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Harm Less, Sell Better.

with Natalia Sanyal

The newsletter where personal brands learn to market themselves with integrity. I share humanity-first marketing perspectives, tips, and tools, sustainable marketing practices, and the highs and lows of my own marketing experiments.

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Featured Post

Very hairy. Very audacious.

Read time: 4.5 minMy goal was 300 on the waitlist and 100 paying customers. Very hairy. Very audacious. The result:300+ waitlisted, 180 paid. 🥹Building in public, baby! There's a reason people swear by it.PLEASE give it a go next time you're creating a new offer. If you need specific examples to wrap your head around this concept, I got you. But first... What exactly is 'building in public'? Building in public (BIP) is about openly sharing the development of an offer with your audience as it...

over 1 year ago • 4 min read

Read time: 3 minWelllll 2026 sure didn't waste any time in bringing on more chaos and devastation. I dunno about you but I've been bouncing between feeling survivor's guilt, gratitude for safety, helplessness, shedding tears for all those who are impacted, relieved that my parents changed their minds about immigrating to the US under refugee status and instead moved us to Canada (not as refugees), regulating my nervous system so that I don't get stuck in freeze mode, wondering "how the F do I...

3 days ago • 2 min read

Read time: 3 min 38 secYou're really good at what you do, right?I bet you surprise yourself from time to time and get outta-this-world results for the people you serve. And when that happens, you can’t wait to share your customer’s story with your audience. You’re thinking, “Oooo they’re gonna be sOoOo impressed. They're gonna whip out their wallets on the spot!” First, yay for those outstanding results!But on another note, if your case study sounds too good to be true…your audience will...

9 days ago • 3 min read

Read time: 3 min 25 secI dunno 'bout you but I'm planning to get a LOT more visible in 2026.I'll be starting from scratch on a different platform. 👀 (any guesses which one?) and I'll be posting lotsss so I can learn fast.I'm committing to weekly newsletters.I'm doing guest spots on podcasts like I'm Mel Robbins on book tour. I'm very excited for it all. And I know that I tend go ALL in...and then burnout. So I got clear on the constraints, structures, and schedules I need to make sure I don't...

23 days ago • 3 min read

Read time: 2 min 30 secSomewhere between the obsession with “posting 3x daily” and spending as little time as possible on content creation, we lost sight of this simple truth:Contemplation is what creates good content.Call me old school but I'm talking using your own brain, not AI, to:Make meaning before making contentFind the flaws in status quoFind ways to innovate and disruptConnect dots that only you can connect because of your unique lived experienceReflect on lessons learnedAnalyze your...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read

First, a personal life update: The family emergency situation seems to be settling down a bit but life is far from back to normal.Things are still...a lot.And somewhere in between all of it I'm slowly transitioning back to tending to my business. I know I'm not the only one who's in a season of running a business while facing hard things. I know because many of you shared that with me in response to my last newsletter. And for every one person who shares their story, there's gotta be at least...

2 months ago • 3 min read

Read time: 2 min 50 secSoo I'm behind on client work.I haven't mentioned my November promo in 9 days.And I didn't deliver content to my paid subscribers on Sunday like I usually do every week.In fact, I've barely done any biz-related things cuz I've been navigating a family emergency.At first, I found myself wishing that there was a rule book to guide solopreneurs who find themselves in challenging situations like mine.But then I realized that the rule book already exists. And I was...

2 months ago • 2 min read

Read time: 1 min 30 secLet’s talk about one of the most manipulative sales tactics out there:Identity hijackingIt’s when a business implies: “If you were a [desirable trait] kind of person, you’d buy this right now.”You’ve seen some variation of this on sales pages. You've heard it on webinars.Or you've been confronted with it on a sales call—which is less common cuz most people wouldn't dare do this in an actual conversation.“Top leaders invest in themselves.”"Are you gonna be the one who...

3 months ago • 1 min read

Read time: 2 min 10 secConfession: I have a relatively low capacity for people-ing. I love people. And, depending on the situation, I can be pretty good at it. Buuut it takes a lot outta me. It’s why my family would find me hiding in the closet at parties when I was a kid.It’s why my phone is always on silent.It’s why it takes a good two hours after waking up before I’m willing to have a conversation.It’s why I experience JOMO (joy of missing out) a lot more frequently than FOMO.It’s why I’ve...

3 months ago • 2 min read

Read time: 1 min 15 sec“Is it a bad idea to start promoting a new offer in December?" My short answer: It depends less on the month and more on your audience’s buying patterns.The long answer: December is actually a high-spending month for most consumers.People are in a buying mindset. They’re giving gifts and investing in things that make life or business smoother for the year ahead.And if you sell B2B, your chances of selling December could be even better.Many businesses are either spending...

3 months ago • 1 min read

Read time: 1 minDear everyone with an enticing freebie,If they just trusted you enough to opt in, please do not hit them with giant all-caps font, bright red words, caution signs, and a message that's more appropriate for a bottle of rat poison.See unfortunate real-life example below. A screenshot of a rather obnoxious sales page that popped up after I opted in for the freebie. Just don't do it. I can pretty much guarantee that this 'buy or die' tone will leave them feeling ambushed and...

4 months ago • 1 min read