Inbox Insider #22 - June 29, 2025

Welcome to Issue #22 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: The 1,000 Member Plan
3. Up Next: What I'm working on this week

Welcome to Issue #22

"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: 14,474 (last week: 14,366 (last week: 14,266)
• Added last week (net): 160 (last week: 120)
• 5* Subscribers (engaged in the last 30 days): 9,372 (last week: 9,392)

My Ad Account - Lead Magnets:

• Ad Spend: $454 (last week: $454)
• Gross Leads from FB: 339 (last week: 258)
• Cost per lead: $1.34 (last week: $1.76)
• Analysis: See.... this is why I don't mess with my ads. I changed nothing from last week. Spent the same. Got 81 more leads at a $0.42 drop in cost.

Instagram (@emailschool): Started Feb 1st

• Total Subscribers: 453 (+3 this week)

​Email School (Email-Focused Membership):

1. Paying Members: 226 (+0 from last week)
2. Monthly Recurring Revenue: $4,102 (+$0/mo from last week)
3. In trial: 9

Other Audiences:

• ​LinkedIn Newsletter: (154 subscribers; +3 this week)
• ​Threads: 24 followers (+0 this week)
• ​YouTube: 657 (+2 this week)

Deep Dive: The 1,000 Member Plan

EMAIL SCHOOL INCEPTION

About a year ago, I had an idea for an email storytelling membership.

I let it simmer on the back burner for a few months.

Then, in October, I saw an ad for a Skool group called "Ads Skool."

Pretty simple premise: a Skool group about Ads.

I joined.

It was good.

I thought, "I could do the same thing with email."

​Email School was launched a few weeks later.​

THE LAUNCH

I used a waitlist launch and got 146 members in the first week.

(A waitlist launch meant that you had to join the waitlist the week before, then you got a special invite in later).

Then, I did a free trial launch. 36 members joined the trial and 33% converted to paying customers.

In the first month, I had:

• 19 free members (my Coaching Group got it for free)
• 146 at the founding member rate ($17/mo or $136/yr)
• 12 at the $25/mo or $205/yr
• 29 at the $25/mo or $225/yr

= 206 members.

It's been pretty steady since then.

Every now and then, someone cancels, and every now and then, I get more folks in.

PRESENT

There are:

• 251 active members
• 78 have churned

= 329 sales of Email School.

Total Revenue since launching: $42,360

THE PLAN

The first 200 came quickly.

The next 50 were more of a grind.

(But I gotta be honest I kinda took my eye off the ball; Email School isn't my only revenue stream).

In February, I hosted a list-building event and got ~66 members.

In March I hosted a welcome series training and got another ~15.

The current numbers are due to churn (which Skool says is 0.65% meaning 99.35% of members stay each month).

ONE MORE THING

I have a really juicy bonus if you upgrade to Annual: A CustomGPT that I've trained on all my email-writing methods.

I call it "The Inbox Storyteller," and it's amazing.

...which means that 161/251 (64.1%) are paying annually.

...which explains my super low churn.

THE PLAN

So... how to get to 1,000 members?

Glad you asked.

I have 2 big "at-bats" this year.

1. List Builder Land: An amusement park-themed list-building event
2. The Email Summit: a...summit about email.

🎪 List Builder Land:

• Free event
• Kicks off July 28th
• Paid upgrade to get a handful of CustomGPTs, recordings, and coaching

I did this event last year and got around 1,200 people.

I sold coaching on the backend, which is a big jump (free event --> $1,295 coaching cohort).

This year, it'll be much more congruent: learn how to grow your email list --> Join Email School.

⛰️ The Email Summit:

I'm less clear on how this will go...

I'm planning to do it in October, which means I'll need to get pieces in place in August.

I'd like to interview people who are using creative ways to:

1. Grow their list
2. Sell to their list

It'll be a similar structure to List Builder Land. A free Summit with paid upgrades to get recordings, bonuses, and a smaller group.

Then? Sell Email School.

PRICING TIERS

​Email School is currently available with a free 7-day free trial until June 30th at 10pm MST.​

Then, 3 things are happening:

1. I'm closing enrollment
2. I'll reopen in July after List Builder Land
3. I'm raising the price

Eventually, the price will align with its value.

It's currently waaay underpriced at just $39/mo or $300/yr (which is $25/mo when paid annually).

I'll fix that in due time.

So, let's say in July I raise it to $49/mo and do some math.

Goals for List Builder Land Free Event:

• 5,000 free ticket holders
• 500-1,000 "All Access Pass" buyers which would make about $25-50K in revenue which would hopefully cover ad spend
• 500 new Email School members

If the price is $49/mo or $365/yr...

And 64.1% buy annually for the bonus...

That'd be 320 folks @ $365 = $116,800/yr.

And another 180 folks $49/mo = $8,280/mo.

...which would be awesome.

That'd get me to 750 members.

The rest would have to come from The Summit.

THE WHITE WHALE

Every month, I think I'm going to make $100K during that month.

And every month (so far)...I don't.

High water mark: $92K cash in September-October last year (Coaching Group launch)

I did $70K in rev in Dec '24. $60K in Jan '24.

Most months average $30-50K top line.

So the allure of the $100K month still tempts me.

Maybe it'll happen this time.

Maybe I'll fall short and you'll laugh.

Either way...

The only guarantee is that it'll be entertaining.

Thanks for reading.

~ Cody "Entertainer" Burch

What's Next:

1. Got a marketing to-do list and want some help? I have 2 more spots for my July "Fast Lane Funnel" Implementation session. Just reply and say "JULY" and I'll get you the dates.
2. For a freedom-focused entrepreneur, my favorite holiday is this week (July 4th). I'll be enjoying it with my family on a little road trip out of state.
3. Email School is on free trial if you enroll by June 30th at 10pm MST (midnight EST). Get your first 7-days free here.

Thanks for reading this issue of "Inbox Insiders."

See you next week,

~ Cody

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