WorkFlow Email Action Issues

Let me try to ask this a manor that makes the most sense.

Scenario:  I am setting up a Drip marketing workflow to email a customer after they make a purchase (a cash sale is completed).  Simple enough...I have the conditions and everything is working fine, except for the email it's self.

Issues:  There two main issues that I can't seem to figure out.

The main issue is that I can not get the customer's name to show up in the email when using an HTML template with the CRMSDK tags (<NLFIRSTNAME>) - it just prints a blank.   The email works fine, there is just no name displayed. However, when I use the same exact template and send an email not a workflow, but just from the cash sale directly, the name shows up. So it makes me wonder if there is an issue within the workflow using the CRMSDK tags from an email template.  I can get the name to show by using