If you’ve ever opened your email platform, stared at the screen, and thought “I don’t know what to say” you’re so not alone.
This is one of the most common things I hear from product-based business owners. And interestingly, it’s almost never about the tech. It’s not Klaviyo, or templates, or flows. It’s the bit before all of that. The hesitation. The overthinking. The freeze.
So let’s talk about where that feeling actually comes from and how you can move past it so emailing stops feeling like such a big deal...
There's never nothing to say
First, I want to say this clearly: I have never worked with a founder and thought they genuinely had nothing to say. Ever. There is always something there. What’s usually happening instead is that you care deeply about your business.
You care about sounding professional. You care about doing things properly. You care about not annoying people. You care about how your brand is represented and about being thoughtful rather than shouty or salesy.
And those are good things. But they can also be the very things that trip you up.
Perfectionism stops you
When you care this much, your brain often decides that the safest option is to do nothing at all. Perfectionism creeps in, creativity freezes, and suddenly emailing feels impossible. The irony is that the people on your list are not waiting for perfection. They’re not waiting for a beautifully designed newsletter or the perfect words. They’re simply waiting to hear from you.
They signed up because they wanted a connection. They wanted updates. They wanted ideas. They wanted to feel closer to your brand. And sometimes not emailing them at all does more damage than sending something simple.
Simple = sales
One of the biggest myths around email is that it has to be fancy to work. After many years working in ecommerce, I can confidently say the opposite is usually true. The emails that convert best are often the simplest ones. A short note. One clear point. One link. Something that feels human.
It’s a bit like Instagram. the thing you throw together quickly often lands better than the thing you overthink for hours. Yes, your emails should look good, but consistency matters far more than polish. It’s much more unsettling for someone to realise they’ve never heard from you than to notice that an email was minimal.
Take inspo from elsewhere
Another thing I see all the time is founders believing they don’t know what to say, when actually they’re communicating constantly. You talk to customers in DMs. You answer emails. You write product descriptions. You pack orders. You design new products. You think about your business all day long. You do know what to say, you’re just expecting your emails to sound like a magazine editor or a big brand campaign.
People don’t want that. They want the reality of running a small business. They want your tone, your behind-the-scenes, your perspective. Emails that say, “This has been selling really well this week” or “Here’s what I’m working on right now” work because they make your brand feel familiar. And in a world where so many businesses sell similar products, familiarity matters.
Email gets easier when you email
One of the biggest mindset shifts I encourage is this: emailing gets easier because you email. You don’t find clarity first and then start. You find clarity by doing. Email is a muscle. The more you use it, the more natural it feels. Ideas come faster. Confidence builds. You start to see what works and what doesn’t but none of that happens if you’re only sending one email every few months.
That’s where the start-stop-restart cycle comes in. You send an email, feel good about it, then disappear for weeks or months. Eventually it feels awkward to come back, so you put it off again. This usually happens because you’re trying to make every email a masterpiece. The way out is to let emails be easy.
If you’ve had a gap, don’t over-explain it. Send something simple. A plain text update. What you’re loving. What’s new. What’s been happening behind the scenes. Breaking the silence is far more important than saying the “right” thing.
People crave connection
And here’s the final thing I want you to remember: people don’t buy because your email was beautifully designed. They buy because they like you, trust you, and feel connected to your brand. Most of the time, your audience is made up of people a lot like you — and they want to hear from a real human, not a perfect brand voice.
So consider this your permission slip to send simple, imperfect emails. Don’t wait until you have more time, a bigger list, or the perfect idea. Emails don’t need to be perfect to perform. They just need to exist.
Once you start, everything gets easier.
You’ve got this 💛
And if, while reading this, you quietly thought “I’d love a bit of help with this” that’s okay too.
I’m running Klaviyo Kickstart: Live in January, which is a gentle, done-with-you way to set up your email foundations and start sending without the spiral. Nothing intense. No pressure to be perfect. Just space, support, and someone in your corner while you get it done.
You can have a look if it feels helpful →
Elle x
