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. 1d ago

    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

  2. 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.

    55 min

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. Apr 22

    This 1 Change Doubled Katelyn's Digital Product Sales

    Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co

    9 min

  8. Apr 15

    $9M with 50k subscribers: Sam Vander Wielen's 7-figure newsletter funnel [REPLAY]

    [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 TAKEAWAYS Why 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 MENTIONED Sam'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 SOCIAL Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | SubstackDylan: LinkedIn | BlueskyOUR NEWSLETTERS growthinreverse.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!

    1h 1m
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5
out of 5
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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