Happy Sunday! 😁 

Hope you’ve had a great week.

There’s quite a few ‘lasts’ happening over here in Phuket.

This week was our ‘last’ International Day at my daughters school.

As the school educates over 60 nationalities, it’s a huge event that’s loads of fun. Everyone wears their country colours or costumes, we parents set up food stalls with all local treats, and the kids do a parade and lots of cultural performances.

For me though it’s a chance to spend some time with amazing friends made over the years and eat my talented baker friends lemon drizzle cake (to die for).

I had a bit of a tear in my eye as it ended. I think there could be a few tears before we head off… but looking forward…

Here’s what I have for you this week;

1. Travel Trivia - some light hearted fun

2. Mini Mastery - The ‘Secret Sauce’ of an Online Business

3. This weeks Resource Roundup - fancy a $90k cruise?

4. TWT Blog Bites - What’s new on the Blog

5. Zero to $10k Etsy Challenge - I Got Banned! 🤦‍♀️

6. $25 Amazon Gift Card Winner

Travel Trivia!

In which country can you participate in the annual 'Tomatina Festival,' where participants engage in a massive tomato fight purely for entertainment?

(answer at the bottom of the newsletter)

Mini Mastery - The ‘Secret Sauce’ to Online Business Success

In Nov last year I attended an SEO conference in Chiang Mai and met a guy who was running an 8 figure Amazon business.

I asked him what he felt was the biggest lever in his business and he said - ‘my email list’.

He went on to say - ‘Every time we launch a new product, I have a big list of previous buyers who will buy and leave reviews giving a new product a massive boost in the Amazon algorithms.’

Amy Porterfield recently announced that in 2023 she did $100 million from her email list.

Justin Welsh has built a multi-million dollar digital empire using Linkedin, X and an email list.

I could go on, but I think you get the point.

If I were to name one strategy that almost guaranteed success (no matter your business model) if you committed to it and made it a massive priority in your business, it’s most definitely building an email list.

Plus it’s something you ‘own’. No 3rd party platform or app can take your email list away from you or suddenly stop sending you traffic or shut you down because they feel like it.

So how do you get started?

That’s what todays Mini Mastery is all about.

1. Picking Your Topic and Niche: 

Sometimes due to FOMO, it's tempting to cover everything under the sun. But, honing in on a specific niche makes it easier for you to come up with content ideas, easier for the right people to identify if you’re the right person for them, and easier to create and make money from products!

You don’t have to overthink a niche though. Just think honestly about what interests you, what has a passionate market, and who specifically you’d ideally like to attract.

For example, my focus on travel and business isn’t for everyone. I’m not ideal for a 20 something solo female traveller off on a gap year before getting her dream job for example, or a 30 something tech geek who wants to take over the world.

I want to connect with like-minded individuals who seek adventure and purpose in their later years, have no desire to be the next Steve Jobs and would just love a nice healthy $5k - $10k a month in their bank account!

Here are some steps to take to help you hone in on your ideal niche;

1. Make a list of topics you’re passionate about or interested in.

2. Can you provide a unique angle or personal insight into the topic?

3. Who do you want to talk to/work with/improve the lives of?

4. Is there a lot to say and talk about?

Here’s some examples;

and hundreds more!

Once you’ve decided your topic and target market, you can move on to step 2.

2. Setting Up Your Email Platform: 

There are a lot of different email providers available for you to get started, however I highly recommend the one you’re reading this on right now.

Beehiiv has a free plan which means you can grow up to 2,500 subs before paying a penny and unlike many other email providers, the paid plans are $49 or $99/month ongoing no matter how big your email list gets.

However, you need to pick a platform that’s right for you so do your own due diligence.

Once you’ve picked your platform of choice here's how you get the ball rolling:

1. Sign Up: Jump onto the website of your preferred provider, hit the sign-up button, and fill in your info.

2. Customize Your Emails: Give your emails a personal touch that resonates with your brand or personality.

3. Create your first welcome email: Write a welcome email, that thanks the subscriber for joining and let’s them know what to expect moving forward.

4. Create a landing page: This is one of my favourite things about Beehiiv. Once you’ve added all your details, they create a subscribe page for you. So if you don’t have a lead generator like a free ebook or anything it doesn’t matter. You’ll have a ‘subscribe here’ page ready to advertise to your growing audience. If you use another email provider make sure you create a basic landing page encouraging anyone who lands there to sign up to your newsletter.

You should be able to do all of that in an hour or two in front of the TV. And that’s it! You’re up and running!

3. Getting Your First Sign Ups: 

Now you need to tell the world you exist!

Tell your friends and family, any contacts you’ve made on social media over the years, any current or past customers and pretty much anyone who’ll listen and is interested in your topic.

Then pick a platform. Whether it’s Facebook, Insta, Tiktok, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, a Podcast etc. Pick the one platform that a) resonates with you the most, b) is most suited to your topic and likely where your audience are.

Create your profile, add some basic branding (Canva is your friend) and start publishing content. As much of it as you can physically manage.

For every few posts, add a post encouraging people to sign up or, add it as a follow up comment on a useful post. “You like that? Now sign up for more awesome tips”.

NB: See my FB page for examples - I post 4 x a day - quotes, memes, blog posts, travel stories etc. It takes me about 2 hours every Monday to create and schedule all the posts.

4. Start sending newsletters every week.

Now you've got the ball rolling, it's showtime! Sending out regular newsletters keeps your audience engaged and reminds them why they signed up in the first place.

Go for a minimum of once a week, here’s some idea of what to send;

• The Insider Scoop: Share your latest adventures, discoveries, or musings. Got a new blog post? This is the perfect place to tease it. Found a new strategy or valuable piece of info? Your subscribers will love to hear about it.

• Tips and Tricks: Everyone loves a good life hack, especially when it's related to your niche. Whether it's cooking hacks, gardening tips, or how to do a downward dog properly, your insights need to add real value to your readers' lives.

• Q&A Sessions: Encourage your subscribers to send in their questions. It's a great way to engage with your audience and tailor your content to what they're really curious about.

• Guest Features: Know someone interesting who can share valuable insights with your audience? Feature their story or advice in your newsletter. It adds variety and expands your content reach.

The key is to mix it up and keep it interesting. Imagine you're having a chat over a cuppa with a friend. What stories would you share? What tips would you exchange?

5. Growing Your Email List: 

Whether by paid ads or consistent content, once you have everything set up, you’ll need to focus on continually growing your email list over time.

The fastest route is to create a product funnel and run paid ads, so you’re building a list of buyers and making a return on your ad spend at the same time (I’ll be doing a separate mini mastery on this soon).

However, to get started, commit to publishing valuable content on your platform of choice as consistently often as makes sense to you and your schedule.

Please note this will take time!

It took Amy 14 years to make 100 million dollars. It took Justin Welsh 5 years to build a multi million dollar empire. It took me over 12 months before I made a red cent on my first email list.

Commitment is the key.

As Robert Louis Stevenson said “Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.”

6. Listen to Feedback and Create Great Offers: 

Lastly, as your audience grows you will begin to receive feedback. Either by the way of emails asking questions, likes and shares on your content, or even complete crickets to a piece of content you created.

You can also run surveys, polls, ask questions and learn more about your audience and subscribers.

All of this allows you to craft the perfect offers, products, courses or whatever you’re selling. Rather than starting with a product you’re not sure anyone wants, now you have an audience telling you what they need.

This is exactly how I’ve launched almost all my digital products online over the years.

What if You’re Building an E-commerce Business?

When we started on Amazon back in 2015, the landscape was very different than where it is today. There was a lot less competition.

Nowadays, I highly recommend that alongside you launching products on Amazon, Etsy, your own store etc, you build an email list in the very same way I’ve described above.

Add inserts to your products or a link in your descriptions for buyers to subscribe for a bonus or something compelling that adds value to their purchase.

Like the guy I met in Chiang Mai, I suspect over time your email list will become your biggest source of traffic and sales.

Next Steps

• Choose your niche: What really lights your fire? Pin that down.

• Pick your platform: Beehiiv, Convertkit, or another, get signed up.

• Spread the word: Pick a platform and start creating content.

• Newsletter time: Create a fabulous newsletter that your subscribers will eagerly await each week.

• Keep growing & commit for the long term: Imagine you have 5000 subscribers a year from now, purchasing products, clicking on affiliate links, or attracting sponsorship offers. Stop thinking about it and start today!

Resource Roundup

Here are some of the most interesting articles, podcasts or resources I’ve found on the web this week;

1. The lovely Sandhan, linked to this amazing bucket list idea on one of my FB posts this week. Just a cool $87,600 per guest for a 5 month worldwide cruise! https://www.silversea.com/destinations/world-cruise/world-cruise-2026.html 

2. I posted this on the FB page a couple of days back as I found it very interesting. If you don’t want your luggage to get lost check this out…https://www.facebook.com/share/M9AxVuCwru3h31XJ/?mibextid=WC7FNe

3. I’ve just signed up to this upcoming event on 17th March as it’s always handy to get the latest on travel and flight hacks and Nomadic Matt is one of the best in the business! It’s $7 but I think it will be worth it - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/demystifying-cheap-flights-how-to-always-find-the-best-flight-deal-tickets-838437588397?aff=oddtdtcreator

TWT Blog Bites

I’ve been amending and updating some posts on the blog this week and here are some posts I thought you might enjoy;

Zero to $10k Etsy Challenge - I got banned!

I made loads of progress this week. I created 20 products on Printify and adding them to the store!

I then changed the name of the store to something more aligned with the dog niche and added a new banner and logo which I thought was super cute.

I then logged on this morning ready to update all my shipping profiles and make my products live and my account was suspended without explanation.

I appealed asking why and I got the following response;

No reason, no explanation, just see ya & good luck!

This really backs up todays ‘mini mastery’ about owning your audience and building an email list. Imagine if I was already selling and making decent money every month and they just shut me down just like that!

The more resources you control directly, the more secure your business. If you put all your eggs into just 3rd party platforms it’s a recipe for disaster.

Anyway, the only reason I can imagine is because I bought designs off of a designer on Etsy that I then used on my t-shirts, even though they didn’t come with any copyright instructions or licensing rules. That seems the most obvious and plausible reason to me. Or it’s because I changed the name to something completely different rather than set up a new shop.

I don’t know. All I do know is that I spent hours on placeit creating mock up designs of the shirts and mugs which I now can’t use, which is a bit of a pain.

But not to worry we shall regroup and start again!

So bear with me, it may take me a couple of weeks to get back up and running but we will prevail!!!

(After an initial ‘head in hands’ moment, I reflected and am actually quite glad this happened, as it demonstrates the frustrations of trying to launch a business and highlights the tenacity required to make it work, no matter the obstacles.)

Watch this space…

Trivia Answer

Spain!

Every year, the town of Buñol turns red with overripe tomatoes as participants from all corners of the globe come together for the world's biggest food fight.

The tradition dates back to 1945, originating from a local squabble among children near a vegetable stand. The playful dispute quickly escalated into an annual event, symbolizing joy and unity.

Today, thousands flock to Buñol not just for the tomato fight but to revel in a tradition that's as rich in history as it is in tomato juice!

Would you dare to join the tomato-throwing crowd?

Survey $25 Gift Card Winner

Thanks to everyone who’s participated in the ‘Your Journey, Your Voice’ survey so far!

As promised this months winner is Liza Reekie. Congrats Liza!

Please complete the survey here to tell me a bit more about you, which helps me ensure I’m sending you valuable and relevant content! It’s only short and will take less than a minute of your time.

Every month I’ll randomly pick a name and award a $25 gift card. You can also participate anonymously if you prefer.

Thank you!

That’s All Folks

That’s it from me this week. I hope it’s been useful!

Have a fab week ahead, make sure to come and connect on the FB Page, and as always get out there and make it happen!

Jo 😊