Ep 4: Intentional Email Workflow - Nathan Holritz
Summary
Email is an important part of running a business. It’s how we answer questions, develop relationships, and keep work moving. But an inbox that’s always open can also make it difficult to focus on the work—and the life—we want to give our attention to.
In this solo episode of the Holritz Business Design Podcast, I share the principles and tools I use to make email more manageable. We cover reducing incoming messages, working more efficiently, following up consistently, and setting clear expectations around response times. I also share a bonus approach for service businesses: moving project communication and files into a shared project management system.
Key Takeaways
1. Unsubscribe from unnecessary email
The first opportunity is to reduce how much email needs your attention in the first place. Marketing messages and subscriptions you no longer use can crowd out client questions, business opportunities, and conversations that deserve a response.
I mention Unroll.Me, a service I’ve used to help manage subscriptions, along with Gmail’s built-in Manage subscriptions feature. If that feature is available in your account, look under More in Gmail’s left menu. It brings subscriptions together so you can review senders and unsubscribe from the ones you no longer need.
For personal subscriptions you want to keep, consider using a separate personal email address. Keep necessary business, account, and service messages reaching the right inbox. The aim is to reduce unnecessary sorting while making important communication easier to notice.
2. Choose an email system that supports flexibility
I prefer using Gmail in a browser because it gives me flexibility in where I work. Being able to access my email without depending on one particular computer fits the way I want to run my businesses.
This is a preference rather than a requirement. Many email services offer both browser access and desktop or mobile apps, so you may already have that flexibility with your current provider.
Consider whether your setup is easy to access, responsive, and comfortable to use. Choose the option that supports your work and makes it easier to step away from a fixed desk when you need to.
3. Use keyboard shortcuts to reduce repetitive work
Small actions add up when you repeat them throughout the day. In the episode, I demonstrate how keyboard shortcuts help me move through Gmail, archive messages, and reply without constantly reaching for the mouse.
In Gmail, enable keyboard shortcuts in Settings → See all settings → Keyboard shortcuts, then save your changes. Two examples I use are E to archive a selected or open conversation and A to reply to everyone in an open conversation. Press ? to see the shortcut reference. Check the recipients before sending a reply to all.
I also demonstrate two tools that reduce typing:
- TextExpander: Short abbreviations insert text I use repeatedly, such as an email signature, meeting link, or frequently used response. I show how a few keystrokes generate my business signature.
- Wispr Flow: Voice dictation helps me draft messages by speaking. In the demonstration, I revise a phrase aloud, and the resulting text incorporates that correction.
Use these tools to make repeated work easier, then review the message and personalize it for the person receiving it. Efficiency should still leave room for thoughtful communication.
4. Simplify scheduling with a booking link
Finding a meeting time can turn into several rounds of email: one person suggests a day, the other suggests a different time, and the conversation keeps going.
I use Calendly for meetings such as coffee conversations, Zoom calls, and podcast interviews. A scheduling link lets someone choose from the availability I’ve made available instead of asking both of us to coordinate every detail manually.
Calendly is one option; another scheduling service may fit your business. Set the availability you actually want to offer, and use the link when it makes arranging a meeting easier for everyone involved.
5. Set reminders for conversations that need a follow-up
Sending an important email doesn’t always finish the task. If you’re waiting for an answer, you need a way to remember the conversation without keeping it in your head.
I demonstrate Boomerang for Gmail, which lets me set a reminder if I haven’t received a reply within a chosen period. That brings the conversation back to my attention so I can decide whether to follow up.
I also mention Mailbutler as an option to investigate and Superhuman as a tool I’ve used in the past. Check which features fit your email platform and current needs. The principle is to give important conversations a reliable next step, rather than hoping you’ll remember them later.
6. Turn off routine email notifications
An email alert can pull your attention away from whatever you’re doing, whether that’s client work, a conversation, or time outside your business.
My recommendation is to turn off routine email notifications across your phone, watch, and computer, and close the inbox when you’re focusing elsewhere. That becomes much easier when you have a dependable schedule for checking messages.
Match the approach to your responsibilities. If customers or colleagues need to reach you urgently, establish a clear channel for that and communicate it. The goal is to stay reachable when it matters while reducing interruptions that don’t require immediate attention.
7. Schedule communication time and set expectations
Choose specific times to handle email instead of keeping it open throughout the day. In the episode, I suggest two or three check-ins, using 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 4 p.m. as an example.
I also suggest aiming for short sessions—roughly five to ten minutes each, or about 20–30 minutes across the day. Treat that as a target to work toward where it fits, rather than a universal limit. Your message volume, client responsibilities, and the complexity of your replies will affect how much time you need.
Tell people what to expect. You can explain your communication schedule in an introductory email, on your website, or in your signature. Then follow through consistently. Clear expectations help you provide responsive service without creating the assumption that every message will receive an immediate answer.
8. Bonus: Move client project communication into a shared system
For a service business with multiple steps in its client process, email can scatter important information across separate conversations. A file arrives in one thread, feedback appears in another, and someone has to piece everything together.
A project management tool with client access can give tasks, communication, and files a shared home. When both you and the client know where updates belong, it can reduce the need to search through the inbox for the latest information.
I mention that I’m developing a simpler project management tool and already using it with my own clients. The broader principle applies to whichever system fits your business: keep the project’s work and context together, and make it easy for the client to participate.
Put It Into Practice
You don’t have to change your entire workflow at once. Start with the part that creates the most unnecessary work:
- Reduce the incoming volume. Review your subscriptions and remove messages you consistently ignore.
- Make one repeated action faster. Learn an email shortcut or create a reusable response that you can personalize.
- Protect an important conversation. Set a reminder on an email that needs an answer or a follow-up.
- Choose your communication windows. Schedule time to respond, communicate your expectations, and reduce alerts between those sessions.
- Review one client project. Decide where its tasks, feedback, and files should live, and make that location clear to the client.
After trying a change, check whether it helped you spend less time managing email while still giving people the attention they need. That balance is the point: a business that serves your customers well and leaves room for the relationships, experiences, and interests that matter to you.
Show Notes
Episode 2: Intentional Business Design — the big-picture framework referenced in this episode
Unroll.Me — subscription management service mentioned in the episode
Manage subscriptions in Gmail — Google’s instructions and availability information
Gmail keyboard shortcuts — how to enable shortcuts and view the full reference
TextExpander — reusable text snippets
Wispr Flow — voice dictation
Calendly — meeting scheduling
Boomerang for Gmail — email reminders and follow-up tools
Mailbutler — another email tool mentioned for readers to explore
Superhuman — the email software I mention having used previously
Interested in a consultation about brand messaging, website design, or workflow design? Email me at nathan@holritzdesign.com.
