Tuesday, October 07, 2025
I recently rewatched The Queen's Gambit on Netflix.
If you haven't seen it, the main character Beth Harmon is a chess prodigy who absolutely dominates every opponent she faces.
What makes her so darn good isn't just that she can see the current board clearly…
It's that she's thinking 3-4 moves ahead while her opponents are still sweating over their next move.
She sets traps that don't look like traps.
Positions pieces in ways that seem totally harmless…
Until suddenly, her opponent realizes they're completely screwed.
By the time they see what's happening, it's already too late.
That’s because the best chess players aren't reacting to what's in front of them…
They're orchestrating the entire game from start to finish.
And, as it happens:
Story ideation works kinda the same way.
Sure, every email you write should stand on its own…
But there should also be a grand strategy at play…
Where you're planning multiple moves ahead to build attention and trust with your audience…
Knowing exactly which pains you need to hit…
Which frustrations you need to agitate…
And which false beliefs you need to uninstall…
To checkmate convert your readers into buyers.
Problem is:
Most people treat email ideas like isolated chess moves.
One email at a time with no strategy or sequence.
Just hoping each individual email lands.
But the best email marketers think like great chess players.
They map out story sequences that build emotional momentum…
So each email sets up the next one, creating this addictive rhythm that makes readers actually look forward to your emails.
(wild concept, I know lol)
This is what makes people buy.
Not individual emails sitting there in a vacuum…
But the cumulative effect of strategic storytelling over time.
And the same psychology that makes a good Netflix series addictive…
Will also make your readers buy.
Which is exactly what I’m covering on my upcoming live workshop:
“Insane Ideation”
How to generate conversion-based story ideas that work together like chess moves…
Building attention, trust, and sales momentum with every email you send…
So you can make consistent sales from your list.
The workshop's happening live on Tuesday, October 14 at 11 AM ET.
You can grab a ticket below for only $97.
And if you can't make it live, no worries.
You'll get lifetime access to the recording + all training materials.
So if you want to learn how to orchestrate your email strategy like a chess grandmaster…
Instead of just staring at a blank page wondering what the heck to write about today…
Then tap below to grab your ticket now:
Grab your ticket for Insane Ideation here
Jim Hamilton
Learn how to build a profitable daily newsletter with Email Storyselling. Read by 4,000+ subscribers.