04 Can You Survive a Keynote After a Hot Wing Meltdown? with Jay Schwedelson

Explicit content warning

05/16/25 • 23 min

Are you using “Register Now” as your call to action? Or sending your emails at 9 a.m. sharp Monday morning, it’s time for an email marketing intervention. This episode is your no-BS guide to fixing the mistakes clogging up your campaigns and killing your event ROI.

Our guest, Jay Schwedelson, has tested over 15 million subject lines and isn’t afraid to drag bad email habits into the light. Jay is the founder of SubjectLine.com and GURU Media Hub, the force behind the world’s largest email marketing events. He’s one of the most trusted voices in the email game.

From why emojis do work (just stop calling them emojis) to the hidden signals hurting your deliverability, this is the ultimate checklist for event pros who want to stop sending boring emails and start sending strategic ones.

Hosted by Megan Martin, this conversation cuts through the fluff and serves up real tactics that work in the inbox right now.

🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Why subject lines like “Register Now” are tanking your click-throughs—and what to say instead
The surprisingly simple subject line formatting change that’s outperforming title case
When to send your emails during the week to actually get opened (hint: avoid the top of the hour)
Why personalization should go beyond first names—and what data to use instead
The email traps marketers fall into when they try to “check the box” instead of delivering real value

👉 Want to hear more from Jay? Tune into the “After Show” HERE

Show Notes:

Connect with Jay Schwedelson

Reserve Your Spot for the Guru Conference

Connect with Megan Martin

The Outliers by Malcom Gladwell is the book mentioned.

Bonus Content & Join the Show!

We want to hear from you and your vent of the week!

Head over to ⁠⁠eventaboutitpodcast.com⁠⁠ to leave us a voicemail with your burning questions or your own Vent of the Week story to be featured in a future episode.

While you're there, don't miss out on joining The Squared Squad, where you'll get exclusive access to bonus content, including:

The Event About It After Show's dynamic dialogue with Anca where we demystify AI, Biohacking, and business growth.
Behind-the-scenes insights and extended conversations with episode guests.
Early access to new episodes, insider tips from top event pros and the chance to submit your questions to upcoming guest interviews.

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow event enthusiasts.

Until next time—keep growing, keep laughing, and keep Eventing About It!

Hosted by Megan Martin, this conversation cuts through the fluff and serves up real tactics that work in the inbox right now.

🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Why subject lines like “Register Now” are tanking your click-throughs—and what to say instead
The surprisingly simple subject line formatting change that’s outperforming title case
When to send your emails during the week to actually get opened (hint: avoid the top of the hour)
Why personalization should go beyond first names—and what data to use instead
The email traps marketers fall into when they try to “check the box” instead of delivering real value

👉 Want to hear more from Jay? Tune into the “After Show” HERE

Show Notes:

Connect with Jay Schwedelson

Reserve Your Spot for the Guru Conference

Connect with Megan Martin

The Outliers by Malcom Gladwell is the book mentioned.

Bonus Content & Join the Show!

We want to hear from you and your vent of the week!

Head over to ⁠⁠eventaboutitpodcast.com⁠⁠ to leave us a voicemail with your burning questions or your own Vent of the Week story to be featured in a future episode.

While you're there, don't miss out on joining The Squared Squad, where you'll get exclusive access to bonus content, including:

The Event About It After Show's dynamic dialogue with Anca where we demystify AI, Biohacking, and business growth.
Behind-the-scenes insights and extended conversations with episode guests.
Early access to new episodes, insider tips from top event pros and the chance to submit your questions to upcoming guest interviews.

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow event enthusiasts.

Until next time—keep growing, keep laughing, and keep Eventing About It!

Previous Episode

03 Category 4 Hurricane Chaos or 17x ROI? with Adam Saad

Did a Hurricane Just Hijack My Trade Show ROI?! with Adam Saad

What do you get when you mix a hurricane, a $25K trade show booth, and one very real contact center expert? A wildly relatable episode of Event About It that proves ROI waits for no natural disaster.

Host Megan Martin sits down with Adam Saad, former Salesforce top seller turned tech stack whisperer, for a hilarious and heartfelt convo about surviving the sales grind, rebuilding after burnout (and actual flooding), and why he'd rather trip over his own booth banner than get ghosted by bad leads.

We play a chaotic round of “Would You Rather: Trade Show Edition” (puppy booths vs. rogue DJs, anyone?), spill the tea on spammy follow-ups, and hear how one flooded Florida house led to a 17x return.

Oh, and yes—the sauna survived.

✨ In this episode:

Whether it's better to crash a demo or trip over a booth banner (and why!)
The challenges of event follow-up—and why bad marketing can haunt you forever
How to think about event ROI the right way: focusing on qualified leads, not quantity
Why real-world mishaps, like managing events while surviving a hurricane, still lead to success
How authentic moments and personal connections drive better event outcomes

👉 Want to hear more from Adam?

Tune into the “After Show” where we unpack burnout, bootstrapping, and why Adam’s building his own rocket ship to Mars, one smart hypothesis at a time.

Listen the After Show HERE

Connect with Adam ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠

Listen to Adam’s Podcast HERE

Connect with Megan HERE

Enjoyed the episode?

We want to hear from you and your vent of the week!

Head over to ⁠⁠eventaboutitpodcast.com⁠⁠ to leave us a voicemail with your burning questions or your own Vent of the Week story to be featured in a future episode.

While you're there, don't miss out on joining The Squared Squad, where you'll get exclusive access to bonus content, including:

The Event About It After Show's dynamic dialogue
Behind-the-scenes insights and extended conversations with episode guests.
Early access to new episodes, insider tips from top event pros and the chance to submit your questions to upcoming guest interviews.

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow event enthusiasts.
Until next time—keep growing, keep laughing, and keep Eventing About It!

Next Episode

00 AFTER SHOW Unlocking Event-Led Growth with Megan Martin

This is The Event About It After Show, where Rachel Kopczyk flips the script and interviews Megan Martin on why this podcast was created and what she hopes to change in the event industry.Megan, an award-winning speaker and expert in marketing, event design, and community building, shares her insights on leveraging events for business growth and creating unforgettable experiences. From radical event strategies to common mistakes and easy fixes, this conversation is packed with actionable advice and forward-thinking ideas for event pros looking to level up.Topics Discussed:The inspiration behind Event About It and what listeners can gain from tuning in.How to move beyond traditional booth setups and drive event-led business growth.Megan's most innovative and radical approaches to event planning.The biggest mistake event planners make—and how to easily correct it.Practical tips for maximizing your marketing impact at events.How consultants can help bring fresh perspectives and cost-effective solutions.Managing stress and expectations while finding grace in event challenges.The importance of engaging with the event community and embracing change.

Join Megan and Rachel for this candid and insightful dialogue that’s sure to inspire creativity and innovation in your next event.

Enjoyed the episode? We want to hear from you!Head over to ⁠eventaboutitpodcast.com⁠ to leave us a voicemail with your burning questions or your own Vent of the Week story to be featured in a future episode.While you're there, don't miss out on joining The Squared Squad, where you'll get exclusive access to bonus content, including:Each episode's After Show which is an extended conversation with episode guestsBehind-the-scenes insights to Megan's expertiseEarly access to new episodesInsider tips from top event pros The chance to submit your questions to upcoming guest interviews. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow event enthusiasts.

Connect with Megan HERE

Connect with Rachel ⁠HERE⁠