You know that scene in a coming-of-age movie where a college kid is buried under textbooks, energy-drink cans, and big dreams? That’s practically Ryan Bryden—except in real life, he’s also running two outbound agencies (yeah, TWO - because apparently sleep is optional when you're 21).
Between classes (and probably during some boring lectures too), Ryan started messing around with different business ideas. Some worked, some crashed and burned - you know how it goes.
The end result - he’s now running Breakout Creatives (focused on scaling sales for B2B software companies) and Apex Ascension (helping founders raise money). But does he manage all this?
In this case study, we’ll explore Ryan’s journey from curious undergrad to a cold email entrepreneur, showing how Ryan maximised Smartlead.ai to turn his hectic days into a launchpad for impressive results.
From “What’s Next?” to “Let’s Try Everything”
Ryan’s journey started between his second and third year of university. He was itching to build something online—he just didn’t know what. So he tried a bunch of things, from random side hustles to connecting with coaching programs like Client Ascension. Most of it was trial-and-error, with a dash of chaotic creativity. Finally, it clicked: he loved copywriting and outbound sales.
But there's a catch. Doing outbound well requires more than good writing. Deliverability. Data management. Workflow automation. And, let’s be honest, the stamina to keep going even when life is busy. Ryan needed a platform that could handle the technical side so he could focus on what he did best: crafting messages that speak to people.
Two Agencies, One Overloaded Calendar
Why run one agency when you can run two? For Ryan, the dual focus was a no-brainer. Breakout Creatives tackles B2B software companies—those looking to supercharge their sales funnel but often swamped by new marketing tech. Apex Ascension, on the other hand, helps healthcare founders (usually around Series A) connect with the right investors.
If that sounds like a lot to juggle, it is. Different industries, different outreach angles, different messaging styles. Ryan needed an automation system that could be flexible, quick to adapt, and easy on the eyes (and nerves).
Smartlead Solution: Simple Integrations for Big Ideas
“We’ve Never Used Anything Else”
Ryan recalls hearing about Smartlead from a bunch of people in the outbound community, so he gave it a whirl. And that was that. “From day one, we’ve never used anything else,” he says. It became the backbone for both of his agencies.
What hooked him? Easability. (That’s right—no overblown corporate jargon here.) He wanted something that let him scale fast, tinker with the details, and get real-time feedback on campaign performance. Smartlead checked all those boxes, plus some.
Working With The API
Let’s be real: the word “API” might make some folks doze off. But if you’re handling multiple campaigns at once—verifying leads, sending drip sequences, routing replies—the ability to connect various apps seamlessly is huge. Ryan specifically praises how Smartlead’s API helps him “send data back and forth really, really easily,” cutting down busywork and letting him tweak campaigns at lightning speed.
That might sound like a small detail, but it’s actually the difference between frantic manual data entry and a smooth, automated pipeline. When you’re a busy college student also building two agencies? Every second counts.
Results & Business Impact: Numbers That Speak Volumes
- Topping 60% Positive Reply Rates
Yes, you read that right—over 60% positive replies on some campaigns. Granted, these are likely laser-focused outreach efforts, but they still show what can happen when personalization, good copy, and deliverability come together in harmony. High response rates mean more leads, more revenue, and more confidence in your process.
- A $2.5 Million Funding Round
On the Apex Ascension side, Ryan’s team helped a healthcare founder close a $2.5 million round of funding. Imagine going from a pitch deck to millions in the bank—courtesy of well-executed cold email. That’s no small feat. It’s also a testament to the fact that when your outreach actually lands in the right inbox, big opportunities can follow.
- Above-and-Beyond Reply Rates
Even for broader campaigns, Ryan mentions seeing 13–14% reply rates. Now, 13% might not sound sky-high compared to 60%, but in a world where busy professionals dodge unwanted emails like the plague, it’s pretty darn good. And remember, it’s all about consistency over time. Sustained double-digit reply rates mean a steady influx of conversations and possibilities.
Learnings Shared By Ryan
1. A Touch of Lag Here and There
Nobody’s perfect. Smartlead sometimes gets a bit clunky or slow, especially if you’re uploading a large contact list or renaming campaigns on the fly. Ryan admits he occasionally needs to refresh the platform to see updated info. Minor hiccup? Yes. Deal-breaker? Definitely not. The advantages easily outweigh any slight lag.
2. Wishing for a CRM “Add-On”
Ryan dreams of a future where Smartlead might offer a built-in CRM feature—something to track those positive replies all the way through a sales funnel or fundraising pipeline. Imagine never switching tabs between your emailing platform and your CRM again. For smaller teams especially, that could be a game-changer.
3. Balancing Hustle and Sanity
It’s easy to forget Ryan is also a full-time student. Handling the late-night study sessions and 7 a.m. client calls isn’t for the faint-hearted. A big part of making it work is finding tools that free up mental space rather than draining it. Smartlead’s intuitive workflow helps with that, letting him be agile without losing track.
Mastering Outbound—Even with a Busy Life
Ryan’s story might seem like a Cinderella tale for college entrepreneurs, but it’s also a roadmap for anyone wanting to boost cold email results. The moral? If you can pair good old-fashioned hustle with a platform that streamlines deliverability and automation, you can scale to levels you never imagined—whether you’re building a B2B pipeline or helping founders secure millions in funding.
Want to see if Smartlead can power your own high-reply campaigns?
Click here to explore how it could simplify your outreach and help you replicate (or even surpass) Ryan’s success. Sometimes, the only thing between you and that next major win is a tool that keeps your emails out of spam.
Author’s Details
Nitish Chauhan
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Frequently asked questions
What is Smartlead's cold email outreach software?
Smartlead's cold email outreach tool helps businesses scale their outreach efforts seamlessly. With unlimited mailboxes, fully automated email warmup functionality, a multi-channel infrastructure, and a user-friendly unibox, it empowers users to manage their entire revenue cycle in one place. Whether you're looking to streamline cold email campaigns with automated email warmups, personalization fields, automated mailbox rotation, easy integrations, and spintax, improve productivity, or enhance scalability with subsequences based on lead’s intentions, automated replies, and full white-label experience, our cold email tool implifies it in a single solution.
What is Smartlead, and how can it enhance my cold email campaigns?
Smartlead is a robust cold emailing software designed to transform cold emails into reliable revenue streams. Trusted by over 31,000 businesses, Smartlead excels in email deliverability, lead generation, cold email automation, and sales outreach. A unified master inbox streamlines communication management, while built-in email verification reduces bounce rates.
Additionally, Smartlead offers essential tools such as CNAME, SPF Checker, DMARC Checker, Email Verifier, Blacklist Check Tool, and Email Bounce Rate Calculator for optimizing email performance.
How does the "unlimited mailboxes" feature benefit me?
Our "unlimited mailboxes" feature allows you to expand your email communications without restrictions imposed by a mailbox limit. This means you won't be constrained by artificial caps on the number of mailboxes you can connect and use. This feature makes Smartlead the best cold email software and empowers you to reach a wider audience, engage with more potential customers, and manage diverse email campaigns effectively.
How does Smartlead as a cold emailing tool can automate the cold email process?
Smartlead’s robust cold email API and automation infrastructure streamline outbound communication by transforming the campaign creation and management processes. It seamlessly integrates data across software systems using APIs and webhooks, adjusts settings, and leverages AI for personalised content.
The cold emailing tool categorises lead intent, offers comprehensive email management with automated notifications, and integrates smoothly with CRMs like Zapier, Make, N8N, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive. Smartlead supports scalable outreach by rapidly adding mailboxes and drip-feeding leads into active campaigns Sign Up Now!
What do you mean by "unibox to handle your entire revenue cycle"?
The "unibox" is one of the unique features of Smartlead cold email outreach tool, and it's a game-changer when it comes to managing your revenue cycle. The master inbox or the unibox consolidates all your outreach channels, responses, sales follow-ups, and conversions into one centralized, user-friendly mailbox.
With the "unibox," you gain the ability to:
1. Focus on closing deals: You can now say goodbye to the hassle of logging into multiple mailboxes to search for replies. The "unibox" streamlines your sales communication, allowing you to focus on what matters most—closing deals.
2. Centralized lead management: All your leads are managed from one central location, simplifying lead tracking and response management. This ensures you take advantage of every opportunity and efficiently engage with your prospects.
3. Maintain context: The "unibox" provides a 360-degree view of all your customer messages, allowing you to maintain context and deliver more personalized and effective responses.
How does Smartlead ensure my emails don't land in the spam folder?
Smartlead, the best cold email marketing tool, ensures your emails reach the intended recipients' primary inbox rather than the spam folder.
Here's how it works:
1. Our "unlimited warmups" feature is designed to build and maintain a healthy sending reputation for your cold email outreach. Instead of sending a large volume of emails all at once, which can trigger spam filters, we gradually ramp up your sending volume. This gradual approach, combined with positive email interactions, helps boost your email deliverability rates.
2. We deploy high-deliverability IP servers specific to each campaign.
3. The ‘Warmup’ feature replicates humanized email sending patterns, spintax, and smart replies.
4. By establishing a positive sender reputation and gradually increasing the number of sent emails, Smartlead minimizes the risk of your emails being flagged as spam. This way, you can be confident that your messages will consistently land in the primary inbox, increasing the likelihood of engagement and successful communication with your recipients.
Can Smartlead help improve my email deliverability rates?
Yes, our cold emailing software is designed to significantly improve your email deliverability rates. It enhances email deliverability through AI-powered email warmups across providers, unique IP rotating for each campaign, and dynamic ESP matching.
Real-time AI learning refines strategies based on performance, optimizing deliverability without manual adjustments. Smartlead's advanced features and strategies are designed to improve email deliverability rates, making it a robust choice for enhancing cold email campaign success.
What features does Smartlead offer for cold email personalisation?
Smartlead enhances cold email personalisation through advanced AI-driven capabilities and strategic integrations. Partnered with Clay, The cold remaining software facilitates efficient lead list building, enrichment from over 50 data providers, and real-time scraping for precise targeting. Hyper-personalised cold emails crafted in Clay seamlessly integrate with Smartlead campaigns.
Moreover, Smartlead employs humanised, natural email interactions and smart replies to boost engagement and response rates. Additionally, the SmartAI Bot creates persona-specific, high-converting sales copy. Also you can create persona-specific, high-converting sales copy using SmartAI Bot. You can train the AI bot to achieve 100% categorisation accuracy, optimising engagement and conversion rates.
Can I integrate Smartlead with other tools I'm using?
Certainly, Smartlead cold email tool is designed for seamless integration with a wide range of tools and platforms. Smartlead offers integration with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Clay, Listkit, and more. You can leverage webhooks and APIs to integrate the tools you use. Try Now!
Is Smartlead suitable for both small businesses and large enterprises?
Smartlead accommodates both small businesses and large enterprises with flexible pricing and comprehensive features. The Basic Plan at $39/month suits small businesses and solopreneurs, offering 2000 active leads and 6000 monthly emails, alongside essential tools like unlimited email warm-up and detailed analytics.
Marketers and growing businesses benefit from the Pro Plan ($94/month), with 30000 active leads and 150000 monthly emails, plus a custom CRM and active support. Lead generation agencies and large enterprises can opt for the Custom Plan ($174/month), providing up to 12 million active lead credits and 60 million emails, with advanced CRM integration and customisation options.
What type of businesses sees the most success with Smartlead?
No, there are no limitations on the number of channels you can utilize with Smartlead. Our cold email tool offers a multi-channel infrastructure designed to be limitless, allowing you to reach potential customers through multiple avenues without constraints.
This flexibility empowers you to diversify your cold email outreach efforts, connect with your audience through various communication channels, and increase your chances of conversion. Whether email, social media, SMS, or other communication methods, Smartlead's multi-channel capabilities ensure you can choose the channels that best align with your outreach strategy and business goals. This way, you can engage with your prospects effectively and maximize the impact of your email outreach.
How can Smartlead integrate with my existing CRM and other tools?
Smartlead is the cold emailing tool that facilitates seamless integration with existing CRM systems and other tools through robust webhook and API infrastructure. This setup ensures real-time data synchronisation and automated processes without manual intervention. Integration platforms like Zapier, Make, and N8N enable effortless data exchange between Smartlead and various applications, supporting tasks such as lead information syncing and campaign status updates. Additionally, it offers native integrations with major CRM platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive, enhancing overall lead management capabilities and workflow efficiency. Try Now!
Do you provide me with lead sources?
No. Smartlead distinguishes itself from other cold email outreach software by focusing on limitless scalability and seamless integration. While many similar tools restrict your outreach capabilities, Smartlead offers a different approach.
Here's what makes us uniquely the best cold email software:
1. Unlimited Mailboxes: In contrast to platforms that limit mailbox usage, Smartlead provides unlimited mailboxes. This means you can expand your outreach without any arbitrary constraints.
2. Unique IP Servers: Smartlead offers unique IP servers for every campaign it sends out.
3. Sender Reputation Protection: Smartlead protects your sender reputation by auto-moving emails from spam folders to the primary inbox. This tool uses unique identifiers to cloak all warmup emails from being recognized by automation parsers.
4. Automated Warmup: Smartlead’s warmup functionality enhances your sender reputation and improves email deliverability by maintaining humanised email sending patterns and ramping up the sending volume.
How secure is my data with Smartlead?
Ensuring the security of your data is Smartlead's utmost priority. We implement robust encryption methods and stringent security measures to guarantee the continuous protection of your information. Your data's safety is paramount to us, and we are always dedicated to upholding the highest standards of security.
How can I get started with Smartlead?
Getting started with Smartlead is straightforward! Just head over to our sign-up page and follow our easy step-by-step guide. If you ever have any questions or need assistance, our round-the-clock support team is ready to help, standing by to provide you with any assistance you may require. Sign Up Now!
How can I reach the Smartlead team?
We're here to assist you! You can easily get in touch with our dedicated support team on chat. We strive to provide a response within 24 hours to address any inquiries or concerns you may have. You can also reach out to us at support@smartlead.ai
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