Meet the Switchback Email Team
The experts behind vacation rental email marketing success
At Switchback Email, we believe every great campaign starts with a great team. Our crew combines decades of experience in vacation rental marketing, design, client success, and email strategy—all with one shared goal: helping property managers grow through smarter, more effective email marketing.
From crafting high-performing guest communications to building automated workflows that drive bookings, our team knows the vacation rental industry inside and out. We’re not just marketers—we’re partners, collaborators, and trailblazers (with a little help from our mascot, Switch the Sasquatch).
Scroll down to meet the people behind the campaigns, the creativity, and the results.
RYAN
Founder | Campaign Visionary | Trail Seeker
AT WORK
Ryan has been shaping email strategies since 2006. After his start at Bluetent, he founded Switchback in 2021 to give vacation rental managers a smarter way to connect with guests. From advanced workflows to campaign optimization, Ryan lives at the intersection of data and creativity.
BEYOND THE DESK
Ryan calls Aspen home, where you’ll find him hiking mountain trails, wrangling his spirited Staffordshire Terrier, or caring for a 29-year-old red-eared slider. (Fun fact: he once played both the accordion and alto saxophone!)
JAY
Operations | Adventure Seeker | Family Guy
AT WORK
Jay’s path has been anything but ordinary. From fish biologist and golf pro to sales leader and VP of Operations at Bluetent, he’s built a career on adaptability and leadership. Now, as Operations Manager at Switchback, he keeps the team aligned and projects running smoothly.
BEYOND THE DESK
A Colorado native, Jay spends his free time outdoors with his wife, Maureen, and their two sons, Will and Roddy. Fishing, boating, or rafting—you’ll find Jay happiest on the water.
MEL
Relationship Builder | Service Pro | Cat Mom
AT WORK
With 20+ years in retail management, customer service, and client success, Mel knows how to build strong relationships that last. Before joining Switchback, she worked as Director of Client Success and Services in the vacation rental industry, guiding clients with strategy and support to help their businesses thrive.
BEYOND THE DESK
Mel lives for good stories and creative play—whether she’s curled up with a book, gaming (video or board), or crafting Lego masterpieces with her husband. She’s also Bronté the cat’s #1 fan.
SAM
Campaign Crafter | Automation Pro | Beach Explorer
AT WORK
With over five years of vacation rental marketing experience, Sam has worked with companies both big and small across the country. She brings deep expertise in email marketing and automation, helping clients connect with guests through thoughtful campaigns that drive results.
BEYOND THE DESK
When she’s not building email journeys, you’ll find Sam in the Outer Banks, soaking up the sun with her hound dog, Reuben—who never turns down a game of fetch on the beach.
ALICIA
Design Daydreamer | Pixel Wrangler | Shell Seeker
AT WORK
With nearly 20 years of design experience and 12 years in vacation rental marketing, Alicia brings a deep passion for design to everything she creates. She thrives on blending creative layouts with compelling copy—and loves seeing the real results that strong design can deliver. At Switchback, she focuses on both client projects and internal design and marketing.
BEYOND THE DESK
Based on Hatteras Island, Alicia loves beachcombing for seashells, sketching on her iPad, and tackling home renovation projects with her husband. When she’s not designing campaigns, she’s usually finding inspiration along the shoreline.
LAUREN
Email Architect | Fitness Enthusiast | Mountain Explorer
AT WORK
With 18+ years of experience in design, sales, and social media, Lauren specializes in building smart email strategies that connect with audiences. From campaign design to content development, she brings the perfect blend of creativity and strategy to every client project.
BEYOND THE DESK
Based in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Lauren stays on the move. She teaches group fitness, paddleboards, hikes, and explores in her camper van with her husband and their dog, Cooper.
HANNAH
Campaign Maestro | Organization Enthusiast | Cat Mom
AT WORK
Hannah brings 7+ years of marketing experience, with a background spanning hospitality, SaaS, and agency life. She’s an expert in campaign management, creative direction, social media strategy, and client communications—always focused on delivering measurable results.
BEYOND THE DESK
Home base is Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where she lives with her husband, Austin, and their cat, Luna. When she’s off-duty, you’ll find her reading, exploring the outdoors, or diving into her next home décor project.
SWITCH THE SASQUATCH
Brand Mascot | Path Finder | Click-Getter
AT WORK
You may not always see him at his desk (giant hands make typing tricky), but when Switch appears, creativity follows. His mysterious presence keeps campaigns fun, memorable, and just a little wild—exactly the way email marketing should be.
BEYOND THE DESK
Switch spends most of his free time avoiding blurry phone photos and hoarding s’mores. Few people catch a glimpse of Switch outside the office. Some say he’s deep in the woods, sketching out subject lines on tree bark. Others claim they’ve seen him leaving footprints across abandoned laptops. If you know where to find him, you’re probably already on his email list.