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TitreDateDurée
From Failed Startup to a $100K+ Newsletter22 Jul 202600:56:34

Get Esteban's 36k Subscriber Content Machine → growthinreverse.com/esteban/

***

Esteban Perez is the co-founder of the ADHD Weasel newsletter. Their newsletter has grown to over 36,000 subscribers and reached over 280,000 followers on Threads.

But it wasn't all sunshine and butterflies. The cofounders first launched an app for food waste and discovered the hard way what happens when you don't validate your idea. Now, their newsletter is earning over $100k annually with 800+ paid subscribers.

In this episode, Esteban shared how they go there, along with his most successful growth strategy - and their content strategy that allows a two-person team to post over 100 posts per week.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • How a failed food waste app accidentally revealed the audience that became The ADHD Weasel
  • The "accidental" moment that convinced Esteban to launch a paid tier
  • The quiz that 6-7X'd conversions in one week
  • The Threads posting system behind 4+ million views
  • The Meta ad format that worked because it didn't look like an ad
  • How Esteban treats segments with a Substack newsletter
  • The platform Esteban believes has the most valuable subscribers
  • The weekly "bottleneck analysis" habit that everyone skips

LINKS MENTIONED

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Love what you’re hearing? Make sure to subscribe, and if you found this episode helpful, leave us a rating & review on your favorite podcast platform.

How to Build a Successful Paid Community with Jay Clouse01 Jul 202600:51:23

Get free access to Jay Clouse's Memberships Teardown including how he built The Lab: creatorscience.com/teardown

***

And you can take YOUR newsletter to the next level by joining our private community — GIR Pro >>

***

Jay Clouse, founder of Creator Science and The Lab, joined us live from Kit Studios in Boise.

Jay pulls back the curtain on 4+ years of building one of the most enduring creator communities out there — from its origins as the Creative Companion Club to a 340-member operation with tiered access, mastermind groups, and a wait list. Jay shares what's worked, what's backfired (including the scarcity campaign that became his worst churn month ever), and what he's actively redesigning right now.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why their highest-ever membership revenue month was followed by their worst churn month
  • The difference between marketing levers that convert and the ones that serve your members
  • How The Lab evolved from a 200-member cap to a tiered application model
  • The "mid-boarding" gap that kills retention in most memberships
  • The troubling paradox of community-led mastermind groups
  • The two onboarding secrets Jay considers his unfair advantages
  • Why offline events are a retention tool, not a growth tool
  • What to think through before launching a membership
  • The unexpected risk in scaling a community too quickly

LINKS MENTIONED

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Love what you’re hearing? Make sure to subscribe, and if you found this episode helpful, leave us a rating & review on your favorite podcast platform.

From 78 Emails to 4.7 Million Subscribers: The 1440 Story with Tim Huelskamp24 Jun 202600:31:29

Stop losing subscribers with your onboarding — get Chenell's Subscriber Onboarding Course included in The Growth Vault: growthinreverse.com/vault

This episode is a live recording from the 2026 Newsletter Conference in New York City where Chenell sat down onstage with Tim Huelskamp, co-founder of 1440 — the daily digest for more than 4.7 million curious readers.

Tim shares the full arc of 1440's growth: from 78 subscribers to a media company generating roughly $1M in revenue per employee, including the unconventional early tactics, the Facebook ad playbook that still runs today, and the ambitious new "Topics" platform they're building to become the Pinterest for knowledge.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why Tim spent the first 7–8 months focused entirely on product before touching growth 
  • The counterintuitive decision to remove images from 1440 entirely 
  • The discovery that 3x'd sponsor revenue without adding a single new advertiser
  • The bet on their "Topics" platform: what "Pinterest for knowledge" actually looks like 

LINKS MENTIONED

  • 1440 Newsletter — 1440's daily digest (join1440.com)
  • 1440 Topics — 1440's new knowledge platform (1440.io/topics)
  • WhoSponsorStuff — Newsletter sponsorship intelligence tool mentioned by Tim ("Ryan and Jesse's" tool)

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The PACT Formula for Starting Over with Steve Kamb17 Jun 202600:53:35

Steve Kamb bought the domain for NerdFitness.com in 2007 and grew it into a 45-person, SEO-driven coaching company. But then he burned out. Badly. He demoted himself twice, and eventually stepped away from running the business entirely — all so he could do the one thing he actually loved: write.

In this episode, Steve joins us to talk about his new book How to Try Again, the hard lessons from 17+ years of building Nerd Fitness, and why starting over isn't a failure — it's a skill.

His PACT framework (Pause, Accept, Change, Try) offers a practical roadmap for any creator who's ever felt stuck, burned out, or tempted to quit.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • How Steve built Nerd Fitness from a blog into a 45-person company
  • Why he demoted himself out of his own CEO role
  • The brutal reality of pandemic-era burnout and what it taught him about chasing the wrong things
  • Why "all or nothing" thinking almost always fails
  • His four-step PACT framework for starting over after burnout or failure
  • The question he asked that changed everything
  • Why writing two articles a week for 10 years was the real engine behind Nerd Fitness
  • The danger of modeling celebrity success over relatable success
  • How Steve separated his personal brand from Nerd Fitness
  • What success actually looks like for Steve now

LINKS MENTIONED

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The Deliverability Mistakes Killing Your Newsletter Open Rates with Alyssa Dulin10 Jun 202600:52:39

Check out the 30 Days of Growth: 30daysofgrowth.co/

Get the Growth Vault: growthinreverse.com/vault

***

Alyssa Dulin is Kit's deliverability expert.

She joined us to pull back the curtain on one of the most misunderstood forces shaping newsletter success: deliverability.

We sat down with her to unpack why emails land in spam, what the big Gmail and Yahoo changes really mean for individual creators, and how to build a sending reputation that lasts. From domain warmups to fake opens to bot clicks, this episode covers the stuff most newsletter creators won't learn until something goes wrong.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The custom domain mistake tanking open rates — and how to make the switch
  • Why your sender reputation works like a credit score, and what "starting at zero" actually means for deliverability
  • The top 3 subscriber engagement signals ranked by impact
  • How long you should wait before removing inactive subscribers
  • What actually happens to your sender reputation if you take a break from sending 
  • Alyssa's deliverability checklist for newsletter creators
  • How to onboard Creator Network and "recommendation" subscribers without hurting deliverability
  • The uncomfortable truth about whether your open rates and click rates are even real
  • How AI inbox summaries are becoming the new gatekeeper between your email and your reader
  • How to safely increase your send frequency without triggering spam filters


LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

Love what you’re hearing? Make sure to subscribe, and if you found this episode helpful, leave us a rating & review on your favorite podcast platform.

30 Days. 30 Emails. Was it a Mistake?03 Jun 202600:32:58

Check out the 30 Days of Growth: 30daysofgrowth.co/

Get the Growth Vault: growthinreverse.com/vault

***

Chenell and Dylan break down everything that happened with the second annual 30 Days of Growth — 30 cross-promotions with 30 different newsletter creators, published as a daily email series over 30 consecutive days. They cover what worked, what flopped, why Chenell wishes she'd done opt-ins instead of opt-outs, how 2,086 new subscribers came in (beating last year's 1,757), and which tips from the series they found most compelling — from AI-powered subject line analysis to a 5x landing page conversion boost from changing one button.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why Chenell decided to run 30 Days of Growth for a second time 
  • The biggest mistake they made with subscriber onboarding this year 
  • Why daily newsletters can quietly hurt engagement and deliverability 
  • The surprising ROI of referral incentives and private podcast feeds 
  • Why collaborations create long-term relationship leverage beyond subscriber growth 
  • The operational reality of coordinating 30 creators in 30 days 
  • Whether 30 Days of Growth will return again next year 

LINKS MENTIONED:

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

Love what you’re hearing? Make sure to subscribe, and if you found this episode helpful, leave us a rating & review on your favorite podcast platform.

She made $500k with one launch. Here's how.28 May 202600:53:46

Get Sam's FREE $500K Launch Breakdown >> growthinreverse.com/500k

Get Instant Access to Chenell's Growth Vault >> growthinreverse.com/vault

***

What does a $500,000 digital product launch actually look like behind the scenes?

In this episode, we welcome back Sam Vander Wielen to the show. She's breaking down the exact strategy behind her recent 4-day launch that generated over $500,000 in revenue — with only about $24,000 in Meta ad spend.

Sam walks us through the entire launch machine: how she generated 11,000 webinar registrations, why she treats Meta ads like a social media channel, the psychology behind her webinar structure, and the surprising role personalized VideoAsk responses played in boosting attendance and conversions.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • The exact webinar strategy behind a $500k launch in 4 days 
  •  Why Sam treats Meta ads like a social media content channel 
  •  The personalized VideoAsk tactic that boosted webinar attendance 
  •  How she generated 11,000 webinar registrations 
  •  The subtle webinar psychology most creators completely miss 
  •  Why she believes creators should focus on ONE flagship product 
  •  The “Olive Garden Effect” philosophy for customer retention and referrals 
  •  Her secret trick to sending webinar replays that dramatically increased replay consumption 
  •  The biggest mistakes creators make with launches and digital products 

LINKS MENTIONED:

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

Love what you’re hearing? Make sure to subscribe, and if you found this episode helpful, leave us a rating & review on your favorite podcast platform.

This Adds 50 Subscribers a Day20 May 202600:05:21

Check out Jillian & Jordan's Growth Lever here: https://growthinreverse.com/loveleigh-popups/

Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co

 The Seven Emails That Keep You Out of the Promotions Folder13 May 202600:07:37

Check out Tyler's Growth Lever here: https://growthinreverse.com/tyler-welcome-flow/

Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co

The One Question That Increased His Open Rate by 10% (Justin Welsh)06 May 202600:07:25

Check out Justin's Growth Lever here: https://growthinreverse.com/justin-welsh-question/

Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co

Skip the Landing Page. Doing This Converts at 65-70%29 Apr 202600:05:55

Check out Gannon's Growth Lever here: growthinreverse.com/gannon-manychat-flow/

Get 30% off ManyChat: growthinreverse.com/manychat (affiliate link)

Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co

This 1 Change Doubled Katelyn's Digital Product Sales22 Apr 202600:09:15

Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co

$9M with 50k subscribers: Sam Vander Wielen's 7-figure newsletter funnel [REPLAY]15 Apr 202601:01:17

[This is a replay from our conversation with Sam Vander Wielen from September 2025]

“All roads point to the email list." — Sam Vander Wielen, Sam's Sidebar

In this episode, we interview Sam Vander Wielen—a lawyer-turned-creator who has sold over $9M in legal templates with a 50k-subscriber newsletter. 

Sam shares how her motto of "All roads point to the email list" has helped her earn over $9M in total revenue since starting her business in 2017. And she's done it with a small team and a replicable funnel strategy most creators could copy. 


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why she decided to walk away from strategies that “should” work — and what happened after
  • The $100k turning point that reshaped how she runs her business
  • How she blends storytelling with practical education to keep readers engaged
  • How her newsletter fuels her entire content ecosystem
  • What creators misunderstand about legal protections (and how to fix it)
  • Why she believes the boring stuff is actually the growth engine
  • The platform she almost abandoned — and why she came back stronger
  • Her advice for creators chasing growth but ignoring long-term sustainability

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

30 Top Creators Sharing Their Best Newsletter Growth Tactics, for Free09 Apr 202600:10:39

If 30 top creators handed you their best newsletter growth tactic, for free, would you take it? Of course you would!

I'm excited to share that we are launching 30 Days of Growth (Part 2!) on April 20th. If you missed last year's event, you don't want to miss it again. Each day I'll be sending you 1 tip you can use to improve or grow your newsletter.

In this episode, I break down why cross-promotions are one of the most underrated newsletter growth strategies, share the real numbers from last year's 30 Days of Growth (3,714 signups, 1,757 new subscribers, 77% open rates), and announce what's coming for year 2 - including the creators, the prizes, and how to get in.

Sign up for free at 30daysofgrowth.co
Creators featured this year include Dave Gerhardt, Katelyn Bourgoin, Justin Welsh, Sam Vander Wielen, Daniel Bustamante, and many more.

Sign up: 30daysofgrowth.co
Growth In Reverse newsletter: growthinreverse.com
Growth In Reverse Pro community: growthinreverse.com/pro/

The 3-Step Onboarding System Every Newsletter Needs08 Apr 202600:40:40

NOTE: This is a rerun of an episode we published in September 2025. But just because it's a rerun doesn't mean it ain't still a banger 💥

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“One of the worst things you can do is send new subscribers to a dead-end thank you page. That kills engagement immediately." — Chenell

We're breaking down the most overlooked (yet critical) part of growing a newsletter: onboarding new subscribers.

We'll take you through Chenell's 3-step onboarding process every newsletter creator should have in place—and show how to optimize each for higher engagement, deliverability, and long-term retention. 

We also tease an advanced 5-step version and share examples from top creators like Katelyn Bourgoin, Tom Alder, and Eddie Shleyner. Whether you’re just starting out or already running a large newsletter, you’ll learn how to avoid common pitfalls and set up onboarding that actually works.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The 3 Cs of a high-converting landing page
  • Why default Thank-you pages kill engagement (and what to do instead)
  • How "sniper links" can push new subscribers directly into their inbox to find your email
  • The #1 mistake welcome emails make
  • The most important job your welcome email has
  • A simple incentive trick to encourage replies
  • The difference between a “true” and “false” double opt-in
  • How (and why) to include surveys in your onboarding
  • What top creators do with their “almost there” pages to hook new subscribers

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Why Your Best Work Is Invisible: The Hidden Genius Dilemma01 Apr 202600:14:39

Get the Growth Levers Library FREE >> growthinreverse.com/growth-levers-library

1000 Leads (per month!) with An Unconventional Lead Magnet25 Mar 202600:28:02

Get Chenell's step-by-step breakdown of Jonathan Goodman's Lead Magnet Strategy: https://growthinreverse.com/jon-content-loops/

We start the next round of 30 Days of Growth on April 20th, you can join to get access when it's live here: https://30daysofgrowth.co/?source=youtube

***

Lead Magnet Episode (Part 1) >> 

Newsletter Growth Lessons from Top Creators (New Media Summit 2026)18 Mar 202600:32:16

Get the slides + the awesome bonuses → growthinreverse.com/nms-2026/

The Newsletter Retention Playbook Every Creator Should Know11 Mar 202600:24:22

Get the Happy Subscribers Formula for more newsletter opens, clicks AND replies → growthinreverse.com/happy-subscribers/?ref=podcast-shownotes 

The Underrated Growth Strategy That Beats Paid Ads (Better quality subscribers)04 Mar 202600:27:15

Get the Collaboration Playbook and resources here → https://growthinreverse.com/collab-playbook/

5 Keys To Scale Growth with Lead Magnets25 Feb 202600:36:01

Get the FREE Lead Magnet Guide >> growthinreverse.com/leadmagnet

Get Instant Access to the Growth Vault now >> growthinreverse.com/vault

***

“Lead magnets definitely still work. I think they’re having a resurgence right now.” — Chenell Basilio

It took 60 episodes.

But we finally dedicated a full episode to lead magnets — what they are, what’s actually working right now, and what’s quietly a waste of time.

In this episode, we break down the three lead magnet formats we see winning, why “quick win” matters more than length, and how tactics like comment-to-get and pop-up newsletters can create real growth flywheels. We also talk about when lead magnets don’t make sense (yes, that’s a thing) and the simple promotion step most creators skip that could double the impact of what they’ve already built.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The “Trojan horse” that beats the “Subscribe to my newsletter” CTA
  • Whether or not lead magnets still work
  • 5 keys to a creating a successful lead magnet
  • The most critical lead magnet mistakes to avoid
  • The best types of lead magnets working right now  
  • Chenell's number #1 tip for lead magnets

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

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Love what you’re hearing? Make sure to subscribe, and if you found this episode helpful, leave us a rating & review on your favorite podcast platform.

The state of email in 2026, growing your list without social media, and new predictions (Creator Science original episode)18 Feb 202600:51:26

Get Instant Access to the Growth Vault now >> growthinreverse.com/vault

***

In this episode of the GIR Podcast, we're airing "cross-published" episode originally featured on Jay Clouse's Creator Science podcast.
Check out the Creator Science podcast here >>

***

“If someone can Google what you wrote and get the same thing elsewhere, it’s not differentiated.” — Chenell Basilio

Chenell Basilio joins Jay Clouse on Creator Science to break down how she built Growth In Reverse into a thriving newsletter with over 35,000 subscribers.

Chenell shares the strategy behind her deep dive format, how she thinks about positioning and differentiation, why focus beats platform sprawl, and how she turned detailed research into sustainable audience growth. Jay and Chenell also discuss monetization, collaboration strategy, audience building, and what it actually takes to build a durable newsletter business.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why depth beats volume when building a newsletter audience
  • The compounding power of collaborations in niche markets
  • How to create “internal share” content that spreads inside companies
  • Why narrowing your focus accelerates newsletter growth
  • The difference between building an audience and building a business
  • How to turn research into durable newsletter content
  • Why distribution strategy matters more than content frequency
  • The real value of long-term positioning in the newsletter space

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

Love what you’re hearing? Make sure to subscribe, and if you found this episode helpful, leave us a rating & review on your favorite podcast platform.

He spends $1M per month on ads. And makes $50M per year.04 Feb 202600:47:14

Get the FREE Growth Levers Library: growthinreverse.com/growth-levers-library/

***

“Most people underestimate how long it takes for anything meaningful to happen.” — Matt Paulson, MarketBeat

Matt Paulson is the founder of MarketBeat, one of the largest independent financial media brands on the internet. What started as a scrappy side project eventually turned into a multi-newsletter business serving millions of investors, driven primarily by search, disciplined publishing, and long-term thinking.

In this episode, Matt walks through how MarketBeat grew over time, why newsletters became a central growth lever, how monetization evolved alongside the audience, and what most creators misunderstand about “overnight success.” This is a grounded, reality-based look at building a newsletter business that lasts.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why Matt believes most newsletter creators reach for paid growth far too early
  • The channel Matt actively avoided for years, even as others obsessed over it
  • The two most important metrics Matt pays attention to
  • MarketBeat's sign-up flow that earns back paid growth spend 
  • The surprising channel Matt is most bullish on today and why it prints money
  • What “organic growth” actually looked like when it wasn’t glamorous
  • How MarketBeat evaluated channels based on profit, not attention
  • The point where “more traffic” stopped being the goal
  • What Matt would double down on today if starting from zero


LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

Love what you’re hearing? Make sure to subscribe, and if you found this episode helpful, leave us a rating & review on your favorite podcast platform.

He Made $50K Launching a Paid Substack Newsletter (Here’s How)29 Jan 202600:13:53

This is a clip from the FULL GIR episode with Tom Orbach:
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3LiScMzoSsoyASlymH8vC6
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD-xde5kQ4Q

***

How do you launch a paid Substack newsletter earning $50,000—without a long pre-launch, teaser campaign, or complicated funnel?

And all this while working a full-time job?

In this Growth In Reverse podcast clip, Tom Orbach breaks down exactly how he launched the paid version of his Substack newsletter after nearly two years of publishing for free—and why simply announcing it to his list worked so well.

You’ll hear how Tom:

→ Designed a paid Substack offer people couldn’t price per email
→ Ran a surprise-style launch without warming up his audience
→ Used multiple emails (not just one) to drive conversions
→ Signed up 500+ paid subscribers before publishing his first paywalled post

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

Love what you’re hearing? Make sure to subscribe, and if you found this episode helpful, leave us a rating & review on your favorite podcast platform


The Newsletter Growth Playbook for 2026 with Matt McGarry21 Jan 202600:46:05

Get Matt's 1,000 Email Subscriber Formula: https://growthinreverse.com/matt-yt-download/

***

"The way to monetize a small, niche audience is not sponsorships — it’s higher-ticket services." — Matt McGarry, GrowLetter

Matt McGarry has helped grow some of the largest newsletters in the world — including The Hustle, Milk Road, and 1440 — to millions of subscribers. But in this conversation, he makes a contrarian case: you don’t need a massive email list to build a highly profitable newsletter business.

We dig into why sponsorships are a weak monetization strategy for most creators, how Matt generates $76+ per subscriber from LinkedIn, why short-form video is the most underutilized growth channel for newsletters right now, and how to think about business models before chasing scale.

Matt also shares how he’s evolved his own newsletter past 50,000 subscribers, what growth channels are actually working in 2025, and why events, services, and higher-touch offers often beat low-ticket products — especially early on.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why sponsorships are one of the weakest newsletter monetization paths
  • How Matt earns $76 per LinkedIn subscriber (and why lead quality matters more than volume)
  • How one YouTube video drove 1,000+ email subscribers with a simple lead magnet
  • When not to start paid growth — and the exact criteria Matt uses before spending a dollar
  • Why newsletters should often monetize with services and consulting before products
  • The biggest newsletter opportunity most creators are ignoring in 2026

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

Love what you’re hearing? Make sure to subscribe, and if you found this episode helpful, leave us a rating & review on your favorite podcast platform!

Live Creator Q&A: Real Strategies for Newsletters in 202603 Dec 202501:04:58

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.


--------------------------------------


“Creators overinvest in subscriber count and under-invest in content quality.” — Chenell Basilio 

We went live on YouTube for the first time and opened up the floor for a full creator Q&A session! 


In this session, we answered audience questions about newsletters, growth, ROI, lead magnets, AI in email, overcoming writing fears, and building creator businesses that last.

QUESTIONS WE ANSWERED

These are the questions we tackled during the livestream:

  • Do newsletter writers need to have a podcast and/or YouTube channel to succeed?
  • Should creators focus on one platform first, or spread across multiple?
  • What’s was our ROI and ROF (Return on Fun) of running a podcast for a year?
  • What were the biggest benefits of podcasting this year?
  • What would we do differently if we were starting the podcast in 2026?
  • Which part of our podcast workflow will we stop doing (or want to stop)?
  • How do subject lines affect open rates for new vs. long-time subscribers?
  • What’s one thing newsletter creators over-invest in?
  • What’s one thing newsletter creators under-invest in?
  • What is the most important metric you track in your ESP? 
  • What metrics matter more than open rate?
  • How are AI features in Apple Mail and Gmail changing how people interact with newsletters?
  • ...and more!

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Music from #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/21-on-the-block/i-know
License code: 1XP9IRXHPZSBPGMM

The Wildest Newsletter Growth Strategies From 3,000 Hours of Research (Greatest Hits)26 Nov 202500:26:14

Get 30 proven strategies to grow and optimize your email list FREE >>

This week, we're playin' the hits!

Let's rewind the clock to December 2024. This episode was the very first episode we published—and it's been our most popular episode to date! In this very first episode, we dig into the 3,000+ hours of research Chenell has done into creators and uncovered some of the wildest ways successful newsletter creators have grown their newsletters.

Get the full list and 75+ newsletter growth tactics here: https://growthinreverse.com/wild
Start collecting testimonials for free with Senja: https://growthinreverse.com/senja

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Codie Sanchez’s Playbook: How buying and growing newsletters helped her build a massive audience.
  • Yossi Levi (Car Dealership Guy): Building a powerful brand—100% anonymously.
  • Ali from First 1000: Breaking down intentional, daily growth strategies.
  • Tom Alder’s Prelaunch Strategy: Using social media to validate your newsletter idea to the tune of 5k subscribers.
  • Justin Welsh’s Content OS: A behind-the-scenes look at the system that powers Justin’s consistent content creation—and how it's earned him over 7 figures.
  • Cross-Promotion Tactics: How creators like Alex Garcia used newsletter-video swaps to grow their lists by thousands.

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

Love what you’re hearing? Make sure to subscribe, and if you found this episode helpful, leave us a rating & review on your favorite podcast platform!

The Top 6 Newsletter Tips from 202519 Nov 202500:40:31

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.


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“I think you are being financially irresponsible if you do not have a newsletter.” — Nathan May, The Feed Media

The GIR Podcast is approaching it's 1st anniversary of publishing!

To celebrate, we pulled six standout clips from some of the smartest newsletter operators and creators we interviewed this year.

Each clip highlights a growth or monetization tactic that actually works in the real world — from using testimonials strategically, to building self-liquidating flywheels, to using DMs to drive thousands of subscribers.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • How Eddie Shleyner drives high conversion rates on his landing page
  • The Self-Liquidating Flywheel Olly Richards uses to fund his paid growth
  • The IG + ManyChat strategy Sam Vander Wielen uses to convert viewers to subscribers
  • How Katelyn Bourgoin uses an incentivized newsletter poll question to drive sales
  • The successful + unscalable strategy Justin Moore used to get his first devoted subscribers
  • Nathan May's private newsletter strategy earning $1M ARR. 

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Music from #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/21-on-the-block/i-know
License code: 1XP9IRXHPZSBPGMM

The "Elite" Newsletter Growth Flywheel (25k subs in 4 months)12 Nov 202500:50:48

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.


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“The quiz brings them in, the newsletter builds the relationship, and the community closes the loop.” — Milly Tamati, Generalist World

This week on Growth In Reverse, we sat down with Milly Tamati, founder of Generalist World — a thriving online community for multi-passionate professionals.

Milly’s story is a masterclass in building an ecosystem that grows itself. She used a quiz funnel to attract her ideal audience, a newsletter to nurture them, and a lifetime-membership offer to monetize — all without relying on constant product launches or heavy ad spend.

In this conversation, we dig into how Milly designed her quiz to drive newsletter sign-ups, how she uses TikTok and LinkedIn differently to drive new subscribers, and how the Generalist World newsletter feeds directly into her paid community. She breaks down conversion numbers, lessons learned, and the surprising reason she decided to cancel recurring monthly revenue—and switch to a lifetime membership model.


If you’re looking to turn your newsletter audience into a self-sustaining business, this episode is packed with ideas you can steal today.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • How Milly went from 0 to 15,000 subscribers in under a year with one quiz.
  • The exact structure of her quiz that’s driven 23,000+ completions.
  • How she optimizes quiz results pages to convert visitors into newsletter subscribers.
  • How Milly uses TikTok to fuel growth.
  • Her LinkedIn strategy that has her posting for 1000+ weekdays in a row.
  • How her newsletter now reaches 40,000+ globally — and the flywheel that keeps growth compounding.
  • The reason she switched to a lifetime membership offer.
  • How she's driving newsletter revenue after cancelling monthly subscriptions.
  • How Milly landed her Big Four "dream" sponsors.
  • The metrics she tracks weekly to measure real growth (not vanity metrics).
  • What she’d do differently if she rebuilt the Generalist World from scratch today.

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Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Music from #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/21-on-the-block/i-know
License code: 1XP9IRXHPZSBPGMM

Lessons From Building a $100M Newsletter Empire—with Sean Griffey of Industry Dive05 Nov 202500:51:02

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.


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“Organic needs to be your biggest channel if you want a real audience that feels connected to you.” — Sean Griffey, Industry Dive

You might not have aspirations of building a $100m newsletter empire. Neither did Sean Griffey.

But 10 years after cofounding Industry Dive with two peers, Sean and his cofounders sold their newsletter media business for a reported $500 million. We sat down with Sean Griffey, to understand what it took to build a behemoth like they did with Industry Dive, and whether or not Sean is still bullish on the newsletter business model.

In our chat, Sean breaks down exactly how they grew Industry Dive—from buying LinkedIn groups to mastering first-party data—and shares what today’s newsletter operators can learn from Industry Dive’s playbook.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The real reason Industry Dive launched with five newsletters on day one (and why Sean says they all “sucked” at first).
  • How a bad story accidentally proved their newsletter finally “mattered.”
  • The exact growth levers they pulled early on — including buying LinkedIn groups.
  • Why Sean believes “organic audience growth beats paid growth every time” for long-term brand value.
  • How they turned a small B2B news business into a 500-person company operating globally.
  • The virtuous cycle of investing revenue back into better content.
  • What their content studio does—and how it now drives ~40 % of total revenue.
  • What Sean believes is the most valuable data point in newsletters.
  • How Industry Dive decided which metrics actually mattered. 
  • The lessons creators today can steal from a company that built 9 figures in newsletter revenue.

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Music from #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/21-on-the-block/i-know
License code: 1XP9IRXHPZSBPGMM

How To Save Time While Doing More: Automations with Joe Casabona29 Oct 202500:55:48

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.


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“People think automation sounds hard. But If you do automatic bill pay, direct deposit, an email autoresponder, you're automating.” — Joe Casabona, casabona.org

Chances are all of us writing newsletters could benefit from some more automation. It can save us time and energy so we can focus on creating Insanely Valuable Content™️.

But what should we automate—and how?

So we brought on our favorite automation expert, Joe Casabona, to break down simple, creator-friendly automations that save time, reduce mental load, and make newsletters and online businesses run smoother. 

Joe shares the automations he uses in his own business, why you don’t need to be “techy” to build them, and how small workflow tweaks can free hours every week.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why automating parts of your newsletter doesn’t have to be complicated
  • The simple automation Joe uses to welcome new members with a personal touch (and a dopamine hit).
  • The 3-step checklist to figure out if something should be automated.
  • The four building blocks every automation is made of—and how to combine them for powerful systems.
  • A sneaky automation cheat sheet Zapier page no one talks about.
  • How to automate personalized follow-ups for subscribers—without being creepy.
  • The underrated platform Joe’s doubling down on for audience growth.
  • How automation can actually increase your human connection with subscribers.
  • Why creators should start small: Joe’s rule of thumb for the “one automation everyone should build first.”

LINKS MENTIONED

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Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!


Music from #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/21-on-the-block/i-know
License code: 1XP9IRXHPZSBPGMM

Music from SoundStripe: 
END-USER COPYRIGHT LICENSE AGREEMENT
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your work of authorship, titled Growth In Reverse. This license was created for the Pro plan
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14k+ Followers in 30 Days: Recapping the GIR Growth Challenge22 Oct 202500:38:06

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.

Quick note: We ran a 30-day Social Growth Challenge that we opened to the public for a $100 fee to join.
But all purchasers of The Growth Vault were able to join for FREE ;)  


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“I love the concept of a challenge—I just don’t know that social media is the goal anymore.” — Chenell Basilio

We ran a "public" 30-Day Social Growth Challenge. 
But was it worth it?

This episode breaks down the fallout and lessons learned from the GIR 30-Day Social Growth Challenge. We dive into whether or not we thought the challenge was a success—and whether it was worth it for each of us. We also share some pretty epic wins from several of our challengers. 


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • What can happen when you post 30 days straight.
  • Whether or not a challenge like this is worth it.
  • The hidden ROI of consistency—even when follower growth looks small.
  • How one participant landed $2M in investor interest from a single post.
  • Is daily posting “an exercise in futility”—and what you could do instead.
  • How a 12-week Content Flywheel became the ultimate anti-burnout system.
  • The channel appears to be the best long-term growth play for newsletters.
  • How to design a challenge that actually moves your business forward.
  • The surprising power of small wins and how to build momentum fast.

LINKS MENTIONED

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OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

This Newsletter Sold For $150m (And Why It Matters)15 Oct 202500:27:15

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.


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“If you’re not exceptional at one of the Big 3 — it’s impossible to build a content business.” — Dylan quoting Matt McGarry

We're sharing the biggest stories, trends, and lessons from the newsletter space over the past few weeks. 

From Bari Weiss’s $150M Substack newsletter sale to gamified engagement strategies and the rise of YouTube as the new discovery channel, we're unpacking what these moves mean for creators and operators running newsletters today.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • What the $150M acquisition of Bari Weiss's The Free Press proves about newsletters.
  • How creators can reverse-engineer their dream roles or acquisition partners.
  • The game that The Assist launched to boost engagement & reader affinity.
  • What LinkedIn’s games can teach creators about streaks, competition, and retention loops.
  • A referral program so smart it practically funds itself.
  • The "Big 3 Media Strategy” that should reshape your content marketing.
  • The #1 fear that's holding back most newsletter creators.

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

9 Things Beginners Should Ignore When Starting a Newsletter08 Oct 202500:42:41

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.


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“Stop wasting time picking the ‘perfect’ newsletter tool. Just start publishing. You can always switch later." — Dylan

We're breaking down the most common mistakes newsletter creators make in the early days — from obsessing over tools and automations to focusing on viral growth too soon.

We are challenging the conventional “how to start a newsletter” checklists floating around online (and even ChatGPT’s advice), showing how little you actually need to start. And why over-planning, over-designing, and over-automating are the real growth killers.

If you’ve been “getting ready” to launch for months, this episode will hopefully convince you to just start.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why most creators waste weeks setting up automations they don’t even need
  • Why you don't need a welcome sequence at first 
  • How Chenell recommends for getting your first 10 subscribers without a landing page
  • The one tool mistake that can cost you hundreds of dollars—and zero new readers
  • Whether or not you should invest in paid ads for early growth
  • Why planning your “perfect” newsletter launch might actually be procrastination in disguise
  • Why tracking analytics in the beginning doesn't matter (and what to track instead)
  • Why chasing virality before you’re ready can backfire hard
  • How to use early replies and feedback to shape your newsletter direction
  • The mindset shift that separates stuck creators from those who actually hit send

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

The #1 Newsletter Metric You Need To Pay More Attention To01 Oct 202500:43:36

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.


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“I sent this short email—and got over 200 replies—when I usually get maybe 8 to 15. It was wild." — Chenell

In this episode, we're digging into the art (and science) of getting more replies to your newsletter.

Why replies?

Because we believe (and we're not alone) that replies should be the #1 metric most newsletter creators should be focusing on—even more than open or click rates.

We unpack why replies are a powerful signal for deliverability, engagement—even creator mental health—and we share practical strategies for getting more of them. Everything from welcome email tweaks to pattern-interrupt campaigns. 

And we even highlight our own examples—plus some examples from major newsletter experts like Mario Gabriele’s “Puzzler,” Toby Howell’s gamified email, and Katelyn Bourgoin’s Fri-Yay edition (part of her Why We Buy newsletter).


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why replies are the ultimate engagement metric (and why open/click rates can mislead you)
  • How replies directly impact email deliverability
  • The underrated mental health boost creators get from reader replies
  • Why your welcome email is the #1 place to prioritize a reply CTA
  • Simple frameworks to write reply-worthy content (like Shaan Puri’s 7 emotions)
  • How pattern interrupt emails can spark hundreds of responses overnight
  • The surprising downsides: why Chenell’s 200-reply email also had record unsubscribes
  • Real-world examples: Mario Gabriele’s “Puzzler,” Toby Howell’s “Button Game,” and Katelyn Bourgoin’s Fri-Yay interactive polls
  • How replies can reveal new content ideas, products, or even potential clients
  • Why even a short personal story in your newsletter can trigger authentic responses

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

3 Steps To A Perfect Subscriber Onboarding24 Sep 202500:40:40

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here! The Growth Vault is filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.


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“One of the worst things you can do is send new subscribers to a dead-end thank you page. That kills engagement immediately." — Chenell

We're breaking down the most overlooked (yet critical) part of growing a newsletter: onboarding new subscribers. 

We'll take you through Chenell's 3-step onboarding process every newsletter creator should have in place—and show how to optimize each for higher engagement, deliverability, and long-term retention. 

We also tease an advanced 5-step version and share examples from top creators like Katelyn Bourgoin, Tom Alder, and Eddie Shleyner. Whether you’re just starting out or already running a large newsletter, you’ll learn how to avoid common pitfalls and set up onboarding that actually works.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The 3 Cs of a high-converting landing page
  • Why default Thank-you pages kill engagement (and what to do instead)
  • How "sniper links" can push new subscribers directly into their inbox to find your email
  • The #1 mistake welcome emails make
  • The most important job your welcome email has
  • A simple incentive trick to encourage replies
  • The difference between a “true” and “false” double opt-in
  • How (and why) to include surveys in your onboarding
  • What top creators do with their “almost there” pages to hook new subscribers

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

7 Ways To Make a 'Good' Newsletter GREAT17 Sep 202500:39:14

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here! The Growth Vault is filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.


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“Sometimes less is more. Cut the clutter and highlight the one thing that matters." — Chenell

It's newsletter roast time 🔥🔥 We're putting the spotlight on Hobby Card Life: a newsletter covering sports cards and collectibles. 

We roast and review everything from the sign-up flow to newsletter design to growth levers. You’ll hear what’s working, what’s holding this newsletter back, and the exact opportunities we see for growth and monetization.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The first impression a niche newsletter makes on readers (and where Hobby Card Life missed).
  • The simple opt-in tweak that could dramatically increase subscriber conversions.
  • Why design consistency matters more than you think—and how this newsletter could fix it quickly.
  • What to do when your niche is too broad for new subscribers to understand instantly.
  • The surprising monetization angle that could be a major revenue driver.
  • How partnerships inside a passionate niche can compound growth.
  • The retention risk we spotted in this newsletter’s publishing cadence.
  • Where we’d focus first if we were growing Hobby Card Life from here.

LINKS MENTIONED

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OUR NEWSLETTERS

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If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

$9M with 50k subscribers: Sam Vander Wielen's 7-figure newsletter funnel.10 Sep 202501:01:17

Get 30+ video lessons and ideas for optimizing your newsletter: https://growthinreverse.com/vault

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“All roads point to the email list." — Sam Vander Wielen, Sam's Sidebar

In this episode, we interview Sam Vander Wielen—a lawyer-turned-creator who has sold over $9M in legal templates with a 50k-subscriber newsletter. 

Sam shares how her motto of "All roads point to the email list" has helped her earn over $9M in total revenue since starting her business in 2017. And she's done it with a small team and a replicable funnel strategy most creators could copy. 


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why she decided to walk away from strategies that “should” work — and what happened after
  • The $100k turning point that reshaped how she runs her business
  • How she blends storytelling with practical education to keep readers engaged
  • How her newsletter fuels her entire content ecosystem
  • What creators misunderstand about legal protections (and how to fix it)
  • Why she believes the boring stuff is actually the growth engine
  • The platform she almost abandoned — and why she came back stronger
  • Her advice for creators chasing growth but ignoring long-term sustainability

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

Recapping CEX 2025: Un-hyping AI, Community Moats, and the Future of Newsletters03 Sep 202500:44:08

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new product —The Growth Vault— is here. Filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.


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“If content is king, AI is storming the castle." — Darren Vesterfelt, Mighty Networks

Chenell was just in Cleveland for the annual CEX conference. And she wasn't *just* in attendance—she was also a speaker!

So we're recapping the biggest lessons and takeaways from Chenell's experience at CEX (Content Entrepreneur Expo) — where she basically opened the conference with her keynote, traded notes with some content economy heavy hitters (like Jay Acunzo, Ann Handley, Mark Schaefer, Robert Rose), and soaked up the big trends.

We dig into why slowing down beats AI-first content, the power of community and IRL relationships, how to think about discovery vs. relationship platforms, and why some SEO pros are betting on social over search.  


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The case for “as slow as possible” content: let ideas marinate; don’t outsource your thinking to AI. 
  • How to use AI as an editor rather than a first-draft brain replacement—and why this matters more than ever. 
  • Driving audiences from discovery platforms → relationship platforms. 
  • Community is a durable moat when content sameness rises (AI is “storming the castle”). 
  • Social > Search (sometimes): comments from real humans can beat 10k empty pageviews. 
  • Testing ideas fast with social media—and how commenting sparks even more ideas.
  • IRL still trumps all: stages, dinners, and small masterminds create outsized serendipity. 
  • Are physical newsletters back? 
  • Should you try AI sobriety?

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

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If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

His private newsletter with 1.5k subs earns $1M ARR27 Aug 202501:00:22

Join our September Social Growth Challenge: https://growthinreverse.com/social

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“You have to be first—or you have to be best. That's how you win at paid content." — Nathan May, The Feed Media

In this episode, we interview Nathan May, founder of The Feed Media. 

Nathan shares how he turned a small, private newsletter into a $1M ARR business in under a year, and how his agency helps some of the biggest creators and media companies scale their audiences with paid growth. 

We dig into the playbooks behind The Feed Media, the experiments that worked (and the ones that didn’t), and why even a small but mighty list can generate outsized revenue. Whether you’re looking to monetize a niche newsletter or scale a larger media brand, Nathan’s story offers a unique perspective on growth and revenue. 


>>Get 30+ video lessons and ideas for optimizing your newsletter: https://growthinreverse.com/vault

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The surprising first step Nathan took before writing a single newsletter issue
  • Why building around a niche community gave him an unfair advantage
  • The revenue model he used before sponsors ever came knocking
  • How The Feed Media structured its first monetization funnel
  • The newsletter flywheel Nathan swears by for compounding growth
  • The counterintuitive move that actually boosted subscriber trust
  • Why his first 1,000 subs mattered the most
  • The overlooked channel that drove some of his fastest growth
  • How Nathan would start & scale a B2B newsletter today
  • The single most important metric he tracks inside The Feed Media

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

How Chenell Got 11k Subs in 6 Months20 Aug 202500:39:10

>> Join the 30-Days of Growth Social Challenge: https://growthinreverse.com/social

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“The first 6 months taught me that consistency beats everything — even if you’re not perfect."

In this episode of the Growth In Reverse podcast, Dylan and Chenell rewind the clock to when Chenell was just starting her newsletter. She breaks down the two strategies that fueled her early growth to 11,000 subscribers in six months: creating insanely valuable content and consistently engaging on Twitter.

PLUS: We're launching a new challenge to boost your content's visibility on social media—just like Chenell did to reach her first 11k subscribers: https://growthinreverse.com/social


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The simple posting strategy Chenell used to get her first subscribers
  • How one Twitter comment brought subscribers instantly
  • The role of curiosity and passion in standing out with your content
  • Why treating your social profile like a landing page matters
  • How early replies and comments built relationships with influential people
  • The burnout risk of trying to post every day (and what Chenell would do differently)
  • How a newsletter & podcast shoutouts boosted early credibility

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

5 Newsletter Growth Lessons From 2.5 Years of Publishing13 Aug 202500:41:59

“If you spend 80% of your time making incredibly good content, you probably only have to spend 20% marketing it."

In this special episode, we’re bringing you Chenell’s conversation with Darrell Vesterfelt, VP of Growth at Mighty Networks, for a recent Creator Summit. 

In the chat, Chenell talks about why she started a newsletter — and why she chose a newsletter — way back in December 2022. 

Chenell and Darrell also dive into the art and science of growing a newsletter from scratch — from picking a topic you’ll never get bored of, to building relationships that fuel growth, to deciding when and how to monetize. If you’re looking for a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the most well-known newsletter growth strategists thinks about audience building, this episode is loaded with ideas you can apply immediately.


>>Get 30+ video lessons and ideas for optimizing your newsletter: https://growthinreverse.com/vault

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why passion for your newsletter topic is a wildly underrated growth lever
  • How Chenell leveraged “content-led growth” to get early traction
  • The commenting strategy that landed her first subscribers
  • Why treating your social profile like a landing page matters
  • The balance between high-quality content and active marketing
  • How to use “cryptic teasers” to generate curiosity before publishing
  • The biggest mistake she made with social posting frequency
  • Why she didn’t run Facebook ads for Growth In Reverse (and when she would)
  • The simple poll that landed her first paid sponsor
  • How she would structure a paid newsletter if starting today

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

How CJ Gustafson Grew Mostly Metrics to 60k+ Subscribers & Multi‑Six‑Figures in Revenue06 Aug 202500:53:43

The Growth Vault is LIVE: https://growthinreverse.com/vault

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“During my last year as a CFO, I made more money from my newsletter and podcast than my full-time job."  — CJ Gustafson, Mostly Metrics

We sit down with CJ Gustafson, former tech CFO and now full-time creator of two newsletters—Mostly Metrics and Looking For Leverage—and a podcast called Run The Numbers. CJ is masterful at taking financial and business concepts and making them wildly entertaining.
 
CJ shares how he went from consulting and private equity to running a high-revenue content business, why he thinks about content like product development, and the systems he’s built to keep ideas flowing. If you’ve ever wondered how to blend expertise, humor, and growth strategy into a newsletter people can’t stop sharing, this episode is packed with insights.


PS - We recently hosted CJ in the GIR Pro community where he shared more BTS of his newsletter 👀🔥


→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • How CJ built Mostly Metrics into a leading finance newsletter with personality
  • The unusual career path that prepared him for creating content CFOs actually read
  • How CJ uses humor (and dog pics) to make complex topics approachable
  • How he's building out the “media mullet” business model
  • How CJ replaced his CFO salary with newsletter and podcast revenue—and why it happened faster than expected
  • CJ's revenue streams that drive a multi‑six‑figure media revenue engine
  • How he uses AI and transcripts to mine hundreds of hours of interviews for writing ideas
  • CJ's favorite—and most important—newsletter metric
  • The single biggest growth hack for his podcast audience
  • His daily creative routine for producing high-value content without burning out

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

Turning a Niche Newsletter of 30k Subs Into a Full-Time Business 30 Jul 202501:01:21

The Growth Vault is LIVE: https://growthinreverse.com/vault

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“You don’t need to create for everyone. You need to create for the people who value you most — and they’ll carry your newsletter further than you think."  — Matt Johansen, Vulnu.com

We sat down with Matt Johansen, creator of the Vulnerable U newsletter (nearly 30,000 subscribers), to unpack how he’s grown a must-read in the cybersecurity space. Matt has successfully transitioned from working in the cybersecurity space to running a newsletter + content agency business. So we wanted to learn exactly how he's done it. 

Matt shares how he combines industry expertise with personal storytelling, why B2B creators can command a premium, and what’s working for him across newsletters, sponsorships, and short-form video. 


If you want to learn how to grow and monetize a niche newsletter, this one’s for you.


PS - Matt is not only a brilliant video & newsletter creator, he's also a member of the GIR Pro community 🔥


→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • How Matt grew to over 30,000 subscribers in under 2 years
  • How he's crushing short-form video content for his newsletter
  • How he monetized through sponsorships and built an agency alongside the newsletter
  • The strategy behind his short-form and long-form video content
  • His approach to setting boundaries with sponsors while maintaining audience trust
  • How he leveraged industry presence & experience for early newsletter traction
  • Why and how he’s adding a paid newsletter subscription tier 
  • Tips for avoiding burnout as a solo creator juggling multiple content platforms
  • Why platform-specific editing matters for short-form video success

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OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

How to Turn 1 Subscriber into 10: Get More Referrals With These Tactics23 Jul 202500:36:28

The Growth Vault is LIVE: https://growthinreverse.com/vault

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“This is the underrated growth strategy every newsletter should be using.”

What if every subscriber could turn into 10 more?

In this episode of the Growth In Reverse podcast, Dylan and Chenell unpack one of the most underrated newsletter growth levers: referrals.

They explore how to turn one subscriber into ten, without even needing a full-blown referral platform. From embedding share prompts into your welcome sequence to clever ways to incentivize email forwarding, this episode is packed with low-lift, high-impact strategies that help creators build a referral flywheel — even without a tech stack.

No matter our ESP, get some new ideas and actionable tactics to boost growth using your most valuable asset: your existing subscribers.


→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The absolute best time to ask subscribers for referrals (and why most miss it)
  • A surprising strategy a deliverability expert recommends to get more shares
  • How one subtle tweak in your welcome email can 10x word-of-mouth growth
  • The low-effort email trick that gets people to forward your newsletter
  • “Send this to your plant bestie” — why hyper-specific asks perform better
  • Why sharing via social might outperform traditional email referrals
  • The hidden moment after a lead magnet download you should be capitalizing on
  • A single click that triggers a referral follow-up (without any tech stack)
  • The tiny line at the bottom of your email that can quietly drive growth
  • A one-referral incentive so clever, readers feel compelled to share

LINKS MENTIONED 

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

His Paid Newsletter Launch Drove $50k+ (and 500+ paid subs)16 Jul 202500:48:38

“I waited to launch my paid newsletter until I had a solid strategy and felt like I’d earned it.”  — Tom Orbach, Marketing Ideas

Tom Orbach of MarketingIdeas.com — which recently crossed 44,000 free subscribers and over 500 paid subscribers in just the first few days after launching his paid tier — joins Chenell & Dylan to share the exact playbook he used to grow his newsletter and launch the paid version. He became a Substack bestseller within a day of his paid launch! And he did this all while working a full-time job.

You'll learn how he engineered a wildly successful Product Hunt launch, and why he delayed monetization for nearly two years. We also dive into the tools he uses, the psychology behind his launch strategy, and how Substack's built-in network helped supercharge his growth after turning on his paid tier. Whether you're at 500 subscribers or 50,000, this episode is a tactical goldmine.


PS - Tom is not only smart marketer & newsletter creator, he's also a member of the GIR Pro community 🔥


→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Tom shares how he started the newsletter and bought the domain marketingideas.com after selling a viral tool.
  • He explains why he invested in a ".com" domain instead of going with a cheaper option
  • What publishing his first newsletter edition to a waitlist of 1,000+ felt like—and why publishing early and often matters.
  • Balancing a full-time job with weekly publishing.
  • How his job fuels his content.
  • His top growth levers (including one that helped him gain over 7,000 subscribers).
  • Why he waited nearly two years to launch a paid tier.
  • How he designed the offer to feel premium and "non-calculable."
  • Behind the scenes of Tom’s nine-day email launch strategy that brought in 500+ paid subscribers.
  • How Tom reinvests revenue into experiments, gear, and ads to continue scaling.
  • The emotional pressure of going paid—and how he maintains quality content and subscriber trust.
  • Building community and micro-launches as the next phase of his newsletter growth.

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

Newsletter Coaching Session: Scaling Deep Dives Into a Newsletter Growth Engine09 Jul 202500:42:30

“$250k is when growth changes. It’s when you need systems. You usually can’t do it solo.”  — Matt Gira, The Quarter

Matt Gira joins Chenell & Dylan — in person — to share how he went from building underwater drones to launching The Quarter: a newsletter that deep dives into how founders grow bootstrapped businesses to $250K. This is an interview, but also an impromptu coaching session with Matt as we help him figure out how he can grow his newsletter faster and get it in front of the right audience.

We talk content strategy, growth experiments, and the surprising data he's uncovering along the way.

PS - Matt is not only an up-and-coming newsletter creator, he's also a member of the GIR Pro community 🔥


→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why $250k is the key milestone for bootstrapped founders
  • How Matt turned a niche data set into a powerful newsletter growth lever
  • How he grew his newsletter to 1,200+ subscribers without chasing virality
  • Collaborations, events, and the tour that could 10x his reach
  • The power of being early, scrappy, and generous in your creator journey
  • How Matt reverse engineers founder journeys from YouTube to written content
  • The role of YouTube, LinkedIn, and in-person meetups in his growth flywheel
  • Strategies he’s testing now: content swaps, data licensing, services

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

Your Newsletter Is Too Easy to Join — Here’s Why That’s a Problem02 Jul 202500:31:34

“I love unsubscribes. Don’t be here if you don’t want to be here.”

It is insanely easy to subscribe to a newsletter—and even MULTIPLE newsletters all at once.

But is that a good thing? Should newsletter creators be more choosy when determining who signs up? We're diving into one of the most overlooked and under-discussed aspects of newsletter growth: friction.

Specifically, how adding friction—rather than eliminating it—can actually improve subscriber quality, open rates, and monetization.

This one’s a must-listen if you’re growing via referrals, recommendations, or paid ads—or if you’re cleaning your list and still not seeing better open rates.


→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why the "low friction" mindset can lead to worse subscribers
  • What happened when Chenell got aggressive about cleaning her list
  • Backend vs. frontend friction: which is better and when
  • Building a false double opt-in to retain more good subscribers
  • Why double opt-in purgatory can kill 20–40% of your growth
  • How paid ads can inflate list size but tank your quality
  • Form fields, first names, and checkbox tactics that work
  • The danger of creating “unsubscribe friction” (and why you shouldn’t use it)
  • What Dylan includes in every single broadcast to improve list health
  • Creative ideas like gated quizzes, segmenting checkboxes, and engagement-driven welcomes

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

9 Big Takeaways For Creators From Craft + Commerce 202525 Jun 202500:46:40

“The real value wasn’t in the keynotes—it was the dinners, the hikes, the casual connections.” – Dylan Redekop, first-time C+C attendee

Dylan and Chenell reflect on their time at Kit's Craft + Commerce email newsletter conference for creators in Boise.
 
But this episode isn’t just a recap — it’s a deep dive into what made the conference unforgettable: the people, the ideas, and the big shifts in how creators are building authentic businesses. From mastermind dinners with Pat Flynn to keynote takeaways on AI, content strategy, public speaking, and creator community, they unpack what creators should actually focus on in 2025.


→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The irreplaceable power of in-person connection
  • The difference between “insanely valuable” vs “insanely frequent” content
  • Why mastermind-style events create outsized ROI
  • How to use AI without burning out
  • The importance of crafting your personal “what do you do” intro
  • Creator identity and the fight with impostor syndrome
  • Content strategy lessons from Sam Vander Wielen and Amanda Goetz
  • Pat Flynn’s “lean learning” growth loop from 0 to millions of YouTube subs
  • How to run better meetups and create serendipitous opportunities
  • What Craft & Commerce nailed — and why you might want to go next year

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

From Tweets to 70k: How Jesse "Accidentally" Built a Newsletter of 70k Subscribers18 Jun 202500:47:31

"Every time I try to be an expert, I lose readers. When I’m just me, they stick around." – Jesse J. Anderson, Extra Focus newsletter

For the first time ever, Chenell & Dylan have recorded LIVE, in-person podcast episodes!  

Coming at you in-person from Kit Studios in Boise ID, Chenell & Dylan connect with Jesse J. Anderson—better known online as ADHD Jesse—to uncover the evolution of his successful newsletter, Extra Focus. 

Jesse's grown Extra Focus to over 70,000 subscribers and a combined social following in the hundreds of thousands. Jesse shares the real, raw, and often hilarious truth about building a brand and business around ADHD while balancing a full-time job and raising three kids.

We talk through the early days of posting atomic essays in Ship 30 For 30, stumbling into virality, learning what content resonated (and what didn’t), and how he’s navigated massive growth across platforms like Substack, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Whether you're managing life with ADHD or not our chat with Jesse is full of valuable insight into newsletter growth, business, and some brutal honesty.


→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Jesse’s unexpected entry into content creation through Ship 30 for 30
  • The signal pointing him towards doubling down on ADHD content
  • How he built a massive newsletter while working full-time and raising a family
  • Lessons learned from running paid newsletters, courses, and planning a thriving ADHD community
  • What led to his viral Instagram and Twitter growth, and Jesse's simple content repurposing strategy
  • The emotional rollercoaster of getting laid off and turning that moment into a creative breakthrough
  • Why authenticity matters now more than ever in a post-AI content world

LINKS MENTIONED

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

OUR NEWSLETTERS

Subscribe & Leave a Review:

If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

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