Why I started taking my newsletter seriously

Some of you have been around long enough to remember this.

Over 15 years ago, I launched an ebook on online promotion for creatives. I already had a small newsletter at the time, but I hadn’t done much to grow it.

I thought it would be enough to get the word out.

The ebook sold okay, but it became clear that my small audience wasn’t enough to make the kind of impact I wanted. It was an afterthought, not a must.

So, I got to hustling. I created written content online to attract more readers and eventually offered a free PDF booklet to incentivise new subscribers. That one move doubled my subscriber rate pretty much overnight.

It was a lightbulb moment. Social media is great for grabbing attention, but your audience isn’t yours. Algorithms and platform changes can make or break your reach.

Your email list is where you build deeper trust. That’s where people really get to know you and, eventually, buy from you.

Today, my newsletter business allows me to live anywhere (I’m in Poland right now), be free, and make a living talking about the things that fascinate me.

It’s the foundation for everything I do.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a newsletter, let me say this: It’s never too late, and your list doesn’t need to be massive to make a dent on the right people.

You might start small, like I did, writing to just a few subscribers (my mum and her friends). And that might not be ideal for a bit, but you can always reuse old articles you write.

As your email list grows, so does the opportunity to increase your freedom.

(Cue Braveheart)

By the way, if you’re ready to write better emails and articles that grow your list and build trust, you’ll want to check out Online Writing Alchemy. It’s not like most courses because it focuses primarily on writing in a way that creates an emotional connection with your reader.

You can learn more about it here.

Start small, grow bigger, and build the kind of freedom you deserve.

It begins with your words.

P.S. This Friday, I’m releasing a new mini-course for Ember upgrade subscribers. It shows you step-by-step how to craft a purpose statement that will guide you with focus in all areas of life. Very excited for this one. Stay tuned.