The Hungry

Last week, I did something dramatic. I unsubscribed over 15% of email addresses from my list to remove any stagnant accounts that no longer engaged with The Hungry. I did this to help improve the open rate of my emails, but the result was only a 2% gain in open rate, from 56.5% to 58.7%. So what happened? Some people say that it’s bad to remove addresses from your list, but the reality is that sending messages to too many cold subscribers could affect your deliverability within Gmail. Google...

All I can say is that I’m glad I didn’t come back last week because I may not have had anything to talk about. If you like stickers, pins, and keychains, I have a collection of ephemera in the studio collecting dust. Send me $10, and I’ll mail you a bunch (supplies are limited). Anyway, we have a lot to talk about, so let’s get to it. This edition is in partnership with… YOU, maybe. Keep reading. 😉 The Road Ahead Is Straight as an Arrow Over the last few weeks, I’ve had a lot of time to think...

This is not a regular Hungry newsletter. This one is special; you’re seeing it because you’re a loyal reader. I like that about you, and that’s while next week is the official return of The Hungry after my short sabbatical (I’m feeling much better, thanks); this message is to let you in on some changes and updates before I share them with everyone else. This will be our little secret for the next few days—pinky swear. WAIT! Before you continue, I have a favor. Please read through this whole...

Hey, it’s Dave, coming to you from the past (scheduled post) to let you in on some super-secret news and information you only get because you’re one of the chosen (aka subscribed to The Hungry). June and early July are always incredibly busy for my family, and between our busy schedule and some unforeseen health issues, I’ll be taking the next 30 days (+/-), and Hungry Fridays will return in mid-July. My son is about to have one of the most grueling summers of his life. Between swim practice...

Happy Hungry Friday! It's a feather-ruffling day, so let's get to it. This edition is in partnership with Stickermule. Cara Is the Popular App, but Is It Good? Let's be honest, Meta and all of their properties pretty much suck right now. I've felt a significant pullback in views and attention lately and am not surprised at all. They also made a major announcement recently that if we are using the apps, our photos, images, and text will be used to inform their AI engine starting June 26th (I'm...

I had three great conversations with three different artists this week, and I’ve established one universal truth... nobody is the same, and the answers to their strategic challenges are as unique as their creative work. However, some broader truths overlap, which I’m digging into today because y'all need help. This edition is in partnership with Creative Market How to Talk to Your Ideal Customer I often discuss using social media to attract people to our email lists, and the first follow-up...

Hey, this week is a bit lean because I got hit with severe shingles. One side of my face looks exhausted, and the other side looks like a prize fighter who went one round too many. Don’t worry. I still brought the thunder, but it’s more like California thunder than the typical Midwestern monsoon you usually expect from this gold nugget of a newsletter (at least my humor is still intact). This edition of The Hungry is in partnership with Printify. Questions for the Cook I asked people on...

This edition of the Hungry is brought to you by Five Day News, our new free mini-course for starting your newsletter. I created this short email-based course for new subscribers, but maybe current subscribers will dig it, too. CLICK HERE to be added to the course instantly. Questions for the Cook How to improve an abysmal email open rate? This one comes from Nicole, an oil painter from Australia, who shared with me that her open rate to her emails is around 3%. That’s the lowest I’ve ever...

This edition of The Hungry is in partnership with ConvertKit On Monday I'm making a big announcement. Today you get a behind-the-scenes look at that, but only because I like you the most. Find that in the Small Bites, but first… I'm Building in Public and You're Missing It This newsletter is growing and I couldn't be happier, but it's not osmosis. The success is due to a dedicated of creating a flywheel that requires manual operation at first, and as it grows, will turn itself, like a...