Pod Forward is a dynamic media company specializing in securing high-impact podcast placements and speaking opportunities for clients. Their core mission is to connect experts and brands with the right audiences through strategic media booking.
However, the success of their business model depends on managing a continuous, high-volume stream of outreach, pitches, and follow-ups. The problem? Their early workflow lacked automation and centralization, turning a strategic process into a manual grind that limited their ability to scale and slowed down client bookings.
The Problem: Pod Forward Had to Juggle Growing Customer Volumes
Pod Forward's business requires relentless, personalized outreach. To secure placements, Pod Forward CEO Irene Grigoryan needed to handle hundreds of podcast pitches, track multiple follow-up stages, and manage personalized updates for clients. This high-stakes, high-volume activity quickly became a major bottleneck.
“I was juggling a high volume of podcast pitches, follow-ups, and client updates, but there was no streamlined way,” says Grigoryan.
Before implementing a dedicated solution, the entire system was reliant on manual processes. Irene was forced to spend hours moving between various tools: managing outreach via Gmail, tracking stages in a spreadsheet, and setting external reminders for follow-ups.
The root causes of inefficiency:
- Manual tracking: Keeping lists of hosts and contacts updated required painstaking manual data entry.
- Time-consuming follow-ups: The most critical part of the outreach process (sending polite, timely reminders) was done one-by-one, consuming vast amounts of time.
- Workflow fragmentation: Information on a single client's booking journey was scattered across the inbox, external documents, and calendars, making it difficult to maintain a consistent flow.
The impact was clear: the time spent on "grunt work" meant fewer pitches could be sent and client booking was slower.
“Keeping track of who I had contacted, which stage each outreach was in became time-consuming and messy,” Grigoryan explains.
This directly limited Pod Forward's potential for accelerated growth.
The Answer: Gmelius Automated How Pitches, Follow-ups, and Updates Were Handled
Pod Forward needed a solution that would eliminate repetitive administrative tasks while organizing its outreach pipeline — all without forcing them out of Gmail, where they lived. Gmelius, and specifically its email outbound suite, was the answer.
Gmelius's sequences fundamentally changed Pod Forward’s operations. Instead of manually sending follow-up emails, Irene could now build multi-step campaigns directly inside Gmail.
How sequences revolutionized outreach:
- Automation of follow-ups: Irene designs an initial personalized pitch, followed by 2–3 automated, timed follow-up emails. If a recipient doesn't reply after the pitch, Gmelius automatically sends the next follow-up after a set interval.
- Smart exit conditions: Crucially, the sequence is automatically halted the moment a recipient replies. This ensures personalized communication is maintained, while eliminating the risk of sending generic, automated messages to an engaged lead.
- Unified workflow: All sequences, progress, and contact stages are tracked visually inside a central Gmelius dashboard, eliminating the need for external spreadsheets. This brought everything back into a single, organized system within Gmail.
The combination of automation and centralization immediately removed the administrative burden, freeing up Pod Forward to focus on strategy and client service.
The Results: Response Rates Jumped by 25% and Work Shrank by 5-7 hrs/Week
Implementing Gmelius created a powerful ripple effect, delivering both significant time savings and a boost to core business metrics. The efficiency gains allowed Pod Forward to instantly improve scalability and accelerate the client booking lifecycle.
Significant time savings
The most tangible result was the time reclaimed. Irene estimates a massive saving: 5–7 hours per person saved every week. This immediately freed up critical capacity.
“I’m able to handle more clients, move faster,” she confirms.
25% Increase in response rates
The automation of timely, persistent follow-ups provided a huge quantitative win. By ensuring every prospect received the optimal number of contacts, Pod Forward saw a 25% increase in response rates. This means more successful placements and faster revenue generation.
System scalability and organization
The move meant the elimination of the outreach grunt work. Pod Forward now has a central system where all outreach is organized. This jump in process scalability has made the entire customer booking faster and more consistent. They can now onboard and manage a higher volume of clients efficiently.
Summarizing the platform's value, Irene Grigoryan captured why Gmelius was the right fit:
“Gmelius is the simplest way to automate outreach and keep your entire workflow organized directly inside Gmail.”
Achieve Similar Outcomes for Your Team
Like Pod Forward, you can maximize your team’s efficiency and scale your outreach without shifting your entire platform. Gmelius integrates directly into Gmail, turning your existing inbox into a powerful, collaborative workspace.
Whether you need to run automated email sequences, manage shared inboxes, or ensure secure and compliant enterprise solutions, Gmelius provides the tools and support to drive measurable results.
Transform your email workflow today.
