Like dieting and exercise, the trick is to start now to reap the benefits down the line. I've been hosting my own email for about 10 years now. I started using

Like dieting and exercise, the trick is to start now to reap the benefits down the line. I've been hosting my own email for about 10 years now. I started using it just for throwaway accounts and I've been ramping up usage slowly ever since. By the time GMail blocked my account with no explanation I had a fully-functioning domain with good reputation ready to go.