…and what to do instead if you want aligned clients—not just more unengaged subscribers
Growing an email list isn’t just a business strategy—it’s an act of leadership. Especially when you’re values-led, heart-centred, and committed to creating a business that actively dismantles oppressive systems (instead of replicating them in more “palatable” packaging).
But even with the best intentions, so many brilliant, change-making business owners fall into the trap of traditional list-building advice. You know the kind—grow fast, get big, offer what’s trendy. But these strategies often attract the wrong people (if anyone at all). Worse? They can end up silencing or excluding the very communities you’re trying to uplift.
So let’s break it down. Here are 3 common list-building mistakes I see values-led business owners make—and what to do instead if you want to attract aligned clients to your email list in a way that’s ethical, inclusive, and actually leads to sales.
1. Trying to Be for Everyone (a.k.a. Not Niching At All or Deeply Enough)
I get it. You care deeply about people. You want to help. And you’re probably great at holding space for many different kinds of people. But here’s the truth: you are not the saviour of everyone.
Trying to serve everyone is a fast track to serving no one. Worse, it’s a subtle replication of supremacy culture—the idea that we can or should be the one-size-fits-all answer.
Niching isn’t exclusive. It’s the deepest form of inclusion. It’s saying: “I see you. I understand your lived experience. I created this specifically for you.” That’s powerful.
If you want support to niche in a way that centres marginalised communities and aligns with your values, I created an entire blog and framework for that:
👉 Check out my Inclusive Niching Framework™
2. Offering What’s “Hot” Instead of What’s Needed
There’s a lot of pressure in the online space to offer the kind of lead magnet that “works”—something viral, flashy, quick to download and easy to forget.
But here’s the thing: just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s aligned. And those trendy freebies? They might get you subscribers—but they probably won’t get you clients.
If your lead magnet isn’t rooted in what your niche actually needs, it won’t attract the people you’re meant to work with. Your lead magnet needs to come from deep listening—especially listening to the lived experiences, challenges, and desires of marginalised folks in your community. That’s how you know you’re solving the right problem.
This is inclusive business in action. Not guessing. Not assuming. Listening.
3. Jumping Ahead of Your Niche Instead of Meeting Them Where They’re At
Here’s a subtle but critical mistake I see all the time:
Business owners try to offer the “real solution” without first acknowledging the perceived solution that their niche believes they need.
When you skip ahead—when you go straight to your modality, your framework, your wisdom—you might lose people. Because if they could already see that your solution was the answer, they wouldn’t be stuck where they are.
Your lead magnet’s job is to meet your niche where they are—not where you are.
It should validate their current thinking, offer a tool or insight they believe they need, and gently walk them to a new realisation: that your deeper solution is what they truly need.
The first transformation needs to happen inside the lead magnet itself.
This isn’t manipulation. It’s compassion. And it’s ethical. Because it doesn’t dismiss where someone is at—it honours it. And that’s what inclusion really looks like in business.
The Bigger Picture: Doing Business Differently
These mistakes aren’t personal failures. They’re the result of business advice rooted in extractive, exclusionary, and supremacy-based systems.
You don’t have to grow your list in a way that feels pushy, spammy, or inauthentic.
You don’t have to follow the outdated rules that say “bigger is better” and “fast is best.”
You can build your email list in a way that’s ethical, intentional, and liberatory.
And if you want to learn how?
Come to My Free Webinar
How to Attract Aligned Clients to Your Email List
(So You Get Clients, Not Just Subscribers!)
📅 Monday 23rd June | ⏰ 11 AM AWST / 1 PM AEST
📍 Live on Zoom | 1 hour
In this live training, you’ll learn how to:
- Grow a values-aligned, diverse list of people who are ready for your work
- Create lead magnets that meet your niche where they are and move them toward real transformation
- Avoid the common mistakes (like the ones above) that fill your list with unengaged, non-ideal subscribers
🎁 Plus a bonus:
Attend live and receive a free 30-minute 1:1 Growth Readiness Session where we’ll:
- Pinpoint your biggest audience growth blocks
- Review your current lead magnet (or help you brainstorm one)
- Identify what’s keeping aligned people from joining your list
You’ll walk away with clarity, confidence, and next steps.
You’re not just building a list. You’re building a community of people who need and want what you offer.
Let’s do it in a way that reflects your values—and serves your people, deeply!
If you have questions, please pop them in the comments or DM me on Instagram or Facebook.
Until next time, happy ethical and inclusive list building!
