How to Lead from the Bottom Up

Welcome to the newest edition of the Uncommon Advice Newsletter!

Behind the Marketing

For years, I saw my email list as a cut-and-dry single audience with very little wiggle room in their likes or dislikes.

After all, my one main goal was to rack up as many like-minded subscribers as possible. But that mindset put a limit on my growth.

We hit a million subscribers, sure, but then the engagement flatlined.

That’s when I had to take a closer look at my analytics.

And I discovered all these hidden niches within my existing niche.

As much as I wanted to believe that my audience was ‘like–minded,’ user clicks and engagement metrics revealed a different story.

They had nuanced interests: health, survival, money—you name it.

And the answer was to segment.

I turned a one-size-fits-all approach into a laser-focused strategy, splitting that one newsletter into four specialized ones overnight.

The payoff?

Our engagement skyrocketed, and so did our revenue.

We were talking directly about the topics our readers cared about most, and they responded by engaging, clicking, and buying more.

Your newsletter is a goldmine of niches, waiting to be discovered.

So stop viewing your audience as a single entity.

Cater to their interests, and watch your metrics soar.

Hungry for more insights?

Join our Facebook group, Million-Dollar Newsletters, for tips on scaling your newsletter into an unshakeable asset. 

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A True Leader Serves to Elevate

As a business owner, it's all too easy to let leadership go to your head.

But the truth is that leaders don’t flex authority –

They roll up their sleeves and do the work.

Because if you tower over a team with a shaky foundation, it’s just a matter of time before the whole thing comes crashing down.

No task is beneath a true leader because to lift your team higher, it’s your responsibility to foster growth –

Even if that means making some mistakes along the way.

This doesn’t mean you can’t give direction.

But you must join them on the journey to ensure that they find their way…

Because a pathway to collective success is much sturdier than success in isolation.

So how do you serve as a leader?

Equip your team with the resources they need.

Foster a culture of open dialogue.

And most importantly, be the first to demonstrate how it's done.

Your actions become the gold standard for your team.

The best part?

It's contagious.

Your team will emulate your attitude, leading to a work environment that's not just productive but also nurturing.

So, invest in others, and witness how quickly the tables turn, converting today's good intentions into tomorrow's business triumphs.

Because nothing shouts success like a leader who serves.

Uncommon Advice: Bigger Isn’t Always Better

Bigger isn't always better.

We've all been mesmerized by the term "scaling."

It’s the buzzword on the tip of every entrepreneurial tongue.

Yet, scaling is just one side of the growth coin.

A while back my friend Chris Evans illuminated another angle, one often overlooked:

Descaling.

As entrepreneurs, our eyes are usually fixed skyward, looking for the next summit.

But before you climb any mountain, you have to ensure your roots run deep.

Otherwise, each monumental peak you conquer only reveals itself to be a mere foothill, and you're left running in an endless hamster wheel of your own ambition.

That's why it’s essential to employ the less-glamorous but pivotal notion of descaling.

Think of it like a pruning season – where you audit every part of your operation for its true worth.

What stays? What goes?

The goal is simple:

Free up your resources and unburden your system.

During rapid growth phases, it’s too easy to pile on elements that add little or no value.

Yet, they drain capital and energy that could be better spent.

It's the deep roots, the firm foundation of your business that enable you to weather the storms and surges of the market.

By reassessing your business, you unlock margins that fuel the next phase of your growth or scale.

You’re not just looking up – you’re growing down…

And creating a value system robust enough to ensure long-term sustainability.

Descaling isn't about stepping back.

It's about slowing down and stepping wisely.

So instead of simply "going big," consider going deep.

Create a business that doesn't just reach for the sky but is grounded enough to stand the test of time.

Rooting for ya!

~ Nate Kennedy