the one i almost didn't write 😅


Edition #154

September 1st, 2026

Hey, hi, hello 👋🏼

This is a safe place, so it only feels right to admit: I was feeling SO resistant to writing this email. Not because I don't WANT to (I do, I swear!), but because there are 1084 other things on my to-do list today.

And I already skipped last week. And it's well after 5:35am (the usual time this lands in your inbox!). Since I'm "on vacation" (in quotes bc I'm visiting my sibs, but I still work while up here! just significantly shorter hours), it's harder for my brain to switch from

"doing client work" to "doing internal AEM tasks"

Idk why, that's just how it goes. Every single time. So I tell myself, "duh, I'll just write these in advance like I do for my clients!" ... but that never really happened.

I'd LOVE to be one of those people who are weeks ahead of their own newsletters! I literally know HOW to do it!! I AM the email girlie after all!!

But even after 5+ years of writing Email Paradise, I still prefer to write it around the send time. For the freshest info, ya know?

That may just be the ADHD brain talking, though... Anywhoooo, I wanted to use myself as an example that sometimes, even when we KNOW what needs to be done and WANT to do it, sometimes ish just doesn't happen. AND THAT'S OKAY.

... but personally, I'm determined to make today happen. So let's get into it 👇🏼

​2 weeks ago was Day 2 of Breaking Down Flows - an email-exclusive series where I tell you why each flow matters, what to include in it, and share swipeable examples for inspo!

​(the first day is here!)​

So far, we've covered your welcome flow and your abandoned checkout.

Aka the two flows that I recommend starting with first.

So now we're moving onto the next one: Your sunset flow!

This is essentially the world's easiest way to clean your list without having to manually do it yourself.

It sends to people who haven't opened your email in 6+ months and acts as a way to re-engage them.

The goal is to either turn them back into an engaged reader OR to get them off your list. Because at the end of the day, you're likely paying per subscriber. So why would you pay for 👻?!!?

This flow:

  1. Reminds them why they signed up in the first place.
  2. Keeps your sender reputation strong, as you're not emailing people who don't open your emails.
  3. Supports your list health & keeps your deliverability strong, which is SO important.
  4. Optional: provides a small incentive (like free shipping or a small discount or even a small GWP!) to encourage a purchase as well.

What to include in your sunset flow:

You should have at LEAST 2 emails in your sunset cart flow. You can add more, but most brands are well off with 2-3.

Often, mostly plain-text email will perform best for these types of emails.

  1. The initial reminder - a little reminder of who your brand is (they may have forgotten!), what value you bring to their inbox, and a gentle "missing you" message.
  2. The final nudge. This is where if you ~want~ to include an incentive, you can! Otherwise, it's a "you opened so click here to stay OR here to unsubscribe" message. Because open rates aren't always 100% (some ppl can open on iPhone and not be logged as engaging), it's important to use other engagement metrics before automatically unsubscribing.

Swipe these for inspo:

  1. ​Initial Reminder​
  2. ​Reminder of value (i did this 2 yrs ago)
  3. ​Final Nudge (i did this 2 yrs ago)

If you'd like MORE examples, reply to this email & lmk!

Stay tuned! Because we'll be breaking down a new flow each week until we run out of flows to talk about 🤓

And if you need your flows set up NOW because the holidays are coming...

📚 Currently reading... The Tenant - I sped read this in under 3 days so I could leave it behind for my sister to read. It was okay. Usually I obsess over Freida McFadden books, but this one wasn't my personal favorite. It didn't get good until the last 50 pgs, and the twist was just meh. I'm already onto Brain Damange and this one has my full attn!

🎶 Currently listening to... Tower of Dawn and I'm SO BORED with it lmao. I literally just looked it up as I was writing this -- it happens concurrently with Empire of Storms, which tracks, but these characters are my least favorite in this series, so I'm sitting here like 🥲🥲 because the details are important, but I'm not having fun.

💡 Currently recommending... Doing one thing that scares tf out of you this week. For me, it was setting up my domain, Shopify, and all the other little technical pieces that can start to get pricey & add up... for my second business that hasn't made a profit (yet!!). SO scary. But also insanely rewarding.

😍 Currently obsessing over... El Yucateco Horchata Drink Concentrate. My sister & her bf had it in their fridge and it was SO FREAKING GOOD that I bought an extra bottle to bring back down with me to NC xD

Woohoo! We done did it!!

Even through the intiial resistance! This edition of EP has reached it's conclusion. 😎

I've got a super busy schedule these next few weeks (cuz my first-ever vendor market is a FEST!!! yes, I got accepted into my first one!!!). So I'm giddy with excitement. And buzzing with nervous butterflies.

But it's all gonna be so worth it 😏

Catch ya on the next wave,

This email was written with my own brain. No GenAI was used to brainstorm, write, or edit this.
​
If you enjoyed it, please let me know!! This is a labor of love for me & it truly means the world when you reply.

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246

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AE Marketing

Psychology-infused, community-focused email marketing for visionary founders that want to build buzz, loyalty and steady revenue.

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