This Lesson About a Woman Named Janet Will Help You Smash Your Newsletter

You know that whole paralysis thing that happens when you sit down to do something on the internet—anything—and suddenly you’re like:

Oh god, WHO CARES?

(This is especially true if you were about to post something meaningful, heartfelt, or god forbid... earnest.)

Yesterday, I was chatting with a client who had THE BIG P. She’s in real estate and she’s starting a newsletter. She is alllll excited about the newsletter, because newsletters really are the best and only way to smash it in business. 🔨 (Will die on this hill.)

But then Big Petey shows up. Big Petey Paralysis. Because there are just so many questions that need to be answered.

• What should I write about?
• What…um…should I really fucking write about??????
• How do I, like…write stuff?
• That anybody wants to read?
• What do they want to hear?
• Who do I want to be?
• WHAT IS MY IDENTITY, WHO AM I.
• Shit, that woman’s newsletter I just subscribed to is 🔥.
• But, I could never write something like that. Could I???
• What are my goals with this, anyway?
• What if this gets too overwhelming? Can I keep up?
• Wait, so what am I writing again?
• Is there a specific format?
• What are the best practices? ARE there newsletter best practices?
• Will anybody read this shit?
• Can I buy a mailing list? How do I find the readers?
• Need a drink.
• Who has time for this? This is all very time consuming.
• Plus, like…the internet’s such a big place. Who will even care? Am I a hamrod?

Raise your hand, darling, if you have thought any of these! (I know you have, stop faking it.)

Fortunately, this isn’t my first rodeo and I’ve been teaching the ancient art of newsletter writing since the good year of at least one giant earthquake in Chile, 2010.

So I’ve seen this hairy little hemorrhoid before.

And I knew exactly what to say to her next.

“The best way to approach this,” I began, “is not in the place you think.”

Because, let’s be real here, most people would assume you’d start in the beginning, right? Like any other thing on earth.

But no—we’re starting sideways, blindfolded, and possibly holding a taco.

“Instead of starting at the beginning, let’s start at the end. Who is your FAVORITE client in the whole wide world?” I asked.

She rattled off a huge handful of awesome people she’s worked with in the past.

“Okay, but if you could only pick one 1️⃣, who is it? Who is the best person you’ve ever worked with???”

“Janet!” she exclaimed. She told me that Janet has the best personality, she’s super down-to-earth, she’s someone she enjoys talking to, and she doesn’t feel like she has to ‘put on’ when she’s around.

(Notice how these are all personality traits? Your perfect client might actually be your best friend.)

“Okay, great,” I said. “So you’d KILL to work with a hundred Janets, right?”

Yup.

“So it only makes sense then,” I said, “that we must make something for Janet.”

Not Crystal. Not Karen. Not Jean. Not Sally.

Not the people you have to put on for.

Not the people who are stuffy.

Not the people who are uptight and overly serious, no matter how much $$$ they have.

We don’t want to create for them, because that’s going to attract them. 🪰

Instead, we need to create the PERFECT product for Janet 🌷—whatever Janet will think is hilarious, useful, interesting, and insightful—because that is what’s going to attract more people ~~~like Janet~~~.

“Every time you sit down to write,” I said, “I want you to just write a love letter to Janet. You’re going to pretend that Janet has just asked for your advice on selling her house, and you’re going to tell her exactly what you think, just as you would over dinner: what’s happening in the market right now, advice you’d offer, things you think she’d love to read! And, it’s that simple. Nobody else matters except for Janet. Because when you create for Janet, you get JANET.”

I heard her voice shift. The overwhelm melted away. Something that previously seemed so daunting…all the sudden was simple.

Write an email to Janet.

Tell Janet what’s going on.

Laugh with Janet.

Be yourself with Janet.

Help Janet.

Be real with Janet.

Give Janet advice.

And, make a fun date out of it, every time you do.

And that is truly all it takes to build a smashing newsletter that’s worth reading. 🪄 Because ‘what’s worth reading’ isn’t anyone’s decision—except for the person who’s reading it.