John North
My Email Journey - January 2025 Report
As part of my commitment to transparency and accountability, I’m writing a monthly report to share my progress with you. This way, you get an inside look at what’s working, what’s not, and how I’m improving along the way. If you found this report useful, make sure to check out the audio deep dive as well. It goes into even more detail and gives you extra insights you won’t want to miss!.
On January 6th, 2025, I decided, "Screw it, just do it."
For six months, I researched the daily email concept, took courses, and followed industry leaders. But I got stuck in the complexity of something simple:
Write an email every day. Send it.
I planned a big launch—subscriber signups, a welcome series, the whole shebang. But with other projects demanding my time, I knew it would be another six months before I actually hit send.
So, I skipped all that and just sent an email telling my list I was going to email them every day.
On January 6th, I sent my first email: "My One Big Shift for 2025 (And a Gift for You)."
This is what I said to my list...
I’d been inconsistent, but after reflecting on the chaos of 2024—elections, wars, rising interest rates—I realized something: I can’t control any of that, but I can control what actually matters.
For me, that meant committing to writing more. So, I spent months studying daily emails, diving into research, courses, and enough coffee to fuel a startup. And I came to a simple truth:
Relying on social media for business is risky—one ban, and you’re done. But email? That’s like going to the gym. Show up consistently, and results follow.
So, in 2025, I’m all in—writing daily, sharing real insights, and actually helping my audience. Oh, and I threw in some free books as a gift.
The Journey So Far
Since then, I’ve sent an email every weekday. As of today, I’m 26 emails in.
Monthly Email Stats (January 2025)
Industry Benchmarks
According to WebFX these are the industry benchmarks:
My Performance:
- Open Rates: Your top-performing emails have open rates ranging from 17.35% to 31.57%, surpassing the industry average.
- Click-Through Rates: With CTRs between 6.75% and 8.09%, your emails significantly outperform the average.
Click and Open Rates
Best and Worse Subject Lines
Deliverability
Email Provider Breakdown
Bounce Rate
Geographic Breakdown
Device Usage
Not bad, considering my old, sporadic email strategy barely scraped a 5% open rate.
The Biggest Surprise? Unsubscribes Weren’t as Bad as I Expected
Everyone warned me: "Daily emails will make people unsubscribe in droves!" But so far, I’ve only seen about a 2% unsubscribe rate. Most issues have been with bouncing emails—something I expected since my list had a lot of old contacts.
I also discovered thousands of emails that were marked incorrectly and not being sent out, and after adding them back, I suspect my stats will shift in the next report.
Email Headline & Stats Review
Top Performers (High Open & Click Rates)
✅ “What If Everything You Believe is Wrong? Let’s Find Out!” – 31.57% open, 7.51% click
🔥 This one crushed it. It’s provocative, challenges assumptions, and taps into deep curiosity. A masterclass in open-loop psychology.
✅ “My Open Rates Just Skyrocketed” – 24.32% open, 7.51% click
🔥 People love insider knowledge, especially around email marketing. This plays on curiosity and FOMO (fear of missing out).
✅ “This email could be worth 7 figures to you” – 19.55% open, 8.06% click
🔥 A bold, high-value proposition. The phrasing makes readers think, What’s in it for me?, which drives clicks.
✅ “My Awful Math Just Made Someone $9 Million Dollars Richer” – 19.23% open, 8.09% click
🔥 Self-deprecating humor + a compelling result = a winner. This headline teases a story while promising a valuable lesson.
✅ “Success Paths: Because Nobody Wants to Wander in the Dark” – 18.49% open, 7.46% click
🔥 Clarity and problem-solving appeal work well here. The high click rate suggests strong interest in finding a structured path forward.
✅ “The Wildest Thing I Did at 12? Driving a Mail Truck (Legally? Not Quite.)” – 17.91% open, 7.42% click
🔥 Personal storytelling with an unexpected twist. This taps into curiosity and nostalgia, making it irresistible.
✅ “I wrote a book… that you probably don’t care about” – 17.35% open, 6.75% click
🔥 The self-deprecating humor combined with reverse psychology makes this fun and engaging. Readers feel compelled to prove the sender wrong.
✅ “Turns out, writing daily emails is cheaper than therapy” – 17.21% open, 7.93% click
🔥 Relatable and funny—this subject line makes an emotional connection while hinting at value inside.
✅ “Confidential Info + AI = A Disaster Waiting to Happen?” – 18.46% open, 7.86% click
🔥 AI-related content can be hit or miss, but this one wins by adding controversy and secrecy. The “confidential info” angle builds intrigue.
Underperformers (Low Open & Click Rates)
⚠️ “Big Tech’s Love Affair with AI” – 9.17% open, 0.78% click
❌ Too broad and lacking a clear hook. AI is everywhere—what makes this different? A stronger angle could help (e.g., “The AI Revolution No One is Talking About”).
⚠️ “What are you doing this weekend?” – 9.36-13.10% open, 0.7-1.0% click
❌ Too casual and generic. A more engaging variant could work, like “Weekend Plans? Read This First” or “3 Weekend Hacks to Boost Your Business”.
⚠️ “Is AI Running the Show at My Bank?” – 13.59% open, 6.74% click
✅ Click rate is decent, but the open rate is weak. A more urgent or controversial reframe could help, like “AI is Taking Over Banks—Are You Safe?”.
⚠️ “LinkedIn said ‘your account is closed don’t bother coming back’” – 17.97% open, 6.79% click
❌ Opens are okay, but the click rate suggests the content didn’t fully deliver on the drama. A more curiosity-driven version might work, like “The Day LinkedIn Locked Me Out—And What I Learned”.
⚠️ “Why doing less might be the smartest move for 2025” – 15.31% open, 6.74% click
❌ A good message, but not compelling enough. Adding urgency or specificity could improve it, like “Why Working Less in 2025 Could Make You Richer”.
Key Insights & Recommendations
🚀 Curiosity works best. The top-performing subject lines either hint at a surprising insight (“What If Everything You Believe is Wrong?”) or promise an intriguing story (“My Awful Math Made Someone $9M Richer”).
📌 Humour & relatability drive clicks. Subject lines like “Turns out, writing daily emails is cheaper than therapy” show that a bit of fun goes a long way.
⚡ Personal storytelling resonates. Headlines like “The Wildest Thing I Did at 12?” and “I wrote a book… that you probably don’t care about” connect on a human level and spark curiosity.
🔥 Urgency and value-based headlines convert. Anything that suggests high stakes, exclusivity, or financial gain tends to drive action (“This email could be worth 7 figures to you”).
I did send some emails more than once when I found subscribers in my database that weren't on the list.
Key Takeaways & Next Steps
I asked ChatGPT to take a look and give me its feedback:
1️⃣ Curiosity-Driven Headlines Win
🔹 Top performer: “What If Everything You Believe is Wrong?” – 31.57% open, 7.51% click
🔹 Open loops (unanswered questions) keep readers engaged and eager to find out more.
🔹 Self-deprecating humor and unexpected twists also work well (“I wrote a book… that you probably don’t care about” – 17.35% open, 6.75% click).
💡 Next Step: Double down on curiosity-driven subject lines that leave an information gap.
2️⃣ Urgency & Specificity Boost Engagement
🔹 Strong performer: “This email could be worth 7 figures to you” – 19.55% open, 8.06% click
🔹 Clear value + FOMO = increased engagement.
🔹 Specificity helps—headlines with numbers ($1,150+, 7 figures, 9 million) performed better than vague statements.
💡 Next Step: Test more urgency-driven subject lines with precise numbers or deadlines.
3️⃣ Personal Storytelling & Bold Claims Get Clicks
🔹 High click-through rates: “My Awful Math Just Made Someone $9 Million Dollars Richer” – 19.23% open, 8.09% click
🔹 Personal stories build a connection and make emails feel more like conversations than marketing.
🔹 Bold statements (even self-deprecating ones) stand out in crowded inboxes.
💡 Next Step: Incorporate more storytelling elements and intriguing personal experiences.
4️⃣ Casual & Broad Headlines Struggle
🔹 Underperformers:
- “Big Tech’s Love Affair with AI” – 9.17% open, 0.78% click
- “What are you doing this weekend?” – 9.36-13.10% open, 0.7-1.0% click
🔹 Generic phrasing lacks a clear hook—why should readers care?
🔹 AI-related subject lines need a stronger, more contrarian angle to stand out.
💡 Next Step:
✅ Reframe generic topics to be more thought-provoking (e.g., “The AI Revolution No One is Talking About”).
✅ Test shorter, punchier subject lines that emphasize benefits upfront.
✅ Add urgency or controversy to AI-related emails (“Why Everything You Know About AI is a Lie”).
Actionable Improvements
✅ Lean into curiosity-driven and bold headlines.
✅ Use specific numbers and deadlines to create urgency.
✅ Craft subject lines that feel personal and story-driven.
✅ Avoid generic phrasing—make every subject line intriguing and valuable at first glance.
What Did I Learn So Far?
After a month of daily emails, I’ve sent 26 emails, boosted my open rate to 17%, and learned that unsubscribes aren’t as bad as people warned—just 2% so far.
My best-performing subject lines leaned on curiosity, while vague or casual ones flopped.
How Do You Get on My Email List?
Well, funny thing—I completely skipped the whole 'subscribe here' step. Oops. But hey, I’m working on it. In the meantime, I’m doing something even better…
I’m handing out a massive bundle of my best-selling books—for free. Yep, these books have been read, loved, and implemented by thousands, and they’re packed with huge value.
Grab Your Free Books before I realise I should be charging for them!
The Plan Moving Forward
Every month, around the 7th, I’ll crunch my numbers, reflect on my progress, and share everything transparently. I'll try to get the report to you by the 15th of each month.
I’m even working on a podcast to document the journey.
So, that’s Month 1. Onward to Month 2!
