THE EMAIL GROWTH SHOW EPISODE 231
If your email list feels quieter than usual right now – fewer replies, fewer clicks, less visible engagement – I want you to pause before you rewrite your funnel, change platforms, or decide something is wrong with your business.
Because here’s the truth:
Nothing is broken.
And January is not the month to panic pivot.
It’s the month to land.
And I know that’s not what the internet is screaming at you right now.
Everywhere you look, it’s
“start strong,”
“go bigger,”
“new year, new momentum,”
“if you’re not growing you’re falling behind.”
So when engagement dips even slightly, it’s easy to internalise that pressure and think, shit… is email not working anymore?
But what I want to offer you today is a wider lens – one that will save you from making decisions you don’t actually need to make.
Listen to this episode here:
TL:DR
What you’ll learn in this episode:
– Why January email engagement often feels flat (and why that’s normal)
– What not to change when your list feels quiet
– How inbox behaviour shifts at the start of the year
– Why simplifying and recalibrating is a sign of leadership, not failure
– How to re-establish trust and rhythm with your email list without pushing harder
Ready to build your empire with clarity instead of chaos?
If you’re craving steadiness, direction, and grounded momentum as we move into the year, that’s exactly the energy I hold inside the Empire Expansion Event.
P.S. If January feels quiet, that doesn’t mean your momentum is gone – it means the ground is settling.
Come build your next level inside the Empire Expansion Event.
January inbox behaviour isn’t worse – it’s different
Here’s what I’m noticing across my own list, my clients’ lists, and honestly… my own inbox habits.
January inbox behaviour shifts.
Not worse.
Not broken.
Just different.
People are recalibrating after December.
They’re skimming more than clicking.
Observing more than replying.
Re-deciding what gets their energy and what doesn’t.
And this part matters:
That’s not disengagement – it’s discernment.
When you don’t account for that seasonal shift, it can feel personal.
Like something has gone quiet.
Like people have checked out.
But really? They’re just figuring themselves out again.
This isn’t just about email – it’s a bigger signal
Zooming out for a second…
In just the last little while, we’ve seen some big moves from leaders in the online space.
Jenna Kutcher stepping away from her podcast – a platform she’s built for years.
Amy Porterfield closing the doors on Digital Course Academy after massive success.
Love them or not [and I have my opinions], these are not women acting from scarcity.
They’re responding to a shift.
A shift in attention.
A shift in consumption.
A shift in how people want to be supported.
And when leaders at that level start simplifying, recalibrating, letting go of things that still work – it tells us something important.
The landscape isn’t collapsing.
It’s maturing.
Email doesn’t respond to pressure, it responds to trust
Here’s something I know to be true after years of doing this:
Email doesn’t respond to urgency.
It responds to trust and rhythm.
And January is about re-establishing both – not forcing momentum before it’s ready.
Of course you’re questioning things right now. Of course you’re wondering if you should do more.
That doesn’t mean you’re behind.
It means you’re paying attention.
And that’s a good thing!
But January is the worst month to make decisions from urgency – because urgency right now just adds to the noise.
What I see happen when people panic-pivot in January is subtle, but costly:
They change tone too fast.
They override trust with tactics.
They confuse their audience… and themselves.
And suddenly email feels harder than it needs to be – not because email stopped working, but because consistency got disrupted.
What actually works in January [this is key]
January is not the month to sprint.
It’s the month to steady the ground.
This is the exact conversation I’m having with my clients right now – we’re letting January be the month we land into the year.
No big decisions.
No dramatic shifts.
Just refamiliarising ourselves with what this year actually feels like.
And the same applies to email.
This is the time to:
– Write like a human again
– Reconnect instead of convince
– Invite replies rather than force clicks
– Let relationship-led email do its thing
January emails don’t need to be louder.
They need to be clear, human, and connective.
Email isn’t where you prove yourself in January – it’s where you reconnect.
It’s the platform that carries people through seasons, not just launches.
And when you respect that?
Engagement doesn’t disappear.
It deepens.
If your list feels quiet, let it be information…
If your email list feels quiet right now, let that be information.
Not a diagnosis.
Not a failure.
Not a sign you need to blow everything up.
You don’t need to fix everything this week.
You don’t need to overhaul your strategy.
You just need to listen – to your list, to the season, and to yourself.
Here’s a simple place to start:
Send one email that reintroduces you.
Share what you want this year to mean – even if it’s not fully formed yet. Especially if it’s not fully formed yet.
That kind of honesty builds trust faster than any perfectly polished campaign ever could.
If reconnecting is the only thing you do in January?
Your year will still be set up to be bloody beautiful.
Your next step [if you want grounded momentum]
If you’re craving steadiness, direction, and grounded momentum as we move into the year – that’s exactly the energy I hold inside The Empire Expansion Event.
This isn’t about hustling harder.
It’s about building foundations that actually last.
Applications are closing soon.
Join the Empire Expansion Event Now
Final reminder, my love…
You are not behind.
You are not doing it wrong.
Your list hasn’t gone cold.
You’re simply at the start of a new year where people are recalibrating.
Send one email this week.
One next week.
Reconnect.
Strategy can wait until February.
Ready to build your empire with clarity instead of chaos?
If you’re craving steadiness, direction, and grounded momentum as we move into the year, that’s exactly the energy I hold inside the Empire Expansion Event.
Come build your next level with me inside the Empire Expansion Event
P.S. If January feels quiet, that doesn’t mean your momentum is gone – it means the ground is settling.
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