uncomfortable way to be a good email marketer

Whenever I'm in a weird mood or I need a swift kick in the ass, one of the first podcasts I turn to is Impact Theory by Tom Bilyeu.

In case you're not familiar with Tom, he founded Quest Nutrition -- which he sold in 2019 for $1 billion dollars.

No big deal...

Anyway, Tom's story is super interesting, because he describes himself as a lazy underachiever growing up.

So he attributes all his success to his ability to change his mindset and his behaviors, which essentially means...

If he could do it, so can you.

Obviously, this doesn't account for a variety of factors. And success doesn't always come down to mindset alone.

But mindset IS a big part of success.

Anyway, this morning, I needed a swift kick in the ass, so I put on Impact Theory while on my way to the coffee shop.

I listened to an episode called "How To Kick Ass And Achieve Your Full Potential" with Sarah Robb O'Hagan...

Which seems like just what I was looking for, based on the title alone.

I'd never heard of Sarah before. But she's the former global president of both Gatorade and Equinox.

She was also the CEO (and the founder, I think) of Flywheel Sports, before it shut down in September 2020 due to Covid.

Anyway, I'm only about 20 minutes into the episode, but I've loved it so far.

One of the things that stood out to me was a story Sarah told about getting fired.

Apparently, she had gotten fired from a job in her 20s. And at every job interview after that, she tried to downplay the situation.

But eventually, she decided to own it.

She decided that she would be vulnerable and tell the truth about being fired, to show that she had learned from it.

She said this sort of vulnerability and honesty tended to generate empathy in the person who was interviewing her.

They wanted to help her and even take care of her, in a way.

And this might sound weird, but if you're a personal brand -- I think email marketing is the same way.

Email is the place where you can get a little vulnerable. It's where you can be honest.

And that vulnerability and honesty is what draws people to you.

So if you're an author, a speaker, or a coach who wants to improve your email marketing...

Don't be afraid to be a little vulnerable or honest with your audience.

That's when you'll connect with them the most.

Robert

P.S. I also don't think this is an "all or nothing" thing.

You can be honest and vulnerable without sharing every single intimate detail of your life.

In fact -- you probably shouldn't share every single intimate detail of your life.

Both for your sanity and your audience's. ;)