Happy Subscribers

Episode Summary:

"To be known is to be loved." Erin Fajen knows me very, very well now — because she has listened to 89 Happy Subscribers episodes and taken notes on every single one. From her lips to your ears, you're getting Erin's rundown of the major themes of this podcast so you can really understand who I am, who the Duett brand is, what I care about, and how all of this actually applies to you and your email marketing.

It's really thrilling to have someone repeat back to you the things that are important to you. For Erin to do that is such a blessing — especially because she explains it so clearly, from her takeaways on the podcast to all the ways she's implemented what she's learned through our work together at Duett. She really made her email marketing her own adventure.

In this episode, Erin — client, friend, leadership advisor, and the most studious person I've ever worked with — shares the four big content themes she found across every episode, how she built her email strategy from a total blank slate, and why her pop culture DiSC emails are getting replies left and right. (She also asked me for her master's degree in email marketing. I said yes.)

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• The four content themes Erin found across 90 episodes of Happy Subscribers — and why they matter for YOUR email strategy too
• Why your welcome sequence is like an Airbnb orientation (and what happens when you skip it)
• What "thoughtful segmenting" really looks like when you know almost every subscriber by name
• How Erin went from logging into Kit and immediately logging back out to having a 20-email nurture series (!!)
• Why selling through email is really about encouragement — not pushing (episode 50 called it)
• The pop culture DiSC emails that actually get replies (Bridgerton character breakdowns, anyone?)

Check out this episode's blog post Episode Resources:

• On The Up KC (Erin's website)
• Dorie Clark's Recognized Expert (how Erin found Duett)
• Free Duett Resources
• Join the Duett newsletter
• Check out Duett Services
• Book a FREE Discovery Call
• Instagram @alleagrummert

Episode Summary:

Carla has been on Substack since 2021 — long before it became the platform everyone is suddenly asking about. She's been to Substack HQ. She teaches "Build Your Substack in a Day." And she is one of the most clear-eyed, non-hypey voices I've found on what Substack actually is right now (and not what it was before they got major funding in 2025).

I met Chef Carla at Tastemaker in Los Angeles earlier this year, and I am so glad we got to have this conversation on the show. She's a content strategist, food creative, and podcast host who has partnered with iconic brands like Bobby Brown, Bumble Bee Tuna, and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. And today, she's breaking down exactly what Substack has become — and what you actually need to do to get started without it becoming a whole new arm of your business.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• Why Substack is no longer a newsletter platform — it's a media app — and what that actually means for how you should show up there
• The difference between a Substack follower and a subscriber (yes, they're different)
• The only thing you need to actually get started — and why it's less than you think
• How food bloggers are using Substack to tell the full story their blog and email list can't hold — without duplicating their content
• The case for Flodesk if you're a design-forward creator (plus: a fresh-off-the-press Canva integration 👀)

Check out this episode's blog post Connect with Chef Carla Contreras:

• Chef Carla's gift page
• Nourishing Creativity Podcast
• Chef Carla's Substack

Episode Resources:

• Free Duett Resources
• Join the Duett newsletter
• Check out Duett Services
• Book a FREE Discovery Call
• Instagram @alleagrummert

Episode Summary:

In my early twenties, my boss pulled me aside to tell me I wasn't a good listener. Explicitly. I cried about it for three days — not because the feedback stung, but because they were right.

It was that I needed to allow space to know the other person and to hear their story. In short: I needed to ask follow-up questions (instead of making it about me).

The fix was simpler than I expected. And it turned out to be the foundation of how I work now — with clients, on this podcast, and in the email strategies we build at Duett.

In this solocast, I'm making the case for why "asking first" might be the most underrated skill in your business. It doesn't just show up in a few places — it informs how you'll create content, what products you build, and how your emails actually connect with the people in your audience.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• My "bad listener" origin story

• The compliment that I hear the most now that makes me want to tear up (in a good way!)

• How audience research at Duett works — from surveys with 2,800+ replies to the specific questions that surface real pain points in your audience's own words

• Why asking questions in your emails helps your deliverability and inbox placement, not just your relationships

• Real questions to help you brainstorm what you might ask your audience next

Read the blog post for this episode

Episode Resources:

• Join the Duett newsletter
• Check out Duett Services
• Book a FREE Discovery Call
• Instagram @alleagrummert
• Free Duett Resources

Episode Summary:

I am, at my core, a practical person. I love a framework, a checklist, a process — something simple to implement. But the idea of including stories has always felt a little forced. I know that it works because I see it in other people's emails, like Mike Pacchione's. But honestly, I've struggled to build it naturally into my own content.

I'm so excited to bring on my friend Mike today — and this is a conversation that benefits both of us. He has questions about email, I have questions about speaking, and you get to hear all of it here.

Mike Pacchione is a speaker and speaker coach who has presented to audiences ranging from five people to thousands, and whose clients include Olympic gold medalists, New York Times bestselling authors, and global corporations — as well as first-time speakers with big stories and small stages. He runs Speech Club, a 12-week cohort where you build your unforgettable signature talk from scratch. (One recent participant booked 46 paid speeches in a single year!!)

In this episode, Mike and I do something a little different — we coach each other. He gives me honest feedback about story in email and on stage. I walk him through what his launch emails could actually look like. And somewhere in the middle, we find the thread that connects great speaking and great email marketing: the story is always the strategy.

We get into:

• Why story-driven emails are nurture emails — and when to send a direct sales email instead
• The 3:1 rule for value versus sales emails, and what it actually looks like during a launch
• How to build a launch sequence that speaks to every type of buyer on your list
• Link triggers: what they are, how to use them, and why they make your launch so much smarter
• Conditional content in Kit — how to personalize emails for specific segments without doubling your workload
• How to address multiple skill levels in the room when you're on stage (the modifier concept is so good)
• Why packaging familiar ideas in a story makes them land — even for the most practical people among us

Check out this episode's blog post Connect with Mike Pacchione:

• Speech Club with Mike Pacchione
• 7 Ways to Start a Speech (Mike's freebie)

Other Resources:

• Join the Duett newsletter
• Free Duett Resources
• Check out Duett Services
• Book a FREE Discovery Call
• Instagram @alleagrummert

Episode Summary:

I got home from Craft + Commerce late Saturday night, and by the time Jess and I sat down to record this on Monday afternoon, I had already taken two naps. (Sunday had one of its own, too.) My friend Jess Freeman of Jess Creatives somehow had a reel posted about Craft + Commerce before I'd even poured my coffee Monday morning — she has a child; I do not. 😂

Jess is a web designer, SEO expert, and host of the Ordinary Business Podcast, and she was at Craft + Commerce too. In this episode, we're sharing the five new Kit features that have us most excited for what's ahead for Kit users.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• What the Kit MCP is and how you can connect your Kit account to Claude or ChatGPT to ask Kit strategic questions about your list
• Subscriber Signals: Kit's new Pro feature that pulls subscriber industry, social platforms, and audience size so you can identify warm leads without anyone researching them by hand — and for smaller lists, it could easily save more in team time (and generate more in direct sales follow-up) than it costs
• The new Kit landing page editor is live now 🎉
• Newsletter Sponsorships: Kit's new marketplace advertising model for connecting creators with brand sponsors
• GRO (formerly Grocers List) and its new native Kit integration for growing your list from social

Check out this episode's blog post Connect with Jess Freeman:

• Jess Freeman / Jess Creatives
• Ordinary Business Podcast
• Jess's first Happy Subscribers episode

Episode Resources:

• Free Duett Resources
• Join the Duett newsletter
• Check out Duett Services
• Book a FREE Discovery Call
• Instagram @alleagrummert
• Kit MCP
• Subscriber Signals
• Newsletter Sponsorships
• GRO
• Kit 2026 Releases
• Tasklit.ai
• Craft + Commerce

Episode Summary:

I'm going to Europe for three weeks this July — Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, Nice, Marseille, and Barcelona — and I have a lot of feelings about it.

The last six years have been a lot: a pandemic at 30, an unhealthy relationship, a year and a half estranged from my parents, and a cross-country move to Nashville I was honestly afraid would close the door on the dreams I'd had since I started Duett back in 2018. One of those dreams was living in Spain someday. I'm not moving there — but I'm going, and I bought the ticket, and it's really happening (at this very moment).

In this episode, I'm sharing both sides of it: the personal story of how I actually got here, and the very real, practical ways I've set up my business to run without me for three full weeks — because that part is actually pretty fun to talk about.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• The original Spain dream from 2018 — and why buying a flight to Rome feels like a full-circle moment eight years in the making
• The fear of solo travel that almost kept me from booking (and what happened once I actually took the leap)
• Why July is the one month I can actually disappear without it tanking the business
• How Done & Delivered means revenue keeps coming in even when I'm sipping an Aperol Spritz near the Coliseum 💁🏻‍♀️
• The team I'm trusting with my clients, my podcast, my inbox, and my cat (Tillie is in very good hands)

Check out this episode's blog post Episode Resources:

• Join the Duett newsletter
• Check out Duett Services
• Book a FREE Discovery Call
• Instagram @alleagrummert
• Free Duett Resources

Episode Summary:

What if building a loyal audience isn't about sending more emails…

or optimizing click rates…

or trying the latest marketing tactic?

In this episode of Happy Subscribers, I'm joined by my real-life friend Steve Kamb — founder of Nerd Fitness, author of How to Try Again, and longtime newsletter writer — to talk about what it really takes to build an audience that sticks.

It helps to share that Steve has spent over 17 years writing to his email list.

• He doesn't chase every platform.

• He keeps email as his marketing home base.

• He's built relationships over years.

• He cares more about depth than scale.

Just showing up. Writing emails. Testing ideas. Reading replies. And trying again.

And when he launched his book, his audience jumped at the chance to buy! Not because of sheer hype or fancy marketing tactics, but because they trust Steve.

Then, we discussed Steve's new book, How to Try Again, and talked honestly about what happens when you ghost your list, feel behind, or question whether your email strategy is actually working. 😬

The answer actually isn't to burn it all down and start over.

It's simply to try again.

Check out this episode's blog post Connect with Steve Kamb:

• How To Try Again
• stevekamb.com
• https://nerdfitness.com/
• Steve's Instagram

Episode Resources: Free Duett Resources Other Resources:

Join the Duett newsletter Check out Duett Services Book a FREE Discovery Call

Instagram @alleagrummert

Episode Summary:

I'll be honest with you — this conversation was a long time coming. A year ago at a conference, my friend Justin Moore shared more of his thoughts on sponsorships with me, and I just let it sit.

Now here we are, a whole year later, and I'm still debating whether to actually do anything about it — because every time I think about adding sponsorships to my plate, it feels like more work. More process, more coordination, more things.

I'm so excited to have Justin on the show today, and he has made a very compelling case for why the workload and the process and the coordination of it all is truly worth it.

If you haven't met Justin yet — Justin Moore is a sponsorship coach, author, and the founder of Creator Wizard, a school and community that teaches creators how to find and negotiate their dream brand partnerships. His book, Sponsor Magnet, is the distillation of 15 years of experience, close to $6 million in personal sponsorships, 600+ brand deals, and seven years running an influencer ad agency.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• Why niche creators and subject matter experts are actually more attractive to certain brands than lifestyle influencers with massive followings
• The PSA framework — Products, Sponsors, and Alliances — and how to think about brand partnerships as an extension of serving your audience, not a distraction from it
• Why programmatic newsletter ads are mostly a waste of time, and what to pursue instead
• What bloggers losing Google traffic to AI search need to know about diversifying revenue through sponsorships
• How to find the right brands to pitch that actually support what your audience needs
• Why you have to be the one to reach out to brands

Tillie makes not one, but two appearances. You are very welcome for getting to see my cute cat.

Check out this episode's blog post Connect with Justin Moore:

• Sponsor Magnet by Justin Moore
• The Sponsor Magnet Podcast
• Creator Wizard
• Listen + subscribe

Episode Resources:

• Join the Duett newsletter
• Check out Duett Services
• Book a FREE Discovery Call
• Instagram @alleagrummert
• Free Duett Resources

Episode Summary:

I did not expect to spend this episode nerding out about Taylor Swift as a brand strategist — but here we are. And honestly? It's the best possible way to explain what my guest Katie Trant means when she says "your niche is not your brand."

Taylor went from country music to pop to indie folk to synth pop. Her audience (including Katie and me 😂) followed every single pivot. Because the niche changed. The brand didn't.

Katie Trant is an OG food blogger, a former brand consultancy pro who's worked with Fortune 500 companies, and the founder of Foodie Brand Lab. She joined me to unpack what a brand really is — beyond the visuals, beyond the niche — and what needs to be in place before the channels you use, the content you create, and the emails you send actually click into place.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• Why "your niche is not your brand" — and what could happen once you unconfuse them
• What brand positioning actually is, and how to plant your flag within your niche
• The terms we throw around all the time — position, voice, personality, experience — and how they actually connect under the umbrella of brand
• The difference between being personal and being personable — and how to define your "strategic self"
• Why email might be the one channel where your brand voice can be most true to itself

Check out this episode's blog post Connect with Katie Trant:

• Foodie Brand Lab
• Katie on Instagram:
• Brand Bites Newsletter

Other Resources:

• Join the Duett newsletter
• Check out Duett Services
• Book a FREE Discovery Call
• Instagram @alleagrummert
• Free Duett Resources

If you enjoyed this episode, you can show your support by leaving a review, subscribing, or sharing your biggest takeaways on your Instagram story! Just remember to tag me @alleagrummert so I can see it.

Episode Summary:

You're already on Instagram, TikTok, Amazon storefronts — maybe more. You're posting constantly, showing up everywhere, and working haaaarrd. But if email isn't part of your strategy? You're not getting your full return on all of that time-consuming (and team-consuming) effort.

Without email, money, relationships, and long-term security are being left on the table — and we don't love that.

In this solocast, I'm making the case for why influencers — yes, even those without a blog — need email marketing. (My cat Tillie also made an appearance. She fell out of her cat bed. She's fine. She's embarrassed.)

If you haven't considered email marketing yet for your influencer business, boy do I have some thoughts for you.

Things like:

• Why reaching ~5% of your followers with an IG Story is selling your content short (!!)
• How email marketing can make you more money without creating new content
• What could go really, really wrong if you over-rely on social media platforms
• How email doesn't throttle your content like algorithms do 😡
• What to watch out for with Flodesk's email editor if aesthetics matter to you (and they probably do)
• Check out this episode's blog post Episode Resources:
• Join the Duett newsletter
• Check out Duett Services
• Book a FREE Discovery Call
• Instagram @alleagrummert
• Free Duett Resources
• Kit