Why Your Email Might Be the Most Valuable Thing You Create

I recently listened to an interview with Graydon Carter — former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and the cultural force behind the now-iconic Vanity Fair Oscars party, which many argue has eclipsed the Oscars themselves. For those of us who came of age in the 90s, he’s a recognisable name — a taste-maker and trend-setter who’s been shaping the cultural landscape for decades.

What struck me in the interview was his perspective on how we consume content now. He pointed out that people are still willing to read — in fact, we crave substance — but we’re tired of endless scrolling and content overload. Even when we’re following creators or magazines we love, there’s often a sense of being bombarded with too much at once.

He also suggested that privacy is fast becoming the next luxury. That the trend of constantly sharing everything may be reversing, and we might soon see a shift back to more curated, considered ways of connecting. Not performative. Not algorithm-chasing. Just thoughtful content, shared intentionally.

This really resonated. Especially at a time when so many Yoga teachers, Pilates instructors, personal trainers and wellness professionals feel drowned out online.
You put time and care into something meaningful — only to have it land on deaf ears, feel ignored, or disappear into the void.

You’re not imagining it: likes are down, interaction is patchy, and unless you’re being paid directly for posts (and most of us aren’t), it’s hard not to wonder why we keep pouring so much energy into these platforms.

Carter’s latest project is something called Airmail — a weekly email that lands quietly in your inbox on a Saturday morning. It reads like a personal letter, and you can pick and choose which articles to click and explore. It’s simple, direct, and puts the reader in control. Interestingly — quietly, without flash — it’s doing very well.

This is the kind of format I’ve quietly leaned into myself over the past few years. My own weekly email follows this same model: three short, thoughtful topics, each with a headline and an invitation to read more if it catches your interest. It’s a slow, intentional way of sharing — and while it doesn’t bring big financial returns, it feels better and more importantly, I believe it’s the direction we’re heading.

So if you already have a mailing list, maybe this is your invitation to reimagine it. Let it be more like a note from you than a mini magazine. Give people choices. Let them take what they need and leave what they don’t. If you haven’t started yet, perhaps this is the time to try.
Not because it’s another “should,” but because it might just be the most sustainable and satisfying way forward.