How Xavier uses Fastmail to customize his inbox

There are endless possibilities for how you can customize your Fastmail inbox to make email yours. Xavier, a Global Operations Director at Baldwin, gets the most out of his email account by using Fastmail Identities, Aliases, and Masked Email!

Your email is where every part of your life collides: business, personal life, finances, family, and more. Whatever your email needs, Fastmail supports them with superior productivity features and a customizable inbox. Learn how Fastmail users make the most of their inbox!

What are your favorite Fastmail features, and what purpose do you use them for?

I use different identities in my mailbox that I associate with aliases. This feature allows me to manage my emails by theme: IT, Trading-Finance, Real Estate, etc. Combined with my private domain, this function also allows me to uphold a very professional image with my colleagues and clients. It is so easy to set up a new address, and you can create one as soon as you identify a new theme! Having 6 or 8 different “channels” really helps me to be much more efficient.

How do you set it/maintain your workflow?

I’ve been a fan of David Allen’s Get Things Done (GTD) productivity method for years, and when I go through my inbox, I immediately put the mails in particular Folders: To Do, Wait, Delegate To, Projects, To Read, Maybe. This process is quite manual, but the different aliases offered by Fastmail allow me to organize and navigate to the folders quickly.

Also, I use the Custom Swipe function to move the mails in the “To Do”, and “Wait” folders, which are the folders I use the most. Thus, I can swiftly process my messages from my iPhone during idle times, like waiting at the doctor. These features save me so much time.

How have you changed the way you use email since you started using Fastmail?

I’ve been using 1Password for a few years now, and the Masked Email feature that Fastmail has created in partnership with 1Password is absolutely amazing. When I need to create an account with an internet service, I no longer have the anxiety of knowing if they are going to sell my email address and potentially inundate me with advertising emails that I don’t need. I know that I will be able to identify very easily from which address it comes and delete it, which will stop those advertising emails instantly! It’s also great to have a password manager that securely stores my passwords and works seamlessly with all my accounts and browsers.

Do you use color in your workflow?

I use colors for each Inbox corresponding to a different identity. This helps me not to forget one when I process my emails. This is especially useful on an iPhone, as the screen is much smaller than a normal monitor and the colors are very eye-catching.

I also use the colors in my Calendar, and they are the same as my folders. For example, a doctor’s appointment will have the same color as the one I use for the “Health” folder.

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