Growth In Reverse: Newsletter & Email Growth

Chenell Basilio and Dylan Redekop
  • 5.0 (40)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 19h ago

    The PACT Formula for Starting Over with Steve Kamb

    Steve Kamb bought the domain for NerdFitness.com in 2007 and grew it into a 45-person, SEO-driven coaching company. But then he burned out. Badly. He demoted himself twice, and eventually stepped away from running the business entirely — all so he could do the one thing he actually loved: write. In this episode, Steve joins us to talk about his new book How to Try Again, the hard lessons from 17+ years of building Nerd Fitness, and why starting over isn't a failure — it's a skill. His PACT framework (Pause, Accept, Change, Try) offers a practical roadmap for any creator who's ever felt stuck, burned out, or tempted to quit.KEY TAKEAWAYS How Steve built Nerd Fitness from a blog into a 45-person companyWhy he demoted himself out of his own CEO roleThe brutal reality of pandemic-era burnout and what it taught him about chasing the wrong thingsWhy "all or nothing" thinking almost always failsHis four-step PACT framework for starting over after burnout or failureThe question he asked that changed everythingWhy writing two articles a week for 10 years was the real engine behind Nerd FitnessThe danger of modeling celebrity success over relatable successHow Steve separated his personal brand from Nerd FitnessWhat success actually looks like for Steve nowLINKS MENTIONED SteveKamb.comHow To Try Again (Steve's Book)NerdFitness.comKit — email platform used by Steve and the hostsLLOW ON SOCIAL Chenell: Twitter | LinkedInDylan: LinkedIn | Substack | InstagramOUR NEWSLETTERS growthinreverse.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.

    54 min

  2. Jun 10

    The Deliverability Mistakes Killing Your Newsletter Open Rates with Alyssa Dulin

    Check out the 30 Days of Growth: 30daysofgrowth.co/ Get the Growth Vault: growthinreverse.com/vault *** Alyssa Dulin is Kit's deliverability expert. She joined us to pull back the curtain on one of the most misunderstood forces shaping newsletter success: deliverability. We sat down with her to unpack why emails land in spam, what the big Gmail and Yahoo changes really mean for individual creators, and how to build a sending reputation that lasts. From domain warmups to fake opens to bot clicks, this episode covers the stuff most newsletter creators won't learn until something goes wrong. KEY TAKEAWAYS The custom domain mistake tanking open rates — and how to make the switchWhy your sender reputation works like a credit score, and what "starting at zero" actually means for deliverabilityThe top 3 subscriber engagement signals ranked by impactHow long you should wait before removing inactive subscribersWhat actually happens to your sender reputation if you take a break from sending Alyssa's deliverability checklist for newsletter creatorsHow to onboard Creator Network and "recommendation" subscribers without hurting deliverabilityThe uncomfortable truth about whether your open rates and click rates are even realHow AI inbox summaries are becoming the new gatekeeper between your email and your readerHow to safely increase your send frequency without triggering spam filtersLINKS MENTIONED Kit — email platform used by Alyssa and the hostsGoogle Postmaster Tools — monitor your domain reputation and complaint rates with GmailSendGauge — Alyssa's new deliverability intelligence platform (beta)Deliverability Defined Podcast — Alyssa's podcast with the deliverability back catalogKit deliverability support: deliverability@kit.comFOLLOW ON SOCIAL Chenell: Twitter | LinkedInDylan: LinkedIn | Substack | InstagramOUR NEWSLETTERS growthinreverse.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.

    53 min

  3. Jun 3

    30 Days. 30 Emails. Was it a Mistake?

    Check 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 TAKEAWAYS Why 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 SOCIAL Chenell: Twitter | LinkedInDylan: LinkedIn | Substack | InstagramOUR NEWSLETTERS growthinreverse.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.

    33 min

  4. May 28

    She made $500k with one launch. Here's how.

    Get Sam's FREE $500K Launch Breakdown >> growthinreverse.com/500k Get 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 SOCIAL Chenell: Twitter | LinkedInDylan: LinkedIn | Substack | InstagramOUR NEWSLETTERS growthinreverse.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.

    54 min

  5. May 20

    This Adds 50 Subscribers a Day

    Check out Jillian & Jordan's Growth Lever here: https://growthinreverse.com/loveleigh-popups/ Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co

    5 min

  6. May 13

     The Seven Emails That Keep You Out of the Promotions Folder

    Check out Tyler's Growth Lever here: https://growthinreverse.com/tyler-welcome-flow/ Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co

    8 min

  7. May 6

    The One Question That Increased His Open Rate by 10% (Justin Welsh)

    Check out Justin's Growth Lever here: https://growthinreverse.com/justin-welsh-question/ Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co

    7 min

  8. Apr 29

    Skip the Landing Page. Doing This Converts at 65-70%

    Check out Gannon's Growth Lever here: growthinreverse.com/gannon-manychat-flow/ Get 30% off ManyChat: growthinreverse.com/manychat (affiliate link) Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co

    6 min
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5
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40 Ratings

About

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.

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