Joshua Star MichaelEmail developer
Joshua Star Michael

Available for email development roles.

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EMAIL DEVELOPER · CRM · LIFECYCLE MARKETING

Emails built to earn attention.

Responsive campaigns, clear customer journeys, and careful QA shaped by twelve years of customer experience.

Book an intro call View email workView résumé
Joshua Star Michael

Joshua Star Michael

Email developer

Placeholder video. Joshua’s introduction is coming soon.

A personal introduction to my background in customer experience, my approach to email development, and the work you’ll find here.

Available for email development roles

A personal introduction

Placeholder video. Joshua’s introduction is coming soon.

3Email formats
4Responsive methods
12+Years in customer experience

From build to send, with the customer in view.

Technical production, lifecycle thinking, and the operational discipline required to ship accurate campaigns.

01

Build

  • HTML email
  • Responsive email design
  • Campaign production
  • Modular templates
  • Email testing
02

Lifecycle

  • Lifecycle marketing
  • Customer journeys
  • Audience segmentation
  • Retention strategy
  • Conversion strategy
03

Systems

  • CRM workflows
  • Marketing automation
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Zendesk
  • Help Scout
  • Intercom
04

Operations

  • Quality assurance
  • Documentation
  • Cross functional communication
  • Technical troubleshooting
  • Remote collaboration

BUILD · TEST · SEND

The email toolkit.

Markup, testing, and the platforms behind customer communication.

  • HTML
  • CSS
  • HubSpot
  • Klaviyo
  • Shopify
  • WordPress
  • Litmus
  • MJML
  • Email development

A track record measured in trust, retention, and revenue.

$4M+

Revenue supported through customer experience and relationship based sales

95%+

Customer satisfaction across thousands of multichannel interactions

25%

Reduction in resolution time through documentation and process improvements

Selected email work

Three messages.
Three different jobs.

Each concept uses a responsive approach chosen for its content, audience, and email client constraints.

01Editorial newsletter

Field Notes

A thoughtful weekly digest built to remain readable in clients that ignore media queries.

Responsive strategyHybrid and spongy
  • Fluid tables
  • Ghost columns
  • Mobile stacking
  • Dark mode aware
View full email
02Transactional email

Order confirmed

A clear confirmation flow that puts order status, delivery details, and support within easy reach.

Responsive strategyFluid
  • 100% fluid shell
  • Scannable hierarchy
  • Accessible contrast
  • Touch safe actions
View full email
03Promotional campaign

The Autumn Release

A product launch composed for high visual impact on desktop with deliberate mobile reflow.

Responsive strategyResponsive fixed width
  • 600px desktop canvas
  • Responsive breakpoint
  • Retina imagery
  • Bulletproof CTA
View full email
All email work

Learning & building

The road ahead.

Five phases of deeper email and lifecycle practice. Each pairs a learning goal with something to build. All learning goals and credentials below are planned.

  1. Phase 01Start here · Planned

    Email quality

    Start with the message itself. Build stronger habits around email design, accessibility, testing, and delivery.

    Learning goals

    What I’ll build

    A reusable email system

    Build responsive templates with readable source, accessibility checks, and documented testing.

  2. Phase 02Planned

    Lifecycle platforms

    Connect the message to the customer journey, from a first signup to nurture, purchase, and retention.

    Learning goals

    What I’ll build

    A commerce lifecycle

    Map consent, segments, welcome messages, recovery, purchase exits, and retention in a Shopify and Klaviyo project.

  3. Phase 03Planned

    Measurement

    Make the journey measurable. Connect customer actions to useful events, reports, and implementation checks.

    Learning goals

    What I’ll build

    A measurement plan

    Define events, test tags, and document the path from signup through conversion in a reporting project.

  4. Phase 04Planned

    Connected workflows

    Choose one automation platform first, then apply the same API, event, and error handling principles across tools.

    Learning goals

    What I’ll build

    A lead follow up journey

    Map a Light Code Labs inquiry through discovery, follow up, and onboarding. Define consent, handoffs, and exit rules.

  5. Phase 05Planned

    Platform depth

    Broaden platform fluency after the core projects. Add advanced credentials when real account access supports the work.

    Learning goals

    What I’ll build

    Platform evidence

    Document working segments, workflows, campaign setup, and reporting in the platform used for each project.

Swipe, use the arrows, or scroll to explore the phases.

Supporting technical study HTML, CSS, Playwright & MJML

HTML and CSS

Strengthen responsive layout and accessible markup.

Playwright

Practice repeatable browser checks for email previews.

MJML

Explore reusable email components and generated markup.

Google Search Console

Study indexing and search reporting for campaign destinations.

Experience · 2008 to today

Customer insight is part of the build.

From direct sales and hospitality to customer experience and email development.

  1. Jan 2008 to Feb 2011

    Live Sales Representative and Product Demonstrator

    CUTCO Cutlery · On site

    Developed an early foundation in direct communication, product storytelling, and relationship based sales.

    • Generated more than $180,000 in sales revenue with a 65% average close rate, ranking in the top 10% of the regional team.
    • Exceeded monthly sales targets by 40% through strategic customer engagement and relationship building.
    • Secured more than 150 customer referrals and reduced the average sales cycle from three weeks to ten days.

  2. Mar 2011 to Nov 2022

    Hospitality Sales and Service Specialist

    Salishan Coastal Lodge by SCP Hotels · On site

    Built a long record of revenue growth, customer care, and team training in premium hospitality.

    • Generated more than $3.2 million in food and beverage revenue through premium recommendations and exceptional guest experiences.
    • Achieved upsell rates four to five times higher than the team average while maintaining 96% guest satisfaction.
    • Converted 85% of service escalations into positive experiences and helped build a strong base of repeat guests.
    • Trained and mentored more than 50 hospitality professionals in customer psychology, conflict resolution, and service standards.

  3. Jan 2023 to Jan 2025

    Remote Sales Closer and Customer Experience Specialist

    doTERRA · Remote

    Used customer insight, documentation, and structured follow up to support revenue and retention.

    • Generated more than $875,000 in sales revenue with a 20% to 40% close rate on offers from $1,000 to $5,000+.
    • Achieved 85% customer retention and converted 60% of support interactions into additional sales opportunities.
    • Reduced inbound support volume by 20% through comprehensive FAQ and knowledge base content.
    • Built long term relationships with more than 200 recurring clients, contributing to a 40% repeat business rate.

  4. Jan 2025 to Jun 2026

    Customer Service Specialist

    Overland Sheepskin Co. · Hybrid

    Managed high care customer communication across a premium retail experience.

    • Maintained 95%+ customer satisfaction across 2,500+ interactions with a 90%+ retention rate.
    • Managed more than $150,000 in VIP and high net worth client orders, including bespoke fittings and personalized consultations.
    • Reduced ticket resolution time by 25% and repeat inquiries by 30% through process improvements.
    • Supported $75,000+ in additional sales revenue through thoughtful recommendations during peak seasons.

  5. Mar 2026 to present

    Co-Founder

    Light Code Labs · Fairfield, Iowa

    Connect marketing systems, customer communication, and follow up workflows to measurable business outcomes.

    • Support responsive HTML email, campaign production, CRM workflows, segmentation, quality assurance, lifecycle marketing, and marketing automation.
    • Collaborate across marketing, sales, support, and operations to improve customer experience, retention, and conversion.
    • Translate customer needs and business goals into clear campaign and lifecycle communication.

Let’s talk about your team.

A 20 minute introduction about the role, your team, and the email or marketing automation work you need.

Book an intro call