Last week, Pinterest decided to suspend my account saying they thought we had violated the spam policies.

This was completely unexpected. One minute, our Pinterest account was there with 238K+ followers and the next minute it was — poof — GONE!

For two days, we worked to contact Pinterest by every way we knew to appeal their decision. We talked to people who had had this happen to them to see if they had any suggestions. We researched everything we could to figure out what could have happened to cause Pinterest to suspend out account.

Most of all, we tried to wait patiently and think through what Plan B might end up being if they didn’t re-instate our account.

What I Did Instead of Freaking Out

I used to flip out when my site would go down, when a big affiliate program would change their rules (and it would mean a big loss), or social media would have major glitches.

But 14+ years of running multiple online businesses and making a boatload of mistakes will teach you this: Freaking out accomplishes nothing.

Seriously. Stop and think for a minute… what is one good thing that freaking out is going to accomplish?

I’m guessing your list is completely blank. Instead of freaking out, here’s what I try to do:

1) Take a deep breath.

2) Ask, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

3) Then, “Will I be okay if that happens?”

4) Next, “What CAN I do?”

And then I focus on my blessings and do what I can do to resolve or improve the situation.

Why You Need an Email List

I talked to so many people who are relying upon social media for their income and blog traffic. While social media is great and I love it, I cannot stress how important it is that you set up an email list and use it strategically instead of depending upon social media.

Like I’ve said so many times, you do not own social media. They could decide at any time to shut down, start charging you for using their services, or to — like happened to us — shut down or suspend your account.

Here are four reasons you need an email list:

• An email list gives you the ability to have access to prime real estate — people’s inboxes. We’ve tested this time and again, and social media and blog posts just don’t hold a candle to email.
• An email list gives you the ability to contact people directly — whenever you want to. When I decide I want to send out an email newsletter, I don’t have to try to bypass and trick the elaborate algorithms into getting my email to land in someone’s inbox. I just write the email and send it.
• An email list allows you to build a personal and long-lasting relationship with people. And when people trust you, you have one of the most valuable assets you can ever obtain as a business owner.
• An email newsletter gives you the ability to tailor emails to best serve each individual person on your list. Many email programs now offer really advanced options — including the ability to tailor emails to serve each individual person on your email list.

Our email lists not only allow us the ability to build a deep and loyal relationship with people, they also convert thousands of dollars in sales every single month.

Need Help With Your Email List?

If you need help getting your email list set up or being strategic in actually using your email list to make hundreds or thousands of dollars each month, I HIGHLY recommend getting a copy of The Genius Blogger’s Toolkit.

This goldmine bundle of blogging resources is only available until Thursday at midnight and for just $97 and it gives you immediate access to 41 eCourses, 15 eBooks, 9 printable packs & workbooks, 5 templates, 5 stock photo packs, and 2 membership sites.

Many of the courses in the bundle sell for more than $97 each! And the courses on email lists alone are SO worth the price of the bundle!

In all honesty, if you just download these six resources on setting up and strategically using your email list — and then you actually use them and do what they recommend! — I can pretty much guarantee that you will make back the price of bundle over and over again in the next 6-12 months.

Here are the six resources I recommend you start with:

• Irresistible Email: The Art of Attracting, Captivating, and Nurturing Your Tribe of Raving Fans
• Email Growth & Marketing
• 23 Opt-In Templates With Video Instructions
• Grow Your Email List Using Pinterest
• Igniting Your List Incentive
• The Complete Guide to ConvertKit