Growth In Reverse

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

• Khe Hy (GIR Deep Dive)
• Aakash Gupta (GIR Deep Dive)
• Kyla Scanlon (GIR Deep Dive)
• Yossi Levi (GIR Deep Dive)
• Gergely Orosz (GIR Deep Dive)
• Dr. Julie Gurner (GIR Deep Dive)
• Ben Tossell (GIR Deep Dive)
• Tom Alder (GIR Deep Dive)
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out ALL the Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky
• Dylan: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky

OUR NEWSLETTERS

• growthinreverse.com
• growthcurrency.net

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.

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

• Lenny’s Newsletter (GIR Deep Dive)
• Justin Moore (GIR Deep Dive)
• David Perell (GIR Deep Dive)
• Eric Partaker (GIR Deep Dive)
• Ben Thompson's Stratechery newsletter
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Matt McGarry on Twitter
• Check out ALL the Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky
• Dylan: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky

OUR NEWSLETTERS

• growthinreverse.com
• growthcurrency.net

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.

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

• Start collecting testimonials for free with Senja: https://growthinreverse.com/senja
• Ben Collins - Google Sheets Newsletter (GIR Deep Dive)
• Thomas Shields - The Dink Newsletter (GIR Deep Dive)
• Lettergrowth.com
• Codie Sanchez - Contrarian Thinking (GIR Deep Dive)
• Morning Brew Newsletter
• Payload Newsletter
• Lenny’s Newsletter (GIR Deep Dive)
• SEOFOMO (Aleyda Solis)
• Justin Moore - Creator Wizard (GIR Deep Dive)
• Pat Walls - Starter Story (GIR Deep Dive)
• Ness Labs (GIR Deep Dive)
• Tom Alder - Strategy Breakdowns (GIR Deep Dive)
• The Gist Newsletter (GIR Deep Dive)
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out ALL the Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky
• Dylan: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky

OUR NEWSLETTERS

• growthinreverse.com
• growthcurrency.net

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.

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

• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out ALL the Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky
• Dylan: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky

OUR NEWSLETTERS

• growthinreverse.com
• growthcurrency.net

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.

#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

• VeryGoodCopy.com
• Senja
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out Chenell's full deep dive on Eddie here: https://growthinreverse.com/eddie-shleyner/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky
• Dylan: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky

OUR NEWSLETTERS

• growthinreverse.com
• growthcurrency.net

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.

#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

• Alex Garcia's Optimized Onboarding Process
• Katelyn Bourgoin's Reverse Lead Magnet Strategy
• How Olly Richards earned $175,461 from a Google Doc
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out all these mistakes here: https://growthinreverse.com/mistakes

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky
• Dylan: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky

OUR NEWSLETTERS

• growthinreverse.com
• growthcurrency.net

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.

#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

• Codie Sanchez Grew Her Newsletter to 250k+ Subscribers in Just 3 Years (deep dive)
• Yossi Levi Built The Car Dealership Guy to 550k+ Followers (deep dive)
• First1000.co Grew to 60k Subscribers in 32 Months (deep dive)
• How Justin Welsh turned his sawdust into $2 million (deep dive)
• "Car Dealership Guy" Yossi Levi's "Who the f*** is Car Dealership Guy" video
• Justin Welsh's Content System: https://youtu.be/0tjGORsL2QI?si=LRUt9hOqRAJHNdaW&t=1012 
• Justin's ContentOS course https://growthinreverse.com/contentos (aff link)
• Check out all these growth levers here: https://growthinreverse.com/wild

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky
• Dylan: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky

OUR NEWSLETTERS

• growthinreverse.com
• growthcurrency.net

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.

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 →