When I was in the Army teaching soldiers how to shoot at the range, I noticed something that surprised me at first, but made total sense after thinking about it for more that a minute.

A lot of the Soldiers from backwoods places like Idaho (my state) and Kentucky who'd grown up shooting weren't interested in listening to the trainers' instructions. They already "know how to shoot..." Just ask them, and they'd tell you.

But without fail, they'd end up missing a target, get frustrated, and then start missing more.

On the other hand, the Soldiers with no experience listened closely and followed their training.

They used proper breathing techniques. Their trigger squeeze was perfect. They executed the fundamentals and hit their targets. They're the ones who were shooting Expert by the end of the day.

Being new didn't make anyone a better shot. But being willing to listen and focus on the fundamentals did.

I like to take the lessons I learned in the Army and apply them to business.

How would I think about that same scenario when it comes to Kit users?

Once you've been doing this creator thing for a while, sent enough emails, and built a few automations, the basics start to feel like something you've already graduated from.

I know the temptation. We want to get to the interesting stuff like creating a new offer, improving a funnel, or building something that might bring in more sales.

Checking the settings is not exactly exciting. But it's important.

Knowing how something works isn't the same as checking how it's set up right now.

And the longer you've been a Kit user, the more likely you are to just skip the fundamentals to just keep building.

Like, do you know that Kit can now filter out Bot clicks...It's just one setting they added and most creators still don't know exists.

So here's something practical to do to make sure your account is in good order.

Open Kit and check these instead of just mindlessly answering them in your head.

1. Look at your sending setup. Is your verified sending domain set up, with DMARC validated? Is the from address on a domain you own? Those are separate checks. Sending from your own domain doesn't mean it's verified in Kit.
2. Read your confirmation email. Look at the subject line, the button text, and where that button actually sends someone (actually click it). Have you customized all three? Read what's actually there, not what you remember writing or linking to.
3. Review who has access. Look through connected apps, team members, and AI Connector access. Do you still use each one? Before removing anything unfamiliar, find out what it does and whether something still depends on it.

None of these require building a new funnel or optimizing an automation.

You're just checking the foundation for cracks, using a checklist.

If everything checks out? Awesome, you can confidently move forward with your creating.

If not...you know exactly what to fix.

The checklist review should tell you what's working and what you need to adjust.

It helps to keep the a list of questions in one place, record what you actually checked, and note the date.

When you come back in six months, work through the same questions again rather than skipping the ones that seem obvious.

If you can't verify an answer, leave it open until you can. Don't give yourself a Yes simply because you probably did it when you set up the account. Actually check.

You don't have to fix every "No" while you're checking, either.

Finish the review first so you can see what needs the most urgent attention.

Then, focus on the single next fix.

If you'd like a checklist I send my clients to work through, my free Kit Self-Audit Scorecard is here.

Here's to going back to the basics, even when you already know them!

Robby