Episode Overview

Episode Title: SMME #473 Why Your Spa Emails Are Disappearing (And How to Fix It)
Host: Daniela Woerner (Licensed Aesthetician)
Guest: Amber McCue (Entrepreneur, Consultant, Email Marketing Expert)
Date: March 2, 2026

This episode dives into a critical issue facing spa owners and entrepreneurs: email marketing mishaps that can cost thousands of dollars and erode client trust. Guest Amber McCue shares her firsthand experience with an email delivery disaster during a major launch, breaking down why legitimate emails sometimes never reach client inboxes—and, crucially, how to diagnose and fix these issues before they sabotage your business.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Email Disaster Story

• Amber’s Event Launch Gone Wrong
  • Amber recounts running a well-practiced webinar launch when she and her team noticed drastically low show-up rates compared to past events (04:14–05:00).
  • Clients began reaching out via email and posting in Facebook groups, saying they never received event reminders—not even in spam or promotions folders, which indicated a deeper issue (05:00–05:32).
  • Quote (Amber): “It wasn’t even landing necessarily in their spam folder…There’s a reason for that, which we will share.” (05:32)

The Real Impact: Business & Client Trust

• Host Daniela underscores the devastating effect an email meltdown can have: missed events, wasted marketing budgets, and confusion for clients.
• “The thought process of investing so much time and so much money to host an event. And if your people are not getting the communication…” (05:35, Daniela)

Diagnosing the Root Problem

• Amber’s team sprang into action, leveraging their email marketing background to diagnose the issue swiftly (06:36–07:07).
• Amber shares that most spa and small business owners wouldn't know where to start since even tech-savvy teams can get thrown by these failures (07:07–07:31).
• Quote (Daniela): “I feel like I am tech savvy. And I would not have known where to look with email.” (07:20)

Step-by-Step Solutions for Spa Owners

1. Clean Your Email List (08:17–09:31)

• Only email contacts who regularly open your messages; consistent non-responders hurt your “sender reputation.”
• Emailing unengaged contacts signals Gmail/Yahoo/etc. to push your emails to spam or ignore entirely.
• Quote (Amber): “Emailing people that are just letting their inbox fill up, you do not want to keep emailing them…They don’t want it. So they're going to move it to that promotions, that spam folder over time.” (08:50–09:31)
• Daniela mentions using Zero Bounce to eliminate fake, dead, or bounced emails yearly—even if it means removing thousands at once (09:31–10:07).
• “Your heart sinks a little bit…But it’s like, you know, what if those are not real people or if they’re not, you know, wanting to hear or be in relationship with us, that’s fine.” (10:09–10:17, Daniela)

2. Monitor Email Engagement

• Email service providers (Mailchimp, Flodesk, etc.) show open rates. Run reports to find unresponsive emails and clean accordingly (10:29–11:00).
• Some CRMs have built-in tools; third-party solutions like Zero Bounce help automate the process and keep your list healthy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Amber, on missing emails:
  “It wasn’t even landing necessarily in their spam folder…There’s a reason for that, which we will share.” (05:32)

• Daniela, on tech overwhelm:
  “I feel like I am tech savvy. And I would not have known where to look with email.” (07:20)

• Amber, on list hygiene:
  “Emailing people that are just letting their inbox fill up, you do not want to keep emailing them…They don’t want it.” (08:50–09:31)

• Daniela, on letting go of disengaged contacts:
  “Your heart sinks a little bit…But it’s like, you know, what if those are not real people or if they’re not, you know, wanting to hear or be in relationship with us, that’s fine. Lesson release. Blessed release.” (10:09–10:17)

Important Timestamps

• 04:14–05:32
  Amber outlines how she discovered emails weren’t reaching clients at all.

• 06:36–07:31
  Discussing how Amber’s team diagnosed the issue—and the gaps in most small business owners’ know-how.

• 08:17–09:31
  Deep dive on why email list hygiene is critical.

• 09:31–10:17
  Daniela shares best practices using tools like Zero Bounce for automated list cleaning.

• 10:29–11:00
  How to monitor open rates and engagement within different email service providers.

Actionable Takeaways for Spa Owners

• Regularly clean your email list: Remove unresponsive subscribers to maintain a healthy sender reputation.
• Monitor your open rates: Use your software’s reporting tools or third-party services to keep track.
• Don’t be afraid to remove thousands of emails: Keeping dead weight can cost you far more in lost business and deliverability issues.
• Learn the basics of email deliverability: Even as a non-tech business owner, understanding engagement metrics and list management is essential.

Final Insights

Amber’s experience serves as a powerful reminder: email failures can strike any business, often without warning. Building smart systems, knowing what metrics to monitor, and cleaning your list are essential for protecting revenue and customer trust. Daniela and Amber keep it candid and practical—leaving spa owners with concrete steps to keep their communications flowing and their events full.