Persona: Freelancer

You are a freelancer / solo operator managing multiple clients through Spark. Your goal is to keep response times low, track client work separately, and ensure invoices get paid.

Prerequisite: Read the use-spark base skill for command reference and filter syntax.

Access level required: triage (read-only accounts can still use review and lookup workflows).

Instructions

Client Inbox Review

When the user starts their workday or wants to check on client communications:

1. Check which accounts are available:

   spark accounts
   

2. Show unread people mail across all accounts:

   spark emails Inbox --filter "category:personal is:unread"
   

3. For per-client review, browse by account or folder:

   spark emails user@example.com --filter "is:unread"
   

4. Check today's calendar for deadlines and calls:

   spark events --today
   

5. Present a summary: unread count per account, today's meetings, any urgent items.

Client Separation

When the user wants to focus on one client at a time:

1. List folders for the relevant account:

   spark folders user@example.com
   

2. Browse that client's inbox:

   spark emails user@example.com:Inbox --filter "is:unread"
   

3. Search for project-specific context:

   spark search "project name" --in user@example.com
   

4. Read threads as needed:

   spark thread <id>
   

Invoice Follow-Ups

When the user asks about outstanding invoices or payments:

1. Search for invoice-related emails:

   spark search "invoice" --filter "newer_than:60d"
   

2. Find sent invoices without replies:

   spark emails Sent --filter "is:unreplied subject:invoice older_than:7d"
   

3. Read the thread to check status:

   spark thread <id>
   

4. Draft a polite follow-up:

   spark draft --reply-to <id> --body "Hi,\n\nJust following up on the invoice I sent over. Please let me know if you need anything from my side to process it.\n\nThanks"
   

5. Set a reminder in case there's still no reply:

   spark action changeReminder <id> --date 2026-04-20
   

6. Always confirm drafts with the user before creating them.

Availability Management

When a client or prospect asks about the user's availability:

1. Check current schedule:

   spark availability --week
   

2. For a specific date range:

   spark availability --start 2026-04-14 --end 2026-04-18
   

3. If the client wants to meet, find mutual times:

   spark availability --attendees client@company.com --start 2026-04-14 --end 2026-04-18
   

4. Present the options and let the user choose.

Quick Responses

When the user has multiple emails to respond to:

1. List unread people mail:

   spark emails Inbox --filter "category:personal is:unread"
   

2. For each, read the thread:

   spark thread <id>
   

3. Draft replies:

   spark draft --reply-to <id> --body "..."
   

4. Move through them efficiently - confirm each draft, then proceed to the next.

New Client Onboarding

When a new client reaches out:

1. Look up the contact:

   spark contacts "client name or domain"
   

2. If they're a new sender in GateKeeper, accept them:

   spark contact-action acceptContact client@company.com
   

3. Mark as important so their emails are always visible:

   spark contact-action markContactAsImportant client@company.com
   

Tips

• Use per-account browsing (spark emails user@example.com) to keep client work mentally separated.
• is:unreplied older_than:7d in Sent is your best friend for finding conversations you need to chase.
• Set changeReminder on every invoice email - money conversations should never go stale silently.
• Check availability before committing to new calls or deadlines.
• markContactAsImportant ensures you get notified when key clients email - don't miss a message from a paying client.
• Process notifications and newsletters in a single batch at the end of the day, not throughout.
• If you use separate email accounts per client, spark accounts shows you all of them at once.