMail Founder, Lisa S. Jones

My career started at NASA in the field of logistics. I was responsible for managing shuttle inventory levels, managing technical resources and project deliverables. After a few years, I decided to diversify my skillset and moved to Atlanta to work in the telecommunications sector. In this role, I worked in infrastructure project management at Cingular Wireless and AT&T. I transitioned positions to work in the Office of Supplier Diversity. Within this career assignment, my role was to foster business relationships with women and diverse businesses to assist in help in making introductions and serving as a liaison for growth and more inclusive access to contract opportunities for suppliers.

All of these positions, roles and responsibilities served as a catalyst to broaden my skillset and also prepared me for my important role as a female tech CEO, trailblazer and innovator. I was not a developer or coder, but knew I would need to bring on a seasoned technical team — so the good news was I was used to managing technical resources and creating project management plan with timelines and schedules. I also was able to further develop my interpersonal, written and oral communications and effectively learn how to mitigate and streamline risks and keep moving forward.

Sometimes in life there are life-altering events that help you reshape your perspective and career path. My life’s mission changed when I received news from my sister that our mom had suddenly passed away at home, alone at the age of 61. I remember the impact this pivotal moment of her passing had on the redefinition of my journey forward. 

During this time of introspection, the memory and legacy of my mother became a driving force, inspiring me with the dream to launch a company that would be globally inspiring, deliver tangible value, and honor my mother's name.

Mindful of how that one wave of communication changed my life and how important communication is to our global society, I wanted to build a brand that highlights the importance of human connection.

I thought about the fact that we communicate in writing, verbal, non-verbal, and then I thought about the power of email communications and was fascinated with the fact that with one-click, a message could be sent anywhere in the world. 

Yes, I recognized the potential of email marketing in contrast to my previous endeavors when in 2004, I realized we all can relate to the feeling of being inundated with inbox clutter and un-engaging messages. 

In efforts to understand how major fortune brands, non-profits and mid-tier businesses engage and connect with their audiences, I signed up for email communications of over 150 brands. l soon discovered all of these brand communications had similarities in common; I did not feel special or engaged or inspired to take their next step — their call to action. 

The email communications received included paragraphs of words only or a static image, or a hyperlink to click, or just an image with a big play button to click to open a window in my browser and to click once more to view the content, or a 3 second looping GIF.

I realized my Aha moment and then, I said “What if Email could have a personality? What if Email could be brought to life with video in email experiences directly in the inbox to increase engagement?” And, Vola! EyeMail was born! 

During my time when I first started my email marketing journey, there were not many visible communities or resources to expand and discuss email thought leadership. At the time, I felt kind of isolated while working to bring my vision to life. Keeping in mind that I was a year into my email journey, YouTube had just started in 2005. My personal confidence boosted in email marketing when I realized I had a winning idea. I knew I could create a product that would deliver global value. 

The beauty of email is that we all have unique multi-faceted relatable experience within our email inbox. From my perspective, the best aspect of email is the idea after crafting a message or communication, in one click it can be delivered and sent anywhere in the world. I love this feature and opportunity of email, for immediate connection and communication.

While some connect with the curiosity behind deliverability such as why does the email deliver to the inbox or the spam folder, some may be more interested in email personalization and content copy, subject lines etc. And in my case I am more curious about advancing email engagement with video. Email provides so many avenues for continual discovery as this is one of the most appealing aspects of email in knowing that for sure…EMAIL IS DEFINITELY NOT DEAD :)

For aspiring email experts, I recommend focusing on a specific area of interest such as deliverability, copywriting, coding, or personalization. Joining email communities like Women of Email and Email Marketing Associations, Only Influencers as well as online email networking platforms like LinkedIn, provides valuable resources and connections. Additionally, meeting or interviewing at least five key email experts can offer insights into their journeys and help identify paths that resonate, while learning from their experiences and mistakes. This proactive approach fosters deeper understanding and passion within the email industry and their next steps and direction in the email field.

If I were to set the stage for an email expert presentation using a TV show episode, I would choose the film “You’ve Got Mail.” This classic romantic comedy revolves around the blossoming relationship between two individuals who initially only know each other through email. 

"You've Got Mail" provides a lighthearted yet insightful portrayal of the role of email in interpersonal connections, business relationships, and personal development. It touches on themes such as the power of written communication, the nuances of online interactions, and the evolution of technology in shaping human connections.

Using this film as the backdrop for an email expert presentation offers an opportunity to explore the human side of email, emphasizing the importance of empathy, authenticity, and effective communication in digital correspondence. 

It also allows for discussions on the evolving landscape of email marketing, customer engagement strategies, advance in the field including innovation and use of video in email communications and the intersection of technology and relationships in the digital age.