People love to say freelancers and business owners have “full control of their time.”
Nope.
Lies!
Well, at least for me.
Since I started freelancing, building a biz, and taking care of my mama, just going out feels like a mission.
And being in the Philippines during the rainy season? Forget it. Every damn storm keeps me stuck inside… for days. Sometimes weeks.
So yesterday, as soon as I saw sunshine… My laptop is packed (so was my umbrella), and I was good to go.
Sure, I still planned to work– but at least it’ll be on a desk that wasn’t mine!
Now, if you’re running a biz, you’re familiar with this: leisure is a luxury.
Yes, business is good, but most days, your engines are running 24/7.
Even email notifications begin to sound like trauma.
Can’t. Stop. Working.
But here’s where I’m different…
I actually like the work.
I think, I write, I set things up, I talk to people.
(Well, I don’t like that last bit a lot, but you know, it’s tolerable… could be interesting sometimes.)
But if you’re in a passion-driven biz– Like a hobby shop, a fitness studio, or even an entertainment space?
You better enjoy what you’re doing.
Because when you set things up right, some days your “work” could literally just be writing one email to your list.
Yep. Emails.
Emails are criminally underrated here in the Philippines.
See, people here are family-oriented to the bone. That’s why when you knock on every door on a random street in Manila, you’ll see that most households are extended households.
It’s in our DNA…
We love our people…
The ones we’re born with…
And the ones we choose.
So if you’re running a passion-driven biz? That’s your secret weapon!
Filipinos love to be a part of something. (We can adapt pretty well)
We want to hear stories. (Whether we relate to it or not.)
We eat up connection, drama, moments that make us feel like family.
And you can satisfy all that through email marketing.
Let me paint you a picture.
Let’s say you own a Dance Studio…
You built it from the ground up. You’ve got students, classes, and a decent set of offers. You’ve been doing this for more than a year now.
Clearly, you can attract new customers.
And that’s where email marketing comes in.
Excluding the technical mumbo-jumbo preps, you can make a huge impact on your passion-driven biz when you implement this 4-step plan:
Step 1. Stop relying on ‘hope marketing’
If you’ve been around for years, why are you still dancing for free on TikTok?
Praying someone sees your “content”?
Come on. You’ve done that part.
You don’t need strangers scrolling at 2am.
You need a list of people who’ve already touched your dance floor — past students, trial-takers, workshop joiners.
Collect their emails.
Step 2. Send emails
Do it regularly! If you can make it daily? BETTER.
It doesn’t have to be a polished newsletter. Just a quick story, a funny behind-the-scenes, a lesson from class, or whatever industry or personal rant you’ve been keeping in your back pocket.
Example email: “The most embarrassing thing a student did last week… and why it actually made them better.”
That’s it! Tell what happened, then end with: “By the way, two slots left this Saturday. Want in?”
Step 3. Sell story arcs, not time slots.
See, nobody wakes up excited for “7 pm Hip Hop.”
Your enthusiasts want transformation, or maybe just bragging rights. So stop selling hours. Sell your packages as journeys:
- Beginner’s Confidence Arc: 5 classes to look smooth on the floor.
- Date Night Salsa: bring a partner, drink after.
- Unlimited Pass: your diehards live here.
These are offers you can push every day without sounding like a broken record.
Step 4. Stretch your emails.
Now this is why I said stop “relying” on hope marketing… not stop it altogether.
It’s still a good idea to have a social media presence, especially here.
So what I suggest you do is not let today’s email just vanish.
Recycle them.
Those fail-stories? Post it on IG. A transformation story? Make it a reel. That rant about “perfect form”? Use it for your launch campaign.
If you email regularly, after a year of sending, you’ll have your own library of persuasion. Do it for more, and your audience will treat you like a buddy.
Because they’ll know you…
Not as a brand, but as a part of their daily life.
Like a family.
Bottom line: This model buys back your time.
Instead of burning hours begging strangers on socials, most days you only need to send an email.
That’s it.
Which means more time to actually run some errands, refine your craft, or heck, just go sleep for god’s sake.
And on the business side, your enthusiasts will love you more!
You just made them feel like they belong. Like they can talk to you anytime. And that builds trust…
That’s the most important thing you can get when running a business.
Now, in this model, your busiest days would be your launch days.
That’s when you launch a new offer, or partner up with another brand, or whatever else you can conjure up.
And yes, that takes planning.
But here’s the fun part: I actually built a way for you to test-drive how this whole email launch thing feels in your customer’s POV.
It’s not some PDF of lessons. It’s a real campaign simulation.
My reason?
So you can see firsthand how mixing personality + stories into your offers makes people adore you.
Details here: https://johnrillemanalo.com/campaign-test-drive/