You love watching me struggle (apparently) ... [🐝U]

I noticed an interesting trend in my newsletter results …

You love seeing me suffer!
Sort of …

What gets your attention doesn’t always get your action

Attention is cheap.
Action is earned.

& I’ve got the data to prove it.
(but this email isn’t all about crunching numbers!)

Turns out some of the higher open rates (& worst click-thrus) came from subject lines sharing my struggles.

→ “I got scammed” … 64.89% open rate + 7.06% click-thru
→ “I’m an idiot” … 58.82% open rate + 7.5% click-thru

Clearly, you love seeing me suffer!

Not necessarily in a masochistic
“tie me to a tree, pour honey all on me, & watch the fire ants make their move”
kind of torture

Because each of those came with 1-2 unsubscribes.

So either they didn’t enjoy reading about my struggles…
or things hit a little too close to home.

You might be thinking …
“Can’t be that good if the click-thru is so low”

Opens ≠ Engagement

Opens are ego.
Clicks are intent.

& intent is what actually “pays the bills”.

The emails that make people curious…
They aren’t always the emails that move them forward.

& if I optimized for opens alone…
I’d feel successful because of a vanity metric.
But you’d slowly start treating my emails like entertainment instead of tools.

My average click-thru rate is 15.54% as of Feb 10, 2026.
The “I’m an idiot” email? 7.5%.

That’s not engagement.
That’s curiosity without commitment.

& curiosity alone doesn’t grow a business.

Luckily, the high open low click are the exception instead of the rule …

Because some of the “higher-than-average” engagement (open & clicks) came from an attention-getting subject line that made you “stop-the-scroll” …

→ “this 1 time, at band camp” … 62.77% open rate + 16.95% click-thru
→ “root canal or being on camera?” … 62.41% open rate + 15.66% click-thru
→ “How to lie, cheat, & steal your way to success … ETHICALLY” … 63.43% open rate + 11.76% click-thru

Those have more than double the click-thru rates …
That must mean you don’t REALLY want to read about my challenges, right?

Not necessarily!

They all had unsubscribes too … just 1 or 2 each, but there WAS something.

& in case you’re wondering which email got the most unsubscribes (& the only one that has a whopping 3 unsubscribes) …
→ “If you build it, they WON’T come” …

The good news …
There are some “wild” subject lines with the “best” open & click rates, ALSO had 0 unsubscribes …

→ “Do you have crabs 🦀? “ … 68.57% open + 22.92% click-thru
→ “Your freedom + flexibility = overrated” … 60.00% open rate + 18.06% click-thru

So what’s so special about these?
Why do they have the highest open & click rates without the unsubscribes?

As far as I can tell … the main difference that stands out looking at the open/click/unsubscribe & re-reading the content …
→ the call-to-action(s)

That makes total sense when you really think about it.

A subject line gets attention.
But a call-to-action gives that attention somewhere useful to go.
Something to do next.

If the subject line is the hook…
The CTA is the “now what?”

Because opening an email is passive.
Clicking means something mattered enough to act on.

Most of us don’t click because something was clever.
We click because something felt relevant.
Or timely.
Or like it can solve a problem we’re actively dealing with right now.

That’s the difference I keep seeing in the data.

The emails with higher clicks weren’t just interesting…
They made it obvious:
→ Who this was for
→ Why it mattered right now
→ What to do next

more relevant to you, right now
& there were more links to click …

So you can explore the options & choose what’s best for you

All that only works if I understand where you actually are in your business.

So sharing my struggles helps you.
But it’s not about seeing me suffer
It’s about how you & I can overcome the challenges

& having options because nothing’s ever 1-size-fits-all

Here’s how the guessing stops...

Because I can look at open rates.
& analyze click data.
& compare unsubscribes.

But none of that tells me where YOU are right now.

without knowing that…
You can’t get the most useful content.
& the resources shared aren’t relevant.

& honestly?
You’ll keep getting emails that are “interesting”…
instead of actually helpful.

Imagine getting both!

Let’s make this worth your time

I built a quick survey so you can tell me:
→ Where you are in your business right now
→ What you’re stuck
→ How you best consume (& learn)
→ What resources you’re investing your time & money in

Yes, I know … survey … UGH
Don’t worry … it’s mostly multiple choice, so it really IS quick

& no, this isn’t a secret,sly way for me to hit you with a pitch to sell you something.

This gets you:
→ More relevant emails
→ Better resources

Because you know I’m all about “free-first”!

& if you’ve ever read an email & thought
yeah … this was good but not for me right now…
The survey is exactly for that reason!

& selfishly?
It helps me make better decisions about what I write, build, & share next so I’m not wasting anyone’s time.

Win-Win.

Because the goal isn’t just opens & clicks.

It’s sending you something that makes you think:
“WoW … nailed it … this was exactly what I needed today.”

If you don’t fill this out…
I’ll keep guessing.

& guessing can be a big waste of our time.
No one wants that.

Make it a great week!
EG

PS:

Want to help keep this newsletter subscription-free?
Choose whatever fits your life right now.

→ Click the ads … they quietly fund the newsletter $1-2 at a time
→ Contribute to the tip jar … from bus change to coffee to “this really helped” support
→ Share it … you get a consulting call after every 10 referrals
→ 1-on-1 deep dive in your business — exclusive subscriber coaching & consulting rates

Thanks for being here. 
Seriously! 
I do appreciate your support.

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PPS:
Every email is based on what you ask for … the more something’s asked for, the faster it finds its way to the top of the to-write-about pile
📣 Tell me what you want to read about … here

🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn … here

📈 Want to talk about better marketing results for your business by being yourself?
Find a time that fits your schedule.