Not Boring Newsletters with Deanna Seymour
[00:00:00] Made Remarkable Intro: Welcome back. And thanks for tuning in to the made remarkable podcast, hosted by Kellee Wynne today we are welcoming the bold and brilliant art teacher turned graphic designer. Deanna Seymour. The queen of not boring newsletter. Letters and fun, quirky content.
In this episode, Kellee and Deanna and. Dive into how to make your brand, your content and your newsletters. Stand out by bringing a little more of you into it.
Deanna gives great tips on how to do this by tying together messages about business and using the occasional hilarious GIF. Check out the show notes and transcripts for more information about Deanna exclusive promotional offers and any special links mentioned during the episode. Kellee loves connecting with listeners. So don't be shy. Reach out on social media and together let's build a community that celebrates the remarkable. If you want to be notified every time a new episode hits the airwaves, just hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform. Thank you for joining us today and always remember that you are made remarkable. Destined to achieve the unimaginable.
Now let's get to the good part. Introducing Kellee Wynne and Deanna Seymour.
[00:01:08] Kellee Wynne: Well, hello. Hello. I'm Kellee Wynne, artist, author, mentor, fiercely independent mother and wife, and the founder of a multiple six figure creative business. And I love my life, but I've been where you're at. I was slogging away at this art business thing for more than a decade. Once I finally connected with my true calling, unlock the magic of marketing and built a system that could scale, while I realize I can make an impact and make a substantial income, I'm finally running a business that I love and it makes all the.
Difference in the world. My biggest dream is to help you do the same. Let this podcast be the catalyst to your biggest success. You already have it in you because you are made remarkable.
Hi, Deanna.
[00:01:59] Deanna Seymour: Hey, Kellee. Thank you so much for having me.
[00:02:02] Kellee Wynne: Yes. Well, this is the second time that you're volunteering your time and information and I love it. We loved it so much when you showed up in the Remarkable League that I knew I had to put you on the podcast. So welcome to the podcast.
[00:02:17] Deanna Seymour: Well, thank you so much. This is so fun. I will hang out with you anytime you want to hang out with me. I love it.
[00:02:22] Kellee Wynne: I think we could do that. I think we could. Because. You have that same kind of fun, bubbly, slightly irreverent personality that I love, love, love.
[00:02:34] Deanna Seymour: Yes, and I feel like your whole group. I mean, as a former art teacher, I was like, right at home.
I was like, these are my people. Love to see it. So, yeah, I'm here for it.
[00:02:43] Kellee Wynne: Well, and as a former art teacher, it makes so much sense why you have such an eye for design, a way of communicating, a way of like, helping. Us, especially in the remarkable league really grasped the concepts that you came to show up.
And let's just say today we're going to talk about not boring newsletters, but 1st, let's just talk about a little bit about your past. Like, how you got to where you are as a designer as a excellent communicator and the way that you support your clients.
[00:03:12] Deanna Seymour: Thank you. I don't know if anyone's ever called me an excellent communicator.
So I'm like, feeling good about that. I feel like sometimes I'm like, what was I saying? Even my seven year old daughter sometimes says, what was I saying? And I'm like, Oh gosh, you're getting that from me. But anyways, I'll take it. I'm not going to negate it. I'm going to take it. Yeah.
So I taught for over a decade in public schools, high school, elementary school. I did a little subbing in middle school, but that was like enough for me. It was a wild ride there, and throughout that whole career, I mean, you know, you're an art teacher. I went to art school as an artist. And to be honest, I became an art teacher because my parents did the thing that parents do.
My original major was photography. And they were like, oh, no, get. Get a real job, like get a real degree. And so then I switched to a minor in photography and a major in art ed, and like I said, spent 10 years teaching and didn't hate it, but also didn't love it. And always had my own little side hustles, Etsy shops, different stuff, made stuffed animal monsters for a while when my niece and nephew were born and I made them some and then teachers wanted some and then it was like a thing.
So. I just kept having all these side hustles and really like starting those businesses was always my favorite part. Like naming it, branding it, coming up with a plan, making the website, and then a little bit of my ADHD set in. I'm like, now I just. Keep making monsters? Like, okay. Like, the fun stuff was sort of front loaded for me.
That was like, what was the most exciting. And then also, not to mention, I was always juggling my career as a teacher, which everybody knows teachers work a lot outside of, the classroom. So it was kind of like, I could see on a calendar, like, summertime was , me time to get excited and create and start something new.
And then Back to school and it's hard to balance both and we're growing it and then it would kind of fall off and then another summer would come and I would start something new. So I started to realize what if I could help other people start their businesses, then I could live vicariously through my clients and get to do all the fun things like help them come up with names, help them come up with branding, help them figure out how to put it out there in the world.
And then. Once that's done, I can still kind of work with them, but also a new client will come along and I can help them do the same thing. So that has actually been something I stuck with. So I've been doing this, uh, like branding graphics, sort of, content creation for people for actually the end of this month is going to be my one year anniversary of being an LLC, but.
Since I started so many other side hustles and I would always jump in headfirst this one. I was like, okay, let me make sure this is going to work before I go through all the trouble of being an LLC, whatever. So it's. Probably like my two year anniversary, but I'm still like relatively new in this whole world of online business, but I'm loving it.
[00:05:57] Kellee Wynne: Yeah, but new, but not inexperienced and that's the part people need to know because it's very clear the people you've worked with the products that you've designed your website alone just speaks. Volumes and for those of you looking for graphic design or branding or the whole package that love very creative, very colorful, very happy vibes.
Like you are it. That's amazing. And I know Robin Marie Smith. She's used you. That's 1 of the reasons I found you. And it's like, okay, I can see, like, the design is just spot on for the creative personality.
[00:06:35] Deanna Seymour: Well, thank you for saying that. Yeah. Lifetime of like, artistic background, a couple years, officially being, you know, Deanna Seymour. com, but, loving it. Nevertheless.
[00:06:46] Kellee Wynne: I love it too. And because you came so highly recommended, and we started having conversations, one of the things that my, Remarkable League was struggling with for some of them, not all of them the coaching program that I run, they're like, but if I send the newsletter, they're going to unsubscribe.
And I don't know what to say. And I'm not sure how often I should bother them. And all these questions come up and I'm like, okay, but you guys have been in business for all quite a while now we've been working on this. So where is the resistance to sending the newsletter? And maybe it was because the idea of a newsletter.
Sometimes feels like it's this big, professional, properly written, blah, blah, blah. Not so much fun to have to do. Right. Or that it's all salesy or that it's all whatever. It's like, whatever this impression of thought that we have a newsletter, an email, something you send to your email list, whatever you want to call it, is going to be this big, boring thing that you do that your readers are going to want to unsubscribe from.
In comes. Deanna, who though you do work a lot in graphic design, you also really help with the idea of how to write and communicate. And you have a system for yourself that we were like, okay, let's try this. And you came in as an expert last month when we did our big marketing, we had a three day workshop within the program and oh, my goodness.
So you're not boring newsletter philosophy was a hit and everyone is coming back talking about it with the success that they've had and how much has just made it. So even me, I'm like. Oh, I could really put my heart back into my newsletter. And here's what you said that really stuck with me the most.
And then we'll go into your philosophy so that everyone who's listening to the podcast can get these ideas and start working. And by the way, for all of you guys out there, if you haven't started your email list, you must do that, but that's not what we're going to teach you on how to start it. We're going to teach you today.
How to write for it because once you have the list, you got to communicate to the list. But what you said that changed the way I thought about everything that I do, I don't know if you know this, but this,
[00:09:05] Deanna Seymour: I don't know. I'm so excited to hear it.
[00:09:07] Kellee Wynne: You said that Where prior to being really, um, committed to your newsletter, you'd think, well, what am I going to share on social media today?
Or I can't wait to post this. And you said that you got to the point where you're like, I can't wait to share this with my newsletter. Oh, wait a minute. If we change how we think about it, that we're like reaching out to all of our besties who are on our email list that we know at least well, for me, 50 percent of them will open up that email and read it.
Then it's like, that's so much more satisfying than Instagram right now. So ever since then, I'm like, okay, I'm putting my heart back into the newsletter first. Everything else can come second.
[00:09:51] Deanna Seymour: Yes, I, okay, cool. I love that. I was like, oh gosh, what did I say? That's a good nugget.
That's what I said, but it's true. I can't wait to share
[00:09:58] Kellee Wynne: this with my email list. What a like brain shift, honestly, for me to really connect that way first with my people. Mm hmm.
[00:10:08] Deanna Seymour: And I mean, maybe there would be someone who does send a lot more sales emails than me that might... Think sales need to come first, but I honestly do think of my email list as like my pool of friends, almost like a network.
I know there's people out there who open them and read them who I don't even know who they are, which is sort of funny to think about. But a lot of people do respond. To my email, like, I mean, I guess not a lot. I don't know. I'm not a numbers lady. I'm an art lady. But, a lot of people respond.
And so I feel like when I'm sending the email, there's at least 20 people. I feel like who respond regularly that I just think of, like, I'm telling them and then I guess. It's 1200 other people get the chance to read it too, you know, but there's enough people engaging that it really does make me feel like, Oh, those people, I have a face with a name.
You know what I mean? It feels personal.
[00:11:01] Kellee Wynne: Right. But you know what? Getting people to actually respond with comments or whatever to your email, that's rare. Even with, 20, 000 people on my newsletter and I don't get more than one or two responses, even when I'm prompting for it. So when you're getting to the point where you're having, you know, even half a dozen to a dozen responses, that, that means that people are reading and connecting.
[00:11:26] Deanna Seymour: Yes. Enough to hit reply, like number one, they're opening it. Awesome. Number two, they're reading it. Cool. They're feeling connected enough to. Actually take the time to hit reply. I mean, that's a lot. That's a lot of steps to get to to get that reply. So I think you're right.
[00:11:38] Kellee Wynne: Yeah. So let's talk about your system, which is completely different than probably what most people will teach about newsletter, but it's so simple and yet effective.
So let's just dive into it. What is your philosophy on it? And how do you handle sending out that regular message?
[00:11:58] Deanna Seymour: So all my emails pretty much have a story in them. A personal story of mine or just something I've watched on TV. Something I just read in a magazine. I said a magazine because I have kids.
I don't read like big books. It's a little much for me. It's in a magazine. I was like, Oh gosh, I just called myself out. Or who knows, maybe an Instagram post where you're like, Oh my gosh, that was something that really stuck with me. And you want to tell a friend, I think of it as like.
Going over to have coffee with a friend. Like, what would I be talking about? And then usually, I feel like sometimes it's a loose connection, as a branding person, graphic designer person, I usually connect it to content or showing up in your business authentically. Something around that.
And I also talk a lot about how business is hard, because I feel like that's something not a lot of people talk about. A lot of the messaging just... In online business are like get rich real fast. Six figures real fast. Everything's easy. Just go viral. And you can start to feel like, Oh my gosh, I'm at a snail's pace.
Like this is so hard. So part of me just wants to be a friend to the people on my list and be like, it's hard. Just in case you were wondering, yes, it's hard for me too. It's hard for everyone. It's not as easy as they're saying. So those are kind of like the three things. So I think on my website, it says something like pep talks, funny stories.
And, Real talk, because I, I feel like I sort of have a reputation for calling stuff out to when I see things happening and I'm like, hey. That's not right or whatever.
[00:13:23] Kellee Wynne: Right, but schemes out there, coaches, coaching coaches to be coaches.
[00:13:27] Deanna Seymour: I know. I know it's so much. And so I think just telling my stories and relating them to any of those things, like, basically, I'm just saying relate them to business some way.
Is the way that I approach my email. So I really am just like what's happening in my life. And I, I didn't talk about this in the presentation that I did for for you guys. But, someone just recently reached out to me on Instagram and was like, do you really plan your content? Because I feel like you've identified as a Enneagram 7.
That's what that's what I am. Are you are you into it? Okay. Yeah, I'm a total 7. And so this person was a seven and they were like, well, how do you plan? Cause I, I don't plan. It's hard for her to plan. Cause she just wants to like, say what she wants to say off the cuff. And I was like, oh yeah, me too. Right.
There's plenty of room for that in my quote unquote plan. Like I plan out my emails. I have stories. That are kind of listed for later like, this is what I told her. So is it okay if I do a little story time real quick?
[00:14:30] Kellee Wynne: Yeah, do a little story time.
[00:14:32] Deanna Seymour: Okay. So I wrote a couple emails about my daughter's running club at her elementary school because it was pretty like.
I'm not a runner never been a runner. It's my own trauma from childhood soccer, but I don't like running, but she wanted to go to running club. So I took her and there were a lot of parents. They're really pushing their kids and it felt really weird to me. And it felt a lot like online business, a little bit.
So that was a couple emails I sent about like capitalism and pushing yourself and hustling. Well. Over the summer, my daughter and I, I said, what if we start our own dance club? So Friday morning dance parties are going to happen like running clubs on Wednesdays, and I'm the new sponsor of the morning dance party club so that I don't have to go to running club anymore and that we can go and dance and I think it's going to be really fun.
I want to tell my list about it. Like so bad. I'm relaunching, like I'm opening the doors to my community. So we don't actually start Dance Party Club until September, late in September. It's the perfect story to talk about community and building something and bringing people together. So that's on my list.
So the seven in me was like, I'm so excited, I want to tell this now. But , the content planner and strategist in me was like, Okay, DD, cool it. Save that story for later. And it's still going to be a great story when I tell it and why we're doing it and I can link back to the running club emails, you know, and so I told her, I was like, no, no, no, I still get really excited and I still write those things down and I plan for them, but I just put them where they belong.
So, if you're thinking, oh, I don't have any stories or something like that. I mean I'm not fancy I just have a Google Doc that I put a table in it which someone else might be like, why don't you use a spreadsheet. That's what a spreadsheet is, but. I just have my Google Doc and I have my dates.
My newsletter goes out every Thursday. So that's... It's already like down closer to when my membership launches. So it's really just for me about stories and what in my business can they relate to. And I think when you start planning like that, the stories pop up and you're like, Oh, this makes sense to connect to this thing.
[00:16:34] Kellee Wynne: Right. So basically you're kind of like collecting and files and folders and lists ideas as they come to you to use appropriately later. In your content planning, but what I love about this idea is, is we're taking something that we would like organically want to share with a friend or even this is, this is how I usually write my Instagram posts.
And this is exactly why it connected for me. I usually sit there in the morning and I'm like, okay, what is it that's happening right now that can connect a story. To the result that I want for my customer, whether it's a change in mind, a connection to a product that I'm offering, a way for us to learn a little bit more about what we need to learn about in our business.
So, it's like, I'm, I'm trying to create a story that gives a kind of, like, you said, a transformation. That relates to, you know, so it's this two part. And now I realize I'm like, why haven't I been doing that every time I open up my newsletter? Why am I not using the newsletter a little more as like the way I would post something on Instagram?
Like I've been doing that for 10 years. I have all this stuff that I've been writing. And then when it comes to my newsletter, I just sit there and I'm like, I don't know what to say. Let's just say some boring things and tell them what's for sale. And no wonder everyone's like unsubscribe. This is boring.
I don't want to be part of this. Yeah.
[00:18:02] Deanna Seymour: Yeah. Well, and also you were saying I'm collecting stories and I know I shared with the group that I keep a folder on my desktop that is. Images that I'm like, this is a story I could tell in an email. So, I think like in that folder right now, there's a picture of me dressed as Snooki.
Actually at the thing, I showed the picture of my old fridge with a strawberry shortcake bicycle on top. Yes. And I had never written an email about that. And it's coming out in my email this week because Paul Rubens passed away last week. Peewee's Playhouse, huge part of my childhood. I feel like, uh, I actually looked up the actual dates it was on, and like, during my formative years, I'm like, I really do think that PeeWee's Playhouse had a huge effect on me, and being an art teacher, and being an artist, and all the things.
So I wrote this whole newsletter, but part of the graphic is that image, because I'm like, And try to tell me this girl has not been influenced by Pee Wee's Playhouse with a bike and a T Rex and a Care Bear lunchbox on top of her fridge, you know, so I was like, it was just funny because it was like, finally, and that thing has been sitting in that folder for so long because I was like, this is funny.
There's a bike on a fridge. Like, I don't know what the story is or why I would want to talk to my list about that. But, um,
[00:19:13] Kellee Wynne: So you've created these images that are interesting, quirky, fun, relatable parts of your life, bits and pieces, and maybe not the real intimate parts, but the parts that you know, later it's going to be a good storytelling piece.
[00:19:27] Deanna Seymour: Yeah, it's like, this could be something I don't know, or, TV shows. Like, I watched this new show. I guess it's new ish. There's two seasons. The Bear is on Hulu. It's about, like, a restaurant. Do you watch it?
[00:19:37] Kellee Wynne: And just so you know, everyone who's listening, if you have not watched The Bear, you are missing out on the world's best TV show there ever was.
[00:19:47] Deanna Seymour: Okay, I'm here for it. Yes, I agree. And I'm like, how can I talk about the bear in an email, and I haven't quite figured it out yet but it's on my list because I'm like, Oh, I love the show I love Richie, and I've used Richie, one of the characters in a GIF recently. I don't know if it's gone out yet and I did mention the bear.
In an email, just because I love it so much. I was like, I have to at least tell them that exists so they can watch it. But I think in the future, there will probably be a better email about how I can relate online business to,
[00:20:17] Kellee Wynne: well, I actually thought of it when I was watching the bear, because we can take like. Pop culture, we can take our own life. We can take, the art happenings in the world, because I mean, most of the people who are listening to our artists are creative, so we can take all those things. But as far as pop culture goes, and, you know, Richie Ends up being, I think most people's favorite character in the end, but not in the first season.
And there's an episode and I'm not going to ruin it for anyone, but there's an episode that a big transformation happened and the whole time. I'm watching it. In fact, all of season 2, this huge shift happens, even in my mind that I'm relating it to the process of being a business owner and being a creative and so I can see how we can even take these common.
References, whether it's that or, you know, other shows that have been really popular Ted Lasso, White Lotus, all these other shows that we're pretty much binge watching through the summer, thank goodness, because they're pretty decent shows. I mean, the jury's still out on it for me, but it's like, we could take that or Barbie.
Oh, my goodness.
[00:21:23] Deanna Seymour: I was going to say, I've gotten so many emails. I've gotten emails about Barbie. Already, like people
are talking about
[00:21:28] Kellee Wynne: because it is so relatable at this point to business that like, why wouldn't we infuse what we're doing with like, because we are multidimensional people. We're not just like artists that all we need to do is talk about art.
Right? That's the problem that I get stuck in this box. Like, I only talk about art or I only talk about business, but the truth is, is that there are so many. Different facets of me and different ways that I infuse parts of my life into the business that I'm doing and what turns me on, what lights me up, like, what I've been listening to. And I'm like, why am I not sharing this with people?
[00:22:02] Deanna Seymour: Well, and I think too, I mean, you bring up a good point. Cause now I'm thinking just, about artists. Like, obviously your work is your work and that stands. For something, but I think when people start liking an artist work, they also are very interested in the artists themselves.
Like people love Andy Warhol. They weren't just like, Oh, we love these like Campbell soup cans, but we don't care about that quirky little guy over it. Like, we don't want to hear any more about him or learn any more about him. We want both, like we want your art and we want your backstory and we want your opinions and we want your stories and your quirks and your everything.
[00:22:33] Kellee Wynne: And all the cats.
[00:22:33] Deanna Seymour: Yeah, I mean, now that you're talking about that too, and I feel like I work a lot with personal brands, but as an artist, like, people also want to know the artist behind the work, so, opening up your email to be more a little bit about you, and you did mention for a second, like, you don't have to share everything.
So, I do have two kids. I have a three year old and a seven year old, and... In the beginning of my business, I talked about them a lot because I felt like a little bit of pressure on social media to be like a mom per, like, I don't know, I'm balancing it all, my kids are in my pictures and stuff. And so then just at some point I was like, you know what, I don't really feel like this is what I want to do.
Like I didn't ask them, they don't know, it just felt weird to me. And I'm not judging anyone who does it. I think it's probably going to be fine. But for me, I was like, actually, I just kind of want to focus on the business, but. In my email list, they do sneak in sometimes, and I think that's because I do think of my email list as my friends.
Like, it feels a little more intimate. Like I was saying, a few thousand people is not that intimate, but it just doesn't feel like I'm putting them on, you know, Instagram. For me, it just feels like you're my friend, so I do sort of talk about them, because I talked about running club, but, The point is you get to decide what to share.
It doesn't mean you have to share everything and what Brene Brown says, that thing like you don't have to share in the moment. Like you can wait till you're, you know, I'm not saying like create vulnerability and just like spill your guts to your email list, but definitely,
[00:23:57] Kellee Wynne: but you know, pull from real life stories that are relatable so that when we write a newsletter or an email to our list.
It's not boring. It's not dry. There's actually a story to be told and something that's relatable and then you relate it to the purpose at hand. So it's not like just random stories with no purpose. You find a story that that has meaning that can be shared towards. An end goal or a purpose, whether it's like, okay, so I was watching the bear and I can see in season two, this huge transformation and this passion and love for what they're doing.
How does that relate to the passion and love that you have for doing what you do? And like, boom, there's the connection. Now we can see, and we all relate and we see how. Life is the influence.
[00:24:43] Deanna Seymour: Yes. And I feel like it's important for us to say that I feel like a good email needs both.
I mean mine most of the time have both. But you don't want them to leave being like, what was the point of that? Like she, loves the bear. Okay, cool. I watched it. I thought it was dumb, or whatever. But if they read it and then it also relates to them, it's kind of like when you write your about page on your website, it's supposed to like be about you, but really everybody wants it to be about them.
So you you can tell the story about your life, but you have to bring it back to them so that they walk away being like, Oh yeah. And thinking in terms of their lives and what that could mean for them. So I think it's just important to stress.
[00:25:23] Kellee Wynne: We're not just writing it for ourselves and to talk about ourselves.
We're writing it as if we're really writing it for them so that they see themselves in it.
[00:25:32] Deanna Seymour: Yes. Like what's the point? I mean, just asking yourself kind of too, like if you get excited, you're like, oh my gosh, I really want to tell my list of story. Just ask yourself, what's the point? Like what's the point when it comes to what was the original promise signing up for your emails? So how can that relate back? for me, the pep talks is a really easy one. It's just like, as long as I'm like, yeah, business is hard. Like we can do it, you know, then they still at least leave being like, Oh yeah, at least business is hard or whatever.
So I think. As long as you bring it back to them and you're like, what's the point? I think that's great.
[00:26:02] Kellee Wynne: Yeah. I also love what we learned from you was how you don't have it like perfectly formatted in this like nice and neat, neat design. It's like, you're just writing an email to a friend. And then though many of us in my group still choose to put a little header on it, but the rest of it is just right.
And maybe pop in some pictures or my very favorite thing that we're all doing. Is using, excuse me, not gif, gifs. Gifs.
[00:26:33] Deanna Seymour: I say gif. Here's why I say gif because I think gifts are a gift to the world. Here you go. And so I'm just gonna say gif. That's what I think.
[00:26:41] Kellee Wynne: So now I'm, people get so about it, giphy.com all the time. Finding some, or, I also love that you can make them, I guess you can even make them in Canva.
[00:26:51] Deanna Seymour: Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Totally. It's so fun. Yes, I mean, my format, if this isn't too, like, boring or hard to picture on a podcast.
[00:27:00] Kellee Wynne: Let's go for the format.
[00:27:01] Deanna Seymour: Okay, so on my weekly emails, I basically start with a little bit of writing.
Maybe it's a hook, but a hook sounds too too formulated. I just like start the story a little bit. Then I usually put in an image and I will just break for a second to say they're always the same size. And I did make a template for myself in Canva and I just make them in Canva. It's called, Deanna's email images.
Just open that every week and like plop in some things. When I was talking about PBS today. Put that bike image in there. And I also put in some other things I had. We have like Pee Wee toys and collectibles at my house. So I went in my, living room and snapped a picture of those.
And so I just made like a little Pee Wee collage and I just exported it. It's the same size every week. So I think sort of provides some comfort so it still is a little bit familiar and whatever. So there's some words. The image, more words, like finish the story, and then I always use the GIF usually when I transition into how it relates to their business or them or what they've done, because I feel like GIFs are a punched up version of an emoji of like reacting to something.
If you drop like a bomb and you're like, Oh my gosh, it was and my mind was blown. It blew my mind. I feel like you get to put a funny gif in there about blowing somebody's mind, and then you say, kind of like in business when da da da da da, it feels like a really easy way to transition from the end of your story, and then a gif, and then like, the moral of the story, or how it connects to them.
And then I just sign off. And then I usually put in the PS. Is where I sort of put my sale, if I have one, which for me as a service provider is usually just like, Hey, I'm, booking in September, like I'm booking right on my list or just something low key about that. Or also I have a podcast.
So a lot of times there'll be a PS, this person's on the podcast this week talking about this thing. So the PS is sort of where I put the. More salesy call to actions,
[00:28:59] Kellee Wynne: so the meat of the email is.
It's entertainment. It's useful. It's value. It's transformative, whatever we want to call it. And then the business stuff goes in the PS, which is what we're starting to do as well. I actually have 2 newsletters because I have 2 parts of my brand. There's me and the homemade remarkable part. Which is all about where I'm moving to in the future is coaching, helping people with their businesses.
And I still have Color Crush Creative, which is my art courses. And I don't know That'll be adding any new art courses, at least for a year or two, if ever, right, still keeping it running because I have some really amazing courses and we're still supporting the community. So we do have a color for your inbox newsletter that goes out every Friday, and we're trying to figure out how to formulate that.
But the one that I'm writing, the artist dispatch is the easy 1 because now, like, today I wrote it and I'm like, what do I want to say? And then I found. A gif of an older woman doing a belly flop into the, into the water. And I'm like, yeah, cause that's the end of summer for me. So it just feels so much more me than it's ever felt before.
And that's where I've been honestly trying to get to for the last three years. And every time I, I started, I feel like, do I have even permission to do this? But you know what? Deanna, you get me permission.
[00:30:24] Deanna Seymour: Yeah, that's awesome. You know, I was gonna say too, it's extra magical if, I can relate, like, whatever's on the podcast that week or something like that into the actual story, into the actual, thing.
And that happens sometimes, but I do not put pressure on myself to make it happen. I'm always like, it can be in the PS if it needs to. But if I start thinking about it and I'm like... Oh, well, that can go with that email. Like an episode of my podcast just came out, on capitalism. And so I'm like, oh, I bet I could think for a second.
You know, I bet you there's a time in my life when I was like, I mean, I can always talk about the Lorax already. I'm like, oh, I was thinking of the Lorax when I think of capitalism. But anyways, I feel like that goes back to the whole Enneagram 7, planning thing.
It also is cool. When I started planning, I was like, this is magical. And then you can. kind of bring up those things. Me talking about PeeWee, I was on a woman named Annie P. Ruggles podcast, who she has guests on who talk about a pop culture thing and their business. So when I was on her podcast, like a year ago, I talked about PeeWee's Playhouse and my business.
So I linked that, but I was also able, because I've been planning to say, Annie's going to be on my podcast at the end of this month. And so it's like, when you start planning too, you're like, wow. If I don't know what's coming tomorrow, I can't, like, tell people what's coming tomorrow, or I can't save a story for the perfect one.
Because before I planned, I would kind of do stuff off the cuff and then later be like, oh, that would have been a good email to send with this, but I already talked about that. You know,
[00:31:53] Kellee Wynne: well, I feel like even though I get such better reception with email and the open rates are really incredible, I still know only half maybe have read it and even how many people who open it who don't actually
read it.
Yep. You're right. I can always say it again. I think it's okay to repeat things on Instagram as well. And, one thing that I was thinking of while we're talking about it, this is for like the regular communication. This is the newsletter, the weekly email. We should all be sending out our weekly email because if you're like not sending any newsletters or emails at all, then one day when six months later, people have been on your list and they haven't heard from you.
They're going to be like, who is this? Unsubscribe. So you want to continue to nurture them. This is not what we use. It's not the same as what we would use for a marketing campaign.
[00:32:45] Deanna Seymour: Exactly.
[00:32:46] Kellee Wynne: We can do storytelling in a marketing campaign. We're really just talking about that regular newsletter that you're like, what am I supposed to say every week?
[00:32:55] Deanna Seymour: Yeah, exactly. I feel like if I'm being fully transparent, I kind of suck at promo like a lot, like a series of launch emails. It like makes me start sweating profusely. And I did do one that was a storytelling series all about communities I'd had throughout my life and just coming from like a punk rock background and friends helping friends.
And that led up to opening my membership. So that was pretty fun. I don't know if the numbers would say that it was like, necessarily successful, but I think it was, because really isn't it when you launch , you think like, oh, I'm going to launch this and half my list is going to join my community, but it's like, what is it like 2 percent is like, who actually, yeah, average, average 5%.
Yeah, yeah. So I actually probably did okay with that. But it was storytelling, I'm just backing up what you just said just your weekly emails to kind of just stay friends with the people and make sure that they're opening them.
And it's like, helps your delivery rate. I feel like if you don't send one for so long, it could end up in the wrong place in the spam folder or whatever. So this is just a way to stay current. And I also think it's important, like, for me as a graphic designer, and I mean, even as an artist or whatever, I feel like just staying top of mind for people so that they're opening my emails, they just keep remembering I exist, they keep remembering that they like me, we're friends, and then eventually when they are like, oh, I need graphic design help, hopefully they've been opening my emails and they're like, I should hit up Deanna, or they're thinking about it and my new email on Thursday pops in their box and then they're like, oh my gosh, thank Here we go.
This is time. Yeah, it's not like a hard sell. It's just still here. We're still buds.
[00:34:31] Kellee Wynne: I'm going to continue to add value to your life. That's the goal with my newsletter is that I'm there still giving the encouragement and support. Even if the only thing that they ever do is choose to just follow my newsletter, whether they ever buy anything from me, just having them in that circle and know that they can get a little bit of tidbits of information or support.
I like being able to do that. So I'm kind of curious at this point, though, we all have different personalities and not everyone's going to be. Drawn towards putting a gift in their letter, how, especially as a branding expert, how do you find yourself staying true to who you are encouraging your customers?
Like, how do you even identify, what is your aesthetic and your, your energy and your mojo when it comes to how to write or how to even show up?
[00:35:24] Deanna Seymour: Well, this is a great question because I do feel like with my pink bangs and my wacky website, it's like, okay, cool. That works for you.
But what about me? And I always think. Of just showing up and the word authentic, authentically is like played out a little bit, but I do feel like there's really no synonym for it. I feel like showing up authentically. If that means that you are like a mompreneur and you want to talk about your kids all the time, people will relate to that. Your people will relate to that. If you are really Christian and you want to put a scripture in there or something that could add value to people's lives.
Like, I wouldn't do that. But also some people not might not want to put a GIF of Snooki in their email, you know, so I really love it when people can hone in on their What they want because I talk about this as like, I know there's such a thing as an ideal client avatar. That's a thing. I get it.
But when you are your brand, I feel strongly that you should also be showing up as you because That's who they need to know. That's who they want to connect with if you are your product. And of course, artists, you guys have a product. I guess I have my services are my product, but like we are part of our brands.
And so when I always compare it to when I started teaching, I went from high school and then I started teaching at an elementary school and I didn't go into that school being like. Okay, who is my ideal friend avatar? Like, what kind of teachers in this building do I want to attract to be friends with me?
Like, how should I act at school to reach out? I just went to school every day and I was myself and a little funny, a little sassy. And I attracted the people who, wanted to go out for margaritas after school. Like, those were my people, and we weren't all the same. It's kind of funny because we weren't, like, I was the art teacher.
So admittedly, probably the quirkiest one of the bunch. But all of them had an element of silliness to them, you know what I mean? I just feel like when it comes to your branding and how you show up in your emails and stuff, I feel... Like, if you just drop your guard a little, make sure you're still adding value, but like, can just really show up authentically, that people are really going to be drawn to you. Sometimes I get nervous about making references to certain shows or jokes or whatever.
One time I did a GIF sale where I was making people custom GIFs. And then... When it sold out, I set it up in Thrivecart to go to a page that said like, okay, it's sold out because I could only, I'm only one person. So I could sell 30 that week and I was done. And, I put this, gif of one of the Real Housewives of New York, Ramona Singer, crying on a bed.
And I wrote underneath it. Oh, no, the gift, the gift shop is sold out. And now you're crying like Ramona when her and Jill couldn't work it out in Morocco. So I didn't really even explain it. And so there probably was people who landed on that and were like, who's Ramona? Who's Jill? What are they doing in Morocco?
But if somebody landed on that and watched Real Housewives. Like multiple people emailed me were like, Oh my gosh, this is the funniest thing I've ever seen because it was just a really famous episode. And there was even one person who was like, I had no idea what you're talking about but I googled it that show looks bonkers, you know, and I was like, I know it is it's crazy you should watch it.
But sometimes I push the envelope and just showing up and just saying what I want. Like the point was it was sold out and they got that it was sold out in big letters. Right. And they closed that window because all they needed to know was that it was sold out and whatever.
[00:38:45] Kellee Wynne: So what they got was a connection to who you were a lot deeper. I feel like when we show up and I know I hate the word authentic as well. I feel like when we show up as our real selves, as what we really actually like, what we really do, how we really talk, how we really think, not just the personified version of ourselves, we're attracting those who relate to that.
And the other part that I've heard a million times, but it's true, we're pushing away the people that it might not align with so that those who stay in our circle are more likely to be the right customers for us. Right?
[00:39:23] Deanna Seymour: Yeah, what do they say? Like, is it a hundred true fans or a thousand? I don't know.
That's a big difference. I know, but it's like true fans. I think it's a thousand, but yeah,
I think it's thousand. That's way better than a hundred thousand or a million lukewarm,
right? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So I think just, being brave and just telling the stories, and I think most of the replies I get are from like boring stories, to be honest.
We were talking about being relatable, but, I sent one email about my son sticking a beat up his nose, and then I had to take him to the urgent care on the weekend, and it was actually an email about how you should stay in your lane and like, you don't have to DIY everything because my husband had the idea to grab a toothpick to try to get it out, which I was like, what are you going to do with that?
And he was like, I don't know. I was panicking. He was like, I wasn't actually going to do anything with it. But so I told this funny story about my son. And then. Just kind of related it to, like, sometimes you need to back off and, let someone else handle it. Yeah,
[00:40:17] Kellee Wynne: and hence the reason why you might call someone else to build your life story like Deanna.
[00:40:24] Deanna Seymour: Yeah, that was, like, a pretty good segue. But people were laughing, wrote me back, and said, like, their kid had stuck something up their nose. You know, it was, like, it didn't seem like an obvious thing to share. And even for a second, I was, like, is this too much for even me to be sending a whole email about my kid sticking a bead up his nose?
And, I think the visuals are a big part of it, because, the background was just all beads. I mean, I just found like a stock photo of beads in Canva, and then I actually put one of those like, masks that are like the glasses and the big nose, but I outlined it in my brand coat, like you know, it's branded.
But it was just like beads and this funny little glasses and nose. Just to number one, break up the text, but also I do think it just kind of makes it like funnier. You're like reading a story about a kid who stuck a bead up his nose and then you see this like thing with beads and a big nose and you're just like, oh my gosh, I wonder what the gif was in that, but I bet that was probably funny too.
[00:41:11] Kellee Wynne: Well, so a lot of the people who are following me or listen to Made Remarkable, they're not really quite at the point where they have like a big business yet where they're selling courses or they're coaching or they've created, you know, programs or even if they have a big online store yet, but a lot are growing towards it.
And I would say a good majority are like their first thought is usually I'm going to sell my art or I'm going to sell to designers. How would you apply? These ideas, when you're like, looking to sell a product or, an art course or something rather than like. You know, a service is different than a product.
[00:41:50] Deanna Seymour: Yes, it totally is. I feel like we've been talking also about like serving and adding value and so some of that might just be that they think your artwork is beautiful. And so you might just be popping in and you might just have a really beautiful. Graphic of your art and maybe your story is like shorter or Oh my gosh, I've had a crazy week.
This is going on or the summertime heat. Am I right? Like, maybe they just really want to see your visuals and maybe they want to know when the next. Upload to your Etsy shop is going to happen or, just talking about your process. I think could be pretty cool as an artist.
[00:42:25] Kellee Wynne: It goes back to that Andy Warhol statement that you made, like, we might like the art, but we kind of want to know the person behind the art.
Like, you know, where are you working from? How much art can you actually make through the summer when your kids aren't in school? If you are a parent or, you know, what other experiences do you have that maybe relate back to, you know, artist problems or, or highlights or whatever?
[00:42:49] Deanna Seymour: Yeah, I think too, like, if your cat, like, knocked over your paint and made a mess in the studio, if the people opening your emails are also artists or artsy or, you know, I just think that could be a story that they're like, Oh my gosh, what?
That's crazy. It could also take some experimenting to sort of see, but again, I really think the purpose is to remind them that you're there so that if it's the week when I'm about to buy prints for my kid's bedroom or whatever I'm about to do, I'm like, Oh, duh. Yes. Her prints, you know, it's kind of like, how can you sort of get in and get out?
Some people write really long emails and mine are, I think maybe medium, but I wrote one that I thought was long the other day and it was like. 350 words, which isn't long. I think some people write a caption. Yeah, like two, three minutes, keeping it short and visual, which I think definitely artists should put the visuals in so that people can see your work and just keep being reminded that you're there and that they like you and that they're going to want your art eventually.
think you could experiment. But I feel like with art too, a little bit, and tell me if I'm wrong, because it's been a while, I usually am mostly talking to service providers when I talk about this stuff.
I feel like if you are making stuff like let's say you're doing paintings that would go in nurseries, like you might have, like, I still feel like you're kind of that person, I don't think Andy Warhol or someone who's like, I was gonna say Jenna Lyons, she's a new Real Housewife of New York, if anybody watches, but you know, she's very like J. Crew, glasses, harsh, put together, khaki, like, she just feels like she wouldn't like my website, it would be too colorful for her, you know, and I'm okay with that, but whatever kind of art you make, I'm guessing a little bit that you're going to attract that same kind of person.
started painting, right?
[00:44:38] Kellee Wynne: The goal absolutely is, is to figure out the right kind of person. Like, where does your work fit in, in the world of the art world? Is it, is it, High end designers, is it? Like you said, nursery room, illustrations, like, knowing that also will dictate the kinds of conversations that you have.
[00:44:59] Deanna Seymour: And I'm assuming, feel like. It would feel natural to you. If you're making a certain type of art, then it feels like the conversations you would want to have would probably align pretty well with your art. I don't think you'd be like painting nursery ones and like talking about capitalism and anarchy in your emails.
You know, like, I feel like that would be a different time. I think you're right about that.
[00:45:21] Kellee Wynne: I think you have a point. But if you have very politically driven art, then it would make sense to put those things in.
[00:45:28] Deanna Seymour: Yeah, I think it would be okay. And I think It would probably match with what you're doing, unless you've chosen to just like make art that you know is going to sell but it's not really like your passion.
And then you might have to fake it in your emails to speak to the people who want your art, but I'm imagining who are making
[00:45:46] Kellee Wynne: art. That you're just making the sell and there's no passion behind it. I have sad news for you. It's likely not going to sell because it isn't in it. Your heart isn't in it.
Make the art of love. People will be able to feel that coming through in your words. That's amazing. So tell us a little bit podcast.
[00:46:08] Deanna Seymour: I do. I have a podcast called Big Fun Content, and it's mostly about making less content, but having more fun doing it.
[00:46:15] Kellee Wynne: Which is why this is perfect to discuss.
[00:46:18] Deanna Seymour: Yeah. So there's Big Fun Content, and I also release a limited series every once in a while. Called The EFF that series where business owners say things that are not working in their business, that they said F that too. And now what they do instead. So that's a fun little series to like break the rules and push back there's even an OBM talking about how she doesn't think everybody needs to automate everything. And I'm like, okay, tell me what OBM is an online business manager. Yeah. I feel like an online business managers. Love a system, which we talk about it later what she means, but it's just interesting where people kind of draw some lines in the sand and just looking at things different.
So you don't have to do it the way you think you do. Yeah. And then as far as my services, I love helping people with branding or creating content. So I can help you plan out the things I've been talking about, like map it out and help you create either just the visuals or sometimes the visuals and the writing. And that's what I do.
[00:47:14] Kellee Wynne: So you do graphic branding websites, even
[00:47:18] Deanna Seymour: I have dabbled in websites, but it have to be for a special someone, but I'm sure all your listeners are super artsy and fun. But my websites are a certain. Breed of a certain type of style. I get it.
[00:47:31] Kellee Wynne: And then you have a membership, who is your membership for?
[00:47:34] Deanna Seymour: My membership is for anybody who isn't quite ready to outsource their content. But like I said, it kind of goes right with the big fun content podcast. It's called Content Playhouse, a little nod to PeeWee. And, yeah. Provides like some Voxer access to me. I don't do people use Voxer.
Voxers like a voice messaging app.
Yes. So you can get feedback from me on your content. If you're still in the stage where you need to do it yourself, but you want some eyeballs on it.
It's that and there's some coworking meetings and some brainstorming sessions with the other members. So it's a fun place to hang out too.
[00:48:08] Kellee Wynne: Great. Awesome. I think that everybody needs to go and check you out. Now, you do have a 9 grid on your Instagram, which means you just have a static 9 boxes of your Instagram, which is different.
I've not really ever heard of that, though. I'm very tempted to put that into play since I have more than one social media account, I have been tempted to put that in play. But you do reels, which are on a different feed and story. So that's at,
[00:48:37] Deanna Seymour: The. Deanna Seymour. I
[00:48:39] Kellee Wynne: want to make sure that it's all linked in the, in the show notes. People can find you, follow you, get on your newsletter. We will link that in our show notes for sure. And I have one last question for you before we wrap up the podcast that I asked everybody.
What's your big audacious dream?
[00:48:58] Deanna Seymour: I mean, honestly, my big audacious dream is to Really just grow. I feel like you can tell them in this growing stage of this business, but, just getting to a point where I'm pretty good at getting off work when my daughter gets off the bus. But it would be nice if I could really consistently do that.
And I think it's hard to do when you also love what you do, because sometimes I want to get back to my computer and work on the stuff I'm working on, but I think my big audacious goal is to just I mean, I feel like I sound so. Silly, but just like live this dream life where I get to do all this cool artsy stuff, but also be a really cool, fun mom to my kids.
[00:49:35] Kellee Wynne: Oh yeah, that's a dream. We just want to have it all. And I think we can. Yeah, I think we can too. I think so too. Thank you so much, Deanna.
[00:49:44] Deanna Seymour: Yeah, thank you so much for having me. This was so much fun.
If you'd like to listen to or learn more about the podcast visit https://www.maderemarkable.com/blog for our show notes and links to the main players.