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Explore every episode of the podcast Growth In Reverse: Newsletter & Email Growth

Dive into the complete episode list for Growth In Reverse: Newsletter & Email Growth. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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Coming soon... the Growth In Reverse podcast!22 Nov 202400:00:50

Hitting 50k newsletter subscribers isn't easy. But the Growth In Reverse podcast reveals how newsletters are doing it. Chenell Basilio has spent the past 2+ years and thousands of hours reverse engineering how the biggest newsletter creators in the world have grown audiences of 50,000 to 1M subscribers—and beyond. Join Chenell and her cohost Dylan Redekop every week to learn the most effective and unique newsletter growth strategies, hear from other newsletter experts, and figure out how to turn your newsletter into a profitable business. Check out the newsletter of the same name at growthinreverse.com → 

The Wildest Newsletter Growth Strategies From 3,000 Hours of Research (#001)04 Dec 202400:25:29

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

#001 - Welcome to the Growth In Reverse podcast — in this episode, Chenell & Dylan dig into some of the wildest ways to grow your newsletter after looking back on over 3,000 hours of research into creators.

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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

Building His Newsletter to 75k Subscribers with Eddie Shleyner of Very Good Copy (#003)18 Dec 202400:54:05

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

#003 - Welcome to the Growth In Reverse podcast — in this episode, Chenell & Dylan host a special guest: Eddie Shleyner, the creator behind Very Good Copy.

Eddie has built a successful newsletter and blog focused on micro lessons in copywriting, creativity, and marketing, garnering the attention of over 70,000 subscribers and leading brands.


Get Chenell's FULL deep dive on Eddie Shleyner here: https://growthinreverse.com/eddie-shleyner
Start collecting testimonials like Eddie did —for free— with Senja: https://growthinreverse.com/senja


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The Journey to Growth: How Eddie transitioned from a personal writing project to intentional audience-building starting in 2018.
  • From HubSpot to Solo Success: The pivotal moments that skyrocketed Eddie’s subscriber base and how a single article led to his first 2,000 subscribers.
  • The Well of Ideas: Eddie’s system for capturing fleeting creative sparks and turning them into compelling content.
  • Growth Loops and Marketing Strategies: The powerful LinkedIn growth loop Eddie used to amplify his reach and grow his newsletter audience.
  • Sabbaticals and Balance: Why Eddie takes months-long breaks from content creation and how it fuels his biggest projects, like his book and courses.
  • Repurposing Content: How Eddie leverages his content library to stay consistent without burning out.

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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

The Biggest Mistakes We See Newsletters Making (#002)11 Dec 202400:31:14

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

#002 - Welcome to the Growth In Reverse podcast — in this episode, Chenell & Dylan cover the 12 most common mistakes they see newsletter creators making—and how to fix them.

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

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Mistake #1: Poor Format & Content
  • Mistake #2: Hiding your subscribe form
  • Mistake #3: Too many other links
  • Mistake #4: Unclear value
  • BONUS Mistake: Not collecting social proof
  • Mistake #5: Not sending a welcome email
  • Mistake #6: Using the same welcome sequence for everyone
  • Mistake #7: Ignoring social media
  • Mistake #8: Not partnering with other creators
  • Mistake #9: Not using lead magnets
  • Mistake #10: Not thinking about revenue soon enough
  • Mistake #11: Too many revenue streams (at first)
  • Mistake #12: Promoting with sponsors & affiliates you don’t believe in

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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

What I’d Change If I Started Over (#004)23 Dec 202400:43:14

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

In this episode of the Growth In Reverse podcast: after hitting 40,000 subscribers in 2 years of publishing her Growth In Reverse newsletter, Chenell reflects on how she operated, grew, and monetized her newsletter—and what she would do differently if starting from scratch.

Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here: https://growthinreverse.com/growth-levers-library/
Start collecting testimonials for free with Senja: https://growthinreverse.com/senja

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Starting Strong: Why beginning with curiosity and passion set the foundation for success.
  • Content vs. Marketing: Striking the right balance between creating high-quality content and promoting it effectively.
  • Social Media Insights: How engaging strategically on platforms like Twitter helped Chenell build early momentum.
  • Avoiding Burnout: Lessons learned about pacing, sustainability, and avoiding overcommitment.
  • Monetization Reflections: Why Chenell decided against turning GIR into a paid newsletter (and if she regrets not doing it).
  • Sponsorship Beginnings: The story behind her first sponsor and the lessons she’d apply moving forward.
  • The Power of Relationships: How building and maintaining meaningful connections contributed to long-term growth.
  • Scaling Smarter: Why bringing in help earlier would have improved workflow and scalability.

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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

Grow Your Newsletter WITHOUT Social Media (#005)30 Dec 202400:44:12

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

In this episode of the Growth In Reverse podcast, Chenell & Dylan review how some popular newsletters grew without social media —and share how you can do the same.

Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here: https://growthinreverse.com/growth-levers-library/
Start collecting testimonials for free with Senja: https://growthinreverse.com/senja

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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

Spicy Newsletter Takes: Should You Really Do This? (#006)08 Jan 202500:51:57

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

In this episode of the Growth In Reverse podcast, Chenell & Dylan dive into some of the most polarizing newsletter topics. They share their experiences and opinions AND potentially *hot* takes.

Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>
Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Lead Magnets: Yes or No? How to make them work for you.
  • Double Opt-In Debate: Does it help engagement or kill your subscriber growth?
  • Cleaning Your Email List: 100% necessary—or more harm than good?
  • Referral Programs: Once a growth hack—do they still work today?
  • Paid Growth Strategies: Why you shouldn’t spend a dime on ads until you’ve nailed this one thing.
  • Newsletter Giveaways: Smart tactic or open-rate killer?
  • ...and more!

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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

7 of the Best Newsletter Growth Strategies of 2024 (#007)15 Jan 202500:36:25

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

In this episode of the Growth In Reverse podcast, Chenell & Dylan dive into the best and most unique growth strategies they saw in 2024.

→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>
→ Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • How Khe Hy used lead magnets "in disguise"
  • Aakash Gupta discovered a massive growth hack
  • Kyla Scanlon drives over 69k subscribers with short-form content
  • Yossi Levi creates irresistible content with "exclusives"
  • How Julie Gurner extracts value, then pivots
  • Ben Tossell replied to *everyone*
  • How Tom Alder systematized LinkedIn engagement

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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

Turn Your Newsletter Into a Sponsor Magnet - with Justin Moore (#008)22 Jan 202500:51:41

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

"I made $2,000 with a newsletter list of only 3,000 subscribers."

In this episode of the Growth In Reverse podcast, Chenell & Dylan sit down with Justin Moore and discuss how to nail brand sponsorships. Justin is the founder of Creator Wizard where he coaches creators to earn more with their brand deals. He has also written and pre-launched his book on the same topic called Sponsor Magnet. 

→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>
→ Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Justin's journey: From YouTube husband to sponsorship expert.
  • A lesson in newsletter nurturing: How Justin lost 97% of his email list.
  • Unscalable tactics that worked: Personalized outreach with a twist. 
  • The power of niching down: Why Justin pivoted to sponsorships exclusively.
  • How to send more emails but limit unsubscribes: advice for Justin's newsletter churn issue. 
  • Justin's secret to long-term newsletter growth.
  • How Justin landed a $2,000 newsletter sponsorship—with only 3k subscribers.
  • Justin's A.R.C. framework for building creative sponsorship packages that sell.

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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

Scaling to 150k: The Secrets to More Paid Subscribers with Aakash Gupta (#010)29 Jan 202500:47:45

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

"Collaborations are not optional. They’re the fastest way to grow a newsletter.” — Aakash Gupta, Product Growth

Chenell & Dylan sit down with Aakash Gupta of the Product Growth newsletter in this episode.

When Chenell researched & wrote her GIR Deep Dive on Aakash last year, he had just hit 100k subscribers. He's now grown to over 150k subscribers, publishes multiple times per week—and started a new podcast this past August. Aakash shares how he's grown his newsletter, where he focuses his energy, and how he manages the massive amount of content he's publishing. 

→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>
→ Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Aakash’s intentional strategy for creating a durable business that he loves—why he’s in it for the long haul
  • The surprising role of collaborations in newsletter growth (and what Twitch creators taught him about success)
  • How Aakash is "optimizing for the internal share" and why he's doubling down on the strategy
  • Growth experiments: How sending more content affects paid subscriber growth
  • Launching a podcast while managing a newsletter: The trade-offs, lessons, and unexpected benefits.
  • Mastering SEO basics: How Aakash ensures his content stays discoverable (and what role backlinks play).
  • The paid newsletter promise: Why Aakash guarantees 10x ROI—or your money back.
  • What Aakash has planned for growth and product in 2025.

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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

$624k/Year From a Newsletter - How Aakash Gupta Grew His Newsletter From 0 to 105k in 3 Years. (#009)27 Jan 202500:18:00

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

In 3 years, Aakash Gupta went from 0 to over 300k followers, 105k email subscribers, and $624k in annual revenue. This is a walkthrough of a deep dive I wrote into his growth story, which you can read here: https://growthinreverse.com/aakash-gupta/

On Wednesday, we're releasing the full interview with Aakash Gupta here, so stay tuned!

Small changes that could 10x your newsletter.05 Feb 202500:45:21

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

Could these small changes have a 10x impact on your newsletter's success?

Chenell & Dylan reveal 15+ little newsletter changes you can make today that could have massive results.

→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>
→ Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The minimalist landing page tip that can help boost conversions
  • 9 small ways to improve your welcome email—and increase engagement
  • The missed opportunity with “almost there” & "thank-you" pages
  • Referral programs: a simple way to make them work
  • Cross-promotions without the hassle: a set-it-and-forget-it approach
  • Smart ways to monetize, even with a small audience
  • Retention strategies: keep your subscribers engaged and coming back
  • ...and more!

DEEP DIVES & 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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

He Built a 6-Figure Empire Teaching Google Sheets: Ben Collins Deep Dive10 Feb 202500:21:43

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

Ben Collins has built a successful business and a newsletter with over 50k subscribers that earns him a comfortable living. Later this week, Dylan and I talk to Ben about how he can continue to grow the newsletter and get over the growth plateau he's currently facing. 

Get 75+ Growth Levers used by top newsletters: https://growthinreverse.com/gll/
Join a community of others building their newsletters: https://growthinreverse.com/pro/

***

LINKS MENTIONED
• Ben's newsletter and website: https://www.benlcollins.com/
• Ben's deep dive: https://growthinreverse.com/ben-collins/
• Check out ALL the Growth In Reverse Deep Dives → https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

***

Subscribe to the Podcast 👇
• See all podcast episodes: https://growthinreverse.com/podcast/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growth-in-reverse/id1781118823
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5jVjX6RUEFy3vlfr8RGxlF

***

Connect with Chenell:
→ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenellco/
→ https://bsky.app/profile/growthinreverse.com
→ https://x.com/chenellco
📬 https://growthinreverse.com

How To Revive a Stalled Newsletter — with Ben Collins12 Feb 202500:46:46

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

What happens when an established newsletter hits a growth plateau?
And can anything be done to revive it?

Chenell & Dylan sit down with Ben Collins of BenLCollins.com and his Google Sheets Tips newsletter.

When Chenell researched & wrote her GIR Deep Dive on Ben last year, all appeared to be going well for Ben and his Google Sheets Tips newsletter. But when we invited Ben to join us on the podcast, he was apprehensive: "Are you sure you want me to come on? Growth has been very flat." So we took this as an opportunity to flex our growth strategy muscles and provide Ben with some newsletter growth coaching.

→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>
→ Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • How Ben's grown his newsletter to 55k and his recent growth plateau
  • The impact of burnout and shifting business models
  • Growth Strategy #1: Could a ChatGPT-powered tool be a game-changer for growth?
  • Growth Strategy #2: The untapped potential of YouTube and short-form content
  • Growth Strategy #3: Why LinkedIn could be a goldmine for audience engagement
  • Growth Strategy #4: The power of a content flywheel
  • Growth Strategy #5: Collaboration and partnerships: The power of teaming up
  • Growth Strategy #6: The hidden power of Reddit
  • Growth Strategy #7: Customizing and creating a powerful referral program
  • How to convert more subscribers to community members
  • Balancing creating vs. selling as a content creator
  • Ways to promote Ben's paid membership 
  • Ben's final decision on our growth strategies

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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

Building a $2M Newsletter While Getting Lazier with Katelyn Bourgoin26 Feb 202500:52:33

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

"Less is more. The key to growing Why We Buy wasn’t doing more—it was doubling down on what worked and cutting the rest.”
— Katelyn Bourgoin

Chenell & Dylan are joined by Katelyn Bourgoin of the Why We Buy newsletter.

Chenell researched & wrote a GIR Deep Dive on Katelyn back in 2023. At that point, Katelyn's Why We Buy newsletter had just surpassed the 50k-subscriber mark and she was in the midst of earning $300k with her newsletter.

Fast-forward 18 months: Why We Buy is approaching 70k subscribers and nearly hit $1M in revenue during 2024.

That's nearly 1.5x subscriber growth and over 3x revenue in only 18 months. In our chat, we talk about what's driving revenue these days for Katelyn, and how she's approaching newsletter growth. 

→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>
→ Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Katelyn’s newsletter journey: from launch to nearly $1M revenue
  • The strategy behind using flash sales to smooth out revenue spikes
  • How Katelyn segments her audience for more targeted sales
  • The mix of paid and organic growth strategies fueling Why We Buy
  • Why repurposing content is key (and how Katelyn does it effortlessly)
  • AI-powered tools Katelyn is building to help businesses craft better messaging
  • Introducing Friyay—a new interactive, gamified newsletter experiment (and how Katelyn is gauging success)
  • The balance between sponsorships and product revenue
  • ...and much more!

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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

The 7-Figure Newsletter Teaching People “Why We Buy”23 Feb 202500:32:13

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

Katelyn Bourgoin has amassed over 63k subscribers and earned $1M in revenue—in 2024 alone!

She runs the popular newsletter Why We Buy. It's my favorite newsletter when it comes to buyer psychology.

And in this deep dive walkthrough, I'm giving you a rundown of how she's built and monetized her newsletter. And then later this week, Dylan and I have Katelyn on the show talking all about how she's pivoting her consulting business to a full-on newsletter business. 

Get 75+ Growth Levers used by top newsletters: https://growthinreverse.com/gll/
Join a community of others building their newsletters: https://growthinreverse.com/pro/

***

LINKS MENTIONED

***

Connect with Chenell:
→ Chenell on LinkedIn
→ Chenell on Bluesky
→ Chenell on Twitter
📬 https://growthinreverse.com

Beyond Sponsorships: The Most Unique Newsletter Revenue Streams19 Feb 202500:37:57

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

What are the most popular revenue streams for newsletters?
And how many revenue streams do most newsletters have?

Chenell & Dylan review the revenue stream stats from the 66 Deep Dives that Chenell's published for Growth In Reverse. They reveal what the 3 most common revenue streams are—but then they unearth the lesser-known revenue streams that newsletter creators are sleeping on.

→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>
→ Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The top three revenue streams from 66 newsletter case studies
  • Why courses are the natural next step for many creators
  • The genius of paid guest posts: The triple-stack approach
  • How software tools can be powerful lead magnets and revenue streams
  • Flipping newsletters for profit
  • The secret paid newsletter model that generated $50K from 471 subscribers
  • ...and more!

DEEP DIVES & 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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

This Student Grew a Newsletter & Community to 6-Figure Subscribers & Revenue02 Mar 202500:23:52

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

Anne-Laure got her first 6,000 subscribers by posting 100 articles in 100 days. But that was back in 2019.

Today, her Maker Mind newsletter hits over 100k subscriber inboxes, and her Ness Labs community brings in over 6 figures in revenue every year. So, in this deep dive walkthrough, I share how Anne-Laure went from 6k subscribers to 100k+.

Then later this week, Dylan and I chat with Anne-Laure about her recent journey of getting her PhD in neuroscience and publishing a book, all while still operating a successful newsletter and online community.

Get 75+ Growth Levers used by top newsletters: https://growthinreverse.com/gll/
Join a community of others building their newsletters: https://growthinreverse.com/pro/

***

LINKS MENTIONED

***

Connect with Chenell:
→ Chenell on LinkedIn
→ Chenell on Bluesky
→ Chenell on Twitter
📬 https://growthinreverse.com

From 0 to 100K: The Science of Writing, Learning & Experimentation with Anne-Laure Le Cunff05 Mar 202500:44:55

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

"I didn’t have a goal—I just committed to showing up every day for 100 days." — Anne-Laure Le Cunff, Ness Labs

After publishing 100 articles in 100 days, Anne-Laure drove 6,000 subscribers to her Maker Mind newsletter.

It was the tiny experiment that kickstarted her newsletter journey.

But it was just the beginning.

Today, her Maker Mind newsletter reaches over 100k subscribers' inboxes, and her Ness Labs community brings in over 6 figures in revenue every year. But what's even more impressive is that she's accomplished this while completing her PhD in neuroscience and publishing a book, Tiny Experiments.

Chenell & Dylan sit down with Anne-Laure to discuss everything from how she got her first 6,000 subscribers to growing and monetizing a newsletter to six figures.

Get 75+ Growth Levers used by top newsletters: https://growthinreverse.com/gll/
Join a community of like-minded newsletter creators: https://growthinreverse.com/pro/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The 100-day writing challenge: How Anne-Laure gained 6,000 subscribers in just three months
  • The psychological hack that makes newsletters a powerful tool for learning (instead of just teaching)
  • The pros & cons of building in public (and why it’s more work than you think!)
  • The neuroscience-backed reason why quantity leads to quality in creative work
  • What exactly is a "tiny experiment"—and how you can apply it to content creation
  • The most sustainable way to grow your newsletter (hint: it’s not social media) 
  • ...and much more!

DEEP DIVES & 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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

The Future For Newsletters: Biggest Lessons from the Newsletter Marketing Summit12 Mar 202500:41:59

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

"The future of newsletters isn’t just email." — Chenell Basilio

Missed the Newsletter Marketing Summit in Austin?

Well, Chenell didn't!

She was there IRL—and she's sharing her biggest takeaways from the first annual summit.

Not only did Chenell attend the event, she was a speaker! Listen in to find out more about her talk and the insights and trends she discovered while in Austin TX. 

→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>
→ Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Podcasting and YouTube as trust builders: why audio & video deepen audience connections
  • The rise of deep-dive content and why in-depth research matters more than ever
  • IV Content: Why this type of content is the real growth hack for newsletters
  • AI, newsletters, and the future of content: what’s changing and how to adapt
  • Steph Smith’s best tools for discovering trending content and hidden insights
  • The power of community: how meetups and online groups are shaping the industry
  • Social media fatigue: why creators are shifting away from platform dependency
  • A smarter way to grow: how top newsletters are scaling without social media
  • ...and more!

DEEP DIVES & 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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

From 40 Followers to $1m: Dave & Marsden Kline Built a Creator Business in 3.5 Years02 Apr 202500:45:33

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

"Quantity leads to quality, but when you find a winner, you have to double down." — Dave Kline, MGMT Playbook

Dave Kline went from leading teams at Bridgewater to building a million-dollar creator business—with zero prior experience on social media. But the real secret behind the success? His wife, Marsden (Mar). While Dave built a public-facing brand on Twitter and LinkedIn, Mar worked behind the scenes to shape the vision, voice, and strategy of their business.


Then, she stepped into the spotlight.


In just five months, Mar grew her LinkedIn following from 0 to now over 74,000—outpacing Dave’s own growth trajectory. Together, they’ve built a powerhouse content engine, a six-figure cohort-based course, and a 40,000+ subscriber newsletter—all without a big team or flashy tech stack.


In this episode, we dive into how Dave and Mar got started, the pivots they made (including why Mar had to force Dave into launching a newsletter), and the systems they’ve built to keep their creator business lean and profitable.


Join us as we go behind the scenes with the duo behind the MGMT Playbook.


Get 75+ Growth Levers used by top newsletters: https://growthinreverse.com/gll/
Join a community of like-minded newsletter creators: https://growthinreverse.com/pro/


KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The moment that forced them to pivot from SEO to social—and what happened next
  • How a single thread about delegation sparked their entire course business
  • A huge lesson learned by not turning "OFF" their double opt-in setting
  • Mar’s “quiet MVP” role, and why she finally hard-launched her brand
  • The reason they waited a full year to launch their newsletter (and why that was a mistake)
  • How they’re using sports metaphors and storytelling to keep content engaging
  • The surprising stat that made Mar pick up the pen and start posting
  • What they would’ve done differently if starting from scratch
  • ...and much more!

DEEP DIVES & 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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

One man. One newsletter. One Million subscribers: How Lenny Rachitsky did it.26 Mar 202500:44:15

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

Lenny Rachitsky just crossed 1 million subscribers with his Substack newsletter, aptly named Lenny's Newsletter.

Chenell has written a few deep dives on Lenny (How he reached 377k subscribers, and how he got 18k paid subscribers).

So we thought it would be interesting to see what he's done to accelerate his growth to over 1M subscribers over the past few years—and share our biggest takeaways and reasons for his growth.

→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>
→ Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why we’re obsessed with Lenny’s story—and the moment his growth exploded
  • What separates his content from the rest (hint: exclusivity + deep research)
  • Using a mini-series as a content inflection point
  • Lenny’s “Ikigai” and expanding beyond just product content
  • The puzzle-piece approach to building a content library
  • His exact strategy to get from 100 to 1M subscribers
  • Substack recommendations: how 5,000+ newsletters helped him explode
  • Podcasting as a high-ROI content machine
  • Why guest posts became his growth and quality engine
  • Key takeaways you can apply: quality, consistency & “stick-with-it-ness”

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.

Brutally Honest Newsletter Roast: What Works, What Doesn't, and What to Fix19 Mar 202500:34:41

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

“The easiest way to lose potential subscribers is to make them work too hard to understand what they’re signing up for.”
(Watch this episode on YouTube -->)

We sent out the call to get your newsletter roasted. Over 20 listeners submitted their newsletters.

And today we're roasting the first one: Craftsman Films

Shout-out to Daren Smith of Craftsman Creative and Craftsman Films for being our first guinea pig with this experimental episode. 

→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>
→ Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why we're doing a newsletter roast & how you to submit yours
  • Roasting Daren’s newsletter landing page—what *not* to do with yours
  • The thank-you page mistake that might be costing subscribers
  • Breaking down the welcome email—what works, what’s missing
  • A surprising tagline Daren should be using everywhere
  • The power of storytelling and why Daren should lean into his expertise
  • Social media strategy: what he's getting right and what could be better
  •  Final takeaways: How Daren (and you!) can optimize your newsletter experience 
  • ...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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

How “IV Content” Fuels the Fastest-Growing Newsletters—to 50k and Beyond (NMS Talk)09 Apr 202500:25:43

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

This special edition of the Growth In Reverse podcast is the full live talk I gave at the Newsletter Marketing Summit in Austin TX this past February.

Over the past two years, I’ve studied the growth of the most successful newsletters in the world—those who’ve hit 50,000+ subscribers—and I noticed something interesting.

There's one thing every single one of them has in common. It's not some sexy growth hack or a secret referral program. It’s something way more powerful and often overlooked.

In this episode, I walk you through that key insight, plus I break down the proven tactics that top creators are using today to grow their lists without relying on social media.


This talk might just change how you think about newsletter growth entirely.


→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>
→ Get free access to 75+ newsletter Growth Levers here >>

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why it’s easier than ever to hit 50k subscribers (and what’s changed in the last 3 years)
  • The “IV Content” framework: what insanely valuable content really looks like
  • The 5 (maybe 6!) categories of content that trigger growth
  • How top creators like Yossi Levi and Justin Moore craft content people have to share
  • The secret weapon of every successful newsletter? People.
  • Creative collabs and the genius of Maya Voje’s newsletter placement strategy
  • CJ Gustafson’s “triple stack” approach to paid guest content (so smart)
  • Crowdsource your way to credibility: what Chris Hutchins did to build a top 10 business podcast
  • The final takeaway: Be subscribe-worthy (and stop chasing the wrong questions)

DEEP DIVES & 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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

The #1 Thing These 3 Newsletters Got Wrong (and How to Fix It) — Newsletter Roasts Vol. 216 Apr 202500:41:19

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

Three roasts are better than one!

Our first Newsletter Roast was last month, and we only roasted ONE newsletter.
Today we're bringing back the heat—but roasting THREE newsletters instead of just one.

These newsletters are all in different phases of their journey but all share one common problem (you'll have to listen to find out). In this episode, we review each newsletter's sign-up page, their welcome email & onboarding, and one edition of their newsletters. While you *can* listen to this one, you'll get much more out of watching it on YouTube (see YT link in the show notes below).

Why newsletter roasts?

We're doing these roasts as a way to give back to our listeners—especially those who leave this podcast a rating & review—and to help every listener improve their newsletter by learning from the mistakes others have made.

Want to get your newsletter roasted? Submit it for a full-on roasting here 🔥

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

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why we chose three newsletters from the same platform.
  • FIRST: From Europe With Love – beautiful products, but who is it for?
  • The missed opportunity to showcase credibility.
  • Gated content woes and how that hurts signups and trust.
  • Breaking down the welcome email—and why it almost works.
  • SECOND: AutoGPT – again... what’s the focus?
  • Trying to find the audience avatar (spoiler: “AI enthusiasts” is too broad).
  • Smart monetization tactics... but maybe too much happening at once?
  • THIRD: The Curious Procrastinator – clever name, but what’s it about?
  • The dangers of trying to do too much.
  • Tips for creating a more engaging welcome email and onboarding flow.
  • Final 3 takeaways that all newsletter operators can learn from.

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.

Steal These 5 Newsletter Growth Levers You Can Start Today30 Apr 202500:38:44

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

In this episode, we’re unpacking five high-performing newsletter growth levers that creators are using right now to grow smarter—not harder.

Each tactic comes straight from Chenell's 30 Days of Growth series, where creators shared the exact strategies that helped them attract thousands of new subscribers, improve engagement, and build more loyal audiences. From a clever “four-hour follow-up email” to a Google Doc that helped generate over $1.2 million in revenue, we’re dissecting what made these plays work—and how you can apply them to your own newsletter strategy today. 

If you're looking for real-world examples, simple execution, and no-fluff tactics that get results, this one’s for you.


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

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • What 30 Days of Growth is and WHY Chenell launched it as a daily pop-up newsletter and podcast
  • Jason Resnick’s “4-hour email” strategy that boosted his engaged subscriber rate by 40%
  • Eddie Shleyner's social proof avalanche: how powerful testimonials alone drove conversions
  • The comment-to-growth hack that helped Tom Orbach gain over 650 subscribers from one post
  • The $1.2M Google Doc: How Olly Richards turned a free resource into a massive growth and revenue machine
  • Amy Nelson’s “speaking circuit strategy” and how she gained 1,000+ subscribers from a single virtual event

GROWTH LEVERS & 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.

The Cross-Promo Playbook: Strategies That Actually Work (Without Wasting Time)23 Apr 202500:48:04

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

We're diving into one of the most underrated growth strategies out there: collaborations and cross-promotions. 

Whether you're building a newsletter, launching a podcast, or growing a YouTube channel, collabs are one of the most high-leverage plays you can run — and we break down exactly how to do them right.

We get into real-life examples, from simple newsletter swaps to co-created content that drives thousands of subscribers (even when you're the smaller creator). We also talk through common mistakes we’ve made, what to watch out for, and how to build a repeatable system that makes these partnerships easy and effective. If you're feeling burned out by social algorithms or just want more control over your growth, this one’s for you.

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

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why social platforms aren't cutting it anymore—and why we're bullish on collaborations
  • The basic newsletter swap (and why it's still effective)
  • Creative cross-promo formats beyond the typical swap—articles, email courses, and more
  • The Alex Garcia x Pat Walls YouTube/article collab that brought in thousands of subscribers
  • Why adjacent audiences are the sweet spot
  • The myth of audience size: why alignment > numbers
  • Chenell's horror story: zero subscribers from a 4K list cross-promo
  • Co-created content: The powerhouse play that helped Maja Voje go from 3K to 15K subs
  • CJ Gustafson’s “quadruple stack” strategy that gets him paid + subscribers
  • How to keep collab partners happy (especially if things don’t go as planned)
  • The no-BS guide to tracking your collab results
  • Tools, systems, and blurb templates that’ll save you time and headaches 

DEEP DIVES & 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 He Turned a Free Google Doc into $1.2M + 18,000 Newsletter Subscribers21 May 202500:50:29

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

"There is a strong, undeniable correlation between the number of emails you send and the amount of money you make." — Olly Richards

In this episode, Chenell & Dylan chat with Olly Richards — the founder of Storylearning.com and now a fast-growing personal brand — about exactly how he grew his personal brand from $0 and 0 audience to $1.2m and over 18,000 subscribers in 18 months. 

From his early days as a broke jazz musician to building a multi-million dollar language learning business, Olly walks us through the evolution of his business brain, the intentional pivot into mentorship, and the role of his newsletter in scaling it all.

We go deep into his email strategy, the content philosophies behind his newsletter, and how he leveraged high-leverage, low-effort marketing techniques to build a loyal audience — and then turn that audience into over $1.2m in revenue. If you’re building a business around your newsletter or thinking about launching a premium offer, you’ll want to hear how Olly layered mentorship, digital products, and events to create a flywheel that fuels itself.


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

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Olly’s transformation from language teacher to seven-figure business mentor
  • The origin and impact of his now-famous 118-page Google Doc
  • How that doc helped him attract 18,000 subscribers and generate $1.2M+
  • Why brand is the ultimate “cheat code” in an AI-driven world
  • His email newsletter philosophy — from long-form essays to raw, daily thoughts
  • The tools and cadence he uses to stay consistent (and inspired)
  • How he structures mentorship, masterminds, and digital products into a scalable business
  • The 60/20/20 revenue breakdown that funds his growth flywheel
  • Why most creators are missing the fundamentals of internet marketing
  • The one skill Olly believes every creator must learn to build a sustainable business

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 Confusion to Clarity: How to Fix an Overwhelming Newsletter14 May 202500:31:12

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

"Faceless brands are forgettable. Put your name on it. Make it human."

In this episode, Dylan and Chenell are back for another Newsletter Roast! Get out your marshmallows 🔥

This week we're roasting a newsletter all about podcast discovery. The Find That Pod newsletter promises to help readers uncover the best shows out there, but does it actually do that? 

We go deep into what’s working and what’s not. 

We share actionable insights for creators looking to grow and monetize newsletters. Especially those targeting broad or interest-diverse audiences. Whether you're a newsletter writer, a podcaster, or someone just trying to better connect with your audience, this roast is packed with lessons on simplicity, specificity, and the power of personalization.


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

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The challenge of curating content when the niche is too broad—and how to fix it
  • Why segmentation is essential for better subscriber engagement and ad relevance
  • How the thank-you page is an overlooked goldmine for audience data
  • How to think about ad placement and user experience in email design
  • Ideas to improve personalization with surveys and click-based tagging
  • Why humanizing the brand with a face and story makes a difference
  • Inspiration drawn from other successful content platforms
  • How to evolve a side project into something scalable and sponsor-friendly

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.

Behind the Scenes of a Free 30-Day Newsletter Growth Sprint07 May 202500:35:15

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

"This might be the most fun I've had growing my newsletter." — Chenell

And here's how Chenell's doing it.

We're giving you a behind-the-scenes look at how 30 Days of Growth is going—and how we’re planning to make the most of the final stretch! With over 2,600 signups already and a massive giveaway in motion, this mini-launch is becoming more than expected… but can it be even bigger?

In this episode, Chenell & Dylan break down what’s working, what could be better, and where we’re focusing our energy in the back half of the campaign. We get into the growth levers we’ve pulled so far—like cross-promotions, private podcast feeds, and Substack experiments—and brainstorm ways to maximize reach and increase referrals. It’s a total fly-on-the-wall session, so you’ll hear the real-time ideas, dilemmas, and strategies we’re exploring to keep this momentum going.

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

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • What 30 Days of Growth "pop-up" newsletter is and how the idea took shape
  • The $8,000+ prize giveaway and how it’s fueling referrals
  • What’s working so far: referral stats, private podcast feed, and community response
  • The LinkedIn engagement slump and what we’re testing to fix it
  • Re-engaging on Substack and using it as a second distribution channel
  • Optimizing the welcome email and sharing page for better conversions
  • Ideas for bonus incentives: mini audits, workshop invites, and shoutouts
  • Using testimonials, carousels, and short experiments as additional content
  • Discussing the future: paid product potential and post-campaign plans

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.

30 Creators. 30 Days. 3,700+ Subscribers: How She Did It28 May 202500:42:03

"I thought this would grow my list. It did—but the real win was something else entirely." — Chenell Basilio on her 30 Days of Growth experiment.

In this special episode of Growth In Reverse, Chenell & Dylan break down the whirlwind that was Chenell's 30 Days of Growth experiment. 

What started as a simple idea to improve my cross-promotions quickly snowballed into a full-fledged daily popup newsletter, complete with giveaways, podcast episodes, and a ton of valuable insights.


We dive into the gritty details—from the unexpected chaos of daily publishing and coordinating with 30 creators to the strategic plays that made the campaign a success. I also share the raw numbers, what I’d do differently, and how this experience has reshaped my approach to newsletter growth and content creation.

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

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why Chenell launched a 30-day pop-up newsletter to improve cross-promotion tactics—and how she pulled it off in just two weeks
  • The exact structure and format she used to keep each daily edition short, tactical, and engaging
  • The referral system that brought in 20% of new subscribers and why the private podcast feed became a surprisingly powerful incentive
  • What worked and didn’t work with cross-promotion strategies, Substack distribution, and leveraging LinkedIn newsletters
  • How Chenell handled massive reader engagement, including 200+ thoughtful replies to a single welcome email
  • Lessons learned about launching under pressure, collaborating with other creators, and building a flywheel from content
  • The future of the 30 Days of Growth content—and how others can repurpose similar efforts for their own growth campaigns

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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

Creators Are Flocking to Substack—but Should You Join Them?04 Jun 202500:39:21

“You can pretty much do anything on Substack—which is good and also makes me nervous.” – Chenell Basilio

We've seen a wave of creators flocking to Substack over the last month and couldn’t help but wonder... what’s really going on here?

In this episode, Chenell & Dylan unpack the why we believe this migration is happening. Are creators just chasing the next shiny thing, or is Substack genuinely offering something new and powerful?

We dive into the benefits, red flags, and the not-so-obvious consequences of going all in on the platform. We cover how Substack is evolving from a newsletter tool into a full-blown creator ecosystem, and whether that’s a blessing or curse—or a bit of both? If you've been thinking about launching (or leaving) a Substack, this episode is your guide to making an informed decision—minus the hype.


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

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Why big-name creators like Justin Welsh, Dan Koe, and Jay Clouse are experimenting with paid Substack newsletters
  • Substack’s Creator Fund and how it might be influencing the migration
  • What makes Substack’s all-in-one platform appealing—and the tradeoffs you make using it
  • Our concerns about data control, platform dependency, and reach
  • How recommendations and native distribution can supercharge growth (but also create subscriber quality issues)
  • Whether Substack’s 10% revenue cut is worth it for smaller vs. larger creators
  • Substack’s limitations when it comes to API access, segmentation, automation, and list hygiene
  • How we personally use Substack (or don’t), and what we’d do differently if we started newsletters there today

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!

Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.

Should your newsletter have a podcast? (Our take after 6 months of episodes) 11 Jun 202500:47:52

"Podcasting isn’t a shortcut to growth—but it’s a hell of a way to deepen relationships." – Chenell Basilio

What can happen when you commit to a weekly podcast for six straight months? 

You're about to find out. Chenell & Dylan pull back the curtain on the Growth In Reverse podcast—sharing the behind-the-scenes of what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what we’ve learned along the way.

We get real about the numbers: subscribers, downloads, YouTube stats, and more. Plus, we chat through the very real question—should newsletter writers even start a podcast? You’ll hear our honest take on the ROI (or lack thereof), and the surprising benefits that go beyond metrics.


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

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Reflecting on 6 months of consistent podcasting and what kept us going
  • Why podcasting isn’t a fast-track to newsletter growth—and what it is great for
  • The powerful trust-building impact of being in your audience’s ears
  • Our top-performing content and what formats resonated most
  • How YouTube fits into our podcast strategy and where Shorts fell flat
  • Lessons from other creators like Jay Clouse, Lenny Rachitsky, and Aakash Gupta
  • Easy ways for newsletter creators to test podcasting without going "all in"


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!

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

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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!

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

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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.

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.

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.

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

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

“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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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!

$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.

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

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!

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!

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!

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