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It feels a little weird to be celebrating given the state of the world…

But this week is a big business milestone for me: 1000 email subscribers!

In March of 2022 when I migrated to Kit, I brought over 117 subscribers from MailChimp.

Some people have a “meta” topic that grows more easily (writing a newsletter about how to grow your newsletter, or teaching you how to grow your LinkedIn by posting on LinkedIn).

But I didn’t have a topic like that.

And I didn’t grow virally on social media or invest in paid ads.

Instead, I grew issue, and one relationship at a time.

So I thought I’d take you behind the scenes of how it happened over the last two years, the biggest levers of growth, and what I might have done differently.

1000 Subscribers by the Numbers, over 2.5 years

• 125 broadcasts, not including Deeper Foundations program launch emails
• 38 Podcast guest appearances
• 34 Live workshops or classes that I host (now Deeper Business Dialogues)
• 22 Appearances in other people’s networks: Guest teaching, speaking, guest blog posts or swaps, and sponsorships
• 17 Communities joined
• 10 main recommenders on the ConvertKit Creator Network
• 1 meaningful lead magnet (my Rooted Business Quiz)

These are the levers that drove growth for me.

I don’t type out these numbers to flex, or make anyone say “wow, I could never do that.”

I use these numbers to showcase the “behind the scenes” of really growing one subscriber, one connection, one community at a time.

And these numbers lead to three truths for a relationship-based business:

1. Relationships trump Virality
2. Consistency (your way) creates Momentum
3. Doubling Down on Fewer, Better Initiatives

1. Relationships trump Virality

Here’s the growth curve over the past two years. You can see a big inflection point in September 2023.

What happened in September 2023?

1. My appearance on Amelia Hruby’s podcast Off the Grid went live
2. My appearance on Meg Casebolt’s podcast the Social Slowdown went live
3. My piece about Business Models went live on Every.to​
4. The Kit Creator Network started to really pick up steam, especially thanks to being recommended by Reconsidered.co​

I know my stats - and know that not all of my guest appearances or collaborations have a similar impact on subscribers or customers. But those particular appearances were revolutionary for my business.

What was the difference? They were collaborations built on relationships.

I'm involved in the networks and communities built by Amelia, Meg, and Jess. I'm an active supporter of their businesses, like they are of mine. I'd been a subscriber to Every for years.

Those visibility opportunities were based on relationships that had been deepening for months or even years in advance. Relationship building is a long game, one that builds on mutual support and trust.

2. Consistency (your way) creates Momentum

What you can’t see behind the activity numbers is their spread over time.

My temperament in business is low and slow - I’m a grassland.

• I’ve written one newsletter a week for 125 weeks running.
• I’ve taught a live class for 34 months in a row.
• My podcast pitching agency pitches ~10 podcasts/month.
• I admittedly don’t pitch nearly the number of collaborations that I would want to!

But even though the activity is steady, the outcome is starting to shift.

Because I write and teach so often, I’m sharpening my voice.

Because I’m sharpening my voice and sharpening my ideas, I’m becoming known for a few topics.

So I’m starting to receive invitations to collaborate or earning better fit opportunities.

In 2022 I had 3 inbound invitations to speak or collaborate.

in 2024? Counting 11 so far, and the groups are amazing partnerships (PS - if you like my work and want to collaborate on doing something this fall, let’s do it!)

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You might not want to commit to a weekly newsletter, or a regular live class. You may not want to go through the effort of pitching podcasts and following up every month.

So maybe you focus on a twice a year launch and concentrate your efforts on those events, or you do something pop up every season.

For example, my colleague Dr. Michelle Mazur runs a regular Make Marketing Suck Less summit with colleagues that leads to list growth.

But choose your efforts. Pick how you want to build momentum. And then execute.

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3. Doubling down on fewer, better initiatives

Now, let’s be clear - I ditched a whole lot of things along the way that weren’t a good investment of my time and energy.

• I ditched Instagram, Facebook, X and never started TikTok.
• I’m only active in about a third of the communities I’ve joined - others ended and others weren’t a fit.
• I tried being in a bundle and that was a bust. I don’t have a good low-ticket resource to include yet, because that’s not been my business model.
• I love my YouTube channel, but it’s a looooooooong game.
• And I haven’t yet had the time to implement paid traffic, a referral program, or paid recommendation campaigns.
• My list segmentation is… not stellar even though I’ve bought some courses on how to do it!

Could I have grown faster if I’d gotten really good at the LinkedIn or X game? Probably. Or if I'd done paid? For sure.

But the important part is knowing what IS working to build awareness and trust, and doubling down on that.

What I wish I’d done earlier?

I do wish I’d set up a formal referral program, because I’d really love to send swag or special perks to people that like my newsletter!

I wish I had set up different landing page forms, so I’d have actual attribution numbers, not just having correlation from manually remembering when certain events happened in the business.

I will be creating some kind of asset for collaborations - not a “lead magnet”, but a resource for a swap.

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So thanks for listening to my long-winded reflections (as if I'm not always this wordy, ha!).

I never forget that there's now 1000 humans, give or take open rates, that trust me with a portion of your time and attention each week.

And thank you so generously for spreading the word about Deeper Business. Never hesitate to reach out if I can ever support you in return.

Free workshop Deeper Business Dialogues: Managing Your Network Wed Oct 16, 12 pm ET Relationship building is important - but you can spend all of your time networking if you don't approach it with intention. In this dialogue, you'll learn a strategy and approach to thoughtfully design and build your business ecosystem: ​The roles you need in your network How to go beyond the first meeting Ways to keep track Register for the Dialogue!

Youtube video The Power of the Month End Checklist Using a month end checklist can make sure you have an accurate view of the money and potential customers in your business (now and in the future), in less than an hour each month. Watch the Video

Community and Reads Join Sister Seasons this fall for Carrying The Question, a 6-week self-inquiry circle for women + non-binary changemakers to help you root into your inner wisdom, find clarity on your biggest questions, and build the skills to thrive as a leader in increasingly complex times. Program starts Oct. 25. Use code JL25 for $25 off registration.​ Reports from an artist who left instagram: 8 things I have learned in 8 months.​

Jessica Lackey ​​​

Go deeper to grow stronger and build your sustainable business ​ ​Deeper Business Membership: A low-lift but high-impact membership to deepen your skills, expand your network, and get actionable advice to grow your business ​Deeper Growth Consulting: When you're looking for individual support to grow or scale your business. Apply to the waitlist for 1:1 consulting openings, available starting in December.