photo credit: PinkMoose

I don’t use or check email anymore.

I just don’t. The value of my time has increased dramatically.

Now, this doesn’t mean that if you have sent me an email before, that I don’t value you. Rather, it’s because I value my contacts that I say, please don’t email me. You have my direct phone number, my staff’s email addresses, my Skype, and other ways to reach me that are faster and more efficient. So please don’t email me.

I have a part time assistant who reads my email, and even though that’s her only job, she is overwhelmed. She only reads/faxes me messages if you are on my list. If I haven’t told you personally that you’re on that list? You’re not. To get on it? Reach me in Facebook.

Why? Every email address I create and share in public is instantly overrum with spam and … I guess you can call it “fan mail”? I can’t read and answer them all.

If you have bought anything from me recently you’ll see that I tell you to address immediate delivery issues to the address on file after you order, (which is to people on staff, not me) or to me directly in Facebook. In the near future all those addresses will redirect to a support structure for when the new folks take over. That will be in place around August. There will also be a phone number on the corporate blog sooner or later.

(Normally that announcement would include a link to the corporate blog, but I’m redesigning the entire site.)

In the meantime, if you have any issue that requires my direct intervention, Facebook is the only way you’ll reach me privately. Period. Anywhere else, unless I already know you or am interacting with you on say, Twitter or this blog, it ain’t happening. It’s nothing against you. I just can’t manage it at the moment.

Yes, I’m aware I could use spam arrest or aggressively filter my box, etc, etc. I’ve taught email management before – I was in tech support so I know how Outlook and Exchange work.

No, in my current state of health, that does not work. Believe me we’ve tried Everything. This works.

Thanks for understanding.