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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Not because I didn’t understand why email mattered. I got that part.

But because the setup felt like… too much.

Pick a platform. Figure out forms. Learn terms like “double opt-in” and “deliverability.” Set up pages that actually worked. Blah blah blah

I kept telling myself I’d do it “when I had time to do it right.”

Translation: I was avoiding it because it felt boring and technical and I was scared I’d mess it up.

Here’s what I learned: The boring setup stuff is exactly what makes everything else work.

You can have the best email ideas in the world, but without the foundation in place, you’re just thinking about it. Not actually building.

And the foundation? It’s simpler than you think.

Even now, I’m still finding setup things I avoided because they seemed technical or like they didn’t matter that much.

Spoiler: They matter.

You already know you need to pick a platform and get your signup form out there. That’s the stuff everyone talks about.

But there’s other boring setup work that makes the difference between “I have an email list” and “My email list is actually growing my business.”

The stuff nobody mentions until you’re months in, frustrated that nothing’s working the way you thought it would.

When someone signs up for your list, what happens next?

Most platforms have two options: single opt-in or double opt-in.

Single opt-in: Someone fills out your form and boom—they’re on your list. Your welcome email hits their inbox immediately.

Double opt-in: Someone fills out your form, then has to go to their email and click a confirmation link before they’re officially on your list.

Here’s the thing: Double opt-in sounds safer. It “confirms” people really want to be there.

But you know what actually happens?

Half the people who sign up never confirm. They forget. They don’t check their email right away.

The confirmation lands in spam.

You just lost half your new subscribers before they even got your first email.

I use single opt-in. Always have. Because I’d rather reach people who actually signed up than lose them to an extra step they didn’t expect.

Check your settings. Make sure you’re not making it harder than it needs to be for people to hear from you.

When someone gets an email from you, what name shows up in their inbox?

Is it your business name? Your personal name?

Some weird generic thing your platform automatically assigned?

This matters more than you think.

People are way more likely to open an email from “Kristina” than from “Side Business Momentum Newsletter.”

Because “Kristina” feels like a person. A person they chose to hear from.

“Side Business Momentum Newsletter” feels like marketing they need to decide if they care about.

Go into your platform settings and change your “from” name to your actual name. First name is usually best.

Your subject line tells people what the email is about. But your “from” name tells them whether they want to open it at all.

Someone discovers you on Instagram. They love your vibe. They want more.

But they’re not ready to sign up for your list yet—they want to see what you actually send first.

If you don’t have an archive link where people can read your past emails, you’re losing people who would’ve joined if they could just see what you’re all about first.

Most email platforms let you create a public archive. It takes five minutes to turn on.

Then you add that link to your Instagram bio, your LinkedIn profile, wherever people find you.

“Want to see what I send? Check out past emails here.”

Boom. Now people can binge your content and sign up when they’re ready. Instead of scrolling past and forgetting about you.

Moment of truth? I literally just set mine up this week while writing this. Because yeah, I completely forgot myself, how valuable this is! But once I turned it on? Five minutes. That’s it. And now people can actually see what I’m about before they join.

Before you worry about any of this, make sure you’re clear on who you’re actually talking to. That was the whole point of the first newsletter in this series.

And once you have that clarity, setting up your platform and form is straightforward. I walked through it step-by-step in edition two.

If you skipped those, go back and read them. This stuff only works if you build it in order.

You know how I always end my emails with “Hit reply and tell me…”?

That only works if replies actually come to me.

Some platforms automatically set your reply-to address as “noreply@whatever” or some weird email you never check.

Which means when someone tries to respond? Their email goes nowhere. Or it lands in an inbox you didn’t even know existed.

You just lost a conversation with someone who was engaged enough to actually reply.

Go check your reply-to settings. Make sure replies come to an email address you actually use and check regularly.

Don’t accidentally block the best part.

I know this feels boring compared to writing amazing emails or growing your list.

But here’s what happens when you skip this:

→ You spend weeks creating content nobody opens because your “from” name looks like spam.

→ You lose half your new subscribers to a confirmation step they never complete.

→ People want to check out your work before signing up, but there’s no way for them to do that, so they just… don’t.

→ Someone tries to reply to your email and it bounces back, so they assume you don’t actually want to hear from them.

You’re working hard, but the boring setup stuff is quietly sabotaging everything.

Stop assuming your settings are fine and actually check them.

Check your opt-in settings: Are you using double opt-in and losing half your new subscribers? Switch to single opt-in if it makes sense for your business.

Update your “from” name: Make sure emails come from your actual name, not your business name or something generic.

Show Them What You Send First: Let people read past emails before they sign up. Add that link to your bio.

Fix your reply-to address: Make sure replies come to an email you actually check.

I know you might be thinking, “Do these little things really matter that much?”

Listen…

The difference between a list that grows and one that doesn’t? It’s usually in the boring stuff nobody talks about.

Talk soon,

~ Kristina

P.S. Hit reply and tell me: Which one of these settings surprised you? I want to know what you’re discovering.