Your email dashboard is lying to you

1. Marketing

Email Marketing KPIs

Tracking your email marketing metrics doesn’t have to be complicated.

In fact, the most successful email marketers I know focus on just a handful of key metrics that actually move the needle.

I’m going to show you exactly what those metrics are.

You can implement this system in the next 30 minutes (even if you’re just getting started with email marketing).

Let me break it down for you…

The only 5 metrics that matter

You don’t need fancy tools or complicated spreadsheets. (Trust me, I’ve tried them all)

You just need to focus on these 5 metrics:

1. Engagement Depth (Not Just Opens)

Here’s what nobody tells you about open rates.

They’re mostly BS.

But why:

• Most email clients now pre-load images (which counts as an open)
• Apple’s privacy features have made open rates even less reliable
• Traditional open rates don’t tell you if anyone actually read your email

Instead, here’s what you should track:

• Average read time (aim for >45 seconds)
• Reply rate (shoot for >2%)
• Forward rate (the holy grail)

2. Revenue Per Subscriber (RPS)

Want to know the real secret to a profitable email list?

It’s not the size. It’s the RPS.

My RPS increased by 56% when I started segmenting my list based on:

• Purchase history
• Engagement level
• Content preferences

3. List Health Metrics

Here’s something most people don’t realize:

Your email list dies by 23% every year.

(Scary, right?)

That’s why you need to track these critical health metrics:

1. List Growth Rate
2. Active vs. Inactive Subscribers
3. Engagement Decay Rate
4. Spam Complaint Ratio

4. Customer Journey Position (CJP)

This one’s a game-changer.

I map every subscriber to one of 4 stages:

1. New subscriber
2. Engaged reader
3. First-time buyer
4. Repeat customer

5. Action Completion Rate (ACR)

I measure how many subscribers actually implement what I teach.

Why?

Because subscribers who take action are 7x more likely to buy.

The Framework

Here’s where it gets interesting…

After studying the email strategies of 50+ successful creators, I noticed a pattern:

The most successful ones track what I call “The Rule of 3R’s”:

1. Response (Do people engage?)
2. Results (Do people take action?)
3. Revenue (Does it drive business growth?)

But here’s the key: They track them in that order.

The Paradoxical Reality

The best email marketers don’t obsess over metrics daily.

Instead, they:

1. Set up robust systems
2. Check weekly for trends
3. Adjust quarterly for optimization

They focus on writing emails people actually want to read.

How to Implement This System (30-Minute Guide)

Ready to copy my system? Here’s your step-by-step plan:

First 10 minutes:

• Export your current metrics
• Set up a simple Google Sheet

Next 10 minutes:

• Configure tracking for the 5 key metrics
• I use a combination of ConvertKit + Sheets

Final 10 minutes:

• Create your baseline measurements
• Set realistic improvement targets

If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. — Lord Kelvin

2. Productivity

Eisenhower Matrix

There’s a fascinating paradox in modern productivity.

The more tools we have to manage our time, the less time we seem to have.

Why?

Because we’re playing an entirely different game than we think we are.

Today, I’m going to share a powerful mental model that completely transformed how I think about time management – and it might just change your life too.

The Time Management Conundrum

Here’s a thought experiment:

Imagine you have two tasks:

1. Responding to an “urgent” email from a colleague
2. Writing the business plan for your dream startup

Which would you do first?

If you’re like most people (including my past self), you’d choose the email.

And therein lies the trap that keeps most of us stuck in the hamster wheel of busyness.

Let me explain…

The Eisenhower Principle

In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave a remarkable speech at Northwestern University.

In it, he revealed a decision-making framework that helped him lead the Allied forces to victory in World War II and later guide America through the Cold War.

The principle?

“What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.”

Mind-bending, isn’t it?

This principle evolved into what we now call the Eisenhower Matrix.

But I prefer to call it the Power Matrix – because understanding it gives you unprecedented power over your time.

Here’s how it works:

Picture your tasks in four quadrants:

1. Important & Urgent (The Firefighter Zone)
   • Crisis management
   • Deadline-driven projects
   • Emergency meetings

2. Important & Non-Urgent (The Growth Zone)
   • Strategic planning
   • Relationship building
   • Skill development
   • Health and wellness

3. Unimportant & Urgent (The Distraction Zone)
   • Most emails
   • Many meetings
   • Other people’s “emergencies”

4. Unimportant & Non-Urgent (The Waste Zone)
   • Mindless scrolling
   • Excessive email organization
   • Low-value busy work

The Hidden Pattern

After analyzing thousands of high-performers’ schedules, I noticed something remarkable:

The most successful people spend 60%+ of their time in Quadrant 2 (The Growth Zone).

The average person? Less than 15%.

This is the success gap hidden in plain sight.

3x3x3 Implementation

Want to reshape your relationship with time? Here’s my simple 3x3x3 framework:

3 Minutes:

Write down your three most important long-term goals

3 Hours:

3 Days:

The more time you spend in Quadrant 2, the fewer “emergencies” you’ll have in Quadrant 1.

Remember:

Every time you say yes to an urgent but unimportant task, you’re saying no to something that could change your life.

Choose wisely.

The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.

— Stephen Covey

3. Solopreneurship

Legal Considerations for Solopreneurs

The most expensive mistakes are the ones you don’t see coming.

Nobody starts a business dreaming about licenses and tax forms.

We’re creatives, marketers, consultants. We want to do the work we love.

But here’s what I’ve learned the hard way: The freedom to do what you love depends on getting the boring stuff right.

The Hidden Tax of Legal Ignorance

Think of legal protection like the foundation of a house.

You can’t see it. It’s not exciting. Nobody compliments you on it.

But without it, everything else eventually collapses.

The same psychological bias that makes us procrastinate on our taxes leads many solopreneurs to ignore legal fundamentals.

I call this the “Urgency-Importance Paradox.”

🧠 The Psychology:

• Urgent tasks feel important (client work, sales calls)
• Important-but-not-urgent tasks feel optional (legal setup)
• Until they become emergencies

The 3 Pillars

After studying hundreds of solopreneur success (and horror) stories, I’ve identified three critical elements that separate the survivors from the casualties.

1. The Entity Shield
2. The Tax Framework
3. The Contract Fortress

Let’s break each one down…

1. The Entity Shield

Your first line of defense against the chaos of commerce.

Picture your business as a ship sailing through sometimes-stormy seas. Your entity structure (LLC, Corp, etc.) is your hull.

Key insights:

• Basic business license
• LLC formation
• Professional insurance

The smaller your business, the more protection you need.

2. The Tax Framework

Most people think taxes are about numbers. They’re wrong. Taxes are about systems.

Here’s the framework I’ve developed:

1. The 30% Rule: Automatically save 30% of all income

2. The Two-Account Strategy:
   • Operating account for daily business
   • Tax savings account (don’t touch!)

3. The Quarterly Rhythm: Mark these dates in stone
   • April 15
   • June 15
   • September 15
   • January 15

Think of taxes like oxygen tanks for deep-sea diving. You don’t need them until you desperately need them.

3. The Contract Fortress

Here’s a pattern I’ve noticed studying successful solopreneurs:

The ones who survive long-term all have strong contract habits.

The Contract Trinity:

1. Clear scope definition
2. Payment protection
3. Liability limitations

83% of legal disputes could have been prevented by better contracts.

The Bigger Picture

Here’s what fascinates me most about business legality:

It’s one of the few areas where small actions have exponentially positive or negative consequences.

The Legal Flywheel

• Good protection → Better clients
• Better clients → More stable income
• More stable income → Better protection

Here’s Your Game Plan:

Remember: The best time to set up legal protection was when you started.

The second best time is now.

Until Next Week,

Think big | Start small | Keep going