Let’s talk about something I hear all the time from product-based business owners.
(And if you feel a little sting reading this, that’s okay. This is said with full big-sister energy.)
“I can’t start emailing yet. My list is too small.”
The belief that it has to be bigger before it’s worth emailing is quietly costing you sales, confidence, connection and momentum. Because your tiny list isn’t a problem. It’s actually a secret weapon you’ve been ignoring.
Everyone starts with zero
Here’s the first thing I really want you to know: everyone starts with zero.
Every brand you admire. Every founder whose emails you love. Every business that feels “established”. They all started with no list at all. Some of them were sending awkward emails to fewer than 20 people and figuring it out as they went.
So when you tell yourself, “I’ll start once I hit 500” or “I’ll start when I feel more established”, you’re not behind, you’re just waiting for the wrong moment.
Growth comes from emailing
You don’t grow your list before you start emailing. You grow your list because you email.
If you have 87 people on your list, that’s not nothing. That’s a room with 87 people in it who’ve actively said, “I like what you do and I want to hear from you.”
Imagine standing in that room in real life. Would you say, “Sorry, I can’t talk to you yet, I need 500 of you first”? Of course not. You’d talk about your brand, what you’re making, what’s new, what you’re excited about. You’d share, because that’s what small businesses do. They care deeply about what they sell.
And especially with product-based businesses, people usually join your email list because they’re interested in buying. That doesn’t mean every email needs to sell but there is intent there. Warm, real intent.
Small = mighty
Here’s something no one tells you enough: small lists often convert better than big ones.
Why? Because they’re full of early fans. People who are paying attention. People who chose you. A small list is lower pressure and far more personal. It’s the perfect place to practise, experiment, and build confidence without feeling watched.
Even if no one buys from the email you send today, that email still matters. It’s building familiarity. The next one builds trust. The one after that builds momentum. And when the time comes to buy, for a gift, a replacement, or something they’ve had their eye on, you’re already top of mind.
Not emailing at all is the only option that guarantees nothing happens.
Do you post on Insta but avoid email?
I also want to gently point out something I see a lot: people happily post on Instagram, but avoid email.
If you’re posting to 300 people on Instagram but won’t email the 86 people who actively opted in to hear from you, that’s not a list-size issue. That’s confidence.
Email is actually easier. There’s no algorithm. Links work. Plain text is allowed. And it lands directly where your customers already are.
Your email list is warmer, quieter, and far more likely to convert than any other platform.
A tiny lists is your training ground
So here’s the mindset shift I’d love you to make: your tiny list is your training ground, not your problem. It’s where you get personal. Where you reply to people. Where you test ideas. Where you learn what works before the stakes are higher.
Email your small list. Email them now. Email them before you feel ready.
That’s how confidence is built. That’s how habits form. That’s how sales start.
And I promise you, future you will be very glad you did.
If this has been quietly nodding along with you, just know you don’t have to work through it on your own.
In January, I’m hosting Klaviyo Kickstart: Live, a small, supported space to gently build your email foundations and confidence, without pressure or perfection.
