Why I Don’t Send a Traditional Welcome Sequence Anymore (& What I Do Instead) [Ep 233]

In this episode, I’m sharing why I stopped sending traditional multi-email welcome sequences altogether, and what I do instead to create connection, trust, and momentum from the very first email someone opens.

Because here’s the thing: your audience isn’t confused. They’re not unsophisticated. And they definitely know when they’ve entered a funnel.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why the delivery email is usually the most-opened email you’ll ever send
• What’s actually happening with inbox behaviour as we move into 2026
• How one “Start Here” email can replace an entire welcome sequence
• What to include in that email so it builds trust and invites action
• Why treating subscribers like adults leads to better long-term results

Resources Mentioned:

• The “Start Here” email template
• Episode 230: How Julie Tripled Her Income in 60 Days by Finally Getting Strategic Support

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Transcript

Kylie Kelly [00:00:00]:
Let me ask you something. When was the last time you actually enjoyed going through a welcome sequence? Not skimmed, not tolerated? Actually enjoyed it because that question is the reason I stopped sending them. And what I do instead has changed how people engage with my emails completely. Let's chat about it.

Kylie Kelly [00:00:22]:
Are you a female business owner frustrated with battling the algorithm and looking for growth strategies that don't involve awkwardly pointing or dancing online or for growing cash at paid ads? Welcome to the Email Growth Show. I'm your host, Kylie Kelly, visibility and email marketing strategist. I grew my email list from zero to almost 10,000 subscribers in less than.

Kylie Kelly [00:00:42]:
Two years, and the same is possible for you too.

Kylie Kelly [00:00:45]:
Are you ready to build your email list and start making more money in your online business? Let's head into today's episode.

Kylie Kelly [00:00:54]:
Hey hey. Welcome back to the Email Growth Show. I am so, so excited that you are here today. We are talking about welcome sequences because I don't send them anymore. And before anyone panics or thinks I'm saying that they're dead or useless, that's not what this is. This is me sharing why they no longer fit, how I want to show up, or how my audience wants to be treated in 2026. And honestly, funnels and sequences just annoy the fuck out of me now. Not because they don't work in theory, but because my audience is smart.

Kylie Kelly [00:01:28]:
They know when they've entered a funnel. They know when they're being walked through something step by step. And yes, while I could name it and wink at it and say, yes, welcome to my funnel, I just don't want to. I don't want my emails to feel like machinery. I want them to feel like a room that you just walked into. So instead of a traditional welcome sequence, I send one email. Want to know about it? It's called a Start Here email. Now let's talk about why I stopped sending them.

Kylie Kelly [00:01:56]:
Most welcome sequences are built on an old assumption that attention equals readiness. That if someone downloads a freebie, they're ready to be introduced to your story, educated, nurtured and gently pushed towards an offer within a handful of days. But inbox behavior has changed across email platforms. We're seeing that open rates are highest on Delivery emails, often 20 to 40% higher than follow up emails in that same sequence. Click rates tend to peak there too. Not email three. Not email five. Not the just checking in email.

Kylie Kelly [00:02:31]:
The first one, the delivery email. That's the moment of peak attention. So instead of dragging someone through five or seven emails, hoping they stay engaged long enough to Warm up. I decided to respect that moment. If this is the email they're most likely to open and actually read, then I want it to do the work. That's why my start here email replaces the welcome sequence, the orientation emails, the here's who I am and what I do content. It's all in one place now. Not sneakily, not manipulatively, just super fucking clearly.

Kylie Kelly [00:03:04]:
I do want to say funnels aren't broken, but people are more aware. And I don't think that coaches or educators, people in the online space are talking about this enough. Funnels used to work really well because people didn't recognize them. Now they do. Most business owners on your list have either bought multiple courses, joined multiple lists, been through dozens of sequences or funnels. They know the rhythm, they know the pacing, they know when they're being nurtured. And while awareness doesn't automatically mean resistance, it does change how people feel. When somebody realizes they're in a sequence, their nervous system shifts, they skim a bit more, they delay clicking, they wait it out.

Kylie Kelly [00:03:46]:
Not because they don't like you, but because they want to regain control. They want to feel safe. Now that's the part that I care about. I never want my emails to trigger someone's internal just wait and see response or what she up to response, right. I want them to feel like they're in control, like they're choosing to stay so important. Now, if you want to hear a really quick episode about how one of my clients turned off all of her beautiful funnels and actually made three times her monthly revenue within 60 days of working together, go back to episode 230. I'll link it in the show notes and have a listen. I think if you weren't sure right now about funnels, that this is really going to bring it home.

Kylie Kelly [00:04:28]:
The fact that we can turn them off, that you do have options and you can still make the revenue that you are aiming to make, or even more like in Julie's example now. Now let's talk about the start here email. What does a start here email actually do? So this is the email that it still delivers, the thing they signed up for. That part matters. So you're still going to have at the top of that email the link to that free resource or whatever it is that they've opted into. But it also answers the questions that every new subscriber has, whether they're consciously thinking them or not. Who are you really? What kind of emails do you send? How often am I going to hear from you? What do you actually help with? And where should I go if I want more? I don't drip feed that fcking information over a week. Like no, I give it to them upfront and I let them decide what happens next.

Kylie Kelly [00:05:17]:
And yes, this email has way more than just one link. And I know that breaks the old rules, but I'm all about breaking rules over here. Those rules come from a time when we assumed people couldn't make decisions without being guided carefully. From point A to point B. That time is over. My list is full of intelligent women. They're capable of choosing what's relevant to them. They don't need to be funneled down a narrow path like they'll get overwhelmed by options.

Kylie Kelly [00:05:43]:
They don't need to be spoon fed. Giving them choice builds trust. And trust is what converts when they're ready. Not welcome sequence length. Now listen, here's what I'm noticing across email lists. Last year and heading into 2026, people aren't short on information so fucking everywhere, right? They're short on orientation. They don't need more emails explaining why email marketing matters. They need to know am I in the right place? Is this person for me? And does this feel safe, calm and relevant? A start here.

Kylie Kelly [00:06:13]:
Email can answer all of that without pressure. And because it lives in a single reference point, it then can become an anchor. People can save it, bookmark it, come back to it. They can click it when they're ready. That behavior lines up with what we're seeing across inboxes. Fewer impulsive clicks, more considered engag. Longer decision cycles, but stronger trust when people do move. So what do I include in my start here email? I will include my full template in the show notes so you can see exactly how I write this.

Kylie Kelly [00:06:44]:
But conceptually, here's what it does. I introduce myself like a human. Not a brand bio, not a resume. I set expectations clearly. How often I email, what kind of content I send, what they won't get from me. That part matters more than people realize. Again, predictability builds safety. Safety builds trust.

Kylie Kelly [00:07:04]:
Then I give them a few clear places to explore. A free resource that people genuinely love. The podcast. One way to work with me. And I invite conversation. I ask them to reply. I remind them that it's actually me. I ask them how they found me.

Kylie Kelly [00:07:19]:
Because email still works best as a two way channel, even if most people never reply. That invitation alone can change how the inbox feels and what they feel when they see my sender name pop up in their inbox next time. So the deeper reason that I do that this way is that it's more about tone, right? A welcome sequence often says, sit down, I'll take you through this. A start here. Email says, oh my gosh, welcome, you've arrived, you're here, let me show you around, take what you need. Can you feel the difference there? That matters. It tells your subscriber that they're not a number, that they're not a lead, that they're not something to be warmed up before they're allowed to choose. They get agency from the very first email and in my experience that creates better long term engagement than any perfectly timed sequence ever could.

Kylie Kelly [00:08:09]:
Now, if you're thinking of trying this, if you've been feeling resistance around welcome sequences, or maybe you don't even have one set up yet, no shade if your emails feel heavier than they used to, if you want your inbox to feel more human, this is a simple experiment worth running. You don't need to burn everything down, you don't need to overthink it. You just need to write one email that does the job. All you need to do, turn off your welcome sequences, put up this one email, track it for 30 days. Obviously get people onto your list to receive the thing, track it for 30 days and see. See how it feels. See what the data tells you, see what the responses are like. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Kylie Kelly [00:08:49]:
Now, like I said, I'll put my full start here template in the show notes. You can adapt it for your own voice, your own offers, your own people. I'm so excited for you to try this and I want to know if this episode sparks something or if you want help simplifying how your emails actually work together. You know exactly where to find me, my loves. That is it for today. I hope you enjoy this. I hope you feel inspired to create your own start here email and ditch the welcome sequence if it is no longer serving you and your ideal clients. Reach out if you have any questions.

Kylie Kelly [00:09:19]:
I love you loads and I will talk to you really soon, like really soon. I've got some really good stuff coming your way and next week's episode is our guest episode with an incredible, incredible PR expert. You're going to want to tune in. All right, I will see you then. Bye for now. Thank you so much for tuning into.

Kylie Kelly [00:09:37]:
This episode of the Email Growth Show. I hope you found valuable insights into the next steps you can take to grow your email list and boost your business without relying on social media or paid ads. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the.

Kylie Kelly [00:09:51]:
Show and share it with others. Your feedback helps me reach more female.

Kylie Kelly [00:09:55]:
Entrepreneurs just like you who are ready to say goodbye to social media and leverage email marketing to grow their business and make a bigger impact.

Kylie Kelly [00:10:03]:
Thank you so much for listening and.

Kylie Kelly [00:10:04]:
I'll see you in the next episode.