The Email I’ve Been Waiting For (44 Days In)

Can I sign my first mentoring client in 90 days - and evolve my positioning from just being an 'email guy'. This build-it-in-public challenge was my way of finding out.

Completed It Mate!

Week 7 was the week,

44 days into my 90 day challenge.

An email came through at 10.17am.

My first 1:1 Small Wins Mentoring Partnership client signed up.

We begin in Jan.

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What It Took?

Ultimately, it took a build it in public challenge.

I wanted to evolve from just being an ‘email guy’ to someone who can support founders and overwhelmed marketers more broadly.

The email element will always remain but as a founder myself with a drinks business and, previously, a restaurant business, plus Best Before, I’ve got more to share.

Easy to say but not so easy to do.

So much easier to quietly quit.

So much easier to give into the self-doubt.

But by doing it in public, you build in accountability.

And by committing to 90 days, you’re committing to staying top of mind.

You’re also committing to stress-testing how you talk about your offering.

And committing to exploring the pain points of your target audience,

because to speak, well write, about something day in, day out, means you need to find new ways to do so.

I mean technically you don’t have to but people soon switch-off, if you just literally repeat yourself word for word.

Actually, that is something else you will need to contend with, because it’s unlikely to be an algorithm hit, it’s largely bottom of the funnel, niche stuff… so your post will generally get low engagement.

That’s ok, you’re really only selling to a small segment but it doesn’t mean it’s easy to rationalise.

In my case at least, posts about this would get at best half the LinkedIn impressions, if not less.

That can chip away at your confidence.

But if you set yourself the challenge, do it in public and honour the agreement with yourself (nobody else matters),

then you can push through and make it happen.

I didn’t just post on LinkedIn daily

• I ran a free workshop - flop

• I did my least favourite thing - cold DMing

• I offered free taster sessions - my most successful tactic - although for whatever reason, I didn’t immediately think of it.

  • It was only when I dug deeper and forced myself to think, what aren’t I doing to win this challenge? And it was staring me in the face, nobody know what my new service offering is - I can’t rely on word of mouth, as I don’t have any clients for it. So a free trial was the answer.

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Why Me?

What I’m offering through my 1:1 Small Wins Mentoring Partnership is simple: it’s me working alongside you.

Not high level strategy but down in the trenches, helping to do the work, helping you rack up the small wins that compound.

Helping you take the actions that will lead to actual sales.

The shop you really wanted to get listed with, it might be a personal intro, it might be a new approach.

Helping you to optimise your website or working on your emails.

Figuring out what’s missing in order to build a community and undertaking customer research to better understand their needs and wants.

Helping you zoom out to see that you are making progress, even when it doesn’t feel like it.

Being a founder is lonely - I remember that keenly from my restaurant owning days.

So again, part of what you get from working with me is a sounding board and an accountability partner.

Someone who has seen a lot, done a lot and knows a lot of people, to help you get a lot done.

So, when you’re asking, “is this actually working”, you’ve got someone on call who can sit with you and walk through the numbers and options.

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So Do I Carry On?

I’ve done it right?

No need for more excruciating posts on LinkedIn.

Well, kinda…

It’s just one client.

I want to do more of it.

I want to have around 5 clients a month for my 1:1 Small Wins Mentoring Partnership.

So I’m thinking,

• Continue daily LinkedIn posts until Xmas (even if that means some days are a double post day)

• Then at least one post a week about it for the foreseeable.

I will though retire these Substack weekly challenge updates.

My Substack is evolving into being about finding satisfaction and more meaning in the work you do, how you find the fuel to carry on.

And whilst the challenge is related, I don’t feel it’s quite aligned enough, so I’ll wrap it here, and focus on stories that sit closer to that theme.

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TAKEAWAYS FOR YOU

1. Public accountability helps but the real accountability is to yourself.

The challenge worked because I didn’t want to let myself off the hook.

The agreement I made with myself was the most powerful factor to keep going.

Nobody else cares if you do or don’t.

But you will.

Try it for yourself. It’s powerful.

2. Consistency is mostly emotional, not logistical.

We tell ourselves we don’t have time but that’s shorthand for it’s difficult.

You’re dealing with low impressions, writer’s block, the self-doubt, the wanting to skip to the end result without having to do the heavy lifting.

That’s what you’ll need to overcome to stick at it.

3. The most effective tactic, and perhaps obvious, can be missed at launch.

You can get so caught up with the doing, that you forget to be objective.

That’s why it’s important to review results and think what’s missing, what else can I do to reach my goal?

In my case, I missed that I needed a free trial.

4. Small Wins Work

Given you’re undertaking a build it in public challenge, you’re already signalling that it’s not going to be easy.

And when things aren’t easy, you’ll need to look at the compound effect of small wins.

But they can be tricky to spot, so you’ll have to zoom out to spot the signs that you’re making marginal gains - you might want to sprint but it’s a marathon mindset that you’ll need.

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READER OFFER

1:1 Ask Me Anything

If you’re curious about any aspects of the challenge, mindset or tactics, then I’m happy to answer your questions… simply DM or email ben@onaplategrowth.com

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WAIT, WHAT WAS THE CHALLENGE?

If you’ve just stumbled across this post and are thinking, well it sounds interesting enough but what exactly was the challenge?…

I run my own growth marketing services agency, On A Plate Growth.

One year in, I’m seeking to evolve from being known primarily as an ‘email guy’ to offering more overall support to those in food, drink and hospitality.

The email element will always remain but as a founder myself with a drinks business and, previously, a restaurant business, plus Best Before, I’ve got more to share.

So the challenge is…

Signing a Small Wins Mentoring Partnership client within 90 days.

I kicked this challenge off on the 20th Oct, so I’ve had until the 18th Jan to make it happen.

And I committed to doing this in public, sharing progress or lack of.

Ok, but what’s the Small Wins Mentoring Partnership?

Most small brands don’t fail because they’re bad - they fail because they run out of momentum.

Or because self-doubt, overwhelm, and isolation creep in and confidence gets knocked.

[BTW, as you read this, maybe think about one thing you’ve quietly parked that still deserves a shot]

And the fix? The Small Wins Mentoring Partnership.

I’m calling it a partnership because that’s what it is.

• No “guru 10x nonsense.”

• Just two people working together to build momentum through small wins.

You’ll work 1:1 with me, to build the kind of steady, sustainable growth that lasts.

This isn’t a course.

It’s a partnership, built around the real challenges of growing a food, drink, or hospitality brand.

Every brand is different, but the pillars stay the same - here’s what we’ll focus on…

• Storytelling, Personal Brand & Community Building

• Email & Retention

• Shopify & Website Optimisation

• Customer Understanding

• Mentoring & Momentum

WHAT YOU GET EACH MONTH

• Two 1-to-1 calls focused on clarity, storytelling, and traction.

• WhatsApp access for feedback, gut-checks, and momentum boosts.

• Access to my network - founders, operators, creatives, investors, and connectors across food, drink, and hospitality. (You’ll meet the right people faster.)

• Free membership to The Growth Collective for continued learning and connection.

• Free ticket to every Best Before event while you’re in the partnership.

I’ve built this for founders, marketers, operators and consultants in food, drink, or hospitality who want consistent growth, stronger storytelling, and a more visible, community-led personal brand.

If you’ve read this far, you probably get why I’m building this in public - it’s to prove that small, imperfect steps compound.

If you’d like to see what that looks like for yourself, grab one of the free 45-minute Small Wins Mentoring taster sessions (a Momentum Moment) now.

DM or email ben@onaplategrowth.com to claim your session or, simply, book online here.

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👋 I’m Ben - founder of On A Plate Growth, and co-founder of Bloody Bens & Best Before Events.

I help ambitious food, drink & hospitality brands:

• Build better email & CRM foundations

• Optimise websites that convert (and tell your story better)

• Turn customer insight into steady, repeatable growth

• Create communities and content that sells and engages

• Stay on course through mentoring and accountability

DM me on Substack
Email: ben@onaplategrowth.com
Or, book a free discovery chat via my site.

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PS

As mentioned, right now, I have the capacity for 5 spots - click here if you’d like to start a 1:1 Small Wins Mentoring Partnership with me.