Podcast Summary: Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson

Episode: Ask Us ANYTHING: Subject Line Trick Nobody Knows! (Ep. 462)
Date: December 12, 2025
Host: Guru Media Hub
Guest/Host: Jay Schwedelson

Episode Overview

This lively episode of "Do This, NOT That!" centers on answering two listener questions: one strategic (“work” question) about email subject lines and one lighthearted (“ridiculous” question) about Jay’s personal health habits. Jay dives into a cutting-edge subject line personalization trick that most marketers haven’t tried, then shares a humorous story about trying cryotherapy for the first time. The tone is fast-paced, irreverent, and practical, loaded with actionable tips and plenty of personality.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Work Question: Subject Line Test Nobody Knows

(Begins at ~02:00)

• Listener Question (Jamie from Nashville):
  “Jay, you love talking about subject lines. So I want to hear a subject line test that is working that I've never tried. I've tried a lot. Hit me.”

• Jay on Traditional Personalization:

  • Everyone knows about simple personalization, like inserting a first name (“That’s 1985. I don’t like first name personalization.” [03:33])
  • Talked about industry-specific or interest-based personalization:
    • Example: "Trends in the Construction Industry" (for B2B)
    • "Just for DIYers" (consumer)

• The Subject Line Trick: Aspirational Positioning

  • The real secret:
    “The sooner you tell somebody who they are, the faster they want to engage.” [03:54]
  • Instead of addressing the audience as they are, frame subject lines as a level above them:
    • For managers/directors, use C-level language:
      • "How CMOs can market to CFOs"
      • "The CFO's guide to automation"
      • "Five skills CMOs need"
      • Most recipients aren’t C-level, but want to know what those higher-ups know—aspirational curiosity.
    • Works for consumers, too:
      • "For the tech savvy buyer" (even for non-tech savvy)
      • "How affluent investors evaluate stocks"
      • "What luxury seekers love"
    • “Whatever your audience is, talk a level up… It’s the idea of aspirational marketing.” [05:25]

• Data-backed Results:

  • “We’ve tested this across about 50 million email sends… On the business side, aspirational subject lines versus standard ones lift open rates by about 28%. On the consumer side, about 24%.” [06:40]

• Core Takeaway:
  Don’t target where your audience is—target where they want to be.

  • “When you talk a level above whatever the audience is in your database, it crushes it.” [05:10]

2. The Ridiculous Question: Jay’s Health Habits

(Begins at ~08:00)

• Listener Question (Bill from Tucson):
  “Jay, you don’t talk about healthy stuff a lot. Are you not healthy?”

• Jay’s Self-Assessment:

  • Not a health nut, but tries to be healthy:
    • “I do my thing. I was gonna say Jane Fonda but that’s the most dated thing I could possibly say. Who's really fit right now? The Rock?” [08:50]

• Anecdote: First Experience with Cryotherapy

  • Motivation: Wife (a doctor and very healthy) suggested it.
  • Setting: Local strip mall in Boca Raton.
  • Process:
    • Stripped to boxers, socks, gloves.
    • Entered a freezer (-200°F) for three minutes with music blasting (“Brass Monkey” by Beastie Boys).
    • “I just found myself dancing the whole time... It wasn’t bad at all.” [10:15]
  • Outcome: Felt no different, uncertain of health benefits.
    • “People ask me after … what did it accomplish? I have no idea.” [10:40]
    • “Bill, you can suck it because I feel like that was a healthy thing.” [10:55]
  • Jay’s attitude: Open to trying “woo woo” stuff, doesn’t take health fads too seriously.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On industry trends in subject lines:
  “Everybody knows… put the person’s industry in the subject line—like ‘Trends in the construction industry’—that works really well. But that’s not the one I’m going to hit you with.” [03:23]

• On aspirational positioning:
  “Whatever your audience is, talk a level up… It’s the idea of aspirational marketing that really, especially this time of year, it gets us going.” [05:25]

• On health and cryotherapy:
  “I did it first…and you get in and it’s like a three foot by three foot thing that you stand in and it’s really cold. But I just found myself dancing the whole time.” [10:15]
  “All I know is I did it. And Bill, you can suck it because I feel like that was a healthy thing.” [10:55]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:00 – Work question introduction
• 03:23 – Traditional personalization vs. aspirational subject lines
• 05:10 – Real-life examples and rationale for talking “one level up”
• 06:40 – Data results from 50M+ emails (open rate stats)
• 08:00 – Ridiculous question introduction
• 08:50 – Jay’s musings on his health habits
• 09:50 – Cryotherapy story (setup, experience, and aftermath)
• 10:40 – Reaction and reflections on health fads

Episode Mood & Tone

Jay’s energy is high, conversational, and self-deprecating, blending tactical marketing insights with humor and openness about his personal life. He’s direct in his advice (“this is what works, right now”) and doesn’t take himself—or health fads—too seriously. The episode is fast-moving, informal, and relatable.

Actionable Takeaways

• Marketers:
  • Test aspirational subject lines—frame emails as if they’re written for a level above your audience.
  • Use clear, value-oriented language that hints at “insider” knowledge or skills.
• Everyone:
  • Don’t be afraid to try new things (in marketing or wellness)—even if it’s outside your comfort zone or “woo woo.”
• For More:
  • Submit questions at jschwedelson.com
  • Explore deeper marketing education with Guru Media Hub

In Jay’s words:
“Go try cryotherapy. Or don’t. You did it. You made it to the end. But wait. The party is not over…” [11:40]

This episode is ideal for marketers hungry for fresh, data-backed tips and anyone in need of a bit of comic relief.