🎧 Listen to the podcast version of this email here.
My buddy Marc told me years ago to build an email list.
I didn’t.
Two reasons:
I thought email was on its way out. And I was busy.
Work was coming in. Projects were flowing. The last thing on my mind was sitting down to write emails.
It didn’t feel urgent.
Yet Marc built a list over time. Shared insights & ideas. And built an intimate community.
Fast forward to now.
The economy is down. Work isn’t always predictable. Some periods are full on, others are a lot quieter.
Marc doesn’t seem to worry about that as he now has a list of a few thousand people.
Not millions, but a solid group that knows what he does and wants to hear from him.
A handful of people from that list pay a monthly fee to be part of his community.
That’s enough to keep things moving.
Just a base he can rely on without having to scramble.
It builds over time.
Would you build a house on land you don’t own?
You spend months on it. Maybe years. You improve it, invite people in, make it your own.
And then one day, the landowner shows up and says:
"Thanks, but you need to leave now."
No warning.
You’re out.
You wouldn’t take that risk in real life.
But online, that’s exactly what most people are doing.
They build everything on platforms like LinkedIn or YouTube.
That’s where the audience is, where the content lives and where the conversations happen.
But none of it is actually theirs.
The rules change. Reach drops. Accounts get restricted.
You don’t get a say in any of it.
And if that happens, you lose access to everything.
I ignored this for a long time, because things were working.
And when things are working, you don’t feel the downside of your setup.
Only later do you realise how exposed you are.
Email is one of the few places where you have direct access to people who chose to hear from you.
No algorithm deciding if your message gets seen. No platform quietly limiting your reach.
Just you, and the person on the other side.
My list is fairly short with "only" a few hundred people.
But imagine even a hundred people giving you their attention every week.
I still find that pretty wild.
And from that same group, a couple of people decided to work with me as their visibility and authority coach.
Without that direct line, I’m not sure those conversations would have happened.
Platforms still matter - that’s where people find you after all - but they shouldn’t be the only place you build.
They're where conversations start.
Your email list is where they continue.
If you’re building something for the long run, you need both.
So what do you actually do with this?
As Marc told me years ago: "Get on building that email list now".
Start simple.
You don’t need a newsletter or fancy tools.
You don’t need to sign up to Kit, Beehiiv, or Substack on day one either.
A simple Google Sheet works.
Just keep track of:
- ideas shared
- who wants to hear from you
- who doesn’t
That’s your list.
Start with people you already know.
Go through your contacts and ask yourself: Who could I genuinely help?
Even 10 to 12 people is enough.
Then reach out. One by one.
Yes, it takes more time, but that’s the point. All good things take time and energy.
Say something like:
“Hey, I’ve been working on [what you do].
Thought of you because of [reason].
If it’s useful, I’d be happy to share some ideas every now and then. If not, no worries at all.”
Keep it simple.
If they’re interested, great.
If not, give them an easy out.
Asking to reply with "Maybe later" is a nice non-confrontational way.
From there, build slowly. One by one.
Send something when you have something worth sharing, whether that's once a week or once every few months. It's fine.
Don’t worry about consistency yet. Just start.
Build your own email list and no platform gets to kick you out of the party.
Make it a great day.
