Feat. Madelyn Furlong

THE EMAIL GROWTH SHOW EPISODE 225

If there’s one thing I know to be true about running an online business, it’s this:
Your happiest customers are your strongest growth strategy.

Not the algorithm.
Not the trends.
Not throwing cash at ads.

It’s the people who’ve experienced you – your energy, your support, your magic – and can’t help but tell everyone they know.

In EP 225 of The Email Growth Show, I sat down with marketing strategist & website designer Madeline Furlong, and holy shit… this conversation is a masterclass in building a business where your people don’t just buy – they advocate.
They cheer.
They become your megaphone.

And here’s the best part?
You don’t need a giant team, a perfect memory, or endless hours to make it happen.

You just need three simple pillars.

Let’s break them down.

Listen to this episode here:

** Read time: 6 – 7 mins | Listen time: 31 mins **

TL:DR:

What you’ll learn in this episode:

– The 3-part framework that turns clients into loyal, vocal superfans
– How to create human-first connections even at scale
– Why storytelling is your most underrated customer connection tool
– Simple ways to go the extra mile without burning out
– How to weave genuine delight into your client experience
– The biggest mistakes biz owners make that block referrals

---

Let’s start with the truth…

People don’t remember the deliverables.
They remember how you made them feel.

Madeline shared a story from her early business days: she kept hiring the service providers who made her feel valued, remembered, and genuinely cared for, not the ones with the fanciest portfolios.

And your clients?
They’re the same.

They want to feel seen.
They want to feel important.
They want to feel like more than a transaction.

Which is exactly why Madeline built her framework around three pillars – ones you can apply immediately, no matter your niche or business stage.

Pillar 1: Organization
(AKA: Respecting your clients’ time + energy)

Madeline and I both admitted we’re obsessed with systems and for good reason.
Most people think “organization” is about color-coded folders or a perfect ClickUp setup.

Nope.

It’s about respect.

Being organized tells your clients:

• “I’ve got you.”
• “You’re safe here.”
• “You don’t have to chase me for answers.”
• “I’m paying attention.”

Even tiny systems create huge emotional impact.

Easy ways to build this in immediately:

• Create a simple onboarding SOP
• Use reminders (ClickUp, phone alarms, or even email snoozing like we talked about in the episode)
• Let clients know when you’re away and when to expect replies
• Build a predictable communication rhythm

Your organization becomes part of your brand promise – and people talk about it.

Pillar 2: Personalization
(AKA: The stuff AI can’t replicate)

This is the secret sauce.

Madeline told the story of her favourite businesses – the ones that remembered her kid’s name, checked in “just because,” or followed up weeks later about something small she’d mentioned in passing.

These gestures don’t require superhuman memory – they require a simple system + a human heart.

Easy personalization touchpoints:

• A quick Loom video to wrap a project
• Personal check-ins weeks after a service ends
• Referencing something specific they told you
• Sending a birthday card via an automated service (yes, she gave us that gem!)
• Using someone’s name correctly (I double-checked her name before recording — and she felt that)

Online business often feels a little cold.
Personalization puts the warmth back.

Pillar 3: Going the Extra Mile

NOT:
Burning yourself out to over-deliver.

YES:
Adding intentional moments that feel special.

Madeline talked about the importance of being thoughtful, not excessive.

Sometimes it’s:

• Noticing something on your client’s Instagram and offering a helpful tip
• Checking in when you know they’re traveling
• Adding a bonus resource because you saw they truly needed it
• Or simply giving them a heads up when you’ll be replying slower (this was my fave example – it costs nothing, saves EVERYTHING).

Going the extra mile isn’t about doing more work…
It’s about creating more connection.

The Power of Storytelling (and why it turns customers into superfans)

THIS part of the conversation was gold.

Madeline shared a wild story about a tornado, her dad rappelling into a ravine to rescue a piece of their greenhouse, and how she tied it back to website strategy.

And guess what?
People ate it up.

Stories stick.
They humanize you.
They make people feel connected in ways no “value-packed tip carousel” ever could.

Your competitors can duplicate your offers.
They can duplicate your emails.
They can even use your damn fonts.

But they can’t duplicate your stories.

The Biggest Mistake Business Owners Make

Madeline named the elephant in the room:
Most businesses treat customers like checkboxes.

Deliverables? Done.
Contract? Done.
Offboarding? Done.

But no relationship.
No connection.
No loyalty.

Which means no referrals.

And she also pointed out the other big mistake:
Making yourself the hero of your marketing.
Your client is the hero. You are the guide.

(If everyone listening just fixed THAT… your conversions would skyrocket.)

Okay Kylie… But where do I start?

Madeline gave us three practical, zero-fluff steps:

1. Send an “I care about you” email to your list

Ask:
“What are you stuck on right now? What questions do you wish more people were answering?”

It starts conversations AND shows you’re human.

2. Choose ONE area of the framework to improve

Organization
Personalization
Or going the extra mile

Set a timer.
Make one % improvement.
Repeat weekly.

3. Build a referral system

Because when you do all the above?
People want to talk about you.

Reward that.

Let’s wrap this up in a bow…

Your customers become cheerleaders when you:

• Respect them
• See them
• Delight them
• Tell stories
• And build small but meaningful touchpoints

This isn’t the sexy stuff – but holy shit, it works.

And if you’re ready to build an audience + customer base who rave about you without relying on social media?

You need to be at the Empire Expansion Event.

This is your roadmap to visibility that compounds, without content hamster-wheeling.

Click here to apply for your guest pass today → https://kyliekelly.com/event

Guest Spotlight: Madelyn Furlong

Madelyn Furlong is a marketing strategist and ShowIt website designer who helps service providers grow with clear messaging, intentional strategy, and high-converting websites. With 8+ years in digital marketing, she’s known for simplifying marketing, building trust through strong foundations, and creating websites that quietly do the heavy lifting.

Website: https://madelynvictoriaco.com/

Love this post?
Save it for later:

---

Full Transcript:

Kylie Kelly [00:00:04]:
Are you a female business owner frustrated with battling the algorithm and looking for growth strategies that don’t involve awkwardly pointing or dancing online or throwing cash at paid ads? Welcome to the Email Growth Show. I’m your host, Kylie Kelly, visibility and email marketing strategist. I grew my email list from zero to almost 10,000 subscribers in less than two years, and the same is possible for you, too.

Madeline Victoria [00:00:27]:
Are you ready to build your email.

Kylie Kelly [00:00:28]:
List and start making more money in your online business? Let’s head into today’s episode.

Madeline Victoria [00:00:35]:
Madeline, welcome to the podcast. I am so excited to have you with us today.

Kylie Kelly [00:00:39]:
Thank you so much for having me. I’m excited to be here.

Madeline Victoria [00:00:42]:
So exciting. So for anyone that’s tuning in that doesn’t know you yet, let’s start there. Before we start to talk about creating biggest cheerleaders from our customers, so can you tell us a little bit about who you are, what you do, and you. Yeah, just a little bit more insight into you first.

Kylie Kelly [00:00:57]:
So I’m Madeline Victoria. I’m a marketing strategist and website designer. So I’ve found that a lot of businesses, like, they know that it’s important to have a beautiful and cohesive website and show up on social media, but they just aren’t exactly sure how to do that and how to go about marketing themselves. So I help them create, like a standout show at website and engaging social media and just create an overall marketing strategy so they can actually feel confident online and turn their leads into sales. I. I absolutely love it.

Madeline Victoria [00:01:24]:
Yeah, I love that. And I think what you said as well, so many of us, when we do start our own business, we don’t really understand how many different hats we have to wear. Right. And marketer is such a big one because if we’re not marketing our business, then people can’t find us. Right. We can’t get clients. So I love that you touched on that because I feel like that’s something that we don’t actually realize we need to do when we start out. So that’s something that you help people with.

Madeline Victoria [00:01:46]:
And do you see with the clients that you work with when you help them with their website and they have a brand presence they feel really confident about, they have this, like, online home. Right. Do you see a big shift in their. How they show up and their identity once they have that?

Kylie Kelly [00:02:00]:
Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I mean, they’re not. I’ve worked with clients before who are scared to refer people to their website because it looks like such a hot mess. And so it’s really cool to See the transformation not only, like, in their marketing and in, you know, their roi, but also just how they talk about, like, their website and their business. Like, they’re actually excited to tell people about. Like, hey, this is my home base. Like, go check out, you know, this freebie that’s housed there.

Kylie Kelly [00:02:24]:
Or, you know, my podcast, that page that’s on there. I just think it’s a really, really cool, like, transformation for them, but also for me.

Madeline Victoria [00:02:32]:
Yeah, no, I love that. And I think, like, without getting too, like, woo, woo, like, I feel like people pick up on that energy. So once we can step into that version of ourselves where we are super confident, where we are wanting to share, like, our website and our business with others, like, that’s only going to bring good stuff to us. So. Oh, I love that so much. So today, Melanie, we’re talking about how we can turn our customers into our biggest cheerleaders, which I’m so excited to dive into this with you. So first off, I want to ask, how do you do this? Like, what inspired you to focus on creating these loyal, sort of raving fans yourself?

Kylie Kelly [00:03:07]:
Yeah, honestly, it came from a mix of my personal life and my personal values and then my own, like, business strategy. So I’ve always been one who know this is like, the little things, like when a business goes above and beyond or when someone remembers my name or on an order or follows up with me, you know, just because, in fact, that’s one of the reasons that I hired my business coach in the first place, like several years ago when I first started out was because she was so intentional and made me feel like a real human being. Not just like a transaction, not just like another sale. So when I started my business and the more I’ve grown, you know, I’ve asked myself, all right, why would someone choose to work with me over anyone else? I mean, there’s plenty of website designers and marketing strategists out there. So, like, what sets me apart? So I realized, like, people, they come back and they keep referring people to. Not just because you have good services or you have what they need, but if you have, like a really good experience and you make them feel just really good about the whole process, they’re much likely to again refer people to come back. Around this time, like, when I was starting my business, I read this book called Unreasonable Hospitality, and the author’s name leaves me. I think it’s Will Godora.

Kylie Kelly [00:04:16]:
But it really stuck with me. I mean, there’s a story in the book and the author, he ran a Like, fancy restaurant, New York City. And he overheard, like, a table of tourists saying that they didn’t get to try, like, this classic New York hot dog just from, like, a hot dog stand on, you know, in the middle of the road or on the side of the road, I should say. So Will, like, runs outside, he grabs one from a hot dog cart, he brings it to the kitchen, and they serve it to the table. You know, like, it’s, you know, just part of the menu. And the guests were blown away by this, like, act of service and by, you know, going above and Beyond. So that $2 hot dog stood out so much in their memory. And so that’s when it clicked for me.

Kylie Kelly [00:04:54]:
And when I read that, I was like, okay, this is what builds, like, the word of mouth connections. This is what gets people excited about your business and your brand. That’s what creates loyalty. It’s when, you know, someone feels like you really see them and that you really care and you went, like, a little further than you had to. So that’s when they kind of become your biggest cheerleaders. So for me, like, it initially started as this, like, mindset, but now it’s built into, like, how I work with clients, and it’s built into how I teach my clients to serve their own clients and customers.

Madeline Victoria [00:05:23]:
Oh, I love that so much. So listening to the example you just gave, like, I used to do that quite easily in my wedding photography business because I had, like, a smaller number of clients, right? Like, I could remember their birthday or I had notes on their family pet, or, like, just little, little things that then I could weave into the conversation to make them feel seen. That was really strategic, right? And also because I cared, but they noticed that. And that whole business was word of mouth and referrals. Now, as an online business owner with, like, hundreds of people in my membership, my mastermind, like, how the heck do you do this at scale? Because I did not know where to start with that kind of business.

Kylie Kelly [00:05:58]:
Oh, I totally understand. It does depend on, like, what type of business you have. Sometimes you have to be, like, a little bit more creative than, you know, if you had, like, a smaller business, like you were saying, where you know everybody super personally and can easily, like, remember their birthday, things like that. But I always say, like, no matter what type of business you have, like, I like to think of this, like, customer journey as three key pieces. So it’s like organization, personalization, and going the extra mile. And again, like, that looks different for everybody. But for example, on organization, and I think you Do a really good job of this, Kylie. But, like, I personally love organization and planning and all the things.

Kylie Kelly [00:06:33]:
And so even though you don’t think, like, organization plays this big role in turning your customer into cheerleaders, it really does because it shows that you respect your clients, their time, their business. I mean, you can’t plan for everything, but you can be as prepared as possible. So I think just like establishing a clear communication plan with your clients up front is really important. Making checklists and SOPs so you know exactly what the process looks like, streamlining your work, automating things. I even, you know, ClickUp is something that I use a lot. I don’t know if you’re familiar with it, but when you do have, like, a bigger business too, you can, like, set due dates, you can set different reminders in there. Because I can’t remember everything. Like, I certainly can.

Kylie Kelly [00:07:14]:
So things will get missed if I don’t put them in ClickUp, if I don’t set reminders for myself. And, you know, for, let’s say, you know, if I had this really exciting lead and, you know, I was going to follow up with them, maybe they weren’t ready to work with me yet, but, you know, they wanted me to check back in in a few weeks or a couple months or whatever that may be. Maybe, you know, I put their name in ClickUp and I write, you know, a little bit about them and, you know, maybe they’re getting ready to go on this trip or maybe they’re about to have a baby. Like, I put that in ClickUp, you know, so I can remember that for later. And then when we’re connecting, when I’m reaching back out later, I can, you know, personally ask them like, hey, how was that vacation? Or, you know, how did everything go with, you know, this thing that happened? So just being a little bit creative, but then also having, you know, standard processes and being as organized as possible very much helps. So that’s kind of like the first piece of that framework.

Madeline Victoria [00:08:11]:
I just want to add. So I love that you’re talking about systems as well, because I think as we get busier as our businesses scale, you know, I don’t. Even if they’re not, even if we have a small business, but we have little humans or we have a full life outside of work. Right. Like, I can’t remember last week, let alone a month ago. Right. So, like, I think having systems like that is really important. And for anyone listening that might not have ClickUp or something like that, a really simple way that I started doing is just sending myself.

Madeline Victoria [00:08:37]:
So if I’ve reached out to somebody via email, they replied and told me something, I will forward that to myself, which again, sounds really weird, but I’ll, like, forward it back so I can leave notes and then I’ll snooze it until when I want to follow up. So then on that, you know, in a month it’ll come back into my inbox with my notes and then the original email below it. So even just that can be really simple without using something like ClickUp.

Kylie Kelly [00:08:58]:
Oh, for sure. Well, even just like a phone reminder, too.

Madeline Victoria [00:09:01]:
Amazing. Okay, so can I hear more about the framework? Can I hear the other two parts?

Kylie Kelly [00:09:04]:
Yes, yes, definitely. So the second thing that I consider as part of the framework is personalization. So this is again, another way to turn your customers or your clients into cheerleaders. And it’s all about, like, going beyond the surface level and getting to know clients and making them feel seen. And so, like, I think about, like, the times that I felt, like, really valued by a business. I mean, you know, maybe it’s something that I said several weeks ago, or they send a handwritten thank you note that’s not just generic. Like, it mentioned something specific that we talked about or worked on together. And so that’s what people remember.

Kylie Kelly [00:09:36]:
And I think for service providers, this could look like sending a personalized video message to wrap up a project or following up a few weeks later just to check on how things are going. There are different websites, and I wish I could remember the name it just left me. But you can ask people, like when they’re signing up for your membership or whatever your offer to put in their birthday and this subscription, and I really wish I could remember the name, but it sends them a birthday. Like it automatically sends them a birthday card in the mail, like on their birthday. So. And you don’t have to do anything, but they get that and they’re like, oh, my goodness, you know, Kylie sent me this birthday card or like, Madeline, you know, sent me this note and it means a lot. But again, like, the subscription service is doing it all for you. So that’s kind of what I like to think about as far as, like, personalization turns a normal experience into a memorable one.

Madeline Victoria [00:10:24]:
So yeah, yeah, yeah, I love that. And I think again, it doesn’t have to be fancy. I’m going to Google that birthday card subscription, because that sounds amazing, but it doesn’t have to be fancy or cost money. I think it’s also just like, keeping it front of mind, right that we care, that we’re taking an interest, that we try to pronounce each other’s names right. Like even before I hit record, I was like, Madeline, is that how I say it? Like it’s just, it’s just simple things that make each other feel seen on a human to human level. I think sometimes, especially with online business, we can forget that because it does feel, I don’t know, less human AI and like automations and like it does lose a human touch. So I think just having that front of mind, I love that. A reminder to keep things personal.

Kylie Kelly [00:11:01]:
And that kind of ties in with like the last piece of the framework too, which is going the extra mile. So when I think about going the extra mile again, it’s just like taking it one step further. So it’s doing things like reaching out randomly to see if there’s anything extra you can do. I mean people are so grateful like when you do go the extra mile. And I’ve seen that time and time again in my own business and my client’s business, it could look like anticipating their needs. Some people ask me like, okay, well obviously we’re one person or like we have a small business, we can’t, you know, devote hours and hours and hours of time to like, you know, just we don’t want to cross any boundaries I guess is what I’m getting at. And so we want to protect your time for sure. So don’t go crazy and like do a bunch of extra work for nothing.

Kylie Kelly [00:11:42]:
But it doesn’t hurt to put forth like a little bit more effort and thought. Like for me, for example, if I’m working one on one with a client, you know, maybe it’s with their email marketing, but I see something on their social media that I really think I can tweak and make it, it like better then I’m going to share that with them. So it’s just doing things like that. And then like another example of that is I have a friend and she has an online community and so she’s out of town right now on vacation, but she just told like the people in her membership like, hey, I’m going to be out of town. Like I’m a little bit slower responding to messages so just you know, like I’ll answer them as soon as I can. But this is why. And that is something so small, like you do not think that it matters. But people were so much more gracious and they really appreciated like the heads up rather than if they sent a message and they were just waiting and like waiting and then they get a little bit frustrated because she hasn’t, like, you know, responded as quickly as she normally does.

Kylie Kelly [00:12:36]:
And then another thing that I think of, like, going the extra mile is just doing an amazing job, which, again, sounds basic. It sounds like something super simple, but when you do a great job, it really speaks for itself. So, yeah, again, these things are small, but they really do make a huge impact. And I’ve seen it time and time again.

Madeline Victoria [00:12:53]:
Yeah, I love that so much. And I think as well, yeah, you’re right, it does sound so simple. Right. But actually it all adds up and it. And when you get into the rhythm of doing these things, then it becomes easier and easier. Right. Like. Well, I remember actually an example from my wedding photography days is I’d always want to reply as quickly as possible.

Madeline Victoria [00:13:11]:
So I would reply to people’s emails at like two couples emails at like 9pm or like 8pm like, as soon as I keep my inbox, I reply straight away. And what I was actually doing was setting them up to expect replies straight away. So if I was sick or I went on holidays or I was out of reception, or if I was working, being shooting, and I didn’t reply, suddenly they felt like they weren’t being seen, heard, listened to, I wasn’t there. Right. And they started to feel frustrated. Whereas if we can set those boundaries and be like, hey, these are my working hours. This is what you can expect from me. This is when I’m away.

Madeline Victoria [00:13:39]:
These are when the public holidays are like, that then means that we’re setting them up for a great experience, but we’re also setting ourselves up for, like a sustainable business as well, which is so important.

Kylie Kelly [00:13:48]:
So true. Exactly.

Madeline Victoria [00:13:49]:
Yeah.

Kylie Kelly [00:13:49]:
It goes back to that organization piece. So, yeah, I love it.

Madeline Victoria [00:13:53]:
So what do you think are some of the biggest mistakes businesses around this that you’ve seen? Is it like, is it the opposite of what we just talked about?

Kylie Kelly [00:14:00]:
I guess it is. But like, also, it’s a lot of mistakes that I see businesses make is just because they’re just doing their job. Like, they deliver what they promise, but they don’t build any type of real connection. So, like, if you’re just checking the boxes to fulfill your offer, I think you’re really missing out on a lot. And I see that in, I mean, businesses everywhere, whether it’s at like the local McDonald’s or working with, you know, an online entrepreneur. So I think some people look at that data negatively and think like, oh, she’s being pessimistic, but I’M not trying to be negative at all. Like, in fact, I think it’s a huge area of opportunity and a really positive thing because there’s such a huge gap that we as, like, online business owners and service providers can fill so that, like, helps us stand out. You know, like, the best client relationships that I’ve had was one where I’m willing to go, like, a step further and to give insight and encourage and notice the little things.

Kylie Kelly [00:14:53]:
I think another mistake that businesses make is, like, when it comes to making themselves like the hero in their marketing. So there’s this really great book about this. It’s called building your story Brand, which I highly recommend. It’s one of my favorites. But it all comes down to, like, the customer should be the hero and you’re the guide. And so that should be emphasized in, like, everything that you do, like, your job is to help them succeed and make their life easier and cheer them on. So if you’re like, emails or your social media posts or your website are only like, hey, look at what I did. Like, people tend to tune out, but when you speak to, like, their problems and their goals and their, you know, hopes and dreams or whatever that is, then people feel like, oh, she gets me.

Kylie Kelly [00:15:31]:
Like, this is. This is what I’m looking for. So I think that’s just kind of a couple of the mistakes.

Madeline Victoria [00:15:36]:
I love that, Madeline. And I think as well, just from a bit of a personal experience, I. For the longest time, like, obviously we’re really proud of what we do and the business that we’ve built and the experience that we’ve had. Like, often when we get to a place in business that we. We have got clients and I’m going to say success in, like, air quotes, right? But, like, when we get to this, it’s because we’ve learned the hard way, so we want to be able to, like, oh, my gosh, I’ve done this, I’ve done that, and I was doing that. So I’ve just redone my homepage. I kind of had the realization that I made it so much about me, right? Like, I was really proud of what I’ve done. And it wasn’t until I was away to business retreat and I was just analyzing some stuff and looking at data and I’m a big data nerd.

Madeline Victoria [00:16:14]:
Looking at a hot jar and heat mapping and, like, what’s going on? And I’m like, oh, people are dropping off. It’s because they don’t care about, like, yes, they care about me. But, like, it’s not about me. Right. It’s about them. So just know for me that if you’re doing this too, it’s okay. You’re not alone. But I’d really encourage you to go back to your homepage, look at your content.

Madeline Victoria [00:16:31]:
Like, are you making it about them or is it maybe a little bit too much about you?

Kylie Kelly [00:16:36]:
No, that’s such great advice. And I mean, I do this too. Like, I have to be so intentional. Like when I’m, you know, writing content or designing websites and I’m like, okay, it’s. It’s about the clients. It’s what can they get from this? What do they need? So, yeah, you’re absolutely right. I think even this is something that I’ve started doing is just like writing it on a sticky note. Like, how does this serve them? It’s all about them.

Kylie Kelly [00:16:58]:
So, yeah, I love that. Yeah.

Madeline Victoria [00:17:00]:
Even when I started pitching pr, like back in the day, so I sort of started that when I started my business. I was like, okay, I need to be known. Like, let’s start doing some traditional PR work. And so I started pitching myself. And I remember a journalist said to me once that when you’re pitching, the main question you need to ask is like, why should I care? Why should I care? And although that sounds super harsh, I think that’s really, really helpful. Like, I have it as a post it note on my computer. Just like, yes, all of the things we wanted to tell them, but at the end of the day, like, why should they care? And I think that that kind of helps us then stand out in a noisy online space right where we do feel like we might feel like it’s oversaturated or that we’re trying to cut through or I think if we can have that question, at least then we’ll be speaking to our ideal clients and help cut through that noise.

Kylie Kelly [00:17:43]:
Definitely. No, I love that too. I’m gonna have to put that on another sticky note. Yes, I love this.

Madeline Victoria [00:17:49]:
Okay, so I’d love to know what two or three ways are that somebody listening to us today could intention create that cheerleader energy, whether it’s like, online or even if they’re working with like more of a local audience. What would you suggest?

Kylie Kelly [00:18:04]:
So, first of all, I would go through your business with the framework that I talked about, so asking, you know, whether it’s like, onboarding, whether it’s your website, whether it’s marketing, like, whatever that is. And I know again, we wear like a lot of different hats as a business owner, so just running through that framework in as many different scenarios and you know, ways as possible. And then I would also like encourage listeners to on stories also I think stories are really overlooked as far as how well they turn those customers into cheerleaders. Because in today’s world so much of what we see online, and you mentioned this earlier, so much of what we see online is like overly curated or generated by AI. So just really connecting with them on such a human level and sharing these stories really just causes them to lean into it. So maybe it’s like sharing a behind the scenes moment that didn’t go a as planned in like your email or you know, some other form of content. Or maybe it’s sharing like a client woman that you’re really excited about and why it matters. Or maybe it’s just even like a small honest lesson that you’ve learned recently.

Kylie Kelly [00:19:10]:
Like for me I shared a and this ties in, I promise. But a couple weeks ago I shared like a story with my email list a few weeks ago. And so like we live just like a brief like backstory just to give some context. But we live in like the Southern United States, which means like we get a lot of crazy weather. So a few weeks ago we were like at a 5 out of 5 risk for tornadoes, which doesn’t happen super often. And it was like a big deal. So everybody was super on edge all day watching multiple meteorologists on like TV in our phones. But like thankfully our area wasn’t hit.

Kylie Kelly [00:19:44]:
A lot of other places like were unfortunately, but at my parents house, part of their greenhouse literally like flew away. And so later my dad said that he found it in our 60 foot like ravine behind my parents house. And so he like literally rappelled down with a rope, like grabs the green greenhouse like piece and then my mom pulls him up with the car. So it was just like this crazy story. Like I’m not even kidding, it was wild. But I shared that story with pictures of course with my email list and then tied it back into like website strategy and shared like why this matters to them and just compared it to like hey, we don’t want your website visitors to feel stuck like that they’re at the bottom of a ravine. And I tied it in a little bit better than that. Anyway, the point is like when you intentionally connect with your audience on a human level, when you’re sharing stories, whether that’s in your email or your market or your website, it builds like this familiarity and trust.

Kylie Kelly [00:20:36]:
And so that’s what people respond to, that’s what they love. And that’s just another way to get them to say, hey, like, I really like this business. I really like, you know, what they stand for and what they’re sharing. Like, they’re real people too. Stories are a great way also to build those cheerleader customers.

Madeline Victoria [00:20:53]:
Oh my goodness, your dad sounds amazing. Like Mountaineer type guy.

Kylie Kelly [00:20:57]:
He’s hilarious. He’s hilarious. I got so many, like, replies back on that email again because people love this story, but because he is also crazy. I mean, it was, it was wild. My mom like messaged us and I could not believe it. I was like, okay, well, I don’t.

Madeline Victoria [00:21:13]:
Know, I think I’d be riding the greenhouse roof off.

Kylie Kelly [00:21:14]:
I’d be like, yeah, I don’t know.

Madeline Victoria [00:21:16]:
If I trust my husband to like go down ever being like that.

Kylie Kelly [00:21:19]:
I know, I know. You don’t know what’s down there too. I’m just, I love it.

Madeline Victoria [00:21:25]:
I also think as well, I don’t know stories, I agree. They have the ability to connect and if we think about, if we think about AI, and I love AI. I’ve got AI bots that help people save time and they’re programmed. So that’s just like they have me on speed dial. Like, there’s some really cool stuff that you can do with AI, but if we think about where this is headed, right? And not like this, like not gonna freak anybody out. If we think about where it’s headed and how, how much AI is going to be a part of every business, the thing that I think can help us stand out or that we’re gonna connect with is the human to human, right? Is the community, is the stories about real people. Because AI can’t do that. Like, it might help you write the story, but it’s not going to come up with a story that’s actually happened to you that you can then use to connect with your audience.

Madeline Victoria [00:22:11]:
So I think it’s a really good skill to kind of start to think about. And if anyone’s listening and you’re like, oh my God, stories just. I don’t even know where to start. I also want to say, like, they don’t have to connect with something, right? Like, you could literally tell a story just to connect with people. It doesn’t have to like be linked back to your offer or like, if you’re not as good a writer as Madeline, like, you don’t have to lead them somewhere. You could just tell a story to get somebody to reply and say, oh my God, your dad is crazy. Like, that’s enough.

Kylie Kelly [00:22:35]:
Exactly. Yes. That Is so true.

Madeline Victoria [00:22:37]:
Okay, this has been so helpful. So let’s wrap this up with a nice little bow. So anyone listening, let’s give them like, do this, do that, do this, like three steps to look at. I know I didn’t prep you for this. Like, let’s just give them three steps them to look at in their business to start to create customers that become cheerleaders.

Kylie Kelly [00:22:54]:
See, I think the first thing that I would say is, is sending out an email to your email list. And this works again if you have like a smaller audience or a bigger audience. And you could say something like, hey, I’ve been thinking about like what would actually be helpful to share right now. Is there anything that you’re feeling stuck on? Any questions that you wish, like more people were answering? I think doing that will help you not only kind of gauge where your audience is at, but then also like, it will show them that you care like for them as a human being and there’s like a real person behind the business business. And I think it just opens it up for a lot of really good conversations. So I would do that for sure. And then let me think about the other two. Sorry.

Kylie Kelly [00:23:37]:
I would say pick one area from the like the framework that I mentioned. Whether it’s like organization, personalization or going the extra mile. I’d say pick one area that you can really like lean into and work on. For me, organization is always the easiest because I’m kind of OCD and I love organizing but. But you know, just set like a timer every day if you can’t, or like once a week, whatever is easiest for maybe like an hour and just say, okay, like here’s what I’m gonna do today. It’s going to like be making an SOP for my onboarding process so that customers can know what to expect when they work with me. So that’s another thing I would say. And then I think the third thing honestly is referral system because those get overlooked a lot too.

Kylie Kelly [00:24:22]:
So like if you have, if you’re a service based business, maybe it’s like figuring out, okay, when someone refers me, then they get, you know, this discount or they get like this gift or whatever that may be. The more that like people invite people to share about you, the more that they will be inclined to and like excited to. So yeah, that’s kind of like a jumbled mess. But that’s, that’s the three things that I would recommend.

Madeline Victoria [00:24:45]:
Yeah, I love that. I love that. So, yeah, so step one, send an email to your list and Gauge where they’re at, get some market research. What do they want to learn about? I love that you started with that. Step two, think about Madeleine’s framework and pick one area that you can just put some time aside to focus on and to make better so that you can start to create those cheerleaders. And then step three is that referral system. And I love that you included that because when you have cheerleaders, when you have raving fans, they’re gonna be telling their friends and then we wanna reward that. So I love that you’ve tied that in for step number three.

Madeline Victoria [00:25:15]:
So good. So good. Out of interest, what is like one of your favorite referral things? Is it, is it affiliate income? Like, is that what, what. Like, is the most common or what.

Kylie Kelly [00:25:25]:
It kind of depends. So, like, for different businesses, like, one business that I work with, they love, like they will not go to anything else except for affiliate income. Another business is they get like exclusive perks. Like, or if a client of them refers like another client, then they get some sort of like, you know, exclusive perk. Whether it’s, you know, a free coaching call or let me think what their other one was is a free coaching call or an upgrade in the membership, I believe. And so for me, I like to keep it simple. So with local businesses, they like and I work, you know, with online and local, but with local, they either one, open up the store like on a, a day that’s not typically open or like, maybe they’ll open an hour earlier so that like those referral or the people who referred, you know, people to visit, they get like exclusive access us. So that’s one of my favorite local ways.

Kylie Kelly [00:26:20]:
And then one of my favorite online ways is just, honestly just giving them a discount off their next month. It seems simple, but like that I’ve asked people, I’ve asked clients and that’s what they seem to like, really appreciate and enjoy. So that’s what I’ve kept it as. For me personally, I love that.

Madeline Victoria [00:26:36]:
I love that. And I guess that’s something we can ask, right? So if you’re listening and you’re like, oh, I don’t want to give discounts, or maybe your business is at a financial place where that makes sense. Like you could even just poll, poll your current clients and your audience. Like, hey, if I started a referral program, like, what would you like to get out of it? Maybe it is a coaching call or I love the whole VIP day or VIP kind of treatment for a local audience. I think that’s really Cool. I would love to be a VIP and get, like, early access when the stores normally close. Like, how fun.

Kylie Kelly [00:27:04]:
It’s so cool. People love it too. And it’s just like, it’s also a really good advertising tool, like marketing tool. So, yeah, it’s. It’s really fun.

Madeline Victoria [00:27:12]:
So cool. So fun. Okay, Madeline, I know you’ve got a free gift for everyone listening. That is brand spanking. You might be a few months old by the time that everyone’s listening to this, but tell us all about it, what is it, and where can they find it?

Kylie Kelly [00:27:24]:
Yes, yes. I’m super excited about it. So we all know, like, creating content is a huge part of marketing your business well, but if it constantly leaves you, like, overwhelmed and frustrated and just, like, inconsistent, then I have a free content campaign hits that will help. And it’s called how to turn one idea into 20 pieces of content in 20 minutes or less. So it’s the same method that I use, like, as a marketing strategist to help my clients show up consistently with content that actually resonates with their ideal audience. So we use AI to act as your assistant and do the heavy lifting, but you’re still the voice and the vision behind it. So there’s no robotic, no generic content here because I am not a fan of that at all. But inside you’ll get, like, plug and play prompts and templates that actually help you to walk away with, like, those 20 usable content pieces.

Kylie Kelly [00:28:11]:
And the best part is, like, you can keep reusing the system every month to stay consistent and save time. So you can find it at madelinevictoriaco.com ContentKit and grab it.

Madeline Victoria [00:28:22]:
Oh, my goodness, that sounds so juicy. Yes. I’ll put the link in the show notes for everyone to go and get their hands on it. And I love that you added that there’s no, like, generic output. So there’s no, like, rocket emojis or M dashes.

Kylie Kelly [00:28:32]:
Yes. Oh, my word. Or blast off to your next, like, adventure or what?

Madeline Victoria [00:28:36]:
Oh, yeah, No, I love that. And where can people connect with you? They’ve got questions about what we talked about today. Where should I send them?

Kylie Kelly [00:28:43]:
Yeah, definitely. I’m on Instagram Adeline Victoriaco, so just send me a DM or you can go to my website, madelinevictoriaco.com either way, I will happily respond and look forward to hearing questions for sure.

Madeline Victoria [00:28:57]:
Amazing. Thank you so much, Madeline, for joining us. I’ll put all the links in the show notes, but it was really fun talking with you today.

Kylie Kelly [00:29:03]:
Thank you so much. Kylie I loved it.

Madeline Victoria [00:29:04]:
Thank you so much for tuning into.

Kylie Kelly [00:29:06]:
This episode of the Email Growth Show. I hope you found valuable insights into the next steps you can take to grow your email list and boost your business without relying on social media or paid ads. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show and share it with others. Your feedback helps me reach more female entrepreneurs just like you who are ready to say goodbye to social media and leverage email marketing to grow their business and make a bigger impact.

Madeline Victoria [00:29:32]:
Thank you so much for listening and.

Kylie Kelly [00:29:34]:
I’ll see you in the next episode.