“What hiking taught me about email marketing (and ROI)”

“This was a terrible mistake.”

I muttered that somewhere on a rocky mountain trail, out of breath and questioning my life choices.

My hiking buddy - an effortlessly energetic mountaineer, allegedly hungover, was sprinting ahead.

Meanwhile, I was clinging to gravel, convincing myself not to die.

When the steep climb finally ended, I sighed with relief and admitted:

“I’ve been hiking for 10 months, but I don’t see much progress.”

He turned and said, “You will. I’ve been doing this for years.”

And he was right. 

I had improved - stronger legs, steadier footing, calmer mind.

But if I’m honest, I could’ve improved faster.

If I’d hiked more regularly, pushed myself harder, or bought my hiking shoes earlier.

And that’s when my strategist brain joined the hike.

Because this is exactly what happens in email marketing.

Most brands I meet have been “doing email” for months or years - but they’re disappointed with the results.

They send one big “everything newsletter” a month.

They’ve delegated it to someone who already has five other marketing hats.

And then they wonder why nothing moves.

Meanwhile, they’re comparing themselves to brands that have been sending strategic emails twice a week, and invested in strategy and optimization for years.

You can’t send one email with a gazillion links a month and expect decade-long results.

It’s like hiking once a month and expecting to climb Everest by spring (not going to happen).

I worked with a B2B company that had been doing the “monthly everything email” thing for years.

It was basically a content buffet,  links, articles, updates, you name it.

But their results? Flat.

When we switched to weekly, focused emails, one story, one offer, one goal, everything changed.

Their leads tripled within 3 months.

They got replies. Real conversations. Revenue they could track and attribute directly to email.

They stopped treating email like a checkbox task and started treating it like a channel.

Email marketing is about balance: creativity, analytics, and understanding your audience’s psychology.

If you’re only “doing email” occasionally, you’re missing out on one of the most powerful, ethical, ROI-driving tools you already own and pay for.

So stop comparing kiwis to bananas.

Look at the bigger picture.

And if that bigger picture still shows it’s time to bring in an expert  (who’ll help you use your remaining 2025 budget wisely and start 2026 strong), book a no obligation disco call.