Thunderbird at ASU alum becomes the visionary behind successful email marketing platform

Mike Nelson, an alumnus of Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, has made a significant impact on the email marketing industry. From his time as an Executive MBA student (now the Executive Master of Global Management program), Nelson has risen to prominence with his creation, ReallyGoodEmails.com, a company that has not only redefined how marketers approach email campaigns but has also showcased the immense potential of turning a side project into a groundbreaking platform.

While attending classes at Thunderbird, Nelson sought to apply the theories and practices he was learning in real time. His background in email marketing, particularly from his experience growing a successful online retailer, had already given him a taste of success in the industry.

“Leading up to my EMBA, I had been part of an acquisition for an e-commerce site where I was responsible for millions of dollars in sales through email marketing,” said Nelson. “Once I was an actual student at Thunderbird, I soon realized that my classwork and learnings could be applied to creating a business that solved some major blockers in email marketing.”

Within his first year at Thunderbird, Nelson was speaking at numerous conferences about email’s impact on revenue, where he noticed a recurring need among marketers for specific examples they could emulate in their own industries. Upon this observation, he started building a platform with web designer Matthew Smith to find, analyze, and draw inspiration from a vast array of email examples that anyone could use.

Product-market fit came instantly when Really Good Emails landed MailChimp as its first client before launching their website publicly. Nelson and his small team created inspiration boards for MailChimp’s customer success and marketing teams, showcasing a variety of email templates and strategies that were added throughout MailChimp’s knowledge base, support articles, and marketing materials. This collaboration not only validated the concept but also opened doors to consulting opportunities with other major companies like Dropbox, Salesforce, and Disney.

With the revenue generated from clients and advertisers, Nelson reinvested in the website, focusing on building a robust user base and community. The platform's user-friendly approach, allowing anyone to access and utilize the resources for free, attracted millions of visitors annually. The addition of international email examples—driven by inspiration from his global classmates and class visits abroad—further boosted the site's popularity.

“One of the most significant milestones was the launch of our own conference for email marketers, which we named Unspam. The event sold out in under a week, attracting participation from some of the biggest brands in the world,” said Nelson. “This achievement underscored our influence and established us as a central hub for email marketing professionals.”

Today, ReallyGoodEmails.com boasts nearly 100 million pageviews and over 250,000 active accounts. The platform’s success caught the attention of Growens, a Italian-based public company, which acquired RGE and integrated it with their subsidiary, Beefree. According to Nelson, Beefree is known for its email design software and as one of the leading digital marketing platforms used by brands like Netflix, Volvo, L’Oreal.

“The company has a similar audience to RGE, but focuses on the execution of the email process. Together, they are bridging the gap between inspiration and creation, using their respective platforms to get emails built in less time with bigger impact,” states Nelson.

Reflecting on his journey, Nelson says, “It seems a little strange that the side project I started nearly ten years ago will now define my career from here on out.”

After graduating from Thunderbird in 2016, Nelson’s career continued to ascend. He joined Lonely Planet as a global director, growing its online revenue until the company was sold during the pandemic. He then moved to VTEX, a South American ecommerce platform akin to Shopify, where he led North American growth as a vice president during the company's IPO. Most recently, he served as general manager at VerticalScope, a Toronto-based company, where he focused on building their entertainment and sports category. Now, with the acquisition of Really Good Emails, he is tasked with integrating the two companies and focusing on user acquisition, retention, and expansion as the Head of Growth.

“My time at Thunderbird was absolutely pivotal in shaping my professional journey. There were many things like accounting and marketing that I’ve put to use, but the leadership and communication courses had the biggest impact,” he recalls. “My program's emphasis on effective communication and strategic leadership proved invaluable, especially as I navigated the challenges of running an online, remote company before there was a framework to do so.”

Choosing Thunderbird over other graduate programs was a deliberate decision influenced by his international experiences and encounters with other alumni. Additionally, the school's top-rankings and its diverse, globally-focused student body resonated with his aspirations.

“I had lived abroad and came across T-birds at various places—each with impressive roles and eager to talk about Thunderbird,” said Nelson.

Nelson fondly remembers his time at Thunderbird, from the camaraderie at the former Pub on the Glendale campus to the impromptu creation of a “study/party/tournament lounge” in a former staff room. These experiences, alongside his academic achievements, contributed to a rich and fulfilling journey that continues to inspire his professional endeavors.

As Nelson embarks on his new role at Growens, his vision for ReallyGoodEmails.com remains as ambitious as ever. With the support of Beefree's technology and a wealth of data from their extensive user base, Nelson plans to continue to push the boundaries of email marketing innovation.

“His journey as an EMBA student to a leading figure in the industry serves as a testament to the power of a Thunderbird education which inspires creativity, and the global and digital mindset needed to turn visionary ideas into impactful realities,” said Charla Griffy-Brown, director general and dean at Thunderbird. “We are incredibly proud of his achievements and look forward to witnessing him achieve even greater success along this impactful career trajectory.”