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Jacob Gaffney
Principal and Co-Founder at Gaffney Austin
Professional Background
Jacob Gaffney is a well-respected professional in the field of content coordination and communications, with a particular expertise in brand building. With a career spanning several years, Jacob has developed a robust portfolio that showcases his depth of knowledge and skill in the industry. His work has allowed him to establish a reputation as not only a proficient content coordinator but also as a thought leader, frequently appearing on esteemed platforms such as Fox Business, CNN, and the popular podcasts, Lykken on Lending, Mortgage Marketing Expert, and the Massive Agent podcasts. Jacob's personable nature and insightful contributions make him a sought-after speaker and contributor within the industry.
Currently, Jacob serves as the Principal and Co-Founder at Gaffney Austin, where he plays a crucial role in driving the firm's vision and strategy. Over the years, he has honed his ability to effectively communicate complex information and create engaging content that resonates with various audiences, particularly in the financial and mortgage markets. His dedication to excellence has led to numerous noteworthy achievements throughout his career.
Education and Achievements
Jacob's educational background laid a strong foundation for his career in communications and media. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Drama and Communications from Loyola University New Orleans, where he developed his passion for storytelling and effective communication. His time at Loyola equipped him with the skills necessary to succeed in high-pressure environments and deliver compelling narratives.
In addition to his formal education, Jacob's professional journey has been marked by a series of influential roles. He began his career as a Reporter at Wine Spectator, where he learned the importance of precision and clarity in reporting. He then transitioned to the role of Assignment Editor/Producer at ABC, further building his expertise in news production and editorial standards.
Jacob's time at United Paramount Network (UPN) as a Producer allowed him to delve into the world of television production, where he played a vital role in bringing engaging content to audiences. His experience in diverse media environments, including his position as Corresponding Editor at SourceMedia and Deputy Editor at Thomson Reuters, has equipped him with the versatility and adaptability necessary to excel in the ever-evolving communications landscape.
Perhaps most notably, Jacob served as the Editor in Chief at HousingWire, where he was instrumental in shaping the publication's content strategy and editorial direction. His leadership at HousingWire greatly contributed to the platform's reputation as a trusted source in the housing and mortgage industry.
Achievements
Jacob Gaffney's career is marked by numerous achievements that underscore his expertise and commitment to excellence in communications. As a co-founder of Gaffney Austin, he continues to innovate and push boundaries in the field, fostering a culture of collaboration and creativity. His work has consistently garnered recognition from peers and industry leaders alike.
Throughout his tenure in the media sector, Jacob has cultivated a rich network of industry relationships, which has proven invaluable in his efforts to enhance brand visibility and audience engagement. He leverages his extensive experience to mentor emerging professionals in the field, sharing insights and guidance that inspire a new generation of communicators.
In conclusion, Jacob Gaffney is a dynamic and accomplished professional with a truly impressive background in communications, content coordination, and brand building. His educational background, innovative drive, and leadership capabilities position him as a notable figure in the industry, making significant contributions that benefit both his clients and the broader community.
Tags
content coordination
communications expert
brand building
media professional
Fox Business
CNN appearances
podcast guest
Gaffney Austin
HousingWire
editorial direction
content strategy
Thomson Reuters
wine reporting
television producer
Location
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.