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50 issues. 1 year. Countless lessons.

This week marks one full year of writing this newsletter. 50 editions sent from coffee shops, airports, and more late nights than I care to admit.

Whether you’ve been here since the very beginning (hi, OG 24) or just joined last week, thank you. Your time and attention mean a lot.

Welcome to issue 50 of straight-to-the-point insights that turn why they buy into how you sell. (Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe here.)

And if this newsletter has ever made you think differently, market more confidently, or feel like someone finally gets what you’re trying to say, can I ask for a favor?

One of my biggest goals this year is to grow this list. Here’s how you can help.

1. If you know 3 people who’d love honest, strategic, no-fluff insights on messaging, positioning, or copywriting, would you forward this to them and tell them why they should read it?
2. Or better yet, share it on social with a quick note about why you read it. (That’s social proof in action. And yes, I teach it and need it.)
3. Want to leave a testimonial? You can do that here: Leave a note on Senja.

OK, pitch over. Let’s go back to the very beginning.

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How it started

It was April 2024, and I was prepping for a talk about email marketing. There was just one problem. I didn’t have my own email list.

Cue the oh sh*t moment.

I couldn’t very well stand in front of a room full of women telling them to send newsletters if I wasn’t doing it myself. It didn’t matter that I did for clients; I felt like a hypocrite.

Classic perfectionism. The original plan was to start December of 2023. Apparently it takes 4 months to choose an email service provider. I landed on Kit and it was definitely a good choice. (FYI: that’s an affiliate link.)

So I put up a quick post on LinkedIn: “I’m starting an email list. Who wants in?”

24 people raised their hands that day. I sent a scrappy welcome email. And just like that, I had something to talk about at my event.

The most nerve-wracking part? Writing that first email.

And even as someone who writes messaging frameworks for a living, I found myself second-guessing every word. Funny how often we treat our own messaging like an afterthought, even when we know better.

But that moment reminded me: clarity beats polish. And progress is better than perfection. (It also gave me a great and relatable story to share during my talk.)

If you’ve been sitting on an email idea for six months, or writing posts that don’t get traction, or you’ve tweaked your home page 17 times–it’s not because you’re bad at content. It’s because you’re trying to write without a clear message behind it. I know, because I did the same.

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What worked (and why)

Let’s talk subject lines.

Here are some of my highest open rates (and why I think they worked):

• “Did somebody say ice cream?” – 79.2%
  Only sent to 24 people, but who doesn’t love ice cream? Realistically, it was probably just because they subscribed to support me.*
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• “Marketers may want to fight me” – 75.9%
  Built-in tension. Second-ever issue.
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• “I was used as a marketing pawn” – 75%
  High drama. Clear intrigue. Also still an early issue with a dedicated subscriber base.
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• “What do AGT and Kill Tony have to do with marketing?” – 73.9%
  Specific. Unexpected. Pop culture meets copywriting.
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• “This sh*t really works!” – 73%
  Direct, emotional, and real.
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• “The good, the bad, and the WTF” – 61.5%
  Feels like a juicy behind-the-scenes peek.
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• “I wrote this email with AI” – 58%
  Timely. Trendy (ugh). Transparent. This one also got the most unsubscribes, in direct juxtaposition with the number of positive replies I got.
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What I noticed: the best subject lines hit the sweet spot of strategy and voice. They reflect a core copywriting principle I use with clients: hook with emotion, anchor with value.

Clarity gets the click. Curiosity keeps them reading. And yes, tone matters.

Great content can’t carry a weak subject line.

*Fun fact: Of those original 24 subscribers, they all stayed. And most of them still open almost every email. Talk about gratitude. 🙏🏻

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What didn’t work (but probably should’ve)

Here are a few emails that didn’t get the same love, even though I thought the content was solid. Presenting my lowest open rates...

• “Tomayto, tomahto” – 47.2%
  One of the most-replied-to emails I’ve ever sent. People still DM me about it 2 months later. Too bad the subject line sucked!
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• “Don’t confuse attention for connection” – 47.9%
  A line that blew up on LinkedIn... but bombed as a subject line. Context matters.
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• “Want clients to say ‘hell yes’?” – 48.1%
  Sent two days before Thanksgiving. Timing fail.
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• “I had a plan. Life said nope.” – 49.8%
  Vulnerable and true, but maybe too nebulous to draw people in.
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• “Bro marketing had a good run…” – 46.3%
  Maybe too on-the-nose. Or just overdone. I was sad over half my subscribers didn’t open it and see this:

Even strong ideas need strong framing. Clever doesn’t equal effective if people don’t open.

It’s like a homepage with a boring headline. No one’s going to scroll, click, or care what’s below the fold. And on LinkedIn, if your first line doesn’t make them pause, they’re not expanding your post, no matter how good the rest of it is.

Hooks matter everywhere. Email. Website. LinkedIn. If you lose them at the start, the rest doesn’t stand a chance.

(There are exceptions. Some people will read your emails and posts just because of your name. That’s when you know you’re doing something right.)

This is what I remind clients all the time: great messaging isn’t just about what you say. It’s when, where, and how you say it.

Same message, different medium... different outcome. Positioning is about relevance in context.

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What’s changed (and what hasn’t)

These emails have evolved.

They used to be more tactical and focused mostly on website copy. Now, they’re broader. More strategic. More grounded in insight.

But I still try to give you something you can use, not just something to think about.

They’ve always had a little sass. That part’s not changing.

But somewhere along the way, for a period of time, I lost a bit of my voice. I tried to sound like what a “strategic copywriter” should sound like. I wrote some things that felt polished but not me.

I’ve worked hard to get that back. And if you’ve been here a while, I hope you felt that shift.

What hasn’t changed? The values behind these emails: clarity, integrity, honesty, curiosity. Those are still at the core. And they’ll stay there.

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What surprised me the most

I didn’t expect email to become a community.

But it did.

I didn’t expect the replies. The questions. The “This gave me chills” or “I sent this to my client” messages. The conversations that carried into the DMs, and led to real change.

Copy isn’t just words. It’s what builds the bridge between curiosity and connection.

And when your positioning is clear and your voice is consistent, you’re not just creating content. You’re building a brand people trust. Some “cold leads” turned into clients, and I found out they’d been reading my newsletter all along.

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What I learned along the way

My voice matters. My ideas carry weight. And I’m willing to bet I have some of the most thoughtful, insightful subscribers around.

Selling is okay. I held back at first, afraid it would come off pushy. But I have a business to run. And if I have a solution to someone’s problem, they deserve to know it exists.

So, yes, now I weave in mentions of my copy audits and strategy sessions where it makes sense. (Thanks for this nudge, Adriana.)

When your message is clear, your offer is positioned well, and your copy reflects how your audience actually talks about their problems… it’s not pressure. It’s presence.

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What’s still a work in progress

I don’t have a system (but am working on one!). More than once, I’ve hit send 30 seconds after hitting publish. (I once wrote an entire email about social proof... and forgot to ask for any. 🤦🏻‍♀️)

I haven’t always connected the dots between my newsletter, LinkedIn posts, website, and services. Sometimes they worked... but not always together.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned? Even when you know what strong messaging looks like, it’s easy to miss the mark when you’re too close to your own business.

The weeks I wrote something off the cuff just to get it out the door? It showed.

The message might’ve sounded fine, but it didn’t fully align with my offers or my goals. And when your copy isn’t aligned with your strategy, it doesn’t connect.

The best messaging isn’t reactive, it’s researched. And that applies to your own brand as much as your clients’.

It’s exactly what I tell my clients: your message needs to reflect what your audience is thinking, not just what’s on your mind. But that’s hard to do when you’re rushing, winging it, or writing in a vacuum.

Even as a strategist, I have to remind myself to pause and listen before I write.

This year is all about refining the system, staying intentional, and building on what works.

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What’s next

In July, I’m launching something new. Something that builds on the strategy, clarity, and connection this newsletter has sparked.

It’s for founders who get that copy isn't just words; it's strategy.

If you’ve ever stared at a blank LinkedIn post thinking “What am I even trying to say?”... or felt like your posts get views but not leads, what I’m launching is for you.

Because clarity doesn’t just attract attention. It drives action.

But for now?

Thank you.
For reading.
For replying.
For helping me shape what this has become.

Here’s to year two. 🎉
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Today’s actionable advice:

Take a look at your last 5 subject lines, your homepage headline, and your social posts.

• Do they reflect the same voice?
• Are they in line with what your audience actually cares about?
• Are you writing what’s true, or what you think you’re supposed to say?

Your audience doesn’t need more noise. They need resonance. And that only happens when your message reflects your position, speaks to their desire, and is written with intent.

Start there.

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👉🏻If you’ve been reading for a while, I’d love to know—what’s kept you around? Or what would you love to see more of?

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Until next time,

Stacy

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In case you missed it up top, here’s how you can help me celebrate:

✉️ If you know three people who’d love honest, strategic, no-fluff insights on messaging, positioning, or copywriting, would you forward this to them?

🔁 Or better yet, share it on social with a quick note about why you read it. (That’s social proof in action. And yes, I teach it and need it.)

👏 Want to leave a testimonial? You can do that here: Leave a note on Senja.