The Conversation Club

I left the life everyone expected me to want and moved across the world.

I have never shared this full story before... In 2025 I left Seattle, moved to Portugal, and built a completely new life abroad, and in this episode, I am sharing why. We’re talking about the emotional side of leaving everything familiar behind, the realities of immigrating, the privilege and complexity of building a life overseas, and what happens when you finally stop making decisions for everyone else and start making them for yourself.
I’m also opening up about fear, familial expectations, comfort zones, entrepreneurship, identity, burnout, freedom, and the lessons I’ve learned during my first year living in Lisbon. 


In this episode, we talk about:

•  Why I chose to leave Seattle and move to Portugal 
•  The emotional weight of being an eldest daughter in an immigrant family 
•  Why comfort and familiarity were starting to hold me back 
•  How I knew Lisbon was the right place for me 
•  What I miss most about living in Seattle 
•  How moving abroad changed the way I approach business and growth 
•  The mindset shifts that came from completely rebuilding my life 
•  Why choosing yourself often feels terrifying before it feels freeing 

As promised, here are the services that helped me move abroad.
StartAbroad (visa agency): https://startabroad.com/aff/kierynwang/
Samana Life (Portugal relocation services): https://samana.life/relo

Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsallmost/
Visit my website: https://www.itsallmost.com
Join The Conversion Club: https://itsallmost.com/the-conversion-club

Running a business will force you to grow in ways you never expected.

In this episode, I’m sharing the lessons that took me years to learn...  burnout, people-pleasing, financial stress, losing clients, rebuilding confidence, and figuring out how to actually run a business in a way that feels sustainable.

I’m talking honestly about what the last eight years of entrepreneurship have looked like behind the scenes, like the mistakes I made early on, the mindset shifts I NEEDED, and the things I wish someone would’ve told me before I started.

We’re talking boundaries, mindset, sales, systems, networking, delegation, perfectionism, and why so much of entrepreneurship is really about unlearning the stories you’ve been carrying around for years.

If you’re in a season where business feels heavy, confusing, or like you’re constantly questioning yourself, this episode will probably feel very familiar.

In this episode, I talk about:

• The mistakes and mindset shifts that changed how I run my business
• Losing clients, burnout, boundaries, and rebuilding confidence
• Why sales, systems, delegation, and community matter more than people think
• The biggest thing I wish I knew before becoming an entrepreneur

Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsallmost/
Visit my website: https://www.itsallmost.com
Join The Conversion Club: https://itsallmost.com/the-conversion-club

*I'm so sorry about the audio on this episode! My neighbors were determined to ruin my recording! Working hard to make sure it doesn't happen again. Thanks for continuing to listen to this podcast*

Email marketing gets treated like the boring part of business, but honestly? It’s still one of the best tools you have if you actually want to build relationships, nurture your audience, and make sales without relying entirely on social media.
In this episode, I’m breaking down my very human approach to email marketing: how to grow your list, what automations actually matter, why storytelling converts better than constant selling, and the biggest mistakes I see brands making over and over again.

We’re talking nurture emails, lead magnets, analytics, subject lines, conversions, and why I think way too many people are overcomplicating this whole thing. I’m also sharing why I care so much about email marketing in the first place, why I think it gives you way more control than social media, and why your newsletters do not need to be perfect to work.
If email marketing has been sitting on your to-do list for months or even years, this is your sign to finally start.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why email marketing still has one of the highest ROIs in marketing
• Where email actually fits in your sales funnel
• How to grow your email list without annoying your audience
• What makes a good lead magnet
• The automations every brand should set up first
• My thoughts on AI-written newsletters
• The metrics that actually matter
• Why unsubscribes are not the end of the world
• Common email marketing mistakes I wish more people avoided

Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsallmost/
Visit my website: https://www.itsallmost.com
Join The Conversion Club: https://itsallmost.com/the-conversion-club

Sources:

• As of 2026, email marketing continues to lead on ROI, seeing a return of $36 - $42 with every $1 spent (still offering better conversion rates than social or search and making it the most profitable channels in email marketing) (Omnisend 2026 report). 
• Email marketing generates between $36 and $40 for every $1 spent (Omnisend 2026 report). 
• Open rates rose for the fifth consecutive year, even as click rates declined. At the same time, click-to-conversion jumped 53% YoY, meaning fewer people clicked, but those who did were far more likely to buy. (Omnisend 2026 report via Enterprise Times)
• Automations delivered outsized results. They represented just 2% of email sends, but drove 30% of revenue, earning 16× more per send than scheduled campaigns by reaching shoppers at high-intent moments. (Omnisend 2026 report)
  •  For this reason, automation (abandoned cart, welcome series, and back-in-stock emails) can be the real money-maker.
    • Automated emails = 2% of sends → 30% of revenue (Omnisend)
    • Generate 16× more revenue per email than campaigns (Omnisend)
    • Have 2,361% higher conversion rates than batch emails (Omnisend)
• Nearly 1 in 6 marketing emails never reach intended inboxes (Validity Report via LandBase)
• Back in the 1930s, when the “Rule of 7” was first coined, people were only seeing 50 - 200 ads a day. In 2026, that number is between 4,000 - 10,000 ads daily. 
• Back in the 1930s, when the “Rule of 7” was first coined (Science of People), people were only seeing 50 - 200 ads a day (average based on online sources). In 2026, that number is between 4,000 - 10,000 ads daily (Colorlib). That’s roughly a 5,000% - 8,000% increase, meaning we’re now exposed to 50 - 80 times more advertising than people were back then.

This is probably going to be one of my more controversial episodes, one that makes me very angry, exacerbated, and quite frankly, disappointed in society. And honestly? That’s exactly why I wanted it to be one of the first episodes.

We’re talking about being anti-AI.
Not just “use it less.” Not just “use it responsibly.”
I mean… fuck AI all together. And fuck all the people that promote AI use. Because they are exactly why our planet is dying faster.

As an online business owner, I know that AI makes things "easier"... but at what cost? It takes up so much water, it's killing our planet, and really feeding into our brain deterioration.

So listen to this episode, and let me know what you think. You won't change my mind, and honestly, if you disagree with me - that's okay. I disagree with you, too.

I will leave you with this: use your own goddamn fucking brain.

At the end of this episode, I have a challenge for you and I can't wait to see you participate in it.

This won't be the last time I talk all things anti-AI, but I wanted you to get a taste of my stance early on so we're clear on who I am and where my values lie.

Can't wait for the next one. Until next time, Yappers!

Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsallmost/

Visit my website: https://www.itsallmost.com

Join The Conversion Club: https://itsallmost.com/the-conversion-club

Sources:

-A single large data center can use up to 5 million gallons of water per day for cooling; that’s roughly equivalent to 16,000+ U.S. households daily (Consumer Reports) 

-Similarly, a single medium-sized data center can consume up to 110 million gallons per year just for cooling; about what 1,000 households use in one year (EESI Institute). 

-AI infrastructure is pushing electricity demand to levels comparable to entire countries (Science Direct)

-AI systems could emit 32 - 79 million tons of CO₂ annually - roughly equivalent to the emissions of New York City (EuroNews) 

-Research into the cognitive effects of AI suggest, from a neurological standpoint, widespread use of this AI carries the risk of overall cognitive atrophy and loss of brain plasticity (Polytechnic Insights). Studies suggest that individuals who rely heavily on AI for information and decision-making may experience a decline in their ability to analyze problems independently and engage in reflective thinking (American National Standards Institute) 

-A study indicated that while participants using ChatGPT wrote 60% faster, their "relevant cognitive load" - the mental effort required for deep learning and critical thinking - dropped by 32%. (Polytechnic Insights) 

-Memory Failure: A study found that 83% of participants who used ChatGPT to write an essay were unable to remember a passage they had just written shortly after finishing the task. (Polytechnic Insights) 

-Brain Connectivity Drop: EEG scans revealed that ChatGPT users showed a 47% decrease in brain connectivity (lower alpha and theta wave activity) compared to those writing without AI. (Medium Magazine) 

Welcome to The Conversation Club aka the place where we’re going to talk about business, life, mindset, money, freedom, community and yes… a little bit of woo-woo, too.

If you’re here, hi. I’m Kieryn Wang, an email marketer by trade and someone who is passionate about building a business that supports your life - NOT the other way around.

This first episode is all about me, my views on business and life and why I am starting this podcast. It's a little chaotic, very honest, and basically me yapping (so yes, I’m currently calling you all the yappers — open to feedback though). 

I wanted a space that felt bigger than my Instagram stories (where those who know, know I LOVE to rant and rave). A space where I could actually finish a thought. Where we can go deeper - not just into marketing (although yes, we’ll talk about email marketing quite a bit), but into the real stuff, too:

• building a business
• unlearning scarcity
• navigating life transitions
• and figuring out what freedom actually looks like for you

Because this isn’t just a business podcast.

This is a life podcast that includes business.

Let’s make this a conversation:

This isn’t me talking at you, it’s The Conversation Club for a reason!

Tell me:

• What do you want to hear about?
• What are you working through right now?
• What do you actually want your life and business to look like?

DM me, email me, comment on clips and on Youtube. I want to hear it all.

Link to Cubicle to CEO episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/339-systemizing-to-six-figures-increasing-average-earnings/id1470966370?i=1000767153258

Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsallmost/
Visit my website: https://www.itsallmost.com
Join The Conversion Club: https://itsallmost.com/the-conversion-club

See you next week, Yappers! P.S. - it's going to be a spicy one. 

If you’re tired of business advice that tells you to do more, be everywhere, and work all the time… same.
I’m Kieryn Wang. I’m an email marketer, I run The Conversion Club, and I live in Portugal where I work less than you’d think and still make good money.
This is The Conversation Club.
I talk about email marketing, what actually converts, and how to grow a business without burning yourself out. But also the bigger stuff like community, moving across the world, designing your life, and doing business in a way that actually feels good.
I don’t believe business and life are separate. Your business should support how you want to live.
If you want to make money and have a life you actually enjoy… you’re in the right place.

Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsallmost/
Check out my website: https://www.itsallmost.com/