Subject lines that tap into who your audience wants to be, a bathroom emergency at a Nashville hot chicken spot, and a minus-200 degree cryotherapy experiment all show up in this Ask Us Anything with Jay Schwedelson. Jay riffs on a listener's challenge to share a subject line test they probably have not tried yet, breaking down the idea of aspirational personalization that speaks a level above your current audience. Then he answers a not-so-serious question about his health that turns into a ridiculous story involving Boca Raton, Brass Monkey, and a frosty recovery chamber.
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Best Moments:
(00:16) Jay explains the Ask Us Anything format and how to send him your own work and ridiculous questions through his site.
(01:15) Hattie B's "shut the cluck up" hot chicken story ends with a bathroom line so long he swears they need 74 restrooms.
(02:15) Jamie's challenge for a subject line test they have never tried sets Jay up to go beyond basic personalization.
(03:38) Jay introduces aspirational subject lines that speak to the C level or lifestyle people want instead of the role they have now.
(05:30) He shares data from 50 million sends showing aspirational subject lines lifting open rates by roughly 24-28 percent in both B2B and consumer campaigns.
(06:30) Bill's jab about Jay's health leads to a cryotherapy adventure in Boca Raton, complete with Brass Monkey and dancing in a minus-200 degree box.
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Check out Jay’s YOUTUBE Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelson
Check out Jay’s TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@schwedelson
Check Out Jay's INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/
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Pre-order Jay Schwedelson’s new book, Stupider People Have Done It (out April 21, 2026). All net proceeds are donated to The V Foundation for Cancer Research—let’s kick cancer’s butt: https://www.amazon.com/Stupider-People-Have-Done-Marketing/dp/1637635206
