The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.

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“Organic needs to be your biggest channel if you want a real audience that feels connected to you.” — Sean Griffey, Industry Dive

You might not have aspirations of building a $100m newsletter empire. Neither did Sean Griffey.

But 10 years after cofounding Industry Dive with two peers, Sean and his cofounders sold their newsletter media business for a reported $500 million. We sat down with Sean Griffey, to understand what it took to build a behemoth like they did with Industry Dive, and whether or not Sean is still bullish on the newsletter business model.

In our chat, Sean breaks down exactly how they grew Industry Dive—from buying LinkedIn groups to mastering first-party data—and shares what today’s newsletter operators can learn from Industry Dive’s playbook.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The real reason Industry Dive launched with five newsletters on day one (and why Sean says they all “sucked” at first).
• How a bad story accidentally proved their newsletter finally “mattered.”
• The exact growth levers they pulled early on — including buying LinkedIn groups.
• Why Sean believes “organic audience growth beats paid growth every time” for long-term brand value.
• How they turned a small B2B news business into a 500-person company operating globally.
• The virtuous cycle of investing revenue back into better content.
• What their content studio does—and how it now drives ~40 % of total revenue.
• What Sean believes is the most valuable data point in newsletters.
• How Industry Dive decided which metrics actually mattered. 
• The lessons creators today can steal from a company that built 9 figures in newsletter revenue.

LINKS MENTIONED

• Industry Dive
• Sean Griffey on LinkedIn
• Informa (the company that bought Industry Dive)
• Join a community for newsletter creators: Growth In Reverse Pro 
• Get The Growth Vault — newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.
• Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. 
• Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Substack
• 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!

Music from #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/21-on-the-block/i-know
License code: 1XP9IRXHPZSBPGMM

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.

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“People think automation sounds hard. But If you do automatic bill pay, direct deposit, an email autoresponder, you're automating.” — Joe Casabona, casabona.org

Chances are all of us writing newsletters could benefit from some more automation. It can save us time and energy so we can focus on creating Insanely Valuable Content™️.

But what should we automate—and how?

So we brought on our favorite automation expert, Joe Casabona, to break down simple, creator-friendly automations that save time, reduce mental load, and make newsletters and online businesses run smoother. 

Joe shares the automations he uses in his own business, why you don’t need to be “techy” to build them, and how small workflow tweaks can free hours every week.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why automating parts of your newsletter doesn’t have to be complicated
• The simple automation Joe uses to welcome new members with a personal touch (and a dopamine hit).
• The 3-step checklist to figure out if something should be automated.
• The four building blocks every automation is made of—and how to combine them for powerful systems.
• A sneaky automation cheat sheet Zapier page no one talks about.
• How to automate personalized follow-ups for subscribers—without being creepy.
• The underrated platform Joe’s doubling down on for audience growth.
• How automation can actually increase your human connection with subscribers.
• Why creators should start small: Joe’s rule of thumb for the “one automation everyone should build first.”

LINKS MENTIONED

• Casabona.org/growth
• Joe on LinkedIn
• Joe's YT Channel
• Joe's podcast
• Zapier.com
• Zapier Apps
• Make.com
• Bonjoro.com
• Join a community for newsletter creators: Growth In Reverse Pro 
• Get The Growth Vault — newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.
• Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. 
• Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Substack
• 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!

Music from #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/21-on-the-block/i-know
License code: 1XP9IRXHPZSBPGMM

Music from SoundStripe: 
END-USER COPYRIGHT LICENSE AGREEMENT
Subject to your compliance with the Terms, Soundstripe Inc. grants Tim Forkin a non-exclusive,
limited, non-sublicensable, and nontransferable license to download, reproduce, prepare
derivative works, distribute, perform and display the song Slayin It solely as combined with
your work of authorship, titled Growth In Reverse. This license was created for the Pro plan
and is approved for personal or commercial use only.

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.

Quick note: We ran a 30-day Social Growth Challenge that we opened to the public for a $100 fee to join.
But all purchasers of The Growth Vault were able to join for FREE ;)  

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“I love the concept of a challenge—I just don’t know that social media is the goal anymore.” — Chenell Basilio

We ran a "public" 30-Day Social Growth Challenge. 
But was it worth it?

This episode breaks down the fallout and lessons learned from the GIR 30-Day Social Growth Challenge. We dive into whether or not we thought the challenge was a success—and whether it was worth it for each of us. We also share some pretty epic wins from several of our challengers. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• What can happen when you post 30 days straight.
• Whether or not a challenge like this is worth it.
• The hidden ROI of consistency—even when follower growth looks small.
• How one participant landed $2M in investor interest from a single post.
• Is daily posting “an exercise in futility”—and what you could do instead.
• How a 12-week Content Flywheel became the ultimate anti-burnout system.
• The channel appears to be the best long-term growth play for newsletters.
• How to design a challenge that actually moves your business forward.
• The surprising power of small wins and how to build momentum fast.

LINKS MENTIONED

• Our Challenge Winners: 🥇 Tom Orbach || 🥈 Danny Naz || 🥉 Alejandra Rojas
• Adam Schaeuble's 12-Week Content Flywheel
• Join a community for newsletter creators: Growth In Reverse Pro 
• Get The Growth Vault — newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.
• Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. 
• Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Substack
• 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!

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.

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“If you’re not exceptional at one of the Big 3 — it’s impossible to build a content business.” — Dylan quoting Matt McGarry

We're sharing the biggest stories, trends, and lessons from the newsletter space over the past few weeks. 

From Bari Weiss’s $150M Substack newsletter sale to gamified engagement strategies and the rise of YouTube as the new discovery channel, we're unpacking what these moves mean for creators and operators running newsletters today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• What the $150M acquisition of Bari Weiss's The Free Press proves about newsletters.
• How creators can reverse-engineer their dream roles or acquisition partners.
• The game that The Assist launched to boost engagement & reader affinity.
• What LinkedIn’s games can teach creators about streaks, competition, and retention loops.
• A referral program so smart it practically funds itself.
• The "Big 3 Media Strategy” that should reshape your content marketing.
• The #1 fear that's holding back most newsletter creators.

LINKS MENTIONED

• The Free Press by Barri Weiss
• News: CBS parent company Paramount Skydance buys The Free Press
• Workle by The Assist newsletter
• The Dink Deep Dive (via GIR)
• The "Big 3 Media Platforms" article via Matt McGarry 
• Get Chenell's brand-new offering for newsletter creators: The Growth Vault — newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.
• Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. 
• Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Substack
• 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!

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.

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“Stop wasting time picking the ‘perfect’ newsletter tool. Just start publishing. You can always switch later." — Dylan

We're breaking down the most common mistakes newsletter creators make in the early days — from obsessing over tools and automations to focusing on viral growth too soon.

We are challenging the conventional “how to start a newsletter” checklists floating around online (and even ChatGPT’s advice), showing how little you actually need to start. And why over-planning, over-designing, and over-automating are the real growth killers.

If you’ve been “getting ready” to launch for months, this episode will hopefully convince you to just start.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why most creators waste weeks setting up automations they don’t even need
• Why you don't need a welcome sequence at first 
• How Chenell recommends for getting your first 10 subscribers without a landing page
• The one tool mistake that can cost you hundreds of dollars—and zero new readers
• Whether or not you should invest in paid ads for early growth
• Why planning your “perfect” newsletter launch might actually be procrastination in disguise
• Why tracking analytics in the beginning doesn't matter (and what to track instead)
• Why chasing virality before you’re ready can backfire hard
• How to use early replies and feedback to shape your newsletter direction
• The mindset shift that separates stuck creators from those who actually hit send

LINKS MENTIONED

• Tom Alder's GIR Deep Dive 
• The Obvious Choice by Jonathan Goodman
• Dylan's 'Resend To Unopens' Experiment & Article
• Get Chenell's brand-new offering for newsletter creators: The Growth Vault — newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.
• Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. 
• Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Substack
• 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!

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here—filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.

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“I sent this short email—and got over 200 replies—when I usually get maybe 8 to 15. It was wild." — Chenell

In this episode, we're digging into the art (and science) of getting more replies to your newsletter.

Why replies?

Because we believe (and we're not alone) that replies should be the #1 metric most newsletter creators should be focusing on—even more than open or click rates.

We unpack why replies are a powerful signal for deliverability, engagement—even creator mental health—and we share practical strategies for getting more of them. Everything from welcome email tweaks to pattern-interrupt campaigns. 

And we even highlight our own examples—plus some examples from major newsletter experts like Mario Gabriele’s “Puzzler,” Toby Howell’s gamified email, and Katelyn Bourgoin’s Fri-Yay edition (part of her Why We Buy newsletter).

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why replies are the ultimate engagement metric (and why open/click rates can mislead you)
• How replies directly impact email deliverability
• The underrated mental health boost creators get from reader replies
• Why your welcome email is the #1 place to prioritize a reply CTA
• Simple frameworks to write reply-worthy content (like Shaan Puri’s 7 emotions)
• How pattern interrupt emails can spark hundreds of responses overnight
• The surprising downsides: why Chenell’s 200-reply email also had record unsubscribes
• Real-world examples: Mario Gabriele’s “Puzzler,” Toby Howell’s “Button Game,” and Katelyn Bourgoin’s Fri-Yay interactive polls
• How replies can reveal new content ideas, products, or even potential clients
• Why even a short personal story in your newsletter can trigger authentic responses

LINKS MENTIONED

• Shaan Puri's 7 Key Emotions (+ AI Prompt Elicitor)
• Mario Gabriele ('The Puzzler') GIR Deep Dive
• Toby Howell's 'The Game' newsletter
• Katelyn Bourgoin on GIR Podcast
• Katelyn's Why We Buy (+ Fri-Yay) newsletter
• Get Chenell's brand-new offering for newsletter creators: The Growth Vault — newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.
• Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. 
• Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Substack
• 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!

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here! The Growth Vault is filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.

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“One of the worst things you can do is send new subscribers to a dead-end thank you page. That kills engagement immediately." — Chenell

We'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 TAKEAWAYS

• The 3 Cs of a high-converting landing page
• Why 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 email
• The #1 mistake welcome emails make
• The most important job your welcome email has
• A simple incentive trick to encourage replies
• The difference between a “true” and “false” double opt-in
• How (and why) to include surveys in your onboarding
• What top creators do with their “almost there” pages to hook new subscribers

LINKS MENTIONED

• The 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/questions
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

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

The Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new offer for newsletter creators is here! The Growth Vault is filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.

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“Sometimes less is more. Cut the clutter and highlight the one thing that matters." — Chenell

It's newsletter roast time 🔥🔥 We're putting the spotlight on Hobby Card Life: a newsletter covering sports cards and collectibles. 

We roast and review everything from the sign-up flow to newsletter design to growth levers. You’ll hear what’s working, what’s holding this newsletter back, and the exact opportunities we see for growth and monetization.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The first impression a niche newsletter makes on readers (and where Hobby Card Life missed).
• The simple opt-in tweak that could dramatically increase subscriber conversions.
• Why design consistency matters more than you think—and how this newsletter could fix it quickly.
• What to do when your niche is too broad for new subscribers to understand instantly.
• The surprising monetization angle that could be a major revenue driver.
• How partnerships inside a passionate niche can compound growth.
• The retention risk we spotted in this newsletter’s publishing cadence.
• Where we’d focus first if we were growing Hobby Card Life from here.

LINKS MENTIONED

• Hobby Card Life newsletter
• HobbyCardLife.com
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• The GIR Social Growth Challenge 
• Get Chenell's brand-new course: The Growth Vault — newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.
• Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. 
• Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Substack
• 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!

Get 30+ video lessons and ideas for optimizing your newsletter: https://growthinreverse.com/vault

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“All roads point to the email list." — Sam Vander Wielen, Sam's Sidebar

In 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 after
• The $100k turning point that reshaped how she runs her business
• How she blends storytelling with practical education to keep readers engaged
• How her newsletter fuels her entire content ecosystem
• What creators misunderstand about legal protections (and how to fix it)
• Why she believes the boring stuff is actually the growth engine
• The platform she almost abandoned — and why she came back stronger
• Her advice for creators chasing growth but ignoring long-term sustainability

LINKS MENTIONED

• Sam's website
• Sam's book: When I Start My Business I'll Be Happy
• Sam's Socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube
• Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
• Get 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 Community
• Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. 
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Substack
• 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 Growth Vault is LIVE: Chenell's brand-new product —The Growth Vault— is here. Filled with newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.

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“If content is king, AI is storming the castle." — Darren Vesterfelt, Mighty Networks

Chenell was just in Cleveland for the annual CEX conference. And she wasn't *just* in attendance—she was also a speaker!

So we're recapping the biggest lessons and takeaways from Chenell's experience at CEX (Content Entrepreneur Expo) — where she basically opened the conference with her keynote, traded notes with some content economy heavy hitters (like Jay Acunzo, Ann Handley, Mark Schaefer, Robert Rose), and soaked up the big trends.

We dig into why slowing down beats AI-first content, the power of community and IRL relationships, how to think about discovery vs. relationship platforms, and why some SEO pros are betting on social over search.  

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The case for “as slow as possible” content: let ideas marinate; don’t outsource your thinking to AI. 
• How to use AI as an editor rather than a first-draft brain replacement—and why this matters more than ever. 
• Driving audiences from discovery platforms → relationship platforms. 
• Community is a durable moat when content sameness rises (AI is “storming the castle”). 
• Social > Search (sometimes): comments from real humans can beat 10k empty pageviews. 
• Testing ideas fast with social media—and how commenting sparks even more ideas.
• IRL still trumps all: stages, dinners, and small masterminds create outsized serendipity. 
• Are physical newsletters back? 
• Should you try AI sobriety?

LINKS MENTIONED

• CEX
• Ann Handley
• Jay Acunzo
• Mark Schafer
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• The GIR Social Growth Challenge 
• Get Chenell's brand-new course: The Growth Vault — newsletter templates, growth strategies, and real examples you can implement at your own pace.
• Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here. 
• Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Substack
• 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!