I want to be 100% clear - there is nothing wrong with renting things.

Due to health challenges (and bad decisions) we rented our home for the first 25 years of our marriage.

So I get that we do what we have to do.

But when it comes to your online business, there is a tendency for people to become renters without realizing it.

Here’s how it happens …

You are trying to building an online business right now and feel the pressure to be everywhere.

You need a YouTube channel. You need to be on LinkedIn. You need to post Reels, reply to comments on X, and make sure your Facebook page is updated.

It's exhausting.

But worse than being exhausting, it's actually dangerous to your business.

Dangerous because it distracts you from the ONE THING that can set you free.

Here is the truth that most people learn the hard way: social media platforms are rented land.

You do not own your YouTube subscribers. You do not own your Facebook followers. If an algorithm changes tomorrow, or a platform decides they don't like your industry, your reach can go from thousands of views to zero overnight.

I've seen it happen to smart, hardworking people more times than I can count.

When you build your entire business on rented land, you are at the mercy of the landlord.

The fix? You have to build the one asset you actually own.

Your email list.

Sometimes people make the argument, "Well, my email service provider could go out of business, or they could change their rules."

That is true. But here is the difference: you can download your email list.

If you back up your list every month—or even every week—you can quickly move it to a new platform or autoresponder.

You still own that list.

Why does owning your own email list matter?

Here’s my short list.

With a list of your own you can …

I've asked top multi-million dollar marketers this question before: "What is the most important thing that you own?"

Every single one of them tells me the exact same thing: their email list.

Stop worrying about being everywhere. Pick one social platform where your audience hangs out, and use it for one purpose only: to invite them to join your email list.

Offer them something genuinely valuable for free, and get them off the rented land and onto your own property.

Building a list is actually easy to do when you put your focus on it and you follow proven principles.

And the peace of mind that comes with owning your own audience is worth every ounce of effort.

Shameless plug - I just released Prompt Pack 5 - designed to help you build you own email list quickly and easily. It takes you step by step from where you are now to where you want to be. Get the full details here.

Thanks
Charlie

P.S. If you read my newsletter before you will notice a format change. I’ve decided that diving deeper into one topic will empower me to help you more that just touching on three topics.

If you agree, or even if you don’t agree, I’d love to hear from you. Just hit reply and let me know.