Back in 2015, I hired my first full-time employee.

Scary? Yep.
But staying solo forever? Scarier.

Here’s what I learned:

→ You can’t scale chaos
Clients were piling up. I was drowning.
Systems came after the first hire—not before.

→ Your first hire shapes your culture
They copy how you think, move, and deliver.
That’s either a multiplier—or a mess.

→ Growth isn’t doing more—it’s doing less better
I stopped trying to wear every hat.
I focused on building the business, not just running it.

Looking back, I should’ve hired sooner.
BUT I should have systemised my business even sooner!

Nobody signs up to your list thinking,
“I can’t wait to get sold to.”

They sign up hoping you’ll solve their problem.

Here’s how to win their trust and keep it:

→ Step 1: Create a subscriber avatar
Give your ideal subscriber a name, job, goals, and pain points.
Write every email like it’s going straight to them.

→ Step 2: Nail your Job-To-Be-Done
What job does your newsletter do for the reader?
Be specific.
Mine? Helping founders turn email into revenue without ads.

→ Step 3: Deliver on your invisible promise
When someone signs up, they’re entering an unwritten contract.
Deliver value. Respect attention. Show up when you say you will.

Your subscribers aren’t numbers.
They’re humans.

Are you treating them like it?

List quality is more important that list size.

That’s why list hygiene is so important.

Here’s how to clean up your list and double your deliverability 👇

→ Step 1: Stop hoarding cold subs

If someone hasn’t opened in 90 days, they’re dead weight.

Remove or re-engage—don’t just keep sending.

→ Step 2: Verify before they even hit your list

I use Clearout + Fluent Forms to verify emails in real-time during sign-up.

No more fake addresses or typos dragging down your sender score.

→ Step 3: Run monthly cleanups

Use tools like Truelist to scrub your list every 30 days.

You’ll improve opens, clicks, and your sender rep.

Most founders try to add more subscribers.

Smart founders fix their foundation first.

How clean is your list, really?