Is it still worth noticing what influences you?

First, let me set the scene…

Last week, I acknowledged a very special clown in my life (and no, I’m not be funny or MORE IMPORTANTLY, rude.) in which you can read yourself here: I am grateful for the food in front of me

Last week, we explore how email marketing (often overlooked), is a quiet yet powerful system of influence, trust, and behaviour shaping that reflects how all effective communication works, whether in business or life.

Dear Younger Self,

If you’ve ever opened your inbox… if you’ve clicked a discount link… if you’ve been nudged by a reminder saying “you forgot something”... then email marketing has influenced you.

And that’s why I want to talk about it, not because you need to get into the weeds with me, but because you should know something about the system quietly shaping billions in revenue behind the brands you already interact with.

Okay, how should I put this…

Email doesn’t interrupt. It waits. It doesn’t shout like ads. It sits there until you’re ready. That’s what makes it powerful. And also, invisible. It’s not viral. It’s not loud. But it's the most direct, profitable, and owned marketing channel businesses have, and it gets overlooked because it’s not shiny.

I’ve worked in email marketing for years now — over 100 brands, across thousands of designs, flows, and campaigns. Startups, legacy brands, ecommerce giants. And every single one of them eventually asks the same question: “Is it working?”

However, in truth, they’re asking the wrong question because most people think email is about sending. When it is in fact more about answering questions your customers are already asking:

“Where’s my order?”
“Is this brand worth my attention?”
“Should I buy now—or wait for a sale?”
“Is this still relevant to me?”

If you can answer those questions well, you build trust. And trust is what makes people buy again, refer friends, and remember you when they’re ready.

So why does this matter to you?

Because email is a mirror for how systems work. It’s quiet, automated, unemotional and it scales trust — without needing to scream for attention.

If you’re building or have any interest in business, you’re already in this game. Whether or not you care about “email marketing,”

You do care about performance.
You do care about retention.
You do care about leverage.

Email just happens to be one of the best ways to get those things. And if you ignore it, you’re missing out on the most efficient part of your marketing stack.

So yeah, maybe this letter was about email marketing, but really, it’s about noticing the invisible systems that shape behaviour — the backend levers that move the front-end needle, the architecture behind trust, clarity, and decision-making, and the things we breeze past that are quietly building empires.

And even if you never touch a campaign or write a subject line, it’s still worth noticing what influences you — what nudges you, what makes you click, what makes you trust — because whether it’s a subject line, a product, a relationship, or a decision, something is always working in the background, some kind of system, some kind of signal, and when you start to see it, you begin to understand people.

And if you understand people, you can build anything.

Until next time,

Love,

Le Hare

P.S. If you’re interested learning about email design check out this website: Really Good Emails

Get your highlighter out…

Originally, I intended this section to share key takeaways from my letter. Instead, I’m highlighting the “lifelights” of my week; the destinations or event that were quite memorable.

Soak Bathhouse - I decided to treat myself—or more accurately, take care of my body.

I came across a video where a young man asked another, “If you were given 10 million dollars, would you take it?” Of course, the answer was yes. But then he added, “What if you were given 10 million dollars, but it meant you wouldn’t wake up tomorrow?” The answer changed—suddenly, the money wasn’t worth it.

And that was the point.

Waking up each day is worth more than 10 million dollars, and probably a lot more. It made me pause. Because if that’s true, then looking after your body, your mind, the vessel that carries you through this life, becomes less of a luxury and more of a responsibility.

Becoming physically strong is part of that, but so is recovery. So is rest. So is slowing down enough to reward the shell you push through each and every day.

You only get one body. One mind. Two feet. Two arms. You get the point.

Anyway, I say all this because I found myself sitting for an hour in a magnesium hot tub, then a cold plunge, then a sauna at the beautiful rooftop Soakhouse—and I just wanted to say: if you’re able to do something like that, do it.

You don’t need a reason beyond the fact that waking up tomorrow is already more than enough.

Kürtősh Bakery - One thing I really want to do while travelling is share the incredible food I see, eat… devour.

I’m not entirely sure how to go about becoming some kind of food blogger, so I’ll do a bit of research. But before that, I want to share why—why I’d even write about food in the first place.

Because one day, I want to open a café.

Not just any café, a safe place. Somewhere you can run to. A spot to read, study, rest, connect, and of course, eat and drink beautiful food. A little sanctuary in the middle of chaos.

Picture this: a three-storey café.

Level one is your classic café setup, with an open kitchen where you can see everything being made fresh. Level two: A library. Comfy nooks, soft chairs, quiet corners to get lost in a book. Level three is a study lounge, with computers, meeting rooms, and space to get things done. Both upper levels would have a self-serve drink station — tea, coffee, sparkling water on tap.

There’d be a conveyor system to bring food to the top floors, a lift for accessibility, and if I’m lucky enough to find a location with a basement, I’d turn it into a bar or small performance space.

I’d call it Le Hare House.

Anyway, I had this amazing pastry today from Kürtősh Bakery — a Pizza Scroll. Warm, cheesy, soft in the middle, and just the right kind of indulgent. And it reminded me how excited I am to one day create delicious food like that too — meals that comfort and connect.

This is where the dream starts.

For a quick dopamine hit…

I’m a bit of a screen addict.

I constantly find myself staring at a screen, but like many of my habits, I aim to transform this into something beneficial — not just for myself, but for others too.

So, here are this week’s interesting discoveries I came across online that I think is worth your time:

Speechless.
That was my first reaction, just speechless.

But I share this with purpose.

Let’s talk about the brand. Yes, I need you to try your best not to drift into… dare I say, wild thoughts, and come back to earth for a second.

Bonds. An Australian brand, founded in 1915, originally a small manufacturer of women’s hosiery. You know that running joke about giving your dad socks and undies for his birthday? Guess which brand usually comes to mind. Yep, Bonds.

It’s always been that middle-class staple. A price point that felt like a bit of a splurge but never enough to show off.

Now looking at this photo, if I removed the Bonds logo, would you assume it was a Bonds campaign? Or would you think Calvin Klein?

That’s the shift. This isn’t just about aesthetic. This is a deliberate, strategic departure from what we’ve come to expect. And while Robert is undeniably a handsome man, the choice was intentional.

He’s not a professional model. He’s not Chris Hemsworth. But he is very clearly Australian. Rugged, down-to-earth, effortlessly charming. Add the animals and suddenly it all clicks. They’re not just props. They tie back to Robert, they localise the campaign, they add a layer of authenticity and humour that makes it feel unmistakably Aussie.

This is clever marketing.

Because all those videos reacting to this campaign? They’re not calling Bonds out for copying Calvin Klein. They’re celebrating it. They're saying: finally, Bonds has entered the global chat with confidence, humour, and a creative direction that says, “We’re not just your dad’s sock drawer anymore.”

Bonds is rebranding. Reclaiming cool. And they’re doing it in a way that’s getting people to stop scrolling, watch, laugh, and clearly, sharing.

This is a BIG deal to me. I love Figma, it’s a platform I use both professionally and personally, and knowing that I can now build an entire website directly from Figma is exciting… and honestly, perfect timing.

A couple of months ago, I launched my father’s website. And while he thought it was “awesome,” it was a struggle to build, and I’m not happy with it. It feels boring and basic.

That’s when I discovered Framer. I knew I wanted to build something more interactive, more dynamic, something that actually felt cool. But like with most new tools I come across, I dive in, get overwhelmed, and unless someone’s sitting next to me walking me through every feature, I never fully commit or become confident in it.

That’s why I’ve been hesitant to start. And why this Figma update has me genuinely excited.

So while this might not mean much to you, if you’ve ever been curious about digital design, just know, learning Figma is one of the most valuable skills you can pick up.

I know nothing about stocks. But if I had to give advice, it’d be this, put a couple bucks into every red block you see.

Because the last time the market looked this red was 2020, during the peak of COVID panic. Everything was bleeding. Everyone was scared. And yet, looking back now… that was one of the best times to buy.

So while I’m no financial expert, history kind of repeats itself. When things look the worst, the opportunities are usually buried right there, in red.

Might not be a strategy Wall Street would endorse, but hey, worked out alright last time.

I will be baking this, this week. I want to start baking something new each week and so, in my next letter I’ll share an update on how it goes.