Growth In Reverse: Newsletter & Email Growth
Chenell Basilio and Dylan Redekop
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.
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
10 snips
May 13, 2026 • 8min
The Seven Emails That Keep You Out of the Promotions Folder
A deep dive into a seven-email welcome sequence that boosts inbox placement and engagement. Short, tactical messages that provoke replies and train email algorithms. Strategies include moving the welcome, asking for social follows, running a quick subscriber survey, prompting unsubscribes to filter for loyal readers, and well-timed referral asks.
28 snips
May 6, 2026 • 7min
The One Question That Increased His Open Rate by 10% (Justin Welsh)
A breakdown of a simple one-question tactic that lifted open rates and referrals. Clear guidance on where to place conversational, topic-tied prompts and how to collect freeform replies. Practical steps for turning reader replies into an editorial calendar and using AI to bucket themes. Concrete results and tool recommendations for scaling this approach.
24 snips
Apr 29, 2026 • 6min
Skip the Landing Page. Doing This Converts at 65-70%
They discuss ditching landing pages and collecting emails directly inside Instagram DMs to cut friction. A ManyChat flow is explained that asks for email in-chat and connects natively to a newsletter tool. They cover tagging by post for source tracking and share practical step-by-step setup and tool recommendations that produced 65–70% commenter-to-subscriber conversions.
18 snips
Apr 22, 2026 • 9min
This 1 Change Doubled Katelyn's Digital Product Sales
A breakdown of a simple signup tweak that doubled digital product sales. Short poll questions that segment subscribers by pain point. Customized welcome flows that match each group's needs. Soft, contextual selling through targeted sequences. Rotating, segmented flash sales to smooth revenue and avoid burnout.
37 snips
Apr 15, 2026 • 1h 3min
$9M with 50k subscribers: Sam Vander Wielen's 7-figure newsletter funnel [REPLAY]
Sam Vander Wielen, a lawyer-turned-creator who built a 50k-subscriber newsletter and sold $9M+ in legal templates, joins to walk through her funnel playbook. She covers list-first growth, evergreen webinar funnels, using discovery calls for product ideas, quarterly list hygiene, and turning newsletter momentum into a book deal. Expect practical growth tactics and small-team ops.
43 snips
Apr 9, 2026 • 12min
30 Top Creators Sharing Their Best Newsletter Growth Tactics, for Free
A launch for 30 Days of Growth and what to expect from daily newsletter tips. A deep dive into why cross-promotions drive lasting subscribers. Real results and metrics from last year, including signups and open rates. A breakdown of referral mechanics, viral loops, and the logistics behind running a month-long growth project.
12 snips
Apr 8, 2026 • 42min
The 3-Step Onboarding System Every Newsletter Needs
A practical breakdown of a three-step subscriber onboarding system. Tips on landing page clarity, building credibility, and avoiding dead-end thank-you pages. Tactics to push new readers into their inbox with “sniper links” and focused welcome messages. Discussion of surveys, incentives to encourage replies, and a teased five-step expansion for more advanced flows.
12 snips
Apr 1, 2026 • 16min
Why Your Best Work Is Invisible: The Hidden Genius Dilemma
A deep dive into why talented creators keep their best work hidden. Exploration of the two drivers of success: momentum and insanely valuable content. Breakdown of four creator types and why fear, perfectionism, and moral qualms stop people from sharing. Practical tactics to build publishing confidence and make promotion feel ethical and simple.
33 snips
Mar 25, 2026 • 30min
1000 Leads (per month!) with An Unconventional Lead Magnet
A deep dive into unconventional lead magnet tactics that drive massive subscriber growth. They explore sending freebies to current lists, syncing email with social for launch lift, and using YouTube-specific calls to action. Quizzes and creative content-upgrade loops get spotlighted. Practical scaling moves like paid ads to third-party content and lead magnet swaps are discussed.
59 snips
Mar 18, 2026 • 34min
Newsletter Growth Lessons from Top Creators (New Media Summit 2026)
A fast look at what fuels newsletter growth: insanely valuable content and momentum. Six practical content buckets that make readers save and share. Real-world tactics like lead magnets, quizzes, repackaging existing work, and partnering with bigger audiences. Case studies show how consistency, cross-promotion, and smart freebies drive rapid signups.
