Welcome to another issue of the no-BS newsletter dedicated to demystifying the world of passive income, where we share practical, reliable strategies to build and sustain income streams that work for you.

If you want to help someone else make money while they sleep, forward this email to them.

In today's issue:

• I Don't LOVE My Business

• A Letter To Young Igor

• How To Make $100,000 a Year With a 4,000 Person Email List With Marc Mawhinney

• Make Your Marketing Stick—Every Time

FROM MY WORLD

I Don't LOVE My Business

I bet you’ve heard someone say, “You gotta be passionate about what you do!” It’s one of those overused clichés that probably makes your eyes roll every time.

But here’s the thing…

You don’t have to be passionate about everything in your business.

And I’m living proof of that.

You see, I’m not passionate about technology. I’m not jazzed about tinkering with websites or fine-tuning my autoresponder settings. If you throw me into a room with a bunch of geeks talking about segmenting email lists, I’ll probably zone out faster than you can say “click-through rate.”

But there’s a part of this business that does get me fired up—email marketing.

I get a thrill out of figuring out what makes an email irresistible, what tweaks can turn a dud into a money-making machine, and how to get my emails to land right where they belong: in the inbox.

But even then, I don’t geek out on the nitty-gritty stuff. I leave that to guys like Dennis and Matt on my team, who are practically doing backflips when they talk segmentation strategies.

For me, my passion is about something deeper than the tech or the tactics.

I’m passionate about control.

Control over my income. Control over my time. And, most importantly, control over my life.

Imagine sitting in front of your laptop, sending a single email, and knowing that you could be reaching thousands—if not tens of thousands—of people… all while sipping your coffee in your favorite chair at home.

Contrast that with the “glamorous” speaking gigs people used to crave. Flying out to different cities, hopping from one hotel to the next, just to stand in front of a roomful of strangers and deliver the same spiel over and over. That’s a young man’s game. I don’t want to leave my family for days at a time, chasing applause and handshakes.

I want to be here, at home, present with my kids and my spouse, all while building something that impacts thousands from the comfort of my chair.

So, what am I saying?

You don’t have to be in love with every single part of your business. Find the one thing you are passionate about and leverage it. Tie it into your bigger goals and the life you want to build.

Maybe you hate fiddling with email software, but you love fishing—and fishing isn’t exactly a cheap hobby. It’s easy to make the connection: “Yeah, I’ll spend an hour setting up these emails, because if it works, it means I can afford that $7,000 trip to Alaska.”

Or maybe you’re driven by family, like me. I’m passionate about making sure my kids see me every day, that I’m there for every milestone. 

For me, doing the tedious work now means never missing another moment later.

When you know what drives you, you’ll find a way to power through the stuff you don’t love. And that’s where true motivation kicks in. You’ll jump through hoops, hire the right people, move mountains—whatever it takes.

Because it’s not just about passion. It’s about knowing what’s really important to you, and using your business to make it happen.

Ready to turn that cliché into a real strategy?

Find your “why,” tie it to the vehicle you’re using to make it happen, and watch as all those little obstacles melt away.

MY GIFT FOR YOU

I Want To Ship You a Copy of My Book

As our way of saying thanks for subscribing to the newsletter, we’d like to ship you a free copy of the Amazon best-seller List Building Lifestyle: Confessions of an Email Millionaire. This book shows how to build a scalable passive income online even if you’ve got no previous experience.

Claim your no cost copy by texting the word BOOK to +1 833-259-7282

You can also just click the button below if you’re reading this on your mobile device.

This book costs $20 on Amazon, but if you text the word BOOK to +1 833-259-7282, you’ll receive a special link allowing you to get a free copy of the book plus $3,251.88 in bonuses (just chip in on S&H).

MINDSET MAKEOVER

A Letter To Young Igor

You know what’s funny?

Nobody sets out to make a mistake. When you’re in the thick of it, every decision feels right. Every move feels like a stroke of genius.

Until it isn’t.

I’ve made my fair share of blunders over the years. And the painful part? The cost of mistakes only goes up as your business grows. But even worse than the mistakes you do make are the ones you don’t see coming—those missed opportunities.

If I Could Go Back...

If I could hop into a time machine, the first thing I’d tell myself would be this:

Start building your list ASAP.

When I first got started, I didn’t grasp the importance of it. So, I put it off. The result? I missed out on years of list-building time that could’ve given me a much bigger list and a much higher income today.

But that’s not all.

I also ignored what the market was already buying. Instead, I tried to force-feed people what I thought they should be buying. Imagine trying to sell ice cream in the middle of winter because you think it’s delicious… while everyone else is huddled around sipping hot chocolate.

Big mistake.

If I’d just paid attention to the existing demand, I would’ve seen success faster.

Another mistake? I spent way too long pushing cheap products. Sure, everyone needs to start with low-ticket offers to get their feet wet. But here’s the thing:

The effort it takes to sell a $10 product is the same as selling a $1,000 product.

Only one of them puts real money in your pocket. The sooner you start selling high-ticket offers, the sooner you can ditch the constant hustle and start living a life that feels less like a never-ending grind.

Next, was perhaps the biggest “Aha!” moment when I finally got over my fear of paid traffic. A $2 lesson changed everything for me.

For a long time, I thought spending money on ads was too risky. I figured, “Why shell out cash when I could get traffic for free?” So, I slogged away with content creation and social media—busting my butt for tiny returns.

Until one day, I hit a breaking point.

I was desperate. About to be shipped off to army service, with no time to waste. So, I wrote a physical letter to Frank Kern (yes, the Frank Kern) asking for help. And his assistant replied with access to one of his paid traffic programs.

The very first lesson in that course was a game-changer.

Frank broke down what he called “Money Math”:

• If you’re paying $1 per click...

• And your opt-in page converts at 50%...

• Then your cost per lead is $2.

Boom. Suddenly, everything clicked.

That little formula rewired how I looked at traffic. I realized that paying for leads wasn’t a “loss”—it was an investment. As long as I structured my business to afford those leads and convert them profitably, I could scale. And that became the foundation for everything I’ve built since.

Mindset Matters More Than You Think

Looking back, most of my mistakes had nothing to do with strategy. They came from my mindset. I was holding onto old ideas, clinging to beliefs that kept me stuck. I rejected new strategies simply because they didn’t fit my existing worldview.

It took years of proof and failures to finally let go.

I think that’s why it takes some people so long to succeed. They need time to exhaust all the “wrong” options before they can accept the one idea that finally works.

It’s a painful process, but it’s also a powerful one. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: If you’re holding back because an idea feels uncomfortable or contradictory to what you know, that might just be the exact thing you need to try.

FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

How To Make $100,000 a Year With a 4,000 Person Email List With Marc Mawhinney

Have you been racking your brain to find a way to monetize your tiny email list? Don’t fret because Marc Mawhinney has created a model to make $100,000/year with a tiny email list, and he’s here to share it with you.

Let's dive in.

CURATED READS

Make Your Marketing Stick—Every Time

Why do some ideas take off like rockets, while others crash and burn?

In “Made to Stick”, by Chip Heath & Dan Heath unravel the mystery of what makes certain messages unforgettable. It’s packed with insights for marketers, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to craft messages that actually resonate.

The Heath brothers lay out the six key principles of “stickiness”—simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, and story-driven. And they don’t just talk theory; they back it up with real-world examples that show exactly how to apply these ideas.

If you want to make your marketing stand out and create offers that stick in your audience’s mind, this book is your playbook.

RIDDLE ME THIS

Can You Crack The Code?

I draw you in without a chase,

Through helpful words, I find my place.

I give you value, build your trust,

So when you're ready, it's me you’ll trust.

What am I?

Think you've cracked the code? Reply to this email with your guess and see if you're right!