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Every issue of this newsletter gives you the exact systems, strategies, and principles I’ve used to generate 8 figures (almost entirely) with email marketing. So you can build your own systems that will carry you through the next algorithm change or recession. This is what actually works.

In today's issue:

I was sitting in a mastermind in Los Angeles hosted by my friend Steve Sims some years ago. The room was packed with some seriously interesting characters — authors, music industry people, even a motorcycle racing champion. At one point, someone mentioned that the group also included the highest-paid sex worker in America, which gives you an idea of how unusual the crowd really was.

During the session, they opened up a hot seat, and I volunteered to go first. I explained my business model, talked about email lists, subscribers, and how our retention numbers were doing. I even mentioned that our customer retention sits around 42%, which in this industry is extremely high, so naturally, people started offering ideas on how I could take the business to the next level.

Then something interesting happened.

A woman named Juliet leaned forward and asked a question that caught me off guard: “Why are you in business?”

I didn’t hesitate. I told her the truth.

“I do it for the money.”

The reaction was unforgettable. She looked genuinely shocked, almost offended, like I had just confessed to something terrible. Apparently, the acceptable answer was supposed to be about changing the world, saving dolphins, or spreading positivity across the universe.

But here’s the uncomfortable reality most people try to dance around:

The purpose of a business is to make money.

Yes, helping people matters — in fact it’s required. If you don’t improve someone’s life even a little, they won’t come back and buy from you again. But the engine that keeps the whole machine running is profit.

That profit retired my parents and allowed me to buy them an apartment so they never have to worry about rent again. It also helped me send my daughter through a private school that costs nearly $20,000 a year, something most people can’t even imagine paying for elementary education.

And once you accept that business exists to generate profit, then you’ll start worrying about how to make it more profitable.

There's a reason your favorite celebrities all use email lists - and it’s probably not what you think.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has all his fame and fortune, and he chose to start a daily email newsletter. 

Matthew McConaughey sends one every Friday. Oprah publishes 9 different email newsletters.

When Louis C.K. lost his career, he sent one email to 45,000 people and made $1,000,000 in 12 days. He used that list to announce tours, sell tickets, and turn his novel into a New York Times best-seller.

People keep saying email is dead, but the gurus deliver your $997 course via email after you buy. Webinar platforms send join links via email. Product launches generate 7 figures via email.

When you buy concert tickets, the QR code arrives in your inbox. When Amazon can't deliver your package, the notification hits your inbox.

The Wall Street Journal, McKinsey, and Forbes all published research showing email delivers between $32 and $45 for every $1 spent.

I wrote The Second Act to show you how to build your own email list using what I call the “Greenhouse Method”. 

Get it for $9.99 using the coupon code SHIP4FREE right now.

There’s a polite lie floating around the business world that almost everyone repeats because it sounds good.

Ask someone why they started their business, and you’ll hear answers about impact, purpose, or changing the world. It’s the kind of thing that gets applause on stages and nods in mastermind rooms.

But most of the time, that’s not the real reason.

People start businesses because they want freedom, and freedom usually shows up wearing the same outfit every time: money. The ability to control your schedule, make decisions without asking permission, and create options for your family requires financial leverage. Without that piece, what you’re running isn’t really a business — it’s closer to a demanding hobby.

What’s strange is that the moment someone openly admits they want to make money, the room gets uncomfortable. Suddenly, the goal sounds selfish, even though the very people raising their eyebrows are often charging $25,000 for coaching or consulting services.

That contradiction tells you everything you need to know.

Profit isn’t the enemy of helping people — it’s the proof you actually did.

If customers aren’t getting value, they disappear. They stop opening emails, stop clicking links, and definitely stop buying. When they continue coming back — like the 42% retention rate I mentioned earlier — it’s because the exchange works for both sides.

So here’s the mindset shift most beginners need.

Stop trying to sound impressive. Stop trying to prove that your intentions are noble enough to deserve success.

Instead, focus on creating something people willingly pay for and happily return to.

Because the market doesn’t reward good intentions or inspirational speeches.

It rewards results.

In this episode, I was joined by Kyle Kostechka, a Business Development Manager at ClickBank who lives and breathes affiliate marketing numbers.

And yes, we talk about the numbers.

Conversion rates. EPC. Average order value. The metrics that determine whether an offer lives or dies. Kyle explains why analytics isn’t just about reading data — it’s about understanding which numbers actually matter for your traffic source, niche, and offer type.

But the conversation takes an interesting turn.

Because after all the talk about stats, Kyle drops a reminder most affiliates forget:

Relationships often matter even more than numbers.

The affiliate world looks big from the outside, but at the top it’s surprisingly small. People promote offers not just because the numbers work — sometimes it’s because of the relationship behind the deal.

If you want to grow in this industry, you need both. Solid numbers… and solid relationships.

Give it a listen!

The idea behind this book is simple but powerful: don’t just share your wins — share the process. Show what you’re learning, what you’re testing, and even the things that don’t work.

That’s how people start trusting you.

Most beginners think they need to look like experts before they speak up. Kleon argues the opposite. When people see the journey — the experiments, the small breakthroughs, the occasional mess — they connect with you much faster.

And if you’re building an email list, that mindset changes everything.

Because people don’t subscribe to perfect marketers.

They subscribe to real ones.

One version speaks to everyone.
Another speaks to the right person.
Only one of them actually converts.

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