Carlos Ascanio
Customer Success Manager
Carlos leads Client Success at The Forge, where he combines technical precision with real empathy for the sales grind. He’s the person customers call when they want to go from setup to results - fast. With nearly a decade of experience in CS, support, and account management, Carlos understands the pain points and potential of cold outreach at scale. His writing is practical, clear, and always focused on impact - whether he’s comparing lead gen platforms, walking through AI-powered prospecting workflows, or outlining how to run placement tests the right way. At The Forge, he’s a trusted advisor to clients navigating infrastructure setup, mailbox management, and automation optimization - ensuring they don’t just use the tools, but win with them.
Tutorials & Guides
SMTP Ports Explained: Which One to Use
Compare SMTP ports 25, 465, 587, and 2525; learn which to use for secure, reliable email submission and when to pick fallbacks or legacy options.
Tutorials & Guides
How DMARC Updates Affect Cold Email
Stricter DMARC rules now block non-compliant cold emails, hurt domain reputation, and require SPF/DKIM/DMARC setup plus warming and monitoring.
Tutorials & Guides
Cold Email KPIs: Deliverability Metrics to Track
Track inbox placement, delivery, bounce and spam complaint rates to protect sender reputation and improve cold email ROI.
Tutorials & Guides
How Bounce Rates Affect Sender Reputation
High bounce rates damage sender reputation, prompt ISP penalties or blacklisting, and lower deliverability—good list hygiene and solid infrastructure prevent this.
Tutorials & Guides
Cold Email Compliance: Avoiding Legal Risks
Avoid fines and deliverability loss: comply with CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and CASL—verify lists, use one-click unsubscribe, and record consent.
Tutorials & Guides
Ultimate Guide to SMTP for Cold Email Campaigns
Practical SMTP guide for cold outreach: configure SPF, DKIM, DMARC, use TLS on Port 587, warm up IPs, automate DNS, and scale deliverability.
Tutorials & Guides
SPF, DKIM, DMARC: Impact on Cold Email Success
How SPF, DKIM, and DMARC boost cold email deliverability—improving inbox placement, reducing bounces, and raising open/reply rates with setup tips.
Cold Email
Mailbox Integration for High-Volume Cold Emails
Distribute sends across many authenticated mailboxes and automate DNS to protect deliverability and scale cold email cheaply.
Cold Email
AI Multichannel Outreach: Best Practices
Personalized, well-timed AI multichannel outreach backed by clean data, proper domain setup, and dynamic cadences outperforms single-channel spam.
Privacy & Security
Cold Email Security: Trusted Providers' Role
Top providers and specialized platforms secure cold outreach with SPF, DKIM, DMARC, TLS encryption, domain isolation, and gradual warmup to protect deliverability.
.jpg)
Reviews
Mission Inbox Review: Does It Really Improve Email Deliverability?
Read the full Mission Inbox Review, see if it truly improves email deliverability, how it works, what sets it apart from other tools, its real pros and cons, and whether it’s worth choosing.
Email Deliverability
IP Rotation Checklist for Cold Email Success
Step-by-step IP rotation for cold email: plan volume, warm up IPs, configure SPF/DKIM/DMARC, rotate domains, and monitor deliverability.
.jpg)
Reviews
Microsoft Outlook Reviews: Deliverability, Limits & Setup for Cold Email
Wondering if Microsoft Outlook is good for cold email? This in-depth Outlook review covers real deliverability performance, daily sending limits, setup steps, and better alternative.
Privacy & Security
Email Compliance for Bulk Senders: Guide 2025
Learn essential compliance strategies for bulk email senders in 2025, including authentication protocols, spam management, and legal requirements.
Tutorials & Guides
How To Monitor Email Deliverability Metrics
Learn how to effectively monitor email deliverability metrics to ensure your messages reach inboxes and improve campaign performance.
Email Deliverability
How Text-to-Image Ratio Affects Spam Filters
Learn how the text-to-image ratio impacts email deliverability and sender reputation, and discover best practices for optimizing your campaigns.
Email Deliverability
How Domain Rotation Improves Email Deliverability
Learn how domain rotation enhances email deliverability by improving sender reputation, reducing spam risks, and ensuring effective outreach.
Email Infrastructure
Bulk Domain Management for Cold Email Campaigns
Learn how bulk domain management can enhance cold email campaigns by safeguarding your reputation and improving deliverability.
Cold Email
How Domain Reputation Impacts Cold Email Success
Understanding domain reputation is crucial for cold email success, affecting deliverability, engagement, and overall campaign effectiveness.
.jpg)
Reviews
We Analyzed 200+ Saleshandy Reviews: Here’s Our Findings
Considering Saleshandy for cold email outreach in 2025? Discover its features, pricing, pros & cons, user reviews, and how it compares to better deliverability-focused alternatives like Mailforge.
Email Infrastructure
Scaling Mailboxes for High-Volume Outreach
Learn how to scale your mailbox infrastructure for high-volume email outreach while maintaining deliverability and sender reputation.
DNS Setup
How DNS Automation Simplifies Cold Email Scaling
Learn how DNS automation enhances cold email scaling, streamlining DNS management and improving email deliverability across multiple domains.
Email Deliverability
How MX Records Impact Email Deliverability
Learn how properly configured MX records influence email deliverability and sender reputation, and discover best practices for management.
Email Deliverability
How To Monitor Email Deliverability At Scale
Learn effective strategies to monitor email deliverability at scale, ensuring your emails reach inboxes and maintain a strong sender reputation.
Email Infrastructure
How to Set Up Secondary Domains for Cold Email
Learn how to set up secondary domains for cold email campaigns to protect your primary domain and enhance email deliverability.
Email Infrastructure
Domain Masking vs. Domain Forwarding
Explore the differences between domain masking and domain forwarding, and discover their impacts on SEO, user experience, and cold email campaigns.
DNS Setup
SPF Record Setup for Cold Email Deliverability
Learn how to set up SPF records to enhance cold email deliverability and protect your sender reputation from spam filters.
Email Deliverability
How Email Volume Impacts Deliverability
Understanding how email volume affects deliverability is crucial for ensuring your messages reach inboxes instead of spam folders.
Email Deliverability
How Sender Score Affects Cold Email Campaigns
Learn how your sender score can impact cold email deliverability and engagement, and discover strategies to improve your email campaigns.
Privacy & Security
How Apple Mail Privacy Impacts Cold Email Tracking
Learn how Apple's Mail Privacy Protection impacts cold email tracking, leading to inflated open rates and a shift towards more reliable engagement metrics.
Email Deliverability
How Open Rate Tracking Can HURT Your Email Deliverability
Open rate tracking can sabotage email deliverability by inflating metrics and triggering spam filters. Learn effective alternatives for engagement.
DNS Setup
Cold Email DNS Setup: Step-by-Step Instructions
Learn how to set up your DNS for cold emailing to enhance deliverability, protect your domain, and ensure successful outreach.
Email Deliverability
How Blacklists Impact Cold Email Campaigns
Email blacklists can severely impact cold email campaigns, leading to poor deliverability and lost revenue. Learn how to avoid and fix these issues.
Email Deliverability
Common Email Deliverability Issues and Fixes
Learn about common email deliverability issues and effective fixes to ensure your emails reach inboxes, not spam folders.
Cold Email
Average Cold Email Response Rates 2025
Explore the trends in cold email response rates for 2025, highlighting the importance of personalization, targeting, and deliverability.
Email Deliverability
How Engagement Metrics Affect Domain Reputation
Engagement metrics like open rates and replies significantly impact domain reputation, affecting email deliverability and inbox placement.
Tutorials & Guides
Ultimate Guide to A/B Testing Cold Emails in 2025
Learn the essentials of A/B testing cold emails in 2025 to enhance engagement and improve outreach strategies effectively.
.jpg)
Email Infrastructure
Custom Tracking Domain: What Is It and How Does It Work? (2025 Guide)
Learn how custom tracking domains boost email trust, click rates, and inboxing in 2025. Setup steps, real data, and tools to automate the process.
Tutorials & Guides
How to Set Up Custom Domains for Cold Email
Learn how to set up custom domains for cold emails to enhance deliverability, protect your main domain, and comply with email laws.
Email Infrastructure
How to Manage Domains for Cold Email Outreach
Learn effective strategies for managing domains in cold email outreach to enhance deliverability and protect your brand's reputation.
Email Deliverability
How Bulk Email Tools Improve Deliverability
Explore how bulk email tools enhance deliverability, tackling technical challenges and improving sender reputation for better inbox placement.
Email Deliverability
How to Avoid Email Going To Spam
Learn essential strategies to improve email deliverability and avoid the spam folder, including authentication, content tips, and sender reputation management.
DNS Setup
Automated DNS Setup for Cold Email Domains
Automated DNS setup streamlines cold email campaigns by ensuring accurate configuration of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for better deliverability.
Email Infrastructure
Common Cold Email Infrastructure Problems Solved
Learn how to solve common cold email infrastructure issues to improve deliverability, avoid spam traps, and enhance your email marketing success.
Tutorials & Guides
7 Outlook Alternatives and Competitors Tested By 100+ Users
Tired of Outlook slowing you down? Discover 7 real alternatives tested by 100+ users — and find the best tool to scale your outreach, sales, and email workflow.