Podcast Summary: Growth In Reverse — Live Creator Q&A: Real Strategies for Newsletters in 2026

Broadcast Date: December 3, 2025
Hosts: Chenell Basilio & Dylan Redekop
Episode Format: Live Q&A with questions from email, LinkedIn, and the live audience

Overview

This episode marked the one-year anniversary of the Growth In Reverse podcast and celebrated three years of the Growth In Reverse newsletter and (almost) five years for Growth Currency. Chenell and Dylan answered audience questions live, digging into real-world strategies and practical advice for creators growing newsletters and email-based businesses into 2026 and beyond.

The hosts tackled topics ranging from newsletter metrics and workflow refinement, to the looming impact of AI on email, and what they would do differently if starting today. They also addressed questions about content burnout, lead magnets, local newsletters, and "niching down," all while emphasizing tactical, actionable advice—delivered in their trademark friendly, candid style.

Key Discussion Points & Q&A Insights

1. Measuring ROI and "Return on Fun" from Podcasting

[05:08–09:06]

• Trust-building surpasses written content:
  "It just builds trust faster than written content ever will...There's something about being able to see us, like, make mistakes live on air or talk about personal things...that really builds that community aspect to it."
  — Chenell [06:18]
• Multilevel Trust Pyramid (“Hierarchy of Trust”):
  Writing > Audio > Video > In-person meetups
• ROI is difficult to quantify but definitely present:
  "From a direct monetization standpoint, we had a sponsor in the beginning... All of the other revenue essentially has come indirectly..."
  — Dylan [07:03]

2. Do Creators Need Podcast or Video to Succeed?

[10:04–11:38]

• Not mandatory, but helps deepen audience connection.
• Most suggest focusing on one medium first (writing or video/audio) before expanding.
• "Focus on figuring out your writing things first, like the format. Make sure your audience loves the content before you spread your wings..."
  — Chenell [10:05]
• Dylan: Some creators may actually be more comfortable on video/audio—lean into your strengths.

3. Workflow Tweaks & What They'd Stop Doing

[13:13–16:18]

• Editing: Dylan took over editing duties from a professional editor.
  "I've enjoyed learning how to do the podcast editing... we've simplified our edits...but it’s been a lot of fun." — Dylan [14:49]
• Taking a December Break:
  "We're not putting out an episode in December...Just to, like, take a couple weeks off, focus on improving the community..." — Chenell [15:45]

4. Starting Over in 2026 — What Would They Change?

[16:36–18:49]

• Maintain a runway:
  Don't burn through pre-recorded content too quickly. Life happens; keep a buffer of 4-6 weeks if possible.
• Applies to newsletters and podcasts—have topics or drafts lined up before a launch.

5. AI Integrated into Email Providers & Newsletter Open Rates

[19:09–22:15]

• AI-powered email summaries (Apple Mail, Gmail, etc.) may impact open rates.
• Importance of creating irresistible content: truly valuable, distinctive content will keep people opening emails even if AI previews are available.
• "I think if you are really writing something that people want to read...then people will open your newsletter and read it and not want AI to read it." — Dylan [20:38]
• Bulk unsubscribing: Cleans up non-engaged subs, ultimately a good thing if your content stands out.

6. Narrowing Down Target Audience or Just Starting?

[25:25–26:35]

• It's OK to experiment; clarity comes from action and feedback.
• "We all start from zero and it just happened to be a good idea... I had started a gardening blog...a blog about quitting my day job... This was the first thing that stuck." — Chenell [25:51]

7. Email Platform Showdown: Beehive vs. Kit vs. Substack

[27:11–31:00]

• Key platform decision factors:
  • Where are your peers? (Recommendation algorithms work best when your niche is clustered)
  • Do you have/need a website? (Required for Kit, optional for Beehive/Substack)
• Content & stick-to-itiveness matter more than the tool:
  "The tool is not going to make you successful. Your consistency, your content, stick-to-it-iveness, is going to be the thing that stands out." — Chenell [27:36]
• Substack praised for longform/thoughtful writing, but both agree this could change as platform evolves.

8. Metrics That Matter & Decisions Based on Data

[32:16–34:51]

• Open Rate: Used more as a trend indicator (week over week) rather than an absolute metric, due to unreliable tracking & auto-opens.
• Replies: Volume/quality of replies is a more meaningful engagement metric, even though not tracked in newsletter tools.

9. Overinvesting vs. Underinvesting

[35:17–35:24]

• Most overinvested: Subscriber count.
• Most underinvested: Content quality.

10. Lead Magnets — Formats & Effectiveness

[50:41–54:12]

• Must be tightly related to newsletter topic, otherwise it leads to high unsubscribes.
• Most effective types:
  • Email courses (gets readers used to opening, provides educational value)
  • Workshop recordings
  • Custom GPTs/AI bots (e.g., Hook Helper)
• "If you are sending a deep dive about growth levers, don't give a lead magnet about...handling the books for my business..." — Chenell [50:46]

11. Burnout: Prevention & Recovery

[37:33–39:22]

• Prevention: Ask for help, join masterminds, set boundaries, take breaks as needed.
• From experience: Ignoring overwork leads to business "burnout and crumbling."
• Dylan notes Chenell is much better about communicating and preventing burnout since previous business ("Facebook ads days").

12. Growing Niche or Local Newsletters

[39:31–58:28]

• For university, niche/local newsletters (0→1k subs):
  • Personal outreach, being helpful in communities, and not pitching too hard.
  • Offer unique, curated, or hard-to-find information as your differentiator.
  • Leverage exclusive local knowledge and partnerships (cf. Morning Brew's college-era tactics, Ryan Sneddon from Naptown Scoop).
  • It's often better not to call it a "newsletter" if the term isn't familiar or has negative connotations—focus on value.
• Local businesses:
  • Educational & relevant content works—even for service providers, via YouTube or social (example: hiring a local wasp removal service via a targeted YouTube video).

13. Overcoming Perfectionism/Imposter Syndrome in Starting a Newsletter

[43:59–47:11]

• Fear is normal.
  Brainstorm at least 30 topic ideas before starting. If you can’t do this, your niche may need refining.
• "Starting is horribly scary…You don't have to tell anyone. You could just, you know, write it on your own..." — Chenell [44:07]

14. Snoozing Emails/Subscriber Retention Tactics

[47:19–50:13]

• Tech walkthrough: Using tags and automations (in Kit) to let readers “snooze” emails for 30 days rather than unsubscribe during busy seasons.
• Inspiration from the Sigma newsletter’s similar feature.

15. Burnout, Boundaries, and Taking Breaks

[37:33, 15:45]

• Regularly assess capacity. Taking breaks (e.g., no new December episodes) is healthy and strategic.
• Ask help from community, communicate needs with collaborators, and create backup plans.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trust Pyramid:
  “The foundation of building trust is writing…The next step is audio...The third is video…But the peak is in-person” — Dylan [07:03]
• Newsletter Technology Doesn’t Equal Success:
  “The tool is not going to make you successful. Your consistency, your content…is going to be the thing that stands out.” — Chenell [27:36]
• On Burnout:
  “Ask for help, talk to people, take a break…In this current business, I've tried to ask for help. I'm in a mastermind and I'm actually talking to people and asking questions.” — Chenell [38:38]
• On Starting with an Undefined Audience:
  “As long as it's lighting you up from a place of a passion and you have a long term mindset...then I would say start writing…and see where it takes you.” — Dylan [25:25]

Segment Timestamps

• Intro/Housekeeping — [00:00–04:13]
• What's Been Most Fun: ROI & Fun of Podcasting — [04:23–09:06]
• Podcast/Video: Mandatory Or Not For Creators? — [10:04–11:38]
• Workflow Tweaks: What to Stop/Change — [13:13–16:18]
• Would You Start Differently in 2026? — [16:36–18:49]
• AI and Email: Impact On Opens/Revenue — [19:09–22:15]
• Metrics That Matter — [32:16–35:08]
• Lead Magnets: What Works — [50:41–54:12]
• Burnout: Prevention & Experience — [37:31–39:22]
• Local/Niche Newsletter Growth — [39:31–58:28]
• Getting Started When You’re Scared/Imposter Syndrome — [43:59–47:11]
• Subscriber Snoozing Feature Walkthrough — [47:19–50:13]
• Closing & Housekeeping — [62:15–End]

Tone & Host Dynamics

Warm, open, tactical, collaborative, and packed with “in the trenches” detail. Both hosts are candid about their missteps and quick to translate philosophy into pragmatic steps—always with a sense of humor (and frequent shoutouts to pie and football).

For Podcast Feed Listeners

If you missed the live session, you still get all the actionable tactics, frameworks, and honest advice. Whether you’re just starting a list, managing a growing operation, or plotting out your 2026 strategy, this episode is a must-hear for email-based creators who want to level up.

(And yes: the code for the Growth Vault is expired—but the retention, growth, and burnout-prevention strategies shared here are evergreen.)