Aviary Sync: Comms, Outreach Stack, ROI Calculator, and Journey Docs

Date: 2026-04-05
Attendees: Mark Hope, Sebastian Gant
Client: ^[1]

Overview

Working sync between Mark and Sebastian to align on the Aviary workstream across four areas: client visibility and comms infrastructure, outreach tooling, a custom ROI calculator, and branded customer-journey one-pagers. The client (Aaron Grossman, with Blessin and Justin) had flagged a desire for near-real-time progress visibility (~every two days), prompting the comms decisions below.

Key Decisions

1. Client Visibility: Slack Connect + Trello

• Slack Connect channel named aviary-team created during the call. Aaron Grossman invited; Blessin and Justin to be added by Sebastian.
• Channel to be used for all updates, deliverable drops, and async progress notes — aiming for near-daily visible output.
• Trello board created (Atlassian/Jira-backed) as the central project source of truth: tasks, owners (Mark/Sebastian/others), priorities, start/end dates, Gantt and calendar views.
• Decision: share Trello with client only after it is internally stabilized — populate and pressure-test structure first, then open to Aaron/Blessin/Justin.

2. Outreach Stack: SendGrid + Apollo + HubSpot

• Email platform: SendGrid (Twilio-owned). Essentials plan (~$19.95/mo, 50k emails/mo) likely sufficient. Pro ($90/mo) only needed if multiple teammates require logins.
• Integration: SendGrid → HubSpot connector to flow open/click events back into HubSpot for engagement tracking. Emails authored and sent in SendGrid; data surfaces in HubSpot.
• Prospecting data: Apollo (client already has account, small-scale use). Goal: get admin access, review lists, align with list-building strategy, then import to HubSpot.
• Access requirement: Mark needs a dedicated admin/team user in SendGrid (avoid OTP friction on shared login). Sebastian to request this from Aaron.

3. LinkedIn Sales Navigator

• Client (Aaron) already has Sales Navigator.
• Plan: upload top 50–100 target accounts via CSV, monitor buyer intent signals, track exec moves, engage on posts, manage leads and smart links.
• Approach: 45-minute hands-on walkthrough with Aaron (he prefers to learn rather than have it done for him). Sebastian to schedule separately — small group, focused session.

4. ROI Calculator: Custom NextJS App

• Platform decision: Build a custom NextJS/React app rather than using Outgrow or Shout. Rationale: full control over formulas, UI, branding, and extensibility; third-party tools require shoehorning logic into existing templates.
• Features:
• Correct ROI formulas per use case (from prior email Sebastian sent Aaron)
• Per-prospect branding: logo, brand colors, dedicated URLs per calculator
• Overview/landing page + individual calculator pages
• Future use: Potential lead magnet on Aviary's site (gated by email capture).
• Status: Mark has a working prototype with placeholder logic built during the call. Next step: swap in correct formulas, polish UI/alignment, add branding controls.

5. Customer Journey One-Pagers

• Aaron drafted text-only journey docs for key use cases (New Member Onboarding, Collections, Dormancy) and asked for them to be professionally designed.
• Output format: Branded, brochure-style one-pagers — strong information hierarchy, clean bullets, Aviary styling, light on imagery. Not over-engineered.
• Process:
  1. Sebastian runs drafts through Claude for structure/clarity improvements
  2. Sends refined content to Aaron for quick approval before design
  3. Briefs Melissa (design) with urgency — 2 polished exemplars due Monday
• Past client logos to be included; Aaron to send assets.

Action Items

Mark

• [ ] Build ROI calculator v1 in NextJS using correct formulas from prior email; add per-prospect branding controls (logo, colors, dedicated URLs)
• [ ] Configure SendGrid + HubSpot connector and tracking once admin access is granted
• [ ] Respond to Trello card comments with timeline estimates where Sebastian tags him

Sebastian

• [ ] Populate Trello board with full task list, owners, priorities, and preliminary dates; tag Mark for dev estimates
• [ ] Add Blessin and Justin to aviary-team Slack Connect channel; begin posting concise progress updates
• [ ] Email Aaron requesting admin/team access to SendGrid and Apollo
• [ ] Schedule 45-minute Sales Navigator walkthrough with Aaron; prepare CSV of top 50–100 target accounts for upload
• [ ] Run customer journey drafts through Claude; incorporate suggestions; send refined content to Aaron for approval
• [ ] Brief Melissa on customer journey one-pagers with urgency — 2 polished brochures needed by Monday (include logos if received from Aaron)
• [ ] Convert SEO/keyword research and proposed site nav into a Miro board; add competitor comparison section; share snapshot in Slack
• [ ] Send X-Ray notes doc to Mark for review

Client (Aaron / Blessin / Justin)

• [ ] Provide admin/team access to SendGrid and Apollo
• [ ] Confirm Sales Navigator availability for 45-min walkthrough session
• [ ] Send past-client logos for inclusion in journey one-pagers
• [ ] Review AI-refined journey content quickly to unblock Melissa/design

Topic Notes

Organic & Paid Growth

• Sebastian completed keyword research and proposed site navigation structure; converting to Miro board.
• Client requested a competitor comparison section — to be added.
• PPC (tags/events access) is lower priority vs. ROI calculator and journey docs.
• Tier 1 account enrichment continues in parallel; will align with Apollo → HubSpot import.

Project Operations

• Trello: capture tasks, owners, priorities, start/end dates. Use card comments to request missing estimates.
• Slack aviary-team: all deliverables and updates go here. Blessin can passively monitor without joining calls.
• Cadence goal: visible progress posted near-daily; formal meetings kept minimal.

Transcript Excerpts

Sebastian: "They were kind of just wanting more updates… every two days to know where things are at… it's not from like, why aren't you doing anything? It's like, we just want to be able to update Blessin."

Mark: "We could set up a Slack channel for them… and then we could set up a Trello board for this project… and then we create a Slack channel and we share it with them."

Mark (on ROI calculator platform): "The one that we can do that will be most impressive is that we can build a NextJS React app and then we have complete [control]. We can adjust it ourselves, change the colors on it, we can make anything we want. And I think that would be the most impressive, because otherwise we're just going to say, oh, go to this app and make your calculator in the app, and they're going to be, gee, thanks for the referral."

Sebastian (on per-prospect branding): "He said this would be extra, but if there was any way to personalize it per prospect — especially with ABM sales calls — that would be awesome. Like just having their logo and brand colors."

Mark (on journey docs): "We don't need lots of pictures, we don't need lots of sexiness. We just want it to look nice with some nice bullets and make it look branded with Aviary… tell her I'm going to send you two and I need both of them done by Monday."

Related

• ^[2]
• ^[3]
• ^[4]
• ^[5]