Peter Cholnoky, CEO of E-Hawk, joins me for a conversation about a topic that might not sound flashy but is absolutely critical for any online business: lead risk and data integrity. While most marketers focus on the quantity of leads, Peter explains why the quality of those leads, and the metadata behind them, determines your actual success.

The episode explores the sophisticated world of “smelling engines” (Peter’s term for his firm’s analysis tools) that sniff out high-risk signups in real time. We discuss the transition from reactive spam traps to proactive risk scoring, the hidden dangers of free email accounts, and how businesses can use metadata to customize their risk tolerance, much like a car dealership at a credit bureau.

From identifying bot patterns with AI to the “toilet paper vs. iPad” rule of e-commerce friction, this conversation is a deep look into the infrastructure of trust. The core message? Stop manually sifting through garbage. Use data to automate your defense so you can spend your energy on actual growth.

1️⃣ 🕵️ Risk Is More Than Just an Email Address While checking if an email is deliverable is a great start, true risk assessment involves looking at the whole profile. E-Hawk analyzes over 500 metadata points, including IP addresses, phone numbers, fingerprints, and domain age, to build a complete lead profile.

2️⃣ ⚖️ Customize Your Risk “Thermostat” Every business has a different risk appetite. An adult entertainment site might welcome disposable emails, while a B2B SaaS company would see them as a red flag. The goal isn’t necessarily to block every lead, but to score them so your CRM or e-commerce system can decide how much “friction” to apply (e.g., allowing a high-risk user to buy toilet paper but not an expensive iPad).

3️⃣ 🤖 Using AI to Fight AI The bad actors are already using AI to create sophisticated bot attacks and move periods around in Gmail addresses to create thousands of “disposables.” To stay ahead, Peter’s team uses AI to attack their own systems, training their models to recognize the latest patterns before they hit your forms.

4️⃣ 🛑 Don’t Spend $5,000 to Fix a $1,000 Problem Peter offers a grounded perspective on fraud prevention: assess what the fraud is actually costing you. If you’re a small shop getting a handful of leads, manual review is fine. But once you scale and bots start leveraging your infrastructure to send spam or steal products, that is when you need to automate your “bouncer at the door.”

5️⃣ 📧 The “Business Email Only” Debate Should you block Gmail leads? It depends. While enterprise whales rarely use free accounts for serious inquiries, smaller businesses might miss out on a “whale” by being too restrictive. A better move is to allow them but watch for other red flags, like a disconnected phone number or a suspicious IP address.

6️⃣ 🛠️ Ditch the “Chief PowerPoint Officer” Mindset We touched on productivity tools that actually move the needle. Peter’s team lives in Slack and Claude rather than long email chains or decks. He even shared a tip for a “Slack CRM” that keeps everything in one communication hub, proving that efficiency is about staying where the work actually happens.

7️⃣ 👃 Everyone Needs a “smengine” Peter’s internal “smelling engine” checks data every six minutes to see if a domain that looked okay at signup has suddenly turned malicious. In the modern landscape, data isn’t static. A lead that is “green” today might be “red” tomorrow, and your systems should be agile enough to react.

This episode is a reminder that marketing and sales are only as good as the data they are built on. If you’re filling your CRM with “garbage” leads, you’re wasting your team’s time and your company’s money. Take a look at your data patterns, identify the friction points, and don’t be afraid to lean on partners who specialize in keeping the internet a safer, cleaner place.

Make sure to check out E-Hawk!

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Audio:

Joshua Harrell, Chief Revenue Officer at WorldVia Travel Network, joins me for a conversation that starts with travel—but quickly becomes a masterclass in modern marketing strategy.

The episode explores how travel has shifted from a luxury to a priority for many families, why experiences now matter more than possessions, and how travel advisors are making a comeback in a DIY world. Joshua shares his journey from retail cosmetics to leading revenue growth in the travel industry, highlighting what marketing really means today: driving revenue, not just producing content.

From Disney overwhelm to European river cruises, from email marketing ROI to TikTok Live authenticity, the conversation connects travel lessons to real-world marketing principles. The core message? Stop chasing shiny tactics. Focus on strategy, storytelling, and measurable revenue impact.

Families are prioritizing travel over material gifts. Exposure to different cultures and perspectives creates long-term value—personally and professionally. For marketers, this reinforces a bigger truth: people buy transformation and experience, not just products.

The pandemic revealed how complex travel can be. Consumers increasingly value expert guidance—especially for premium or complicated trips.

The business lesson?
Your customers don’t just want access. They want insight, strategy, and protection from mistakes.

Joshua emphasizes that marketers often get distracted by the newest tools, acronyms, or platforms. Whether it’s AI discoverability or the latest algorithm change, the fundamentals haven’t changed:

• Know your audience
• Tell a compelling story
• Build a system that drives revenue
• Measure what matters

Marketing tasks without strategy lead nowhere.

The shift from CMO to CRO isn’t just a title change—it’s a mindset shift.

Marketing is not about colors, fonts, or tweets. It’s about:

• Generating leads
• Supporting sales
• Increasing revenue
• Finding overlooked opportunities

Every marketer today carries revenue responsibility.

Despite new platforms and AI tools, email marketing remains the strongest ROI channel.

Why?

• You own the audience.
• It’s measurable.
• It drives conversions.
• It builds long-term relationships.

Consistency matters more than complexity.

TikTok Live and short-form video are changing how audiences connect with brands. The barrier to entry is low, and authenticity outperforms polished perfection.

People buy from people.
If you can explain your product in a room, you can go live.

Exposure to new cultures builds empathy and awareness. That perspective makes better marketers because marketing is about understanding human behavior.

Travel teaches:

• Cultural nuance
• Storytelling depth
• Emotional drivers
• Comparative thinking

The broader your worldview, the better your marketing.

This episode blends business strategy with life perspective. Travel broadens your thinking. Strategy strengthens your marketing. And revenue is the ultimate scoreboard.

If you’re stuck in tactical mode, this conversation is your reminder to zoom out, clarify your strategy, and focus on what actually drives growth.

And maybe… book that trip while you’re at it.

Check out Joshua’s Book: Travel Marketeering on Amazon.

Find Joshua on Linkedin

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Audio:

In this lively and insightful episode, I sat down with Victor Julio Coupe, Head of Business Development at Kensho Media and host of The Squared Table podcast. We talked about how email outreach and sales strategies are evolving in 2026—especially in the world of iGaming—and how personal branding and authenticity are now more critical than ever. From cringe-worthy cold calls to genius video messages, Victor brought stories, strategies, and a whole lot of heart.

We also unpacked how AI, oversaturation, and poor targeting are damaging trust in sales outreach—and what to do instead. Spoiler: it involves showing up, being human, and yes, sometimes asking for “one kiss only.” 💋

✉️ Email is Still King—But Only If You Respect It

• Email remains the most controllable and reliable outreach channel—but it’s often undervalued or misused.
• Victor stressed the importance of list quality over quantity, personalization, and relevance.

🧠 Stop Spray-and-Pray Outreach

• Don’t mass-email conference lists if people don’t know your name or brand. It’s lazy, and it hurts your sender reputation.
• “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” Targeting starts with thoughtful list building.

📹 Use Video to Humanize Your Brand

• One of Victor’s best-performing tactics: short, energetic video messages on LinkedIn before conferences.
• Video builds connection, familiarity, and breaks through inbox noise. Tools like Bonjoro and BHuman make this easy.

🧍‍♂️ Build Your Personal Brand, Not Just Your Business

• People trust people more than faceless brands. In 2026, personal branding is a non-negotiable for sales pros.
• Even if you’re not camera-ready, start small: write, comment, share thoughts. Consistency beats perfection.

🔥 Conferences Need to Catch Up

• Conference organizers should allow speakers/sponsors to submit short intro videos pre-event.
• This helps with brand recognition and warms up leads in a human, value-driven way.

🧠 Know Your Audience (and Yourself)

• Cold calling may work in the U.S., but not everywhere. Know what fits your region and your style.
• Victor’s superpower? Being authentic, upbeat, and approachable. Figure out what your brand voice is and lean into it.

🤖 AI Isn’t the Enemy, Sloppy Outreach Is

• With AI-generated spam on the rise, real, human-crafted messages stand out more than ever.
• Personalized, relevant outreach = higher response rates. The “Dear Sir/Madam” era is dead.

The episode wrapped with a challenge: Start building your personal brand today. Whether it’s posting on LinkedIn, recording a short video, or simply replying with heart, taking small, consistent actions builds trust—and trust leads to conversations (and conversions 💰).

Victor said it best:
“If you don’t ask for the kiss, you can’t get the conversion.” 💋

👀 Don’t Miss It:

Listen to his podcast: The Squared Table

Find Victor on LinkedIn

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Audio:

📬 In this episode, I speak with email deliverability expert Matthew Vernhout of Email Industries to break down what really determines whether your emails reach the inbox—or land in the spam folder. The conversation kicks off with the most critical factor: your data quality. 🧹 If you’re using clean, first-party, permission-based email lists, you’re already ahead. But if you’re purchasing lists or using scraped data, expect problems. They discuss express vs. implied consent, global email regulations like CASL, GDPR, and the consequences of bad data—including poor reputation, spam traps, and honey pots. 📉 The golden rule? “Do good things, good things happen. Do bad things, bad things happen.” 💡

🔐 The second half digs into technical must-haves like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC—which are now mandatory for bulk email senders thanks to new standards from Google and Yahoo. They also unpack BIMI, which lets brands display their logo in the inbox (✅ a trust booster) and why subject lines still matter for engagement (❌ avoid “Your Weekly Update” or overusing emojis). The episode wraps with practical advice: don’t rely on AI or guesswork to fix deliverability problems. Instead, work with professionals who can perform audits, diagnose issues, and rebuild your sender reputation 💪. As Matthew says, think of it like digital physiotherapy for your email program—sometimes you just need a wellness checkup to keep everything healthy. 🧠📈

Key Takeaways:

• ✉️ Start with clean, first-party, opt-in data.
• 🔍 Always authenticate your email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
• 📛 BIMI can boost brand trust—but only if your reputation is solid.
• 🤖 Be cautious of AI-generated email summaries—they can mislead recipients.
• 🧪 Test, monitor, and don’t DIY your deliverability when things go sideways.

Final Thoughts:
Email is hard. But it doesn’t have to be impossible. With the right practices and guidance, your emails can reach the inbox and convert. Avoid shortcuts, respect the rules, and if you’re in doubt—get expert help before your emails vanish into the void. ✅

Connect with Matthew on Linkedin

Check out Email Industries here

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Audio:

For episode 300, I am joined by email marketing legend Dela Quist for a no-holds-barred conversation about the misconceptions surrounding email frequency, deliverability, and value. Dela, known for challenging conventional wisdom, makes a compelling case for why email is a branding tool, not just a sales mechanism, and how marketers often misunderstand frequency and engagement.

From comparing the inbox to Netflix 🎬 to debunking deliverability myths tied to inactive subscribers, Dela shares decades’ worth of strategic insights with real-world examples and humor. His key message? Sending more email isn’t bad, sending irrelevant or inconsistent email is. This episode is a masterclass for email marketers who want to build stronger email strategies backed by logic, not just best practices.

• 📬 Frequency is not the enemy: Most brands under-mail their subscribers. The belief that you can “send too many emails” is rarely backed by data—it’s mostly based on fear or outdated thinking.
• 📈 Engagement doesn’t mean open rate alone: People might ignore an email for months and then search for it when they’re ready to act. Gmail knows this and doesn’t necessarily penalize you for low open rates.
• 🧠 The inbox is like Netflix: People save, revisit, and search for emails the same way they binge their favorite shows. Don’t assume an unopened email is a failed one.
• 👻 Inactives are misunderstood: Brands often waste money reacquiring lapsed customers through paid channels when they could simply continue emailing them—at a fraction of the cost.
• ✅ Every subscriber should get at least one email a week: This provides a baseline for performance metrics and ensures you’re in the inbox when the subscriber is ready to act.
• 📉 Gmail isn’t stupid: Their algorithms consider behavior across the Google ecosystem (search, maps, store visits) to determine deliverability—not just whether someone opened your last email.
• 🚫 Never email addresses you didn’t collect directly: This is the fastest path to getting flagged. Confirmed opt-in remains the gold standard.
• ⚙️ Your ESP’s shared IP reputation matters—big time: For small senders, a solid ESP with a strong deliverability track record can make or break your email success.
• 🧮 Focus on long-term brand building, not just short-term conversions: Email is a powerful branding channel, but marketers often underutilize it because it’s “too cheap” to be taken seriously.

Dela’s approach is refreshingly pragmatic, ditch the myths, focus on value, and treat email as the most cost-effective branding channel in your arsenal. Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise brand, there’s something in this episode that will challenge the way you think about email marketing.

🔗 Want more from Dela? Connect with him on LinkedIn or visit delaquist.com.

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Audio:

Former “Kickboxer” Jack Wrigley joined me on this episode to talk about staying focused and developing real relationships. I’ve always admired Jack’s blend of sharp business insight and genuine relationship-building skills. He’s currently the President of Omnivery, a secure, high-deliverability transactional email platform, and in this episode, we tackled something a lot of people are thinking about right now: how to stay focused and thrive in a noisy, uncertain business climate.

We started by talking about how businesses can get pulled in a million directions with AI, remote work, shifting budgets, and all the other distractions out there. Jack emphasized the need to double down on your core values and mission, not just writing them out, but making sure they’re baked into how everyone shows up to work every day. I added a few tips on how to keep those values top-of-mind, like automating monthly Slack reminders, adding them to your workspace, or even incorporating them into your custom GPTs if you’re using AI tools.

One thing I loved about our conversation is that we both believe good leadership doesn’t just flow top-down. Jack pointed out how powerful it is when people are empowered to articulate how their work contributes to the company’s mission. I completely agree, leadership happens at every level. Whether you’re a founder or an entry-level team member, your ideas matter.

We also got into the nitty-gritty of email marketing and cold outreach. Jack didn’t hold back, he’s not a fan of cold email, and I get it. Deliverability is harder than ever, inboxes are tighter, and honestly, most cold emails just don’t land. Instead, he encourages brands to build trust through content, storytelling, and relationships. I shared some of my thoughts too, if you’re going to do cold email, make it thoughtful, personal, and extremely targeted. But more importantly, find ways to make people come to you.

And we couldn’t have an episode without touching on networking, one of Jack’s superpowers. He broke down his no-pressure approach to connecting with people: walk into a room, be curious, and lead with genuine interest rather than an agenda. It’s a refreshing reminder that real relationships still matter more than flashy pitches.

🌟 Stick to your mission and values
Don’t just write them—live them. Print them out, set up reminders, and make sure they guide every decision.

💬 Leadership isn’t just top-down
Empower your team to connect their work to the bigger mission. That kind of buy-in is how great cultures are built.

📧 Cold email is getting harder to do well
Focus more on building relationships through valuable content and let potential customers come to you.

📖 Storytelling still works (and always will)
People connect with stories, not features. Make storytelling a consistent part of your brand voice.

🤝 Great networking isn’t about angles
Approach every interaction without expecting something in return. Ask questions. Be interested, not just interesting.

🎯 Email with purpose
Whether it’s for marketing or transactional, make sure your email strategy is secure, relevant, and aligned with your brand.

Connect with Jack on Linkedin.

Make sure to check out Omnivery for your transactional email needs!

Get 5,000 free Kickbox credits with the code HMBT

Audio:

In this episode, I sat down with Tricia Babischkin, a true expert in email strategy, to talk about how to stop wasting time with broad, generic email campaigns and start getting serious about segmentation, deliverability, and using data that actually means something.

We cut through the fluff and got real about what makes email marketing work today, treating people like people, not just entries on a list. We talked about how most businesses are still too focused on vanity metrics and not nearly focused enough on behavior, engagement, and actual value.

It’s not just about sending more email. It’s about sending better email to the right people.

✅ Top 5 Takeaways

1. Stop Sending to Everyone
   Treating your entire list the same is lazy. Segment by behavior, lifecycle stage, or value. If someone hasn’t opened in a year, stop pretending they’re engaged.
2. Use Real Data, Not What People Say
   Forget preference centers. What people do (clicks, purchases, site behavior) is far more reliable than what they saythey want. Build profiles from real actions.
3. Deliverability Isn’t Just a Tech Problem
   It’s not just about SPF or DKIM. If your content sucks or you’re blasting disengaged users, your inbox placement suffers. Good strategy = better inboxing.
4. Personalization Is Anticipation
   It’s not “Hi, [First Name]”, it’s knowing what I need before I realize it. Use behavior and purchase patterns to anticipate what someone wants next.
5. Respect Your Non-Email People
   Some subscribers just don’t want emails. That’s fine. Reach them through SMS, paid ads, or DMs. Email isn’t the only channel, and for some, it’s not even the best one.

Final Thoughts

If you want better results, you need better strategy. That starts with listening to your data and building campaigns that respect your audience.

And if you want a real strategy session, Tricia’s offering an hour of free consulting. Seriously, take her up on it.

Get a FREE hour of consulting here

Connect with Tricia on Linkedin.

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Audio:

In this episode of the HMBT podcast, I sit down with strategy and marketing consultant Henk Wolff for a no-fluff, high-value conversation that bridges the worlds of iGaming and email marketing. We dive into Henk’s background in turning around struggling online casinos and scaling growth using smart retention and acquisition strategies. He brings a sharp, operator-first mindset that’s not just valuable for gaming companies, it’s relevant for any business trying to build loyal customers and optimize marketing channels.

We covered a lot, from retention tactics and lifecycle marketing to some of the wild creative strategies Henk uses interesting strategies to revive dead email lists (yes, a fake password reset email that actually works). It was refreshing to swap email marketing strategies with someone who’s seen the front lines of an industry where attention spans are short and margins are thin. We even joked our way into a new business idea: the Henk & Hank toothpaste, powered by bluetooth chips and behavioral data.

Whether you’re in gaming, retail, SaaS, or running your own ecommerce site, you’ll walk away from this episode with fresh perspective on how to think differently about retention, lifecycle campaigns, and segmentation.

🧲 Retention is everything. In high-churn industries like iGaming, Hank looks at 30-day cohort data to spot leaks in customer retention. Smart segmentation and onboarding automation make or break performance.

📩 Creative reactivation campaigns work. Hank’s “Did you forget your password?” email trick sounds simple but drives real logins and engagement. Especially useful for aging or dormant lists.

🧠 Segmentation isn’t optional. You can’t send the same email to a VIP player and a casual user. Tailor content based on behavior, balance, and lifecycle stage. Lazy email blasts are a waste.

🔁 Marketers forget the middle of the funnel. Everyone obsesses over top-of-funnel growth, but neglecting the middle leads to leaks and lost revenue. Onboarding and lifecycle content need more love.

🤖 Use AI and voice like a tool, not a toy. We talked about the rise of voice interaction and local LLMs for research, productivity, and daily insights. Ignore these tools at your own risk.

Connect with Henk on Linkedin.

Get 5,000 free Kickbox credits with the code HMBT

Audio: