Lisa S. Jones, Founder and CEO, EyeMail Inc.
Lisa is the Founder and Chief EyeMail Officer (CEO). For 17+ years, she has continued to be a catalyst for digital disruption and a prolific innovator with multiple, patent-pending technologies in the video-in-email marketing communications industry. She has received multiple awards, including a Stevie Award for 'Innovator of Year' and Delta Airlines', Catalyst of the Year' award for her impact on digital email strategy. In addition, industry Wired magazine was most recently recognised as 'The Top 10 Most Influential Leaders to Follow in 2021.'
She is a board member of the Technology Association of Georgia Diversity and Inclusion and volunteers at the local chapter of the Women in Technology Association. Lisa has an MBA from Alabama A&M, an executive degree from the Tuck Business School at Dartmouth and is currently enrolled at Harvard Business School. She is considered a trailblazer for women in technology, frequently speaks at national and international conferences, and is recognised as an industry thought leader.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
My favourite social media platform is LinkedIn because it enables an unlimited supply of network connections and opportunities to meet interesting people worldwide. As we continue to work virtually, LinkedIn enables me to speak/attend international conferences live, is another channel to communicate EyeMail' messaging, connect with friends and colleagues, and read up on the latest industry news.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I am originally from Alabama but started my professional journey at NASA in logistics management. Even before NASA, I had always embraced an entrepreneurial spirit, but I wasn't sure how or where to channel my energy for growth. So, after completing my MBA, I moved to Atlanta to start a career in the telecommunications industry. Eventually, I made the leap to a full-time entrepreneur, and for more than 16 years, my focus has been a digital innovator and disruptor for marketing communications.
As CEO and Founder of EyeMail Inc. I have developed multiple patent-pending technologies within the digital video-in-email marketing space. EyeMail enables full video (up to 60 seconds) to automatically play in email and mobile, to increase customer engagement.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
I enjoy waking up every day and discovering new ways to build a better way to communicate with each other and evoke change on a global scale. I am inspired by my journey as a trailblazer for innovation and to pave a path forward for the advancement of women in technology.
As a Black female CEO, I am full of gratitude and have the opportunity every day to work with a global team of thought-leaders to explore new ideas and make impactful change. Our goal in 2021 is to focus on inclusiveness and accessibility for all communities, including the visual and hearing impaired.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
The best advice I ever received is' feel the fear', which helps keep me pressing forward, and 'do your best the 1st time, and you will never have to worry if it was enough'. Delivering excellence is part of my professional and personal brand. So, it is important to live up to your brand promise to deliver the best.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
I am inspired by all the female founders before me, knowing that I can make an impact every day. Each step we take, big and small, counts in the journey. My story is still being written, and every day is a new day to look at things differently.
I am excited to see what continues to unveil and celebrations to come. But, more importantly, my motivation is to hear our customers share the impact EyeMail has made in their email communications. This not only gives me the immediate bolt of energy but fuels my next innovation cycle.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
I am proud, and I am able to create a legacy in honour of my mother's memory. Every time EyeMail onboards a new Customer, or a new team member from around the globe, it makes me proud knowing I can live up to my promise to make a difference.
I am an avid follower of Simon Sinek, and he shares, "When you live, your why. You are consistently making decisions with your why at the front and centre. Your why is a compass that provides the direction and focuses for you to live your life with purpose, on purpose."
I live in my why every day and use the voice of our current and future customers to continue to innovate with purpose. I think about the EyeMail clients we have partnered with, including Microsoft, Delta Air Lines, Coca-Cola, Porsche North America, Harvard Business School, WarnerMedia, and including non-profits such as Make-A-Wish Foundation, enabling them to bring their voice to life in a better email experience.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
My preferred way to meet new people/network normally is in-person at industry conferences, tradeshow events, and personal introductions. However, in light of my current environment, I turn to LinkedIn to meet new people.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
Authenticity and bringing my true self to the table on any occasion, without the worry of being judged, has been key to my growth as a well-rounded person. I think it is critical to have excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communications skills.
Also, it is equally important to listen more and talk less, and this is how learning is done. My ability for continuous learning has helped me greatly to discover new things about myself and from others. I never underestimate the power of human connection and its importance in life and business.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
I wish I had known it's perfectly fine to be vulnerable and to ask for help early on or really during any stage of your roadmap. It's ok not to have all the answers and to see mentorship from multiple sources. It is ok to be uncomfortable.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
I admire most the principles learned from Henry Ford's failures throughout his career. It is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time with better information. Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.
Steve Jobs said, "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."
In academics, I admire two key thought-leaders:
I admire Harvard Professor John Westman, who teaches thought-leadership in Professional Selling and Sales Management. His principles teach the importance of authentic relationship building and not selling customers, but remember to help them in their journey. I've learned so many amazing aspects of business and life from his academic teachings to remember for a lifetime.
Equally, Stephen P. Thomke from Harvard Business School. His thought-leadership outlined in his book, Experimentation Works, The Surprising Power of Business Experiments, is one of my all-time favourites! It teaches the power of embracing an experimentation culture, trying new things and introducing new customer experiences without being afraid to try something new in an effort to test and innovate.
We all know what it's like to stay in a comfort zone because of the fear of failure. However, this book shows you the true value of learning from failure, which is real lessons learned! His teaching delivers countless examples of companies and organisations who take the leap forward to understand and advance their thought-leadership and actions on the power of experimenting. I am honoured to have had the opportunity to learn under his leadership.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Outside of work, I enjoy working on a work-life balance. I don't always get it right, but when I do, it is a wonderful feeling. Areas that are important to me is continual learning via reading, attending various types of courses and taking the time to spend and laugh with friends and family. It is important for me to pay knowledge and experience forward, and I enjoy sharing what I have learned with others who are interested in my perspective from my dynamic lens of life.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
The pandemic has impacted us all globally. It has reminded me of the importance of friends, family and how every second of life truly matters. It has allowed me to reflect on both my and my team's journey for us collectively to determine additional ways to continue to help our customers, who are also impacted by the pandemic.
Prayer and my faith have played a big role during this current climate to know that this, too, shall pass. While we are safely working remotely, we have managed to remain connected in our vision and purpose.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
Yes, I have several mentors for several elements of my life, both personally and professionally, as I think it is important to gain insights from various sources. Some of my best mentors have been customers, professors, coaches, colleagues and friends, that all generate value towards my growth and journey.
I would also say mentorship can come at any age, as some of my mentors are younger and older than I am. So, never discount learning from all ages. For example, I continue to mentor college students with a concentration in marketing and advertising, as well as volunteering for Women in Technology in technology initiatives for Girls Who Code.
I enjoy mentoring others who have a vision and passion for what they do. Who are committed to seeing their dreams happen, who keeps going to run the race. So, I tend to naturally migrate and be inspired by this type of special persona in deciding who I can also help in their journey.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
The best advice I have for someone who is looking to get in the same area of interest of work. It is to make sure you are passionate about the chosen work field, perform your research and industry trends to confirm your interest and next steps.
Also, to seek a mentor or advice from several contacts in your area of interest to hear the do's and don't's, including the good, the bad and ugly of the industry and to see if you are still compelled in your area of interest. Understand that every day is not going to be sunshine and rainbows, but that you will remain focused on your journey.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
I believe the most common reason for a person failing or giving up is knowing that we all have our ups and downs, but failure is an illusion. You can only fail when you choose not to get back up and try.
As a reminder of what Henry Ford said, "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently".
I also would like to say that another common reason for people may give up at any point and time it is that they may have tried many avenues and doors several times, in order to gain access to opportunities and build networks, they have been denied this fundamental right to access.
So, sometimes it's a matter of circumstance, but it is up to you to create new doors and windows to open and enter and keep moving forward, no matter what.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"Greatness can be born from anywhere in the world and is not geographically defined." This is my personal Lisa S. Jones quote created.
"Strike when the iron is hot" is another one of my favourite quotes, as my father reminded me of this phrase often in life.
Also, I do like my business phrase for EyeMail, of course, "EyeMail- brings Email to Life!"
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
A brand that recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion in its employee and supplier base and has a "measurable action plan" is getting it right. For example, key fortune brands are members of the Billion Dollar Roundtable, achieving a spend of at least one billion or more with minority and women-owned suppliers.
These brands include Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, Ford, J&J, UPS, CVS, AT&T, Dell, Apple, Walmart, and other key brands that are making a difference in our global community at large.
EyeMail is honoured to be a Minority Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) strategic partner to the Billion Dollar Roundtable. and continually admire the efforts of these market leaders and other brands that continue to pay it forward with the opportunity to deliver value.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
I define success as an individualised experience that is defined according to your personal roadmap of what success means to you. To me, success happens at any moment in time for both the small things that move the needle forward, to be able to actively practise gratitude is also success to me. How I treat others is part of how I define success because I want to be treated the way I treat others, which is a success factor.
Living my dream on my terms is part of success; meeting amazing people and making new leaps outside of a comfort zone to push myself is another way of measuring success. From a team perspective, success is working together collectively to deliver innovation, which is simply thrilling to keep developing, learning, building together and having a voice in the process; all of these factors are part of the EyeMail Team success equation.
There are several lessons I have learned along the way to include keep pressing forward, even if no one else believes in your dream, keep moving forward with laser focus. Remember to celebrate the large and small successes. And realise that you are enough when you get lonely, connect with successful images, seek mentorship from multiple diverse sources, talk less and listen more, be unconventional and happy, commit to your vision and find inspiration. Last but not least to remember in all things and no matter the season to practice gratitude!