coffee and pancakes

Sick, Tired & Staring At Dust (Until...)

January 14, 20252 min read

Dust doesn't lie.

This past Saturday, when I stood in my kitchen - fresh coffee in hand, warm pancakes on the counter - I mentally wrestled with the chaos surrounding me.

The evidence of my recent battle with this head cold was everywhere.

Half-empty medicine boxes.

Scattered tissues.

And a layer of dust thick enough to write "clean me" with your finger.

As someone who takes pride in a clean, organized home, this was pure torture.

But there I stood, overwhelmed by the simple task of basic housekeeping.

The same way you may feel when you look at your email marketing to-do list.

That's when it clicked.

The solution wasn't about having more energy, more time, or more motivation.

It wasn't about waiting for the "perfect moment" or the "right mindset."

It was about changing the game entirely.

Instead of seeing one massive, overwhelming project...

I saw individual rooms.

Manageable chunks.

Small wins waiting to happen.

Room by room.

Surface by surface.

Until finally...

The floors regained their shine.

The furniture sparkled dust-free.

And that rush of accomplishment? Pure dopamine.

Which triggered a powerful realization about YOUR email marketing...

I recently created the Open Rate Maximizer Checklist (with 15 proven tactics for higher opens, clicks, and sales).

As small business owners, we're already wearing 47 different hats. Our to-do lists are overflowing.

Making multiple changes at once to your email marketing can feel overwhelming.

The solution?

Pick ONE tactic. Just one.

Maybe it's tweaking your thank you pages to tell new subscribers exactly what subject line to watch for...

Or perhaps it's adding a simple "hit reply" call-to-action in every email you send this week...

Or spending an extra 5 minutes crafting pattern-interrupt subject lines...

The specific tactic doesn't matter. What matters is STARTING.

Because just like cleaning one room leads to a cleaner house...

Applying one email tactic leads to better results.

I'd love to know which tactic you're planning to implement first - this week.

Reply to this email and let me know!

Want to know all 15 tactics? Grab your Open Rate Maximizer Checklist here.

There are 100 ways to get email marketing wrong and just a handful of ways to get it right. My clients hire me to find the right ones for their business.

Scott A. Hartley

There are 100 ways to get email marketing wrong and just a handful of ways to get it right. My clients hire me to find the right ones for their business.

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