In this blog, you’ll see behind the scenes of Together Films’ whopping 44.4% open rate, learn how I constructed (and sold) businesses by sending the correct cold emails, and see how Paul Murphy constructed a crazily successful list for zero ad spend. If you’re ready to say goodbye to the “Promotions” tab forever and craft emails that get read (and adored), you’re in the right place.
Get your drink of choice and get comfortable—let’s start!
The Zero-Cost Email Funnel That Quietly Built a 6-Figure List 📩watch the full 19-min video here
Video published: April 28, 2025
In an age where inboxes are saturated and open rates are plummeting, Paul Murphy has quietly cracked the code. In his recent video, “How I Built a Highly Engaged Email List For FREE,” Murphy reveals the exact system he used to build an email list that drives 90% of his revenue—without spending a single dollar on ads.
What makes this system standout is its simplicity and precision. Forget flashy templates and aggressive CTAs. Murphy shows how plain-text emails, daily value-packed content, and strategic sender reputation can unlock engagement rates most marketers only dream of. His “10-day nurture formula” isn’t just a way to build trust—it’s a Trojan horse for long-term inbox dominance.
What’s more, Murphy doesn’t hide behind theory. His system earned him leaderboard spots alongside ClickFunnels’ top affiliates, landed him a private mastermind with Russell Brunson, and generated over $2.6 million in sales from email alone.
Key Takeaways:
- 📨 Plain-text emails win—at least for the first 10 days: Designed emails look good but often land in spam. Early engagement is about deliverability, not design.
- 🧠 Gmail doesn’t care about your subject line—your name is the real trust signal: Gmail evaluates whether a user has opened emails from you before. No engagement = promotions tab.
- 🎓 Turn YouTube content into a free 10-day course: Instead of a static PDF lead magnet, Murphy repurposes his best YouTube videos into a daily email sequence—providing real value and building trust.
- 🚀 The system generates both leads and traffic: As subscribers consume YouTube-linked emails, it drives more views and keeps those videos ranked in Google and YouTube for years.
The Email That Actually Got Read ✉️ read the full 510-word article here
Article published: April 25, 2025
I just read “Emails That Engage, Not Just Inform” by Together, and let’s be honest—how often do email marketers actually make you feel something?
This one did.
Together Films doesn’t settle for good-enough email copy. They craft every sentence like it matters—and their results prove it. In a 24-email series for the Athena Film Festival’s 15th anniversary, they hit a jaw-dropping 44.4% open rate.
Why? Because they write with soul and strategy.
Key Takeaways:
- 📬 Every Word Pulls Its Weight: Subject lines, openings, and even sign-offs are built for resonance, not robotic delivery.
- 🔥 “The stories we tell shape the world…”: Together’s copy doesn’t just inform, it moves. Their writing invites reflection, not just registration.
- 🎯 Strategy Meets Storytelling: Their festival emails spotlighted films through emotional hooks and cultural urgency, not program bullet points.
- 💌 From Template to Tension: Audiences responded because they weren’t being “marketed to”—they were being spoken to. That’s the difference.
From Cold Emails to Closed Deals: How I Scaled, Pivoted, and Stayed Human 🚀watch the full 27-min video here
Video published: January 14, 2025
I hopped on the Growth Now Movement podcast with Justin Schenck to share how I’ve built, sold, and grown companies without the fluff—and without selling my soul to spam.
In this episode, I broke down how I scaled Email Outreach Company, helped take a newsletter from 5k to 250k subs in under a year (and sold it for a 17x return), and why I believe success is about becoming the best version of yourself—not chasing someone else’s scoreboard.
I also got real about what it was like to sell my first startup… and why that unglamorous exit became the foundation for everything I’ve built since.
Key Takeaways:
- 📧 Cold Email Isn’t Dead—It’s Just Misused: Most people screw up outreach. I built a 7-figure biz helping startups stop doing that.
- 🧱 Scale With Structure, Not Spam: Today, we manage 1,500 inboxes. Why? Because sending 20 emails/day smartly beats blasting 1,000 blindly.
- 🧠 My #1 Growth Habit? Journaling: I end every day asking what I loved, learned, and need to improve. It’s my mental dashboard.
- 💥 Not Every Exit Is Sexy—and That’s Okay: My first startup sale didn’t make headlines, but it taught me everything I needed to build what’s next.
My Last $.02
Email isn’t a marketing method—it’s an immediate connection with the people who care about you. When you care more about being human than being automated, strategy than spam, and value than vanity metrics, you’ll see open rates soar, relationships flourish, and businesses move in ways you never imagined. It’s about being human in an age of automation.
The tips and anecdotes you just read are your personal roadmap—because the moment you make your emails one-on-one, everything shifts.
Until next time, happy emailing!
Adam