How to Grow Your Email List Using Other People’s Audiences + Create a Brain-Friendly Action Plan

What do you do when the people you’re meant to serve are feeling the struggle… but don’t even realize support like yours exists?

In this episode, I sat down with parent coach Diana Davidson for a live coaching session where we unpacked one of the most common and frustrating challenges in business:

Connecting with an audience that isn’t fully problem-aware.

This conversation beautifully blends two worlds I love talking about:

The emotional reality of parenting transitions
AND
The strategic reality of growing a service-based business

The Emotional Side of Parenting Transitions

Diana works with parents navigating major life shifts, especially the transition from high school to college.

And let me tell you… this part of the conversation got very real, very fast.

We talked about those unexpected emotional waves that seem to come out of nowhere.

Yes, including the classic:

Crying in a parking lot for reasons you cannot explain.

One of Diana’s most powerful insights reframed this experience in such a refreshing way:

Emotions are love in motion.

Instead of judging emotional reactions, Diana explains how they often reflect deep connection, identity shifts, and grief tied to change.

Some of the emotional themes we explored:

• Identity shifts when children leave home
• The feeling of “Why am I not handling this better?”
• Grief that doesn’t always feel like grief
• Emotional triggers that catch parents off guard

She also shared a beautiful mindset shift:

From manager of the nest → to guide on the side

The Business Challenge: Serving the Not-Yet-Aware Client

From there, we shifted into Diana’s business growth challenges.

Her struggle is one so many coaches and service providers experience:

“Families don’t always realize this kind of support exists.”

In other words:

The problem is real
The emotions are real
But the awareness isn’t there yet

Which creates a messaging and visibility challenge:

How do you attract clients who don’t yet recognize your solution?

Strategy Focus: Growing Through Other People’s Audiences

A major part of our coaching session focused on collaborations and partnerships.

Instead of relying solely on content creation, we explored visibility through aligned audiences.

Together, we identified potential partnerships such as:

• Academic counselors and advisors
• Tutors and educational professionals
• Therapists
• Menopause and midlife coaches
• Realtors (downsizing season is real!)
• Community groups and social circles

One of the biggest takeaways:

Audience alignment matters more than audience size.

Avoiding Transactional Collaborations

Diana raised an important concern about collaborations feeling too transactional.

This opened up a valuable discussion about discernment and fit.

Two strategies I strongly believe in:

The Pre-Collaboration Coffee Chat

Before saying yes to partnerships, have a real conversation.

Not about links
Not about logistics
But about values, audience, and approach

Questions worth asking:

• Who do you serve specifically?
• How do you serve them?
• What are your core offers?
• What does success look like for your clients?

These conversations help ensure true alignment.

Using Friction as a Filter

An unexpected but powerful insight:

Tech hiccups and small hurdles often reveal far more than polished pitches ever will.

How someone responds tells you everything about:

• Their patience
• Their communication style
• Their collaborative energy

Helping Problem-Unaware Audiences See Themselves

When your audience isn’t fully aware of their need, storytelling becomes everything.

Diana shared how personal stories consistently generate engagement and resonance.

Instead of pushing education, the focus becomes:

Helping people recognize themselves in the narrative.

The Tech Confidence Conversation

We also had a refreshingly honest discussion about tech overwhelm.

Because guess what?

Most entrepreneurs are not tech people.

Confidence grows through:

• Asking for help
• Finding workarounds
• Learning step by step

Tracking Collaborations Without Overcomplicating

Diana asked a great operational question:

“How do I track all of this?”

Here’s what I shared:

Simple Tracking

A basic spreadsheet noting:

• Partner name
• Collaboration type
• Date
• Link shared

Smarter Tracking

Unique URLs or landing pages per partner.

Advanced Tracking

CRM tagging and lead-source tracking.

How to Be a Dream Collaboration Partner

One of my favorite practical reminders from this episode:

Think of collaborations like being a great houseguest.

Promote generously
Tag consistently
Extend the visibility lifecycle

This builds goodwill and keeps doors open.

Key Takeaways From This Episode

✔ Emotional transitions create invisible struggles
✔ Not-yet-aware audiences require different messaging
✔ Collaborations can accelerate list growth
✔ Coffee chats are powerful filters
✔ Simplicity often wins in tracking systems
✔ Generosity strengthens partnerships

Connect With Diana Davidson

Diana Davidson Coaching
Instagram | LinkedIn | Website

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone navigating a parenting transition or building a business that serves a not-yet-aware audience.

And remember:

Don’t go it alone 💛