For ambitious women building their businesses. Every week, I share simple email strategies and real encouragement to help you create momentum that lasts.

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Last week, we talked about the foundation—the four questions you need to answer before you do anything else.

You know who you’re writing for.

You know what problem you’re solving.

You know where you’re headed.

Now you’re ready for the next step.

But here’s where most people get stuck.

They start googling “best email marketing platform” and fall down a rabbit hole of feature comparisons, pricing plans, and thirty-seven different opinions.

They open up a free trial, stare at the dashboard, and feel completely overwhelmed by all the buttons and options.

They spend three weeks “researching” and “getting ready” but never actually send a single email.

Sound familiar?

I did this too.

I spent two weeks comparing platforms.

Then another week trying to make my signup form “perfect.” Then I got stuck on what my welcome email should say.

By the time I was “ready” to start, a month had passed and I was exhausted before I even began.

Here’s what I wish someone had told me then:

You don’t need everything. You just need three things.

That’s it.

Three things to go from “I want to start email marketing” to “I just sent my first email.”

Everything else? You can add it later. Once you’re actually sending. Once you have momentum.

But right now? Keep it simple.

You need somewhere to collect email addresses and send emails.

That’s it. That’s what an email platform does.

Which one should you pick?

The one that doesn’t make you want to quit before you start.

Seriously.

There’s no “best” platform. There’s just the one that makes sense to you when you log in.

Here are four solid options for someone starting out:

Beehiiv – Great if you want to focus on sending a newsletter. Clean and simple to use. Free plan lets you have up to 2,500 subscribers.

ConvertKit – Built for creators. Simple automation. Good if you want to grow beyond just a newsletter eventually. Free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers (though some features are limited).

Flodesk – Beautiful templates right out of the box. Very visual and easy to understand. Flat-rate pricing (no free plan, but unlimited subscribers once you pay).

Mailchimp – You’ve probably heard of it. Reliable. Lots of tutorials online. Free plan for up to 500 subscribers.

Note: Free plan details and limits change frequently, so double-check the current terms on each platform’s website before you sign up.

My recommendation? Pick one and move on.

Don’t spend a week comparing features you won’t use for six months.

Just pick one that feels manageable and start.

You can always switch later if you need to. (And switching isn’t as scary as people make it sound.)

You don’t need to set up anything yet. You don’t need to design templates or create forms.

Just create the account. Get familiar with where things are.

Done.

Once you have a platform, you need a way for people to actually sign up.

This is your signup form (also called an opt-in form or a subscribe form).

Every email platform gives you this. It’s built in.

You don’t need a fancy landing page. You don’t need a separate tool.

Your email platform has a form builder. Use that.

What your signup form needs:

That’s it.

You don’t need a whole paragraph explaining your life story. You don’t need to ask for their birthday, job title, and favorite color.

Just: “Join my email list for weekly strategies to build your side business” (or whatever fits your business).

Then: Email field. Button. Done.

Don’t spend three hours trying to match your brand colors. Don’t worry about the exact wording.

Just make it work.

You can make it pretty later.

When someone joins your list, they should get an email.

Not three days later. Not when you “get around to it.”

Right away.

This is your welcome email.

And here’s the good news: It doesn’t have to be perfect.

It just needs to say:

That’s it.

You can write this in 15 minutes.

Subject: Welcome! Here’s what’s next

Hey [First Name],

Thanks for joining my email list!

I’m so glad you’re here.

Here’s what you can expect from me: I send one email every [day/week/month] with [type of content—strategies, stories, tips, etc.] to help you [the main thing you’re helping them do].

No overwhelm. Just practical stuff you can actually use.

A little about me: [2-3 sentences about who you are and why you’re doing this.]

If you ever have questions or just want to say hi, hit reply. I read every email.

Talk soon,

[Your Name]

See? Simple.

You can change this to fit your voice. Add a little personality. Make it sound like you.

But you don’t need to write a novel.

Just welcome them and let them know what’s coming.

That’s it.

Once this is done, your email setup is complete.

You might be thinking: “But what about a lead magnet? What about my email templates?

What about segmentation and tags and automation sequences?”

Later.

Seriously.

All of that matters. All of that can help you grow and get better results.

But right now?

You just need to be able to collect emails and send emails.

That’s the foundation.

Once you’re actually sending—once you have momentum—you can add the other stuff.

But if you try to set up everything perfectly before you start, you’ll never start.

I’ve seen it happen over and over.

Someone spends six weeks building the “perfect” email system with sequences and tags and fancy automations… and then they send three emails and quit because they’re already burned out.

Don’t do that.

Start simple. Build momentum. Add the extra stuff later

Here’s the truth: The best email setup is the one you’ll actually use.

Not the one with every feature unlocked. Not the one that looks perfect.

The one that’s simple enough that you’ll show up and send emails.

Because consistency beats perfection every single time.

I’d rather you have a basic setup and send emails every week than have a “perfect” system you’re too overwhelmed to use.

Your people don’t care if your signup form has the perfect color scheme.

They care that you’re showing up. That you’re helping them. That you’re consistent.

So keep it simple.

Get the three things set up. Start sending.

Everything else can come later.

If you answered the four questions from last week’s email, you’re ready for this step.

That’s it.

Don’t overthink it. Don’t make it perfect.

Just get it functional.

By the end of this week, you should be able to send yourself a test email and have your welcome email show up in your inbox.

Once that happens? You’re ready to start building your list.

And next week, we’ll talk about exactly how to do that—the 5 ways to grow your email list that don’t require you to post on social media every day.

But first, get your setup done.

👉🏾 Hit reply and tell me: Which platform did you pick? (Or if you’re stuck choosing, let me know—I’ll help you decide.)

Talk soon,

~ Kristina