Growth In Reverse

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

• Lenny's Newsletter
• Lenny's 500k milestone post
• Lenny's 1M milestone post
• Chenell's Deep Dives on Lenny: Part 1 || Part 2
• Aakash Gupta's Deep Dive
• CJ Gustafson Deep Dive
• Daren Smith's newsletter roast
• 'Antisocial' Newsletter Growth Course waitlist
• Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. 
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

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

OUR NEWSLETTERS

• growthinreverse.com
• growthcurrency.net

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 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

• Daren's Craftsman Films newsletter
• Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. 
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

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

OUR NEWSLETTERS

• growthinreverse.com
• growthcurrency.net

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 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

• Newsletter Marketing Summit
• Justin Gordon's Just Go Grind newsletter
• Jermaine Brown's newsletter
• Yossi Levi GIR Deep Dive
• GummySearch
• AppMagic
• Newsletter Marketing Summit Replays (Get $100 off with code GIR100)
• Adam Ryan's Perpetual piece
• Want us to roast your newsletter? Submit it here. 
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

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

"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

• Get Anne-Laure's Book Tiny Experiments
• Anne-Laure on LinkedIn
• Anne-Laure on Twitter
• Anne-Laure's website & newsletter
• Anne-Laure's GIR Deep Dive: Article | Video
• Check out ALL the Growth In Reverse Deep Dives →

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

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

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

• Anne-Laure on LinkedIn
• Anne- Laure on Twitter
• Anne-Laure's website & newsletter
• Anne-Laure's GIR Deep Dive
• Check out ALL the Growth In Reverse Deep Dives →

***

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

"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

• Katelyn's Why We Buy newsletter
• Katelyn on LinkedIn
• Katelyn on Twitter
• Katelyn's GIR Deep Dive: Article || Video 
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

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

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

• Katelyn on LinkedIn 
• Katelyn's Newsletter
• Katelyn's GIR Deep Dive 
• Check out ALL the Growth In Reverse Deep Dives → https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

***

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

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

• CJ Gustafson Deep Dive
• Dan Runcie Deep Dive (Trapital's industry reports)
• Nathan Barry's Secret Money Newsletter
• Justin Moore Deep Dive (Asynchronous sponsorship coaching)
• Dan Koe Deep Dive 
• Kortex: the second brain for creators (by Dan Koe)
• The Cultural Tutor Deep Dive
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

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

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

• Ben's website: benlcollins.com
• Ben Collins' GIR Deep Dive: Article || Video 
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

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

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

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

• Jake Carrol's newsletter 
• Dru Riley
• Growth.design
• Mark Manson's 'Subscribed' page
• CJ Gustavson (Mostly Metrics)
• Ali Abouelatta
• David Elikwu's The Knowledge
• Subject line ChatGPT Bot
• Headline & Subject line analyzer
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

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

"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

• Aakash's Product Growth newsletter
• Aakash's website
• Aakash's Book (Amazon.com)
• Aakash Gupta GIR Deep Dive: Article || Video 
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

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

"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

• Justin Moore GIR Deep Dive
• CreatorWizard.com
• SponsorMagnet.com
• Sponsor Audit Tool
• 10K Book Presale Challenge
• Sponsor Games (Live Event)
• 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 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.