For over 11 years I’ve sent a weekly email to tens of thousands of people. It’s been one of the most consistent things I’ve done in my business (and one of the most valuable).
But after a lot of thought, I’ve decided to stop sending it through ConvertKit (now Kit) and move to a new model.
I haven’t given up on newsletters - in fact quite the opposite. I still believe in long form writing and it’s actually one of the things I think I’m strongest at (despite my high school English teacher, Mrs Lucas, telling me I was terrible at writing 😒).
I still believe in showing up regularly and I strongly still believe in sharing ideas that help people think differently.
But I want to do it in a way that reflects how the online space is changing and how I’m changing too.
I don’t want to build in a vacuum anymore
Kit has been an incredible tool. It’s helped me sell millions of dollars in digital products, courses and templates. But in many ways, it’s still a silo. It’s a one way system where I send something out and people (hopefully) read it.
I’ve done pretty well with that model. My newsletter has consistently had over 50% open rate for years on end (uncommon in the industry) and every week people give me feedback on how they enjoy my writing and ideas.
But in this model there’s no sense of community, no visibility into how others are responding or engaging with the ideas and no way to build a strong brand that grows via word of mouth.
And right now, I’m more interested in building something interactive that connects people, not just broadcasts at them.
I want to write on a platform where other thought leaders are hanging out, where discovery is organic and where conversation is part of the experience. That’s why I’m moving my newsletter to Substack.
Substack makes more sense for where I’m going
Substack feels like the right place for this next chapter of content.
It’s where smart people are writing openly, building in public and exploring their ideas. It’s a platform built for writers (not marketers) and for thought leadership (not sales funnels).
It has a particular culture that I’ve been enjoying that encourages depth of thinking and prioritises quality writing for real people over spammy click bait content created for algorithms.
So I’m moving my personal writing - the behind-the-scenes of what I do and how I do it - to Substack.
But what about the design help?
I’m still sharing that too - but not via email.
I’ve moved all of my tactical, day-to-day content for designers into a free Skool community. I post there most days with ideas, strategies, prompts and tools. It’s a place I’ve designed for conversation, not just content.
It’s specifically for interior designers and architects who want to grow their businesses without adding a bunch of complexity or hiring a big team.
If that’s you, join us HERE
Why this shift matters
This isn’t just about choosing a different platform, it’s about future-proofing my business and my brand.
Because here’s what I see coming:
AI is going to make it very easy to churn out copy, funnels, templates and frameworks.
The market is about to be flooded with low effort, high volume content.
I believe the only brands that will cut through are the ones that are human and genuine and have a connection with a real community of people.
So I want to continue to grow the trust I’ve build with my community over the past 11 years. And I believe that trust is built through consistency, honesty and showing up in places where conversation is part of the experience.
So I’m not done writing newsletters. I’m just writing them in a place that feels aligned with where I want to take my work.
I love the way you are pre-emptively responding to the energy of the online space and new tools so readily available to a growing worldwide population of entrepreneurs and experts sharing their knowledge, skills, and personal brand. This is what a great industry leader does for their "tribe."