Email After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders

Sender Score Powered By Validity
  • 5.0 (59)
  • Marketing
  • Biweekly

Welcome to Email After Hours by Sender Score, powered by Validity. By day, we help email senders all over the world boost their email performance. Once we’re off the clock, we interview email marketing experts to talk about email fails, spam, privacy laws, metrics that matter, content that converts—and anything else that keeps senders up at night. Nothing is off-limits. We know what works in email–and we know the road to your next great campaign is getting bumpier by the day. So, we’re making it our mission to answer the single most important question for senders: How can we give email subscribers what they really want? To find out, join us after hours. Hosted by Danielle Gallant, Senior Email Strategist, and Guy Hanson, VP of Customer Engagement at Validity, Inc.

  1. Oct 29

    How to Read Email Benchmarks Without Fooling Yourself

    Statistically, email just had its best year on record. How much of it was real? The DMA’s Email Benchmarking Report 2026, sponsored by Validity and forward by our own Guy Hanson, brings together data from six email service providers across the UK market. Ian Gibbs, the DMA’s Insight and Planning Director—and the person behind the numbers—joins Danielle and Guy to work through how to get the most out of the report and email performance analytics as a whole.  They get into the nitty gritty of which metrics are worth tracking, how factors like AI and mailbox provider changes can impact your performance, and how to translate hard data into a leadership-worthy conversation.  What you’ll learn: Why a 99.2% delivery rate and an 87% inbox placement rate can describe the same email program, and which one your team should be reporting.How to read a benchmark as a hygiene check instead of a scorecard, and why rising open rates make year-over-year comparisons tricky.Three questions that separate real improvement from market drift, and what belongs on the leadership’s dashboard instead of opens. Read the DMA Email Benchmarking Report 2026: https://www.dma.org.uk/resources/report/email-benchmarking-report-2026 For advice and resources to help you become a stronger sender, visit validity.com.

  2. Oct 15

    Apple Season: What Actually Shipped, and What to Check Before the Holidays

    What happens when Apple reads your email before your subscriber does? In email, September is Apple month. This year it brought iOS 27, the iPhone Duo (Apple's first foldable), and a version of Siri that can read, search, and act on what's sitting in the inbox. Around 60% of US email opens happen in Apple Mail on an iPhone. When Apple changes how mail works, it changes how most of your subscribers experience everything you send. The foldable is the shiny announcement, and Danielle's answer on it is short: please don't build a separate template for it. Fluid or hybrid layouts that reflow, core message and primary CTA visible on the outer screen without scrolling, and preview every send folded and unfolded the same way you check dark mode now. When in doubt, test it out.  The bigger shift is the part you can't see. Siri now reads the sender name and the subject line out loud before anyone opens anything, and ambiguity gets punished. Clever is fine. Clever and vague is a problem. Structured details like order numbers, tracking numbers, and confirmation codes get pulled out of the email and used across the phone, which is why transactional email is suddenly the most interesting thing in your program rather than the thing you template once and forget. None of this means rebuilding your program. Foldables are still niche, Siri AI is still opt-in beta and isn't live in the EU or China, and the fundamentals of a good email are the fundamentals of a good email. But Apple keeps moving further in between brands and subscribers, and the cost of sending an unclear one keeps going up. What you'll learn: Why one well-built responsive template beats a dedicated foldable build, and the three layout checks to run before your next send. What Siri can actually see when it reads your email aloud, and the one-line gut check that tells you if your sender name and subject line pass. How to get ahead of the opens and clicks conversation with leadership before the numbers dip, and which metrics to put in front of them instead. For advice and resources to help you become a stronger sender, visit validity.com.

  3. Sep 17

    Your First Layer of Accessibility Isn't Alt Text. It's Language.

    Are you truly ready to send globally? Anna Levitin got into email by accident. She had a degree in cultural anthropology and was asked, “Can you also send emails?” Nine years later, she leverages her degree to turn emails into a relationship engine. Her argument in this episode is that translation should be the first layer of accessibility, not a copy task handed off five minutes before launch. If someone cannot read your email, they ignore it. Ignored mail signals low engagement to mailbox providers, and that shows up in poor deliverability.  From there, the conversation moves to the other considerations outside of language marketers need to be aware of. The date format that means two different things depending on which side of the Atlantic you are on. The logo that had to be redesigned because black is the color of bad luck in China. The wave of Florida cancellations that turned out to be a hurricane rather than a broken landing page. And the Arabic countdown timer that rendered backwards, because numbers run left to right while words run right to left. Anna is equally clear about when not to translate emails. A rough translation costs more trust than no translation, and if the product only exists in English, English-only is a defensible choice. Her one fix, if she could change anything: stop treating language as something you infer from an IP address. Start treating it as a preference—sitting in the preference center alongside promotional and product updates, chosen by the subscriber. What you'll learn: Why an email nobody can read becomes a deliverability problem, and what image-only sends cost you on top of that The three technical approaches to multilingual email— segmentation, scripted, and dynamic—and the subject line problem that none of them fully solve When English-only is the right call, and why a rough translation damages trust more than no translation at all For advice and resources to help you become a stronger sender, visit validity.com.

  4. Sep 3

    Life After Opens: New Consent Rules and the Metrics Worth Trusting

    Somewhere in your database there’s probably at least one French subscriber. As of mid July, that’s enough to put your entire program in danger. France's regulator, the CNIL, is now enforcing a requirement that senders obtain explicit, unbundled consent before dropping a tracking pixel into a marketing email—consent that is separate from the permission to send marketing messages at all. Click tracking may follow within the year and because the requirement sits on top of GDPR, getting it wrong carries GDPR-level fines. Danielle and Guy have both been struck by how quiet the response has been from senders outside France. In this episode they cover what a compliant permissioning email actually looks like—plain language, simple bullets, no imagery, one obvious engagement point—plus the triggered and automated campaigns that almost every audit forgets, and why the fastest interim move for anyone late to this is simply switching the pixel off while you sort out consent. Then the harder question: do we even need open tracking anymore?  What you'll learn: Why a single French subscriber could put a global sender in danger, and what a "pixel off" interim approach looks like in practice What separates a permissioning email that earns consent from one that gets ignored—and the automated campaigns most compliance audits miss Which engagement metrics are ready to replace opens today, and why APRF could end the guesswork around sender reputation The rules will keep moving. For advice and resources to help you become a stronger sender, visit validity.com.

  5. Aug 13

    The CRM Flywheel: How Better Data Creates Better Email Experiences

    Your CRM is collecting all that customer data...but is it actually making your emails better?  In this episode of Email After Hours, Guy Hanson and Danielle Gallant sit down with Lisa Wester, Senior Manager of Global Marketing Automation at Copeland, to explore why even the most sophisticated email programs are only as good as the customer data behind them. Lisa explains how better data leads to better personalization, how every email can make your CRM smarter, and how AI is helping marketers build richer customer profiles without adding complexity. If your email personalization strategy feels stuck despite having plenty of data, this episode will help you break the cycle. What you'll learn: How standardized data enables scalable personalization across global teams and multiple channelsHow to improve data quality during platform migrations without sacrificing engagementWhy outcome-based metrics matter more than inflated opens in an AI and bot-driven worldHow AI and customer data platforms can power smarter segmentation, personalization, and sales enablement…and more! If you'd like to send in your email marketing hot takes, questions, or queries, you can email us at emailafterhoursyt@gmail.com, or send us an audio message at https://s.fame.so/email-after-hours-the-podcast-for-email-senders About Lisa Wester Lisa Wester is Senior Manager of Global Marketing Automation at Copeland, where she leads global email marketing, customer engagement, and lifecycle automation initiatives. A three-time Salesforce-certified marketing leader, Lisa specializes in building scalable, data-driven customer experiences that connect CRM strategy, marketing automation, and personalization. With extensive experience managing complex global marketing operations, she helps organizations transform customer data into actionable insights that drive stronger engagement, better sales alignment, and long-term customer relationships.  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here. And if you’d like to feature as a guest on the podcast, head to: https://fame.so/val-guest  Episode Highlights [00:03:39] Turning a platform migration into a data reset [00:08:30] Why personalization is only as good as your data[00:11:32] Standardizing a complex global email program[00:17:25] Why the welcome journey matters so much[00:20:07] Making messy customer data actually useful[00:22:51] Measuring real engagement beyond opens and clicks[00:28:37] Building the future of CRM-powered customer experiences Episode Resources: Lisa Wester on LinkedInCopeland Website Email After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so Check out our three most downloaded episodes: Rethinking Customer Loyalty Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Free CoffeeThe One Email Metric You’re Not Tracking (& Other Secrets to Killer Email Content) with MarketingProfs’ Ann HandleyNew Consumer Email Trends & Tips to Become a BFF Brand with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)

    The CRM Flywheel: How Better Data Creates Better Email Experiences

  6. Jul 30

    Stop Blaming Marketing: The Real Reasons Your Emails Land in Spam

    Not trying to point fingers here but…lay off Marketing! In this episode of Email After Hours, Guy Hanson and Danielle Gallant sit down with Israa Alrawi, founder of The Winbox, to discover why many deliverability issues aren't marketing problems at all—they're technical issues hiding beneath the surface. Israa is on a mission to simplify some of the most dreaded aspects of email marketing, from authentication and sender reputation to AI-powered inbox experiences. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by deliverability, this episode will help you turn complex technical concepts into actionable strategies. What you'll learn: Why authentication issues are one of the most common and fixable causes of deliverability problemsHow smarter segmentation and list hygiene improve inbox placement and long-term engagementHow AI is changing the way mailbox providers interpret email content, including why alt text and plain text matter more than ever…and more! If you'd like to send in your email marketing hot takes, questions, or queries, you can email us at emailafterhoursyt@gmail.com, or send us an audio message at https://s.fame.so/email-after-hours-the-podcast-for-email-senders About Israa Alrawi Israa Alrawi is the founder of The Winbox and a full-stack email consultant specializing in deliverability, email infrastructure, lifecycle marketing, and revenue optimization. With more than eight years of experience and over $200 million in attributed email revenue, she helps enterprise brands, high-volume senders, and MarTech teams improve inbox placement, strengthen authentication, optimize customer journeys, and build scalable email systems that drive long-term business growth.  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review And if you’d like to feature as a guest on the podcast, head to: https://fame.so/val-guest  Episode Highlights [04:17] Why has email marketing become so intimidating? [06:17] Balancing deliverability, strategy, and revenue[10:46] Understanding DMARC and protecting your domain[22:18] What bounce logs reveal about your email program[27:05] Has your email landed in the promotions tab? Don’t panic.[33:07] Smarter segmentation and writing emails for AI[37:24] How to structure emails for AI-Driven inboxes[41:26] Why deliverability should shape every email decisionEpisode Resources: Israa Alrawi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/israaa/The Winbox Website: https://www.thewinbox.com/ Email After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so Check out our three most downloaded episodes: Rethinking Customer Loyalty Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Free CoffeeThe One Email Metric You’re Not Tracking (& Other Secrets to Killer Email Content) with MarketingProfs’ Ann HandleyNew Consumer Email Trends & Tips to Become a BFF Brand with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)

    Stop Blaming Marketing: The Real Reasons Your Emails Land in Spam

  7. Jul 16

    Inbox Unfiltered: Gmail Updates, Birthday Email Secrets, and Inbox Lessons

    Short and (sometimes) sweet… This week on Email After Hours, we’re shaking things up with a new format! In between our longer-form interview episodes, Guy and Danielle will be spilling the hot email industry gossip and diving into their own inboxes for the best and worst examples of the week for Inbox Unfiltered! On the docket today:  Gmail’s new Deliverability Analysis feature in Google Postmaster ToolsThe IETF’s proposal for more transparent inbox placement data across the boardFrustrating air travel opt-outsBirthday email successes and blunders…and more! Don’t miss this bite-sized chat with actionable insights you can bring back to your team today. If you’d like to send in your email marketing hot takes, questions, or queries, you can email us at emailafterhoursyt@gmail.com, or send us an audio message at https://s.fame.so/email-after-hours-the-podcast-for-email-senders  And if you’d like to feature as a guest on the podcast, head to: https://fame.so/val-guest  Episode Highlights[01:05] Update: Gmail adds plain-language deliverability analysis[03:57] A potential new standard for inbox placement and engagement data[06:19] A peek inside the hosts’ inboxes[06:56] Personalization and unsubscribe failures[13:27] The best and worst birthday email offersIf you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review Email After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so Check out our three most downloaded episodes: Rethinking Customer Loyalty Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Free CoffeeThe One Email Metric You’re Not Tracking (& Other Secrets to Killer Email Content) with MarketingProfs’ Ann HandleyNew Consumer Email Trends & Tips to Become a BFF Brand with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)

    Inbox Unfiltered: Gmail Updates, Birthday Email Secrets, and Inbox Lessons

  8. Jul 2

    No-Reply Email Addresses Are Costing You Customers

    There’s probably a treasure-trove of pipeline and praise getting dusty in your no-reply inbox.  In this episode of Email After Hours, Guy Hanson and Danielle Gallant sit down with Leah Miranda, Head of Demand Gen and Lifecycle Marketing at Zapier, to talk about killing one of the most destructive “best practices” in email marketing: the no-reply inbox. For years, marketers have relied on no-reply addresses to avoid managing inbound email at scale. But as mailbox providers place greater emphasis on engagement signals and customer experience, that approach is quickly becoming outdated.  Leah explains why reply-to inboxes are no longer optional and how ignoring replies could be hurting both deliverability and customer relationships. She also walks through how she builds AI agents to create the best customer experience while keeping the human touch.  If you're still sending from a no-reply address, this episode may completely change the way you think about email. About Leah Miranda Leah Miranda is Head of Demand Gen and Lifecycle Marketing at Zapier, where she leads customer journey, lifecycle, and demand generation strategies that drive engagement, conversion, and long-term growth. With more than a decade of experience spanning B2B marketing, lifecycle strategy, and entrepreneurship, Leah helps organizations create meaningful customer relationships while delivering measurable business impact.  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here: https://www.fame.so/follow-rate-review Episode Highlights[03:16] The hidden cost of ignoring customer replies[07:48] Approaching angry replies with empathy[11:29] How positive replies become advocacy and pipeline[16:48] Using AI agents to manage reply-to inboxes[20:22] Why human oversight still matters in AI workflows[26:18] Will reply-to addresses become a deliverability requirement?[31:28] Building relationship-driven email marketing at scale Episode Resources:Leah Miranda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahmiranda/Zapier Website: https://zapier.com/?utm_source=linkedin Email After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so Check out our three most downloaded episodes: Rethinking Customer Loyalty Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Free CoffeeThe One Email Metric You’re Not Tracking (& Other Secrets to Killer Email Content) with MarketingProfs’ Ann HandleyNew Consumer Email Trends & Tips to Become a BFF Brand with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)

    No-Reply Email Addresses Are Costing You Customers
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Welcome to Email After Hours by Sender Score, powered by Validity. By day, we help email senders all over the world boost their email performance. Once we’re off the clock, we interview email marketing experts to talk about email fails, spam, privacy laws, metrics that matter, content that converts—and anything else that keeps senders up at night. Nothing is off-limits. We know what works in email–and we know the road to your next great campaign is getting bumpier by the day. So, we’re making it our mission to answer the single most important question for senders: How can we give email subscribers what they really want? To find out, join us after hours. Hosted by Danielle Gallant, Senior Email Strategist, and Guy Hanson, VP of Customer Engagement at Validity, Inc.

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