Hey Reader!

You ever find an easter egg? 🐣

Not the plastic ones filled with jelly beans, or the kind that comes from a chicken and is then painstakingly dyed by a kid exercising an unusual amount of dedication.

I mean the kind that’s just for someone in the know, like a video game that sends you a secret message if you type a particular word or move a player to a specific point. Or a movie that references another movie, or includes subtle clues that reinforce the story.

What makes an easter egg so fun to discover is that it’s for the person who’s plugged in; the connoisseur, the uber-fan. Finding one makes you feel like you’re in on the creation of the thing you love.

One of my favorite newsletters has a sort of an easter egg, though it’s not really hidden. It’s a tiny link at the very top of the page that says, simply, Surprise me. You might read that newsletter for months or years and never notice it enough to click on it.

Or, like me, you might know it’s there and forget to check out the week’s surprise. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I like an easter egg in a newsletter, and I also like a regular segment that has nothing to do with the subject of the email. Like maybe What I’m Listening to, or What I’m Reading or Recipe of the Week. 🧐

For authors that want to emphasize their commitment to their community it might be The Small Business of the Month or Local Non-Profit Spotlight.

If you have the kind of business that benefits from your potential customers feeling like they know you - i.e., pretty much any service provider, and most product producers - adding a section that shows your more human side can only help draw people in.

It’s also fun, and is an easy way to come up with content for your email. Maybe it will inspire you to write about your own business in a new way. Did reading a specific book or visiting a local coffee shop inspire you to do something new or different at work?

Let the people know!

Yours in living a well-rounded life,

Julia

​My song of the week, the year, and honestly maybe all time. (Time stamp 54:38) I was in this audience at age 17, on an adventure that marked the beginning of many road trips to see music, connect with friends, and experience places that opened my mind to the wild and wonderful world around me.