As we look forward to the year ahead, it's crucial to acknowledge the unique challenges and responsibilities that come with being an email marketer. With over two decades of experience in the field and more recently, advising businesses, agencies, and professionals, I've seen firsthand the immense value email marketers deliver with limited resources. However, this responsibility often comes with significant stress.
Email marketing is a high-stakes game. Unlike building a website or a database, which can be meticulously planned, tested, and revised, email marketing requires precision and speed. Whether you're working for an e-commerce company or involved in CRM, you're likely sending out multiple emails weekly, if not daily. Each email is a complex puzzle of content tailored to different audience segments, requiring technical skills, copywriting, design, and rigorous QA. The pressure to get it right is relentless, as mistakes can be costly, affecting deliverability, results, and the company's reputation.
This constant stress underscores the importance of work-life balance and mindfulness. Traditional mindfulness practices like breathing exercises, meditation, and physical exercise are invaluable. Personally, I've found race walking, yoga, breath work, and a healthy diet to be beneficial. However, there's one often overlooked source of mindfulness that has profoundly impacted my life: fostering.
About 22 months ago, my wife and I decided to become emergency foster carers, opening our home to children in need for around two weeks a month. This experience has been incredibly rewarding, offering a visceral reminder of how fortunate we are. It's one thing to intellectually understand the challenges others face, but it's another to witness it firsthand. Providing a safe haven for 16 children, even temporarily, has been a humbling and fulfilling experience.
Fostering has changed our lives, but I understand that it's a huge commitment and not for everyone. However, helping others in your community through volunteering in any capacity can be just as rewarding. Fostering has reframed my perspective on life and work. It's a powerful reminder of the impact we can have on our communities. I know many colleagues in the email marketing space have fostered or have parents who foster or engage in volunteering, whether through, coaching or training, youth sports, or helping at local schools or Alma Mater.
There's a paradox in achieving work-life balance by doing more, but volunteering can provide a unique form of mindfulness. It not only benefits those you help but also enriches your own life. Sharing your experiences via this thread can inspire others to take that step, creating a ripple effect of positive change.
Let's make this year not just about professional success but also about giving back. Volunteering might just be the most mindful thing you do in 2025. More importantly, I would like to salute those who already help others on a voluntary basis and encourage you to share their experiences in this thread to encourage and motivate those who might be considering it to take the next step.