What does the *medium* of email want in order to be the most effective? What do *we* want when we look through our inboxes? The answers surprised me! We’ve heard for years that it's important to build our email list. Unlike social media platforms, you own your email list and can communicate with the people on it directly, without the filters of algorithms. However, just because someone is on your email list, that doesn’t mean they’re opening your emails, much less reading them and taking action. I like to experiment with the emails I send. I’ve sent fancy newsletter styles with lots of content and links. I’ve sent personal stories with no styling. Our open rate remains consistent, but the personal emails get the most engagement for sure. This is why I wanted to bring on an email expert, Kate Doster, for the series we’ve been doing called “The Medium is the Message”. You’re going to love this episode. Kate has fantastic energy and she’s a great guest. Kate and I talk about: What our brains want when we check our email inbox The ways email can be used for different goals (brand awareness, sales, thought leadership) What entrepreneurs often get wrong about their email list What's working well with email right now (length, format, type of content, etc.) The best way to promote a podcast episode or other content you’ve created in an email About My Guest: Kate Doster is the host of the Inbox Besties Podcast, creator of the Love Your List 2.0 email marketing mega course and is dangerously obsessed with helping ethical entrepreneurs carve out their slice of the interwebs. She helps her students woo open the hearts (and wallets) of their small but mighty audiences thanks to fun email marketing and easy yes mini-offers. She believes you don’t need to bleed the alphabet or be a dirty rotten spam face to write emails that jolt subscribers into taking action, gobbling up your paid offers like candy… or kale if that’s their thing. About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com. Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/254 Get Kate’s free 2-years-worth of email ideas: https://www.katedoster.com/speaking-your-brand Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ Download our free thought leadership workbook and get on our email list: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/guide/ Connect on social: Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Carol on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/carolmorgancox Kate Doster (guest) on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/kate_doster/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 234: How to Create Content Using Your Authentic Voice with Ashleigh Rennie JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.