I’ve been noticing how often people say they’re “stuck,” but when you dig a little, it’s not that they aren’t doing anything.

They’ve got a freebie. Maybe two.
A landing page. A half-finished course.
A notes app with 84 business ideas and a calendar that hasn’t had a quiet evening since 2021.

They’ve started. Probably more than once.

But it doesn’t feel like movement, because nothing’s landed yet. No sales. No momentum. Just the sense that they’re pushing a bunch of buttons and hoping one of them eventually does something.

And then, of course, comes the advice: “Just start.”
Which honestly feels like someone walking by your burning kitchen and telling you to try turning on the stove.

I don’t think the problem is that you haven’t started.
I think the problem is no one ever helped you figure out what’s actually worth starting, based on where you are right now.

Forget “starting.” That’s too vague.

Pick one thing you’re doing, a freebie, a funnel, an affiliate promo, and run a quick test to see if it’s even the right thing for the kind of person who’d pay you.

Here’s how.

Look at your most recent freebie or opt-in. Ask yourself:
Is this attracting people who are actually ready to buy what I’m selling?

Here’s what I mean.

If you’re an affiliate for a $97 email course and your freebie is “10 subject line templates,” you’re probably just attracting folks who like freebies, not people ready to invest in learning email.

If you’re selling a guide on starting a freelance business, but your opt-in is “my favorite freelancing podcasts,” you might be building an audience that loves consuming, but isn’t ready to act.

If your freebie is something like “how to pick your niche,” and your offer is “how to write your first sales page,” there’s a disconnect. Picking a niche is for people who are still in the idea stage. Writing a sales page is for people who’ve already picked something and want to launch.

You don’t have to rebuild anything right now. Just run that check.

Look at what you’ve got and ask:
Would someone downloading this be in the right mindset to buy the thing I’m offering?

If the answer is no, or even “maybe, kind of?” that’s the signal.
You’re not broken. Your setup is just off.

Once you see where the mismatch is, the pressure drops a bit.

You stop trying to force a funnel to convert when it was never attracting the right people to begin with.
You stop blaming yourself for not being persuasive enough.
You stop tweaking button colors and email subject lines, hoping that’ll be the thing that flips the switch.

Instead, you can start small.

Like tweaking your freebie to match the problem your paid offer actually solves.
Or swapping the lead magnet entirely, once you realize it’s pointing in the wrong direction.
Or updating your welcome email to set the right expectations up front.

Clarity doesn’t always come from thinking. Sometimes it comes from spotting what’s not working and giving yourself permission to stop forcing it.

The upside? You’ve probably already built most of what you need.
It’s just out of order.

If you’re not sure whether your setup is attracting the right people, reply and send me the title of your freebie and what you’re trying to sell.

I’ve looked at dozens of these setups for people with small lists and quiet schedules. I can usually spot the mismatch in under two minutes.

Or just do the self-check above. One freebie. One offer.
Ask if they match.
That alone might explain why it’s been so hard to gain traction.

Don’t fix what’s broken.
Fix what’s built for someone who was never going to buy in the first place.

Your brain burns about 20% of your body’s total energy — more than your muscles. And decision-making is one of the most energy-hungry tasks.

So if you’re wondering why you’re wiped out after a 45-minute “just sit down and plan” session… that’s why. You’re not lazy. You’re running a full system scan, every time you try to choose what to build next.

This is why fewer choices, and better alignment, always feel like a relief.

Listerine was originally sold as floor cleaner.
In the 1880s, Listerine was marketed as a surgical antiseptic. Then as a floor cleaner. Then as a cure for gonorrhea. Sales flopped.
It wasn’t until the 1920s — when someone decided to pitch it as mouthwash for “chronic halitosis” — that it took off.

The product didn’t change. The audience did.

1.
Subject: You didn’t mess up. You built in the wrong direction.
Preheader: Happens when the freebie attracts browsers and you’re trying to sell to buyers.

2.
Subject: No, it’s not “your mindset”
Preheader: Your funnel’s fine. But your opt-in is waving at the wrong crowd.

3.
Subject: The freebie that killed your sales (quietly)
Preheader: It looked helpful. It even got clicks. But it steered people away from your offer.

#Hashtags
#FixTheFunnel
#StuckSolopreneur
#EmailMarketingReality
#AffiliateTips
#QuietBuilder
#BuildLessConvertMore
#FreebieMismatch
#ClarityWins

Until Next Time,

I’ll be over here deleting my 2019 freebie that offered the right info to the wrong crowd.