The newsletter for busy parents building online income with simple systems, clear steps, and a business that works in real life.

Know a parent who disappears for weeks and then suddenly sends a full-on promo email? Forward this to them. Gently. We’re here to help, not start fights at the dinner table.

In today’s issue:

Reply with one word:
COLD
or
WARM

Because most promos feel very one or the other.

• What to do: Pick one offer for May and send 2-3 warm-up emails before you promote it
• Why it works: Readers respond better when the idea feels familiar before the ask
• What to stop doing: Going from regular content straight to “BUY NOW” with no runway

A promo usually works better when it feels like the next step, not a surprise attack.

A lot of creators wait until they are ready to promote something… and then they promote it like they are jumping out of a bush.

One day it is tips.
Next day it is story.
Then silence.
Then out of nowhere:

Here’s the thing I recommend.
Here’s the link.
Doors closing.
Act fast.
Cue dramatic music.

That approach can work once in a while.

But most of the time, it feels abrupt.

For the reader.

And honestly, for you too.

Because when there is no runway, the promo feels heavier than it needs to.

The reader has not been thinking about the problem yet.
They have not been reminded why it matters.
They have not seen the result in context.
They have not had time to connect the dots.

So when the offer shows up, even a good one can feel random.

That is why warm-up emails matter.

They make the promo feel earned.

Not forced.

They help your reader move from:

“That’s interesting.”

To:

“That sounds useful.”

To:

“Okay, this might actually be for me.”

That is a much better place to sell from.

Especially to busy parents.

Because your readers are not sitting around waiting to be pitched.

They are trying to survive work, dinner, dishes, bedtime, school forms, missing socks, and the general chaos of being a grown-up with responsibilities.

So when you warm people up first, you are not being manipulative.

You are being helpful.

You are making the next step easier to understand.

And that is usually what makes the promo land better.

Back when I started teaching PE, I made one mistake over and over.

I'd roll out the ball and just let the kids go.

Full speed. No warm-up. Straight into the game.

And every single time it looked like a disaster. Passes were wild. Kids were tripping over each other. One kid was still half asleep from math class.

Technically they were playing. But they weren't ready.

Then I started doing proper warm-ups. A few easy layups. Some light movement. A little rhythm to get them loose.

Same kids. Same gym. Same game. Completely different result.

The warm-up didn't make them better athletes. It just got them ready to play.

Here's why I'm telling you this.

Your email promos work the exact same way.

If you jump straight into the offer, people technically see it. But they're not ready for it yet.

They haven't warmed up to the problem. They haven't warmed up to why it matters right now. So the whole thing feels clunky.

And you start thinking the offer is broken. But the offer is usually fine.

There was just no runway.

A warm-up email doesn't have to be fancy. It just needs to get your reader mentally ready for what's coming next.

That's it. One email. A little buildup. And your next promo will land way better.

Here’s the good news.

You do not need a huge launch plan for May.

You just need one clear offer and a few emails that lead into it naturally.

Try this tonight.

Not three.

Not your whole business model.

One.

Ask:

What is the one thing I want to point people toward in early May?

It could be:

Pick the one that feels most aligned.

The one you would happily recommend to a friend or your sister without making it weird.

That matters.

Before you promote the thing, teach the problem it solves.

This email should help the reader think:

“Ohhh. That is the issue.”

Keep it simple.

Name the friction.
Explain why it happens.
Give one quick win.

No pitch required.

Just help them see the problem clearly.

Your next email should make the solution feel real.

This can be:

The goal is not to “prove” in some flashy way.

The goal is to make the idea feel believable.

Now the promo feels natural.

Because the reader already understands:

That means your invite does not feel abrupt.

It feels like the next step.

That is the whole point.

This matters more than most people realize.

Warm-up emails work best when they do not sound like setup.

They should still be useful on their own.

Write them like normal helpful emails.

Because that is what they are.

The difference is that they are all pointing in the same direction.

Simple systems win.

Let’s say your May offer is a beginner-friendly email marketing tool.

Here is the warm-up flow:

Email 1: Teach the problem
Why most creators make email harder than it needs to be

Email 2: Proof/story
The small email system that helped me stop starting from scratch every week

Email 3: Invite
If you want help with this, here’s the tool I recommend and why

That feels clean.

It does not feel like you disappeared into the woods and came back wearing a promo hat.

It feels connected.

Helpful.

Natural.

And that is why it usually works better.

This matters because readers do not like being rushed into context.

They like being led into it.

A cold promo asks too much, too fast.

It asks the reader to care about the solution before they have fully connected with the problem.

That is a heavy lift.

Especially for tired parents who are skimming your email at the kitchen table with one eye on tomorrow’s lunch prep.

Warm-up emails fix that.

They create familiarity.

They build trust.

They help the reader feel like the recommendation makes sense for what they are already thinking about.

And when that happens, the click feels more natural.

Not because you got pushier.

Because you got clearer.

Clarity beats clever.

Every time.

If May matters to you, do not wait until promo week to start talking about the thing.

Warm your readers up first.

Teach.
Show.
Then invite.

That rhythm makes selling easier for them and for you.

Your one action today:
Pick the ONE offer or theme you want to feature in early May and write it down before you close this email.

“A warm audience needs less convincing.”

“The best promos do not come out of nowhere. They feel like the natural next step.”

If you want your May promo to convert better, do not go from regular content straight to “BUY NOW.” Pick one offer, warm readers up with a problem email and a proof email, then make the invite. That simple runway makes your promo feel more natural and more clickable.

Ryan – Keepin it Real

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