Today I'm joined by launch strategist and copywriter Brenna McGowan to talk about a question that's been floating around the online business world lately:

Is launching still working in 2026?

Fresh off one of her biggest launches ever, Brenna shares what she's seeing work right now, why cookie-cutter launches are falling flat, and how pre-launch strategy can completely transform your results.

If you've ever felt like launching is harder than it used to be, this conversation will give you practical strategies and a whole lot of hope.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why launching isn't dead - but lazy launching is
• The importance of pre-launch content and buyer consideration
• How trust impacts conversions in today's market
• Creative launch strategies including private podcasts, auctions, affiliates, and ROI calculators
• What to do if your last launch didn't go to plan
• How to use data instead of emotions when evaluating launch results

Guest Spotlight: Brenna McGowan

Brenna McGowan is a launch strategist and copywriter who helps online business owners create intentional pre-launch strategies that build trust, increase conversions, and make launches feel significantly less stressful.

🔗 Brenna's Launch Report: https://brennamcgowan.co/launch-report/
🔗 Reducing Launch Stress With An Effective Pre-Launch Strategy with Brenna Mcgowan [Ep 156]

Ready to grow your business without social media or burnout?

🎉 Join Email Marketing Skool here:
https://www.skool.com/email-marketing-skool/about

p.s - Loving the show? Hit follow or subscribe so you never miss a new episode. And if you want to support the podcast, sharing it with a biz friend is the best way to spread the love!

250 episodes. Honestly… that feels a little wild 😭

When I recorded episode one, I had no idea this podcast would become such a huge part of my business - or teach me so much about what it actually takes to build something that lasts.

In this milestone episode, I’m reflecting on the biggest lessons I’ve learned after 250 episodes, multiple business pivots, burnout seasons, visibility experiments, and building a six-figure business through relationship-led email marketing.

This is a more personal episode. Less “how to” and more “here’s what I know to be true now.”

If you’re building a business and wondering whether consistency, email, relationships, or playing the long game actually matters… this one’s for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why consistency is boring… until it becomes your biggest advantage
• The biggest lesson I’ve learned about relying on social media for business growth
• How relationships have created more opportunities than reach ever has
• Why overworking is not the same as building
• What building 250 podcast episodes taught me about trust and visibility
• Why building things you actually own matters more than ever

Ready to grow your business without social media or burnout?

🎉 Join Email Marketing Skool here:
https://www.skool.com/email-marketing-skool/about

p.s - Loving the show? Hit follow or subscribe so you never miss a new episode. And if you want to support the podcast, sharing it with a biz friend is the best way to spread the love!

👉 Join Email Marketing Skool for $9 p/m today 👈

Email marketing should not feel this hard 😅

If you know you should be building your email list… but you’re still inconsistent, overthinking every email, relying way too much on social media, or staring at a blank screen wondering what to send… this episode is for you.

Today, I’m giving you a behind-the-scenes look at Email Marketing Skool and the AI Email Marketing Treasure Chest - a growing library of practical, interactive tools designed to help you actually do your email marketing instead of just thinking about it.

I’m also sharing why I believe so strongly in owned audience growth, how my business generated over $120K through relationship-led email marketing last year, and why now is the best time to jump in at founder pricing.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why email marketing feels harder than it needs to
• How I’ve built a six-figure revenue stream through email
• What’s inside the AI Email Marketing Treasure Chest
• Why implementation > information
• How Email Marketing Skool helps you grow without relying on social media

Ready to grow your business without social media or burnout?

🎉 Join Email Marketing Skool here:
https://www.skool.com/email-marketing-skool/about

p.s - Loving the show? Hit follow or subscribe so you never miss a new episode. And if you want to support the podcast, sharing it with a biz friend is the best way to spread the love!

In this episode, I’m sharing a very honest story about an absolute parenting disaster [nighttime scooter ride included 😅] and the business lesson it smacked me in the face with:

The hard doesn’t disappear. It just changes shape.

If business feels heavier than expected right now, this one’s for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why entrepreneurship never fully becomes “easy” and why that’s not a bad thing.
• The difference between avoiding hard and choosing the hard that aligns with your life
• Why successful business owners aren’t more confident - they’ve just built more resilience
• How to think about sustainable business growth differently
• Why hard seasons don’t mean you’re failing...

Ready to grow your business without social media or burnout?

🎉 Join Email Marketing Skool here:
https://www.skool.com/email-marketing-skool/about

p.s - Loving the show? Hit follow or subscribe so you never miss a new episode. And if you want to support the podcast, sharing it with a biz friend is the best way to spread the love!

Ready to grow your business without social media or burnout?

🎉 Join Email Marketing Skool here:
https://www.skool.com/email-marketing-skool/about

p.s - Loving the show? Hit follow or subscribe so you never miss a new episode. And if you want to support the podcast, sharing it with a biz friend is the best way to spread the love!

In this episode, I’m joined by Colie James to talk about the real missed opportunity in most businesses - what happens after someone pays you.

We’re breaking down the 3 R’s that turn one client into multiple sales: Rave Reviews, Referrals & Re-bookings - and how to build them into your client experience in a way that feels natural.

What You’ll Learn:

• The biggest mistake people make with testimonials (and how to fix it)
• How to collect better client feedback without awkward asks
• Simple ways to turn happy clients into referrals (without relying on DMs)
• How to make rebooking feel like a natural next step, not a sales pitch
• Why your offboarding process might be your most underused sales tool

Guest Spotlight: Colie James

Colie James helps creative service providers build high-touch, automated client experiences using Dubsado and HoneyBook. As the host of the Business-First Creatives podcast, she teaches how intentional communication and smart systems save time, increase conversions, and elevate the entire client journey.

🔗 Colie's Email Like You Mean It sprint - click here

🔗 Free Opt In: Client Email Guide

🔗 Colie's Case Study Example Page

🔗 Colie's Podcast: You Can Build Authority & Visibility Without Shaking It on Social Media with Kylie Kelly [Ep 272]

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Ready to grow your business without social media or burnout?

🎉 Join Email Marketing Skool here:
https://www.skool.com/email-marketing-skool/about

p.s - Loving the show? Hit follow or subscribe so you never miss a new episode. And if you want to support the podcast, sharing it with a biz friend is the best way to spread the love!

In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my latest 4-week Email Incubator - what actually happened, what surprised me, and why shorter, more focused containers are feeling more aligned than ever right now.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like things are taking longer than they should… this episode will give you a completely different way to think about momentum.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why shorter containers can create faster momentum (without pressure)
• What actually happened inside my 4-week email sprint
• The difference between learning environments and implementation environments
• Why most programs unintentionally slow people down
• Why I’m rethinking longer programs and moving toward focused sprints

Keep an eye out for the next round of the Email Incubator (coming in May 👀)

Ready to grow your business without social media or burnout?

🎉 Join Email Marketing Skool here:
https://www.skool.com/email-marketing-skool/about

p.s - Loving the show? Hit follow or subscribe so you never miss a new episode. And if you want to support the podcast, sharing it with a biz friend is the best way to spread the love!

If your email list isn’t growing - even though you’re showing up, posting, and doing all the things - sometimes it’s not a consistency problem… and it’s probably not the algorithm either.

In this episode, I break down the three visibility gaps that quietly stall your list growth and how to fix them without creating more content or burning out. Because growing your list isn’t about doing more… it’s about creating a clear pathway for people to find you, follow you, and join you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why being visible doesn’t automatically mean you’re discoverable
• The biggest mistake that causes people to leave without subscribing
• How to create a clear next step your audience actually follows
• What makes an email opt-in irresistible (without creating more freebies)
• The 3 visibility gaps that stop your list from growing

Ready to grow your business without social media or burnout?

🎉 Join Email Marketing Skool here:
https://www.skool.com/email-marketing-skool/about

p.s - Loving the show? Hit follow or subscribe so you never miss a new episode. And if you want to support the podcast, sharing it with a biz friend is the best way to spread the love!