Podcast
Growth In Reverse: Newsletter & Email Growth
Hosted by Chenell Basilio and Dylan Redekop · EN
Growth In Reverse is the must-listen podcast for anyone serious about growing an email list and turning a newsletter into a thriving business. Hosted by Chenell Basilio and Dylan Redekop, two leading voices in the newsletter space, this show pulls back the curtain on how today’s top newsletter operators actually grow and make money.
Episodes include deep-dive teardowns of the strategies behind the most successful newsletters. You’ll hear how creators like Justin Welsh, Codie Sanchez, Sahil Bloom, and other creator founders are building loyal audiences and turning subscribers into revenue. Learn how they attract traffic, increase conversions, boost retention, and scale without burning out.
Whether you're launching your first newsletter or refining your growth engine, Growth In Reverse gives you proven tactics you can use right away. From onboarding systems and referral programs to sponsorships and paid products, this podcast helps you grow faster and smarter. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start applying what works, tune in and learn how the best are building newsletters that last.
78episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
30 Days. 30 Emails. Was it a Mistake?
5d ago00:32:58Summary readyCheck out the 30 Days of Growth: 30daysofgrowth.co/Get the Growth Vault: growthinreverse.com/vault***Chenell and Dylan break down everything that happened with the second annual 30 Days of Growth — 30 cross-promotions with 30 different newsletter creators, published as a daily email series over 30 consecutive days. They cover what worked, what flopped, why Chenell wishes she'd done opt-ins instead of opt-outs, how 2,086 new subscribers came in (beating last year's 1,757), and which tips from the series they found most compelling — from AI-powered subject line analysis to a 5x landing page conversion boost from changing one button.KEY TAKEAWAYSWhy Chenell decided to run 30 Days of Growth for a second time The biggest mistake they made with subscriber onboarding this year Why daily newsletters can quietly hurt engagement and deliverability The surprising ROI of referral incentives and private podcast feeds Why collaborations create long-term relationship leverage beyond subscriber growth The operational reality of coordinating 30 creators in 30 days Whether 30 Days of Growth will return again next year LINKS MENTIONED:30DaysofGrowth.cohttps://helloaudio.fm/The Growth VaultThe GIR Pro CommunityFOLLOW ON SOCIALChenell: Twitter | LinkedInDylan: LinkedIn | Substack | InstagramOUR NEWSLETTERSgrowthinreverse.comgrowthcurrency.netSubscribe & 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.
SummaryShe made $500k with one launch. Here's how.
2w ago00:55:25Summary readyGet Sam's FREE $500K Launch Breakdown >> growthinreverse.com/500kGet Instant Access to Chenell's Growth Vault >> growthinreverse.com/vault***What does a $500,000 digital product launch actually look like behind the scenes?In this episode, we welcome back Sam Vander Wielen to the show. She's breaking down the exact strategy behind her recent 4-day launch that generated over $500,000 in revenue — with only about $24,000 in Meta ad spend.Sam walks us through the entire launch machine: how she generated 11,000 webinar registrations, why she treats Meta ads like a social media channel, the psychology behind her webinar structure, and the surprising role personalized VideoAsk responses played in boosting attendance and conversions.KEY TAKEAWAYS:The exact webinar strategy behind a $500k launch in 4 days Why Sam treats Meta ads like a social media content channel The personalized VideoAsk tactic that boosted webinar attendance How she generated 11,000 webinar registrations The subtle webinar psychology most creators completely miss Why she believes creators should focus on ONE flagship product The “Olive Garden Effect” philosophy for customer retention and referrals Her secret trick to sending webinar replays that dramatically increased replay consumption The biggest mistakes creators make with launches and digital products LINKS MENTIONED:The FREE $500K Launch Breakdown >> growthinreverse.com/500kSam Vander Wielen Official WebsiteSam’s Sidebar NewsletterOn Your Terms PodcastWhen I Start My Business, I’ll Be HappyVideoAskFOLLOW ON SOCIALChenell: Twitter | LinkedInDylan: LinkedIn | Substack | InstagramOUR NEWSLETTERSgrowthinreverse.comgrowthcurrency.netSubscribe & 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.
SummaryThis Adds 50 Subscribers a Day
3w ago00:05:21Summary readyCheck out Jillian & Jordan's Growth Lever here: https://growthinreverse.com/loveleigh-popups/Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co
SummaryThe Seven Emails That Keep You Out of the Promotions Folder
4w ago00:07:37Summary readyCheck out Tyler's Growth Lever here: https://growthinreverse.com/tyler-welcome-flow/Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co
SummaryThe One Question That Increased His Open Rate by 10% (Justin Welsh)
May 600:07:25Summary readyCheck out Justin's Growth Lever here: https://growthinreverse.com/justin-welsh-question/ Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co
SummaryThis 1 Change Doubled Katelyn's Digital Product Sales
Apr 2200:09:15Summary readyJoin 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co
Summary$9M with 50k subscribers: Sam Vander Wielen's 7-figure newsletter funnel [REPLAY]
Apr 1501:02:50Summary readyWe're launching 30 Days of Growth on April 20th! Sign up at 30daysofgrowth.co for free. Get 30 ways to grow and optimize your email list, from creators who have successfully done it. [This is a replay from our conversation with Sam Vander Wielen from September 2025]“All roads point to the email list." — Sam Vander Wielen, Sam's 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. KEY TAKEAWAYSWhy she decided to walk away from strategies that “should” work — and what happened afterThe $100k turning point that reshaped how she runs her businessHow she blends storytelling with practical education to keep readers engagedHow her newsletter fuels her entire content ecosystemWhat creators misunderstand about legal protections (and how to fix it)Why she believes the boring stuff is actually the growth engineThe platform she almost abandoned — and why she came back strongerHer advice for creators chasing growth but ignoring long-term sustainabilityLINKS MENTIONEDSam's websiteSam's book: When I Start My Business I'll Be HappySam's Socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTubeAsk us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questionsGet Chenell's brand-new course: The Growth Vault — newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.Growth In Reverse PRO CommunityWant your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/FOLLOW ON SOCIALChenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | SubstackDylan: LinkedIn | BlueskyOUR NEWSLETTERSgrowthinreverse.comgrowthcurrency.netSubscribe & 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!
Summary30 Top Creators Sharing Their Best Newsletter Growth Tactics, for Free
Apr 900:12:12Summary readyWe're launching 30 Days of Growth on April 20th! Sign up at 30daysofgrowth.co for free. Get 30 ways to grow and optimize your email list, from creators who have successfully done it. If 30 top creators handed you their best newsletter growth tactic, for free, would you take it? Of course you would! I'm excited to share that we are launching 30 Days of Growth (Part 2!) on April 20th. If you missed last year's event, you don't want to miss it again. Each day I'll be sending you 1 tip you can use to improve or grow your newsletter.In this episode, I break down why cross-promotions are one of the most underrated newsletter growth strategies, share the real numbers from last year's 30 Days of Growth (3,714 signups, 1,757 new subscribers, 77% open rates), and announce what's coming for year 2 - including the creators, the prizes, and how to get in.Sign up for free at 30daysofgrowth.coCreators featured this year include Dave Gerhardt, Katelyn Bourgoin, Justin Welsh, Sam Vander Wielen, Daniel Bustamante, and many more.Sign up: 30daysofgrowth.coGrowth In Reverse newsletter: growthinreverse.comGrowth In Reverse Pro community: growthinreverse.com/pro/
SummaryThe 3-Step Onboarding System Every Newsletter Needs
Apr 800:42:14Summary readyWe're launching 30 Days of Growth on April 20th! Sign up at 30daysofgrowth.co for free. Get 30 ways to grow and optimize your email list, from creators who have successfully done it. NOTE: This is a rerun of an episode we published in September 2025. But just because it's a rerun doesn't mean it ain't still a banger 💥--------------------------------------“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 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 TAKEAWAYSThe 3 Cs of a high-converting landing pageWhy 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 emailThe #1 mistake welcome emails makeThe most important job your welcome email hasA simple incentive trick to encourage repliesThe difference between a “true” and “false” double opt-inHow (and why) to include surveys in your onboardingWhat top creators do with their “almost there” pages to hook new subscribersLINKS MENTIONEDThe Growth Vault →Katelyn Bourgoin's Why We Buy landing page →Eddie Shleyner's 'Social Proof Avalanche' →Tom Alder's Strategy Breakdowns → Growth.Design →Senja →RightMessage →Growth In Reverse PRO Community →Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questionsCheck out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/FOLLOW ON SOCIALChenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | SubstackDylan: LinkedIn | Substack | Bluesky OUR NEWSLETTERSgrowthinreverse.comgrowthcurrency.netSubscribe & 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!
SummaryWhy Your Best Work Is Invisible: The Hidden Genius Dilemma
Apr 100:16:13Summary readyWe're launching 30 Days of Growth on April 20th! Sign up at 30daysofgrowth.co for free. Get 30 ways to grow and optimize your email list, from creators who have successfully done it. Get the Growth Levers Library FREE >> growthinreverse.com/growth-levers-library
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