Almost a year ago, I got a private message from one of my Instagram followers (someone I don’t know) pressuring me to post about the genocide in Gaza.

The message annoyed me because, quite frankly, I don’t like strangers telling me what to do.

I didn’t reply to the message.

So this person copied and pasted it, and sent me the same message again.

Again, I didn’t respond because I didn’t feel like I owed her a conversation.

(I have over 18,000 followers across my social platforms and email list. I often have to navigate a lot of people trying to tell me what to do/how to do it).

I don’t love that I ignored this person. But I think this story is relevant, so I’m telling you – despite this not being my proudest moment.

Little did this stranger know that I very much care about the plight of Palestinians.

I always have.

I started boycotting companies and brands when I was 15 years old. (I’m now 32).

I boycotted so hard, it seemed like there was barely anything left that I could buy, eat, or drink without giving my money to people and companies that harmed Palestinians.

Fast forward to 2023 and I saw what felt like the world open their eyes and hearts to Palestine in a way that has never been seen before.

Largely thanks to the brave and exceptional reporting of ordinary (but very much extraordinary) people like Bisan.

I would listen to the stories coming out of Gaza and sob in the shower so my family couldn’t hear me. (I acknowledge this genocide isn’t about me or my feelings, but this is helpful context to have).

I donated the most I’ve ever donated to a UN charity that was doing work on the ground.

I cared very much. I had for a long time.

And yet, this person assumed that I didn't because I hadn’t been vocal about my support.

And therein lies the problem.

When you’re silent about your values, your silence creates a black hole. And in that black hole, assumptions are made.

When I was ready to, I did start talking more about Palestine on my IG stories.

But lots of business owners haven’t.

Just like lots of business owners haven’t spoken up about the US election, who they supported, or how they feel about the fact that Trump is going to be president again.

None of the big American course creators or coaches have so much as mentioned it. (You know the ones).

Why?

Because they’re afraid.

Because “go woke, go broke”?

Or maybe because they are Trump supporters but they’re worried about the consequences of being honest about that.

Or maybe they voted blue but don’t want to alienate their (big, I imagine) Republican audience base.

We don’t know.

The issue is that their silence leaves room for these assumptions, these guesses, and (in some cases) these accusations.

So: should you talk about politics, human rights, and generally divisive issues in your email marketing?

I say yes.

You’ll often hear me talk about issues I care about deeply - especially topics around racism, diversity, and inclusion.

If people are going to spend their money with me, I want them to know what I stand for.

Marketing is just as much about attracting the right people as it is repelling the wrong people.

By being upfront about your values, you’re giving people the option to intentionally support you and your business. Or to intentionally stand against it.

That is a good thing.

The issue is often HOW you decide to share your values.

Earlier this year, a company called Sticker Mule was caught up in a controversy when the co-founder announced his support for Trump via email.

This led to customers boycotting the brand, unhappy employees, and money lost. (They paid 79 of their employees a $2500 bonus for the stress they caused them with this one email).

If Sticker Mule supports Trump: okay. (I’m stumped, but okay).

However, how they shared this revelation felt unplanned, very spur-of-the-moment, very emotional, and very out of the blue.

And it was. Because it was an emotional response to Trump being shot.

It seems the co-founder woke up that morning and told his marketing manager he’d be sending the email that day.

So instead of their support for Trump being a known and accepted value that customers had previously been given the choice to opt in to or opt out of… it came as a complete shock to a lot of their audience.

You don’t want to shock your audience.

When you embed your values into your business from the very beginning…

When you’re open with your audience and customers from the very beginning…

You get to build an aligned company and an aligned audience that knows you, supports you, and stands for what you stand for.

You get to avoid controversies like the Sticker Mule controversy.

At the same time as believing people/companies should speak openly about their values, I also don’t believe in pressuring them to speak out or act on an issue.

A (white) business owner I once looked up to complained that a Black person was upset she hadn’t posted about Black Lives Matter since she had posted about a bunch of other global issues happening at the time.

This business owner then complained that she donates to charity. She donates to dog shelters. (Yes, I said dog shelters). So why was she being questioned on this issue? After all, she doesn’t like to engage in “politics”.

(This isn’t hearsay. I read her response myself).

None of this surprised me at the time because I had never seen this person so much as engage with a Black person, hire a Black person, invite a Black person onto their podcast or invite them to speak on their stage.

I’ve since heard this same person talk about the Black Lives Matter movement as if she does support it after all.

Do I believe it?

No. I don’t.

Because when you pressure people/businesses to speak on certain issues, you’ll never get a true picture of their beliefs anyway.

And what if you don’t want to talk about any of this stuff publicly? What if you just don’t want to deal with any of it?

Well, here’s where I see people/businesses go wrong.

Most companies pick and choose when they want to be “political”.

Animal abuse for example, (and rightly so) makes them stand up and get political.

But the abuse of Black and Brown people? Suddenly it’s: “We don’t talk about politics”.

I’d say the key to being apolitical “successfully” is to say nothing at all.

About anything.

Ever.

Just know that your silence will be noted and noticed.

Whether that matters to you is something you need to decide.

Of course, you can’t be aware of, and stand up for, every cause in the world. It’s impossible.

But if you do decide you want your company to be open about its beliefs and values, then pick a couple of causes and really stand behind them. (Like diversity and inclusion consultant, Sonia Thompson, recommends in my podcast interview with her).

And for the sake of all things good: don’t send messages to minority business owners telling them what they should/shouldn’t say, do, or stand up for.

Nearly every single day, I walk outside and face micro-aggressions (if not outright aggressions) because of my skin colour and dress.

(I wish I was exaggerating).

If I’m not advocating for myself, I’m advocating for my Black sons…one of whom is navigating his first real experience of racism as we speak.

Every day feels like a battle. And every day feels like I’m trying to beat an unbeatable system.

My very existence is political – even though I don’t want it to be.

So I get to decide what other causes I will stand for and how I will stand for them.

Whether privately through my daily actions (unbeknownst to my social media following) or publicly through social media.

I don’t have all the answers, but I hope this encourages reflection and conversation.

And I hope it helps you get clear on how you and your business will approach this – if you choose to at all.

Eman

PS. With the US election on our minds, this topic has been the hot topic of the week. Here’s what other business owners are saying about this on Threads:

​
​

Wait a sec, Reader! Here are some ways I can support you and your business 😄👇🏽

💌 My strategy and copy helped this coach and course creator generate $2.5 MILLION (and counting!). Let's talk about working together if we aren't already?​

📞 Want tailored strategy recommendations so you can get more (and make more) from your emails? Book an Email Strategy Consult​

🌟 Wanna earn more and work less by offering a high-ticket VIP Week to clients? Grab my instant access masterclass, Design Your VIP Week. (Made for service providers & consultants).

🎙 Listen to my multi-award-winning podcast Mistakes That Made Me – where I ask extraordinary business owners to share their biggest business mistake.

Check out the first episode with Vivian Kaye where she talks about her $12,000 mistake 😱

🔐 Try my podcast's private membership for just $1 and unlock exclusive WEEKLY bonus content. If you love my emails and my podcast, you'll love this membership.

​