Inbox Insider #18 - June 1, 2025

Welcome to Issue #18 of "Inbox Insiders": Your Email List-Building Backstage Pass

In this issue:

1. By The Numbers: What worked and what didn't
2. Deep Dive: Your Next $3k
3. Up Next: What I'm working on this week

Welcome to Issue #18

"Inbox Insider" is my Sunday newsletter sharing the behind-the-scenes of what I'm doing to grow my email list to 100,000.

I share what works, what doesn't, and how I'm growing.

Thanks for reading.

Let's dive in:

By The Numbers:

My Email List

• Total Subscribers: 16,238 (last week, 16,235)
• Added last week (net): 0 (last week: 120)
• 5* Subscribers (engaged in the last 30 days): 9,216 (last week: 9,082)
• Analysis: I cooled off my ad spend last week while we were on vacation and I'm plotting my next move. According to Kit, I had 232 new subs and 230 unsubscribes. More on that below.

My Ad Account - Lead Magnets:

• Ad Spend: $454 (last week: $665)
• Gross Leads from FB: 284 (last week: 321)
• Cost per lead: $1.60 (last week: $1.68)
• Analysis: Another small drop in CPL. You love to see it.

Instagram (@emailschool): Started Feb 1st

• Total Subscribers: 443 (+5 this week)

​Email School (Email-Focused Membership):

1. Paying Members: 231 (-1 from last week)
2. Monthly Recurring Revenue: $4,218 (-$29/mo from last week)

Other Audiences:

• ​LinkedIn Newsletter: (143 subscribers; +4 this week)
• ​Threads: 24 followers (+0 this week)
• ​YouTube: 649(+2 this week)

Deep Dive: The Wrong Ladder

Value Ladder.

Corporate Ladder.

Offer Ladder.

Everyone's trying to climb ladders.

But unless you're a circus performer...

That ladder is leaning up against something.

What if you climb the ladder all the way to the top and realize:

1. It was the wrong ladder and/or
2. It was leaning up against the wrong wall?

What if you got really good at something that doesn't matter?

GROWTH FOR THE SAKE OF GROWTH

My email list has been growing steadily this year, as planned.

In January 1st, it was 12,457.

Now it's over 16,200+.

But another stat is increasing: Cold Subscribers.

According to Kit, I have 2,095 people who haven't engaged with an email in the last 9 months.

Last week, I started a pruning campaign, so I fully expect most of those 2,000 to drop off.

(I added them to an automation, sent them two emails, wait a week, and boot 'em out).

HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT THIS?

Not great, honestly.

I'm on a quest to grow my email list to 100,000, but I'm about to go backwards by 2,000 subscribers.

But...

If they're not engaging with my content, they gotta go.

What good is it to me to have 10, 25, 50,000 people on my list if 12% of them are colder than iced coffee in Colorado in February?

THE DAILY CONUNDRUM

I send a daily email.

You likely know this.

And I know this isn't for everyone.

I need the right people on my list who:

• want help with marketing, emailing, and storytelling
• want to hear from me daily

And if they haven't engaged in 90 days, that's 90 emails they've ignored.

The folks I know with huge lists don't mail daily.

They mail weekly.

I have a hunch that the pool of people who want my good-humored, cul-de-sac flannel Dad emails is a bit smaller than someone who wants a weekly Saturday newsletter.

WHAT I'M DOING ABOUT IT

I'm going to keep going.

I have a few bigger pushes planned for this year (a free event in July and a free Summit in the Fall) that may grow my list like a weed.

In the meantime, my ads keep people coming in.

The new "list-cleaning" automations will keep the list tidy.

And when people are done, they are free to leave.

BUT DO THEY BUY?

According to SamCart, I had 884 people buy something last year.

And most of them came in through a lead magnet, then purchased something small, and then something big.

That's why I'm so bullish on growing an engaged email list.

How long will it take me to get to 100,000 people?

Who knows.

But I'm enjoying the journey.

Thanks for reading.

~ Cody "The Right Ladder" Burch

What's Next:

I'm working with 5 people this month to install a new $3K offer in their business. Reply with "$3K" and I'll get you the details.

I'm also going to work with a few people 1:1 in June and July. Reply with "1:1" and I'll get you the details.

Thanks for reading this issue of "Inbox Insiders."

See you next week,

~ Cody

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