17: The System for Growing Your Email List Without Feeling Spammy with Dawn Richardson

Ever wondered why you dread building your email list? What if I told you it's not about spam—it’s about showing up with heart, humor, and strategy?In this episode, I chat with Dawn Richardson—the product education manager at Flodesk, former software engineer, wedding photographer, and all‑around tech‑meets‑creative powerhouse. She shares how she helps entrepreneurs build email systems that feel authentic, not icky.This episode is brought to you by The Entrepreneur's Death Folder:If your business couldn’t run without you, that’s a problem—a haunting your assistant from the beyond kind of problem. That’s where the Entrepreneur’s Death Folder comes in. It’s your digital contingency plan: all your logins, contacts, workflows, and need-to-knows in one tidy, shareable place.Less spooky, more smart. Because peace of mind is the ultimate productivity tool.Buy Now >>3 Key Takeaways:Reframing email marketing from sleazy to service: it lives in your subscriber’s inbox (not the public feed), and they're asking to hear from you.Tools you’ll love: why Dawn’s Mac‑chooser quiz and countdown‑timer opt‑ins outperform generic freebies—and what you can do today to start using them.Automation with personality: welcome sequences, segmentation, and cleaning your list—done with your voice, so it always feels human.Find It Quickly:01:16 - System Reboot: Fun and Personal Questions03:03 - Email Marketing Fears and Misconceptions05:06 - Personal Experience with Email Marketing08:36 - Effective Email List Growth Strategies13:23 - Email Marketing Frequency and Best Practices17:42 - Cleaning Your Email List18:29 - The Entrepreneur's Death Folder19:04 - Bringing Your Voice into Automations19:29 - Creating an Engaging Welcome Sequence22:56 - Segmenting Your Audience Effectively26:41 - Building Real Relationships with Subscribers31:09 - Getting Started with Flodesk33:56 - Systems Shut DownMentioned in this Episode:Flodesk - Use Julie's Affiliate Code for 50% Off Your First Year of Flodesk@flodeskConnect with Dawn:@itsdawnrichardsonTechsavvycreative.comConnect with Julie:Website: dallasgirlfriday.comInstagram: @thesystemforeverything