“Network effects can be powerful, but you’ll never reap them unless your product is valuable to its very first users.”
600 subscribers.
That’s how many “paid” subscribers I’ve deleted from the MM ecosystem.
I was new to the game at the start of 2025 and it seemed reasonable — get other newsletters to sponsor you (with a small, paid incentive), and watch your list grow.
Ummmm … not so much.
***
It worked for a minute. Until it really didn’t.
The more I looked at the data — ghost opens, bot clicks, dropped sends, etc. — the more I realized I was building a list of people who were never going to hire me, refer me, or even remember me.
IF they were even real to begin with.
I was trying to buy friends, so my baby newsletter looked “credible”.
And I totally knew better.
I preach positioning, clarity, and showing up like an expert who actually gives a damn. But I got caught up in the empty calories of fake growth.
Here’s the truth: You can’t pay someone to like you. And you can’t build a credible business on vanity metrics.
***
Authentic marketing, design and positioning doesn’t beg. It attracts. It repels the wrong people, so the right ones stick around.
It’s a filter you should reinforce at every. single. touchpoint.
In fact, it’s the most important thing we do for our clients:
✔︎ Dismantle their Frankenbrand and misfit marketing tactics …
✔︎ Clarify what they really do and who it's really for …
✔︎ And turn their website into a powerful sales tool humans trust at the first visit.
Because when your message, positioning, and platform are totally aligned … you never have to “buy friends”.
You just have to show up.
***
So, as you're mapping your budget for 2026: skip the subscriber surge, social likes and followers count. Trust me, the ROI sucks. 😝
Invest in branding, design and messaging that legitimately earns trust, builds authority, and drives action … 24/7.
Because a handful of “right people” who trust you are worth WAY more than thousands of strangers who couldn’t care less.
***
♟️YOUR MOVE:
More traffic won’t fix a confusing brand. Before you hit “publish” or pour money into ads, make sure your website actually reflects your value.
Our free Website Audit shows you exactly where trust breaks down — and how to rebuild it with purpose.
Ummmmm … What exactly do you DO?
Cue the panic and identity crisis.
Jessica Osborn is here to save your next intro with The Magnetic Message Formula — a free, virtual class that helps consultants own their brilliance.
You’ll learn how to stand out in a crowded, AI-saturated market, attract premium clients, and build a business that’s profitable and flexible.
She’s got the blueprint. You just need to show up.
Then catch BOTH of us on her podcast Wednesday — talking messaging, momentum, and building a business that actually fits your life. 🙌
Victory Points
By: Mike Shary
My board-game-loving, copywriter extraordinaire and mentor, Dad ❤️
Wormholes (#affiliate) is a breezy space travel puzzle about building routes that others want to use.
You can play solo or with up to four friends. Your goal is to ferry passengers between planets for points.
On your turn you fly your ship a few spaces, drop a token to open a wormhole, and later pair that token with a matching one to make a shortcut. Deliver a passenger when you reach their destination and score. Other players can jump through your linked holes and, when they do, you earn a fare.
Small choices add up. Plant a shortcut where you alone benefit, or place it on a busy lane so everyone uses it and pays you. Detour to pick up a perfect passenger now or finish a link so the next three turns run faster. The best networks start serving people immediately, then become the paths everyone takes.
That is how strong marketing grows. Early users need real value on day one, not just a promise of future hype. Give them the direct route: a clear headline, a simple path to act, and a few shortcuts that save time. When those first visitors get value, they return, they share, and the network starts to work for you. A design partner can help map those first routes so each click feels like a helpful jump, not a detour.
Wormholes rewards building for the first traveler, then letting momentum spread. Make the useful shortcut now. The traffic will follow.
Make it a great week! 🙌
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You received this email because you're a client of Premier Designs or subscribed to the Monday Mantra newsletter. Update your preferences or unsubscribe anytime. The links in our “Victory Points” section are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase.
