Shows
Newsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseLive Creator Q&A: Real Strategies for Newsletters in 2026The 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.QUEST...
2025-12-031h 04Newsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseThe Wildest Newsletter Growth Strategies From 3,000 Hours of Research (Greatest Hits)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/wildStart collecting testimonials for free with Senja: ht...
2025-11-2626 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseThe Top 6 Newsletter Tips from 2025The 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.--------------------------------------“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...
2025-11-1940 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseThe "Elite" Newsletter Growth Flywheel (25k subs in 4 months)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.--------------------------------------“The quiz brings them in, the newsletter builds the relationship, and the community closes the loop.” — Milly Tamati, Generalist WorldThis 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 at...
2025-11-1250 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseLessons From Building a $100M Newsletter Empire—with Sean Griffey of Industry DiveThe 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.--------------------------------------“Organic needs to be your biggest channel if you want a real audience that feels connected to you.” — Sean Griffey, Industry DiveYou 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...
2025-11-0551 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseHow To Save Time While Doing More: Automations with Joe CasabonaThe 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.--------------------------------------“People think automation sounds hard. But If you do automatic bill pay, direct deposit, an email autoresponder, you're automating.” — Joe Casabona, casabona.orgChances 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 brough...
2025-10-2955 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In Reverse14k+ Followers in 30 Days: Recapping the GIR Growth ChallengeThe 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 ;) --------------------------------------“I love the concept of a challenge—I just don’t know that social media is the goal anymore.” — Chenell BasilioWe ran a "public" 30-Day Social Growth...
2025-10-2238 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseThis Newsletter Sold For $150m (And Why It Matters)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.--------------------------------------“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 un...
2025-10-1527 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In Reverse9 Things Beginners Should Ignore When Starting a NewsletterThe 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.--------------------------------------“Stop wasting time picking the ‘perfect’ newsletter tool. Just start publishing. You can always switch later." — DylanWe'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...
2025-10-0842 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseThe #1 Newsletter Metric You Need To Pay More Attention ToThe 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.--------------------------------------“I sent this short email—and got over 200 replies—when I usually get maybe 8 to 15. It was wild." — ChenellIn 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 th...
2025-10-0143 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In Reverse3 Steps To A Perfect Subscriber OnboardingThe 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.--------------------------------------“One of the worst things you can do is send new subscribers to a dead-end thank you page. That kills engagement immediately." — ChenellWe'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...
2025-09-2440 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In Reverse7 Ways To Make a 'Good' Newsletter GREATThe 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.--------------------------------------“Sometimes less is more. Cut the clutter and highlight the one thing that matters." — ChenellIt'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 ne...
2025-09-1739 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In Reverse$9M with 50k subscribers: Sam Vander Wielen's 7-figure newsletter funnel.Get 30+ video lessons and ideas for optimizing your newsletter: https://growthinreverse.com/vault--------------------------“All roads point to the email list." — Sam Vander Wielen, Sam's SidebarIn 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.
2025-09-101h 01
Streamlined Solopreneur: Tips to Help Small Business Owners Grow Without BurnoutAccidental Entrepreneur: Building a Business That Fits Your LifeEver stumble into entrepreneurship by accident? Dylan Redekop did — and he’s built a business that lets him spend time with his family, stay fit, and still grow his newsletter. We get into freelancing vs. solopreneurship vs. contracting, why balance matters more than hustle, and the little systems that keep ideas from slipping through the cracks (while still allowing us to be present parents). Looking for a way to find balance to run your business and get the restorative time you need? Take the Business Overwhelm Quiz.Top TakeawaysFreelancer vs. So...
2025-09-0846 minStreamlined Solopreneur: Tips to Help Small Business Owners Grow Without BurnoutAccidental Entrepreneur: Building a Business That Fits Your LifeEver stumble into entrepreneurship by accident? Dylan Redekop did — and he’s built a business that lets him spend time with his family, stay fit, and still grow his newsletter. We get into freelancing vs. solopreneurship vs. contracting, why balance matters more than hustle, and the little systems that keep ideas from slipping through the cracks (while still allowing us to be present parents). Looking for a way to find balance to run your business and get the restorative time you need? Take the Business Overwhelm Quiz.Top TakeawaysFreelancer vs. So...
2025-09-0846 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseRecapping CEX 2025: Un-hyping AI, Community Moats, and the Future of NewslettersThe 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.--------------------------------------“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 s...
2025-09-0344 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseHis private newsletter with 1.5k subs earns $1M ARRJoin our September Social Growth Challenge: https://growthinreverse.com/social --------------------------“You have to be first—or you have to be best. That's how you win at paid content." — Nathan May, The Feed MediaIn 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...
2025-08-271h 00Newsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseHow Chenell Got 11k Subs in 6 Months>> Join the 30-Days of Growth Social Challenge: https://growthinreverse.com/social--------------------------------------“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...
2025-08-2039 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In Reverse5 Newsletter Growth Lessons From 2.5 Years of Publishing“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...
2025-08-1341 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseHow CJ Gustafson Grew Mostly Metrics to 60k+ Subscribers & Multi‑Six‑Figures in RevenueThe Growth Vault is LIVE: https://growthinreverse.com/vault----------------------------------------------------------------“During my last year as a CFO, I made more money from my newsletter and podcast than my full-time job." — CJ Gustafson, Mostly MetricsWe 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 bu...
2025-08-0653 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseTurning a Niche Newsletter of 30k Subs Into a Full-Time BusinessThe Growth Vault is LIVE: https://growthinreverse.com/vault----------------------------------------------------------------“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.comWe 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...
2025-07-301h 01Newsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseHow to Turn 1 Subscriber into 10: Get More Referrals With These TacticsThe 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 stra...
2025-07-2336 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseHis Paid Newsletter Launch Drove $50k+ (and 500+ paid subs)“I waited to launch my paid newsletter until I had a solid strategy and felt like I’d earned it.” — Tom Orbach, Marketing IdeasTom 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 succ...
2025-07-1648 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseNewsletter Coaching Session: Scaling Deep Dives Into a Newsletter Growth Engine“$250k is when growth changes. It’s when you need systems. You usually can’t do it solo.” — Matt Gira, The QuarterMatt 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 surpris...
2025-07-0942 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseYour Newsletter Is Too Easy to Join — Here’s Why That’s a Problem“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, o...
2025-07-0231 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In Reverse9 Big Takeaways For Creators From Craft + Commerce 2025“The real value wasn’t in the keynotes—it was the dinners, the hikes, the casual connections.” – Dylan Redekop, first-time C+C attendeeDylan 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 sho...
2025-06-2546 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseFrom Tweets to 70k: How Jesse "Accidentally" Built a Newsletter of 70k Subscribers"Every time I try to be an expert, I lose readers. When I’m just me, they stick around." – Jesse J. Anderson, Extra Focus newsletterFor 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...
2025-06-1847 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseShould your newsletter have a podcast? (Our take after 6 months of episodes)"Podcasting isn’t a shortcut to growth—but it’s a hell of a way to deepen relationships." – Chenell BasilioWhat 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...
2025-06-1147 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseCreators Are Flocking to Substack—but Should You Join Them?“You can pretty much do anything on Substack—which is good and also makes me nervous.” – Chenell BasilioWe'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 Su...
2025-06-0439 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In Reverse30 Creators. 30 Days. 3,700+ Subscribers: How She Did It"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...
2025-05-2842 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseHow He Turned a Free Google Doc into $1.2M + 18,000 Newsletter SubscribersGet 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 RichardsIn 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 evo...
2025-05-2150 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseFrom Confusion to Clarity: How to Fix an Overwhelming NewsletterGet 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 a...
2025-05-1431 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseBehind the Scenes of a Free 30-Day Newsletter Growth SprintGet 30 proven strategies to grow and optimize your email list FREE >>"This might be the most fun I've had growing my newsletter." — ChenellAnd 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 b...
2025-05-0735 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseSteal These 5 Newsletter Growth Levers You Can Start TodayGet 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...
2025-04-3038 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseThe Cross-Promo Playbook: Strategies That Actually Work (Without Wasting Time)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 wa...
2025-04-2348 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In Reverse30 Proven Ways to Grow Your Newsletter (this episode will self-destruct in 7 days....)Here's the scoop: I'm launching a free 30-day, pop-up newsletter called 30 Days of Growth. It's going to feature 30 different tactics to either grow or optimize your newsletter from creators like Jay Clouse, Amanda Goetz, Eddie Shleyner, and many others. Each one will be something you can implement in 24 hours or less. You can sign up to grab it at 30daysofgrowth.co.
2025-04-2005 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseThe #1 Thing These 3 Newsletters Got Wrong (and How to Fix It) — Newsletter Roasts Vol. 2Get 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 on...
2025-04-1641 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseHow “IV Content” Fuels the Fastest-Growing Newsletters—to 50k and Beyond (NMS Talk)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 a...
2025-04-0925 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseFrom 40 Followers to $1m: Dave & Marsden Kline Built a Creator Business in 3.5 YearsGet 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 PlaybookDave 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 spot...
2025-04-0245 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseOne man. One newsletter. One Million subscribers: How Lenny Rachitsky did it.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 >>→...
2025-03-2644 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseBrutally Honest Newsletter Roast: What Works, What Doesn't, and What to FixGet 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 leve...
2025-03-1934 min
Aggressively Human: Online Business in the Age of AI, Algorithms & AutomationsCut out the (Meta) Middleman: Creator-Led Newsletter Growth with Dylan RedekopNo matter your relationship with social media and Big Tech… you can’t argue that it’s become more saturated, more based on the algorithm (bye bye followers, hello “for you” feed), and more “pay-to-play”. So, you decide to focus on your newsletter and stop building on rented land. But in order to grow, you’re told to give even more money to the platforms for ads, or spend time every day posting and engaging - ultimately paying with your attention.What if there was another way to grow your newsletter, without relying on social media or paying high rate...
2025-03-1356 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseThe Future For Newsletters: Biggest Lessons from the Newsletter Marketing SummitGet 30 proven strategies to grow and optimize your email list FREE >>"The future of newsletters isn’t just email." — Chenell BasilioMissed 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...
2025-03-1241 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseFrom 0 to 100K: The Science of Writing, Learning & Experimentation with Anne-Laure Le CunffGet 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 LabsAfter 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 tha...
2025-03-0544 min
Newsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseThis Student Grew a Newsletter & Community to 6-Figure Subscribers & RevenueGet 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...
2025-03-0223 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseBuilding a $2M Newsletter While Getting Lazier with Katelyn BourgoinGet 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 BourgoinChenell & 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 B...
2025-02-2652 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseThe 7-Figure Newsletter Teaching People “Why We Buy”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 Lev...
2025-02-2332 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseBeyond Sponsorships: The Most Unique Newsletter Revenue StreamsGet 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 TAKEAW...
2025-02-1937 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseHow To Revive a Stalled Newsletter — with Ben CollinsGet 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...
2025-02-1246 min
Newsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseHe Built a 6-Figure Empire Teaching Google Sheets: Ben Collins Deep DiveGet 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.ben...
2025-02-1021 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseSmall changes that could 10x your newsletter.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 TAKEAWAYSThe minimalist landing page tip that can help boost conversions9 small ways to improve your welcome email—and increase engagementThe missed opportunity with “almost there” & "thank-you" pagesReferral programs: a simple way to make th...
2025-02-0545 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseScaling to 150k: The Secrets to More Paid Subscribers with Aakash Gupta (#010)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 GrowthChenell & 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...
2025-01-2947 min
Newsletter & Email Growth: Growth In Reverse$624k/Year From a Newsletter - How Aakash Gupta Grew His Newsletter From 0 to 105k in 3 Years. (#009)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!
2025-01-2718 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseTurn Your Newsletter Into a Sponsor Magnet - with Justin Moore (#008)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 Lever...
2025-01-2251 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In Reverse7 of the Best Newsletter Growth Strategies of 2024 (#007)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 TAKEAWAYSHow Khe Hy used lead magnets "in disguise"Aakash Gupta discovered a massive growth hackKyla Scanlon drives over 69k subscribers with short-form contentYossi Levi creates irresistible content with "exclusives"How Julie Gurner extracts value, then pivotsBen Tossell repl...
2025-01-1536 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseSpicy Newsletter Takes: Should You Really Do This? (#006)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 TAKEAWAYSLead 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 mo...
2025-01-0851 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseGrow Your Newsletter WITHOUT Social Media (#005)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/senjaLINKS MENTIONEDStart collecting testimonials for free with Senja: https://growthinreverse.com/senjaBen Collins - Google Sheets Newsletter (GIR Deep Dive)Thomas Shields - The Dink Newsletter (GIR De...
2024-12-3044 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseWhat I’d Change If I Started Over (#004)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/senjaKEY TAKEAWAYSStarting Strong: Why beginning with curiosity and passion set the foundation for success.Co...
2024-12-2343 minNewsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseBuilding His Newsletter to 75k Subscribers with Eddie Shleyner of Very Good Copy (#003)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-shleynerStart collecting testimonials like Eddie did —for free— with Senja: https://growthinreverse.com/senjaKEY...
2024-12-1854 min
Newsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseThe Biggest Mistakes We See Newsletters Making (#002)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/mistakesStart collecting testimonials for free with Senja: https://growthinreverse.com/senjaKEY TAKEAWAYSMistake #1: Poor Format & ContentMistake #2: Hiding your subscribe formMistake #3: Too many other linksMistake #4: Unclear valueBONUS Mistake: Not collecting social proofMistake #5: Not sending a welcome emailMistake #6: Usin...
2024-12-1131 min
Newsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseThe Wildest Newsletter Growth Strategies From 3,000 Hours of Research (#001)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/wildStart collecting testimonials for free with Senja: https://growthinreverse.com/senjaKEY TAKEAWAYSCodie Sanchez’s Playbook: How buying and growing newsletters helped her build a massive audience.Yossi Levi (Car Dealership Guy): Buil...
2024-12-0425 min
Newsletter & Email Growth: Growth In ReverseComing soon... the Growth In Reverse podcast!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 →
2024-11-2200 min
Send & Grow by SparkLoopDeep Dives & Community Ties: Unlocking Newsletter Growth — with Chenell Basilio of Growth In ReverseEnjoying the podcast? Then you'll LOVE the Send & Grow newsletter where we share deep dives, tips, and news for smart newsletter operators like you. Welcome back to another episode of the Send & Grow podcast. This week, SparkLoop's Dylan Redekop chats with Chenell Basilio. Chenell writes the popular Growth In Reverse newsletter. Since publishing her first edition to 4 people, she has since grown her newsletter to over 30k subscribers organically in the past year. In this episode, Dylan & Chenell discuss…The Genesis of Growth In Reverse: How Chenell's curiosity about newsletter monetization led to the birt...
2024-02-2732 min