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Hi Reader,
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about why newsletters feel harder than they should — especially for people who are doing the work and showing up consistently.
It’s not a lack of effort. And it’s not that email “doesn’t work anymore.”
What’s actually happening is more subtle than that and this week’s podcast episode and insight section finally put language around something I’ve been seeing for the past few months.
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🎧 NEW EPISODE
PODCAST TITLE HERE
If you’ve been sending consistent, thoughtful emails but the results still feel "blah", there’s a reason and it’s not that newsletters stopped working.
It’s that the rules have quietly changed.
In this episode, I dig into the State of Newsletters 2026 report from Beehiiv and share why email is still the most stable (and profitable) part of the creator economy.
I’ll walk you through what’s shifting, what’s no longer working, and how to build a newsletter system that actually supports your business long-term.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why newsletters feel broken and why they’re not
- The new role email plays in your business
- How to shift from megaphone to “digital coffee shop”
- The #1 reason newsletters don’t drive revenue
- Why 90-day planning changes everything
If your newsletter has been running on guesswork, this episode will help you bring structure, strategy, and results back into your inbox.
🎙️Listen in here: Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
☕ BOOKMARK WORTHY: THE COFFEE SHOP NEWSLETTER
One of the most helpful ways I’ve found to explain what’s happening with newsletters right now is this:
We’ve moved from the megaphone model to the coffee shop model.
For a long time, newsletters were treated like digital megaphones.
You stood on a box, blasted out updates, shared a link or two, and hoped people were listening. It was one-way, transactional, and mostly disconnected from revenue.
That model doesn’t work anymore...not because email is broken, but because expectations have changed.
In 2026, the newsletters that are thriving are being built more like digital coffee shops.
The Newsletter Is the Shop
This is the space you own and control. Unlike social media feeds, it doesn’t change overnight because of an algorithm update.
People opt in intentionally, and that permission creates stability.
Your newsletter is no longer just where you send updates, it’s the center of your ecosystem.
The Content Is the Coffee
People come back for quality and consistency. Not volume. Not noise.
As AI floods the internet with mediocre content, taste and curation have become the differentiators.
The Community Is the Point
A coffee shop isn’t successful because of foot traffic alone. It’s successful because of regulars.
The same is true for newsletters. The most valuable lists aren’t the biggest ones, they’re the ones where people reply, recognize your voice, and feel connected.
The Products and Services Are the Premium Menu
In the coffee shop model, monetization isn’t awkward. It’s expected.
Your offers are simply the next step for readers who want to go deeper.
AI Is the Barista Machine
AI doesn’t replace relationships. It supports them.
Used well, it handles the repetitive work so you can focus on thinking, connecting, and leading.
One question to ask yourself:
If your newsletter were a coffee shop, would people come back just because they enjoy being there?
📅 UPCOMING EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
The 90-Day Newsletter Playbook
Turn insight into a plan you can actually follow.
If the podcast episode and the coffee-shop model clicked, this is where we move from understanding why newsletters feel harder to deciding exactly what yours should do next.
The 90-Day Newsletter Playbook is a January, members-only planning workshop inside the Newsletter Profit Club, designed to help you step out of weekly guesswork and into a clear, CEO-level plan for your newsletter.
Instead of asking “What should I send this week?” you’ll map the next 90 days with intention, so every email has a job, and your newsletter supports your business instead of draining it.
What we’ll do together:
- Map your Q1 newsletter themes so you’re never staring at a blank page
- Decide which offers and promotions belong in your newsletter—and when
- Set realistic, newsletter-driven revenue goals that align with your capacity
- Build a simple decision framework so every send is intentional (not reactive)
You’ll walk away with:
✔ A clear 90-day newsletter roadmap
✔ Confidence in what to send and what to skip
✔ A plan that supports revenue without burning out your list
No filler content.
No random promotions.
Just a newsletter that works on purpose.
👉 Join the Newsletter Profit Club to access this workshop
I’m also participating as a guest in a free private-podcast event called Energy Savers (Jan 26–30).
It’s a low-pressure, listen-at-your-own-pace series where 25 small business owners share behind-the-scenes stories about protecting their energy while still growing, without constant launching or social media stress.
If that kind of perspective feels helpful right now, you can join here →
