Ep 166: Turning Emails Into Stories That Sell | Guest Expert Joanne Homestead
What do pop-up books, baking shows, and roller skates have to do with writing better emails? Joanne Homestead connects the dots in the most unexpected (and useful) way.
What if your next email didn’t sound like a sales pitch—but a story your audience couldn’t stop reading?
In this episode of Tiny Marketing, Sarah sits down with Joanne Homestead, expert email copywriter and holistic copy coach at Desk Plant Creatives, to explore the soulful side of selling through storytelling. Joanne shares how to shift away from flat, template-based emails and instead create emotional connections with your audience—while still driving serious results.
Whether you’re stuck in the "what do I even write?" spiral or your email list feels like a ghost town, this conversation will inspire you to simplify your strategy and start writing emails that resound.
Joanne walks through:
Why storytelling is your most underused marketing tool—and how to use it with integrity
How to craft welcome and pre-launch nurture sequences that actually warm up your leads
The most common mindset and copy blocks holding entrepreneurs back from writing
Why most email intros are boring—and what to do instead
How to repurpose one story-driven email into an entire content plan
You don’t need to write like a copywriter. You just need a strategy rooted in story, soul, and structure. Let Joanne show you how.
About the Guest: Joanne Homestead
Joanne Homestead is your go-to expert for soulful, story-driven email marketing. As an email copywriter, holistic copy coach, and former master literacy teacher, she empowers wellness entrepreneurs and mindset coaches to write authentic, emotionally resonant emails that sell—with integrity.
Over 15 years of experience in storytelling and aligned messaging
Creator of the "3-layer cake" storytelling email framework (storytelling, personality-infused copy, and email strategy)
Coach and creator behind the program Inbox to Impact
Mom of two little ones and a lover of a good cup of chai and cozy British baking shows
Connect with Joanne on LinkedIn: Joanne Homestead on LinkedIn
Topic Highlights & Strategic Insights
Email Storytelling — Let Your Stories Resound
Why storytelling creates deeper emotional resonance (and opens wallets)
What storytelling in emails really means—hint: it’s not just about drama, it’s about relatability
How to use “everyday” stories (like grocery trips or parenting moments) to sell your offers with authenticity
The power of "show, don’t tell" for making your emails immersive and open-worthy
Email Sequences — Set Yourself Up for Selling Success
Welcome Nurture Sequences: Guide new subscribers with intention, emotion, and clarity
Pre-Launch Nurture Sequences: Help your audience become problem-aware before offering a solution
Why these sequences work better when they close loops and open curiosity
How to structure each phase to educate, connect, and warm up cold leads
Email Marketing Blocks — Break Free + Sell Soulfully
Top blocks that stop entrepreneurs from writing consistently
Why templates and AI-written copy often fall flat (and how to fix it)
How to shift from “convincing” energy to compelling storytelling
The power of simplifying your writing process—just take one small step
What You'll Learn
By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with:
A storytelling strategy you can apply to any type of email (nurture, launch, sales)
A new lens for seeing your everyday life as powerful marketing content
A simple way to write emails that feel like you—and still drive clicks
Tools to help you get unstuck and finally start writing to your list again
A new understanding of why emotional connection drives conversions
Resources Mentioned
Freebies from Joanne:
📖 Email Storytelling Guide: 3 Simple Steps to Irresistibly Entertaining Emails That Sell
→ Includes 25 story prompts, 7 types of hooks, and plug-and-play segues
👉 Download the guide🧭 Copy Clarity Quiz: Discover what’s missing in your email copy and where to focus next
→ Get a visual "wheel" showing your strengths + blind spots
👉 Take the quizTwo-day Workshop: Write more profitable emails
→ Learn your customer’s BANK personality code, build your brand messaging, and write your origin story email.
👉 Register here
Additional Mentions:
Desk Plant Creatives – deskplantcreatives.com
Inbox to Impact Program – Joanne’s signature coaching experience
The Great British Baking Show – yes, it's part of the cake analogy
“The Monster at the End of This Book” – model for story progression
Bank Personality Codes – Learn More
→ A values-driven communication framework Joanne uses for writing high-converting copy
What next?
If this episode lit a fire under you to finally write that welcome sequence (or revive your dusty email list), it’s time to take action.
Join the Tiny Marketing Club—where B2B service businesses learn how to use smart, lean, story-based strategies to scale without burnout. We'll help you turn your marketing into something people actually want to read.
👉 Apply now to the Tiny Marketing Club
Let’s scale smart,
— Sarah
