The Art of Value Whispering podcast
Using Email Welcome Sequences to Create Value (and Clients)
Email marketing is often talked about as a growth strategy. But in practice, it’s something many business owners quietly avoid. Not because they don’t see the value, but because it feels technical, exposing or easy to get wrong.
In this episode of The Art of Value Whispering, I’m joined by John McKie, email copywriter and welcome sequence specialist, to demystify one of the most overlooked yet powerful foundations in marketing: the welcome sequence.
What emerged was not a conversation about funnels, hacks, or optimisation. Instead, we explored how email can become a steady, human way to build trust, confidence and momentum, especially for business owners who want growth to feel grounded rather than performative.
John brings a refreshingly calm and practical perspective to email. One that replaces pressure with clarity, and overwhelm with simple, thoughtful steps.
Join me in this episode as we explore how a well-crafted email welcome sequence can quietly support your business, build belief with the right people, and give new subscribers the start they actually deserve.
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“Your welcome email sequence is like a virtual handshake. It’s how people first experience what it feels like to be in your world.” — John McKie
Why email is not optional, even if you’re visible elsewhere
One of the first myths John gently dismantles is the idea that email is just an ‘extra’.
Social media may be where people discover you, but email is where relationships are really built and deepened. It’s the one place you’re not competing with algorithms, trends or disappearing reach.
More importantly, it’s a space that you own.
Email allows you to show up consistently, in your own words, at a pace that suits both you and your audience. For introverted business owners in particular, this can feel far more sustainable than relying solely on constant public visibility.
And no, you don’t need a huge list for it to matter.
Fifty engaged people on an email list is not small. It’s a room full of humans who have resonated with your message and chosen to hear more from you.
A small email list can still create meaningful results
We often hear people say, “I’ll start emailing once my list is bigger.”
John challenges this.
List size only matters in context. A smaller, well-aligned audience who trust you can be far more impactful than a large, disengaged one. In fact, John has seen significant launches driven by lists of just a few hundred people.
What matters is relevance, resonance, and how well you nurture that connection over time.
Email is not about broadcasting. It’s about guiding people closer, step by step.
“You might not need thousands of people. You might just need the right one.” — John McKie
Your welcome email sequence sets the tone for everything that follows
Your welcome email sequence is not about selling straight away.
It’s about orientation.
It answers unspoken questions like:
- Who is this person?
- What can I expect here?
- Do I feel comfortable staying?
John describes it as the moment where someone moves from curiosity into connection. And that moment deserves care.
Surprisingly, many businesses either skip this entirely or overload the first email with far too much information. Neither approach builds trust.
Instead, John recommends simplicity.
Give people what they asked for first.
Then thank them.
Then help them understand what they’re stepping into.
That alone already puts you ahead of most businesses.
A simple structure that removes overwhelm
John outlines a clear, accessible framework for a welcome sequence that doesn’t require complex tech or advanced copy skills.
At its heart, it focuses on:
- delivering what was promised
- setting expectations
- sharing your story with relevance
- inviting gentle engagement
- building belief through real examples
This is not about perfection. It’s about progression.
Each email has one role. One focus. One reason to exist.
That clarity makes the process feel far less daunting and far more doable.
Connection comes before credibility
One of the most important distinctions John makes is this:
Social proof belongs later in your email sequence, not at the beginning.
Early emails are about connection, not credentials. People want to know who you are and whether you understand them before they care who you’ve worked with.
When social proof does appear, it works best as reassurance, not persuasion. It helps people who are already interested feel confident in their decision, rather than trying to convince those who aren’t ready.
This subtle sequencing makes a huge difference to how natural and respectful your marketing feels.
Email is a living conversation, not a finished asset
A welcome email sequence is not something you write once and forget about.
It should evolve as your business evolves.
John encourages business owners to see email as a living conversation, one that improves as you learn more about your audience, your offers, and your own voice.
Even small tweaks can dramatically improve clarity and engagement over time.
What matters most is starting.
You don’t need the perfect email sequence. You need an email sequence.
Selling is not manipulation when it’s rooted in service
Another quiet but important theme in this conversation is permission.
Permission to sell.
Permission to be visible.
Permission to share something that genuinely helps.
Email is part of a wider relationship. When done well, it never feels pushy. It feels relevant.
If someone is on your list, it’s because they raised their hand. Ignoring that opportunity to guide them, support them, and occasionally invite them to work with you is not humility. It’s hesitation.
You are allowed to build a business that supports you too.
A Final Thought to Reflect On
What might change in your business if email felt less like a technical task and more like a quiet conversation you return to regularly?
And what would become possible if your welcome sequence stopped being something you avoided, and started being something that worked gently in the background, welcoming the right people, even while you sleep?
Higher Voltage Event Invitation:
If this conversation resonated and you’re a solopreneur who wants to grow stronger without burning out, I’ll be sponsoring the Higher Voltage event in London this January the 22nd.
Higher Voltage is a one-day, in-person business growth event created specifically for solopreneurs, focused on clarity, value and sustainable growth.
As one of the main sponsors, I’m able to offer you an exclusive 25% discount.
Simply use the code WHISPER at checkout.
Find out more and book your spot here
💡 Ready to take action?
Discover the secret to marketing that feels natural for introverts — and works.
Download your exclusive first chapter of The Art of Value Whispering™ book here.
About John
John McKie is your go to guy if you're ready to build an engaged email list full of take my god damn money honey customers. Over the past five years, John has collaborated with individual personal brands to multi-million-pound Entrepreneurs, Coaches and Community Founders to create strategies and write 5 & 6-figure launches, run large campaigns and build a growing email list full of engaged subscribers without them even lifting a finger.
Connect with John
About Your Host, Melitta Campbell
Melitta Campbell is an award-winning business coach, TEDx speaker, author of A Shy Girl’s Guide to Networking and founder of The Value Whispering Circle.
Through her Value WhisperingTM Blueprint, she helps introverted female entrepreneurs build quietly impactful businesses that grow through clarity, trust, and alignment.
Learn more about working with Melitta here
Ready to Grow Your Business?
Learn more about the ways you can work with Melitta Campbell to uncover your Value Sweet Spot to market, sell and grow your business confidently, and always on your terms.
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