Every month, Derek Keats sat down with a spreadsheet, a sigh, and a stubborn determination.
Not to write a book. Not to photograph a rare bird.
But to manually fix names, remove duplicates, and send emails – just to let people know about the next birding webinar he was hosting.
What should’ve been a quick task turned into a 2–3 hour job.
And then came a turning point.
A simple tool with powerful automation ‘Icegram Express’ that gave him those hours back.
Want to know what really happened?
Come let me tell you the whole story…
Who is Derek?
Dr. Derek Keats is a nature enthusiast with the curiosity of a scientist and the heart of a storyteller.
He’s been:
- A biology professor for 20+ years.
- A FinTech professional by day.
- A wildlife photographer with work featured in books, apps, and museums.
- And now, the co-founder of Learn-the-Birds.
Through Learn-the-Birds, Derek hosts free global webinars that connect bird lovers, educators, and conservationists. It’s a platform built on passion and it runs entirely on volunteer effort.
He also co-founded Kenga Publishing with his wife, where they publish children’s books about nature.
He is also active on socials:
What Were Derek’s Struggles?
“I just wanted to send a simple email. But first, I had to wrestle with Excel.”
Derek’s community at Learn-the-Birds was growing. Every month, bird lovers from around the world signed up for free webinars. That should’ve been exciting.
But behind the scenes, things weren’t so smooth.
Here’s what Derek had to do — every single month.
Export registration data
Without any integration, he had to export a CSV file filled with registrant details.
That file wasn’t neat or tidy. It had extra fields, odd characters, and inconsistent name formatting.
Clean the spreadsheet
Derek would open the file and begin his routine:
- Delete unnecessary fields (IP address, time zone, etc.)
- Remove duplicate entries
- Split full names into first name and surname
- Merge fields again using just a space, because that’s what Icegram needed
All manually. All by himself.
Import
Once the data was somewhat clean, Derek had to:
- Save the file again (hoping formatting didn’t break)
- Upload it
- Create a new campaign
- Design the email
- And only then – hit Send
The Problem Wasn’t Just Time
On paper, it sounds “manageable.” But in reality?
“It took me 2 to 3 hours every month just to prep the email list.”
This was on top of his full-time job.
This was supposed to be a volunteer project. But managing emails became a job of its own.
And the more people joined the webinars, the more tedious and error-prone the process got. If he missed a step, someone might not receive the next invite. Or worse – receive two.
How did Icegram express help?
Derek didn’t want to give up. Learn-the-Birds meant something. So he reached out to the team behind Icegram Express with a simple request:
“Can you help me connect WP Event Manager with Icegram? So I don’t have to do this all manually?”
The answer? Yes. Not just with advice – but with action.
A Custom Integration Was Built
The Icegram team created a workflow that connected WP Event Manager and Icegram Express.
Now:
- As soon as someone registers for a webinar
- They’re automatically added to the email list in Icegram Express
- No more exporting, editing, or uploading
- Emails go out automatically with built-in unsubscribe links
That’s saving more that 3 hours every time.
But the magic didn’t stop there. Derek also uses:
Newsletter duplication
He reuses old email templates to send updates every Monday. No need to start from scratch.
A cleaner dashboard
Over time, Icegram Express has become simpler and more intuitive—Derek finds it easy to navigate even as a busy user.
“It was a huge relief. That time just vanished from my routine.”
The impact?
| Area | Before using Icegram | After using Icegram |
|---|---|---|
| Time spent on email prep | 2–3 hours | 10 minutes |
| Manual errors | Common | Eliminated |
| Community engagement | Slowing | Increased |
| Workload | Growing | Automated |
| Mood | Frustrated | Focused & Free |
What Can Make Icegram Express a Win for a Photographer?
If you’re a photographer, creator, or nature educator, your focus should be on your craft—not spreadsheets.
Here’s how Icegram Express can help you too:
Visual Email Builder
Drag-and-drop. No coding. Just stunning, simple emails that match your brand or project vibe.
Say if you want to share new photo series or blog posts with your subscribers? Done in minutes.
Smart List Management
Segment your audience—send different updates to different people.
New registrants, existing followers, casual readers? You decide.
For example, you can send event reminders only to people who registered, and photo tips to newsletter readers.
Scheduled Campaigns
Plan your emails ahead. Going on a field trip for bird photography? Schedule your weekly update before you leave.
Performance Insights
See how many people opened, clicked, or unsubscribed.
Helps you fine-tune your content without guesswork.
Whether you’re managing a solo newsletter or running a small wildlife community, Icegram Express keeps things light and automated, just the way creators like it.
Why Would Derek Recommend Icegram?
Because it gave him more than just saved time.
“I now have the space to focus on birds, not backend tasks.”
And that’s the whole point.
Icegram Express helps volunteers, creators, and educators reclaim their time and stay connected with their audience without the overwhelm.
PS: If birds can migrate seamlessly across continents, your emails should at least flow smoothly across tools.
What Did Derek Say?
“This is my personal time. I still have a full-time job. So saving those hours matters to me a lot. Icegram’s integration saved me big time.”
Conclusion
Derek didn’t switch tools. He didn’t rebuild his tech stack.
He just asked a question and Icegram Express delivered a small, thoughtful integration that saved him hours.
So if you’re:
- Running webinars
- Juggling a passion project
- Or simply tired of manual email work…
Icegram Express might just be your answer too.