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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.
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 now
KEY TAKEAWAYSLINKS 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
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Check out the 30 Days of Growth: 30daysofgrowth.co/
Get the Growth Vault: growthinreverse.com/vault
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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 filters
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: [email protected]
LINKS MENTIONEDFOLLOW 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.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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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 yearLINKS 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.
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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 productsLINKS 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.
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Check out Jillian & Jordan's Growth Lever here: https://growthinreverse.com/loveleigh-popups/
Join 30 Days of Growth here: 30daysofgrowth.co
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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
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[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 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.
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 sustainability
KEY TAKEAWAYSLINKS 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!
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If 30 top creators handed you their best newsletter growth tactic, for free, would you take it? Of course you would!
I'm excited to share that we are launching 30 Days of Growth (Part 2!) on April 20th. If you missed last year's event, you don't want to miss it again. Each day I'll be sending you 1 tip you can use to improve or grow your newsletter.
In this episode, I break down why cross-promotions are one of the most underrated newsletter growth strategies, share the real numbers from last year's 30 Days of Growth (3,714 signups, 1,757 new subscribers, 77% open rates), and announce what's coming for year 2 - including the creators, the prizes, and how to get in.
Sign up for free at 30daysofgrowth.co
Creators featured this year include Dave Gerhardt, Katelyn Bourgoin, Justin Welsh, Sam Vander Wielen, Daniel Bustamante, and many more.Sign up: 30daysofgrowth.co
Growth In Reverse newsletter: growthinreverse.com
Growth In Reverse Pro community: growthinreverse.com/pro/ -
NOTE: This is a rerun of an episode we published in September 2025. But just because it's a rerun doesn't mean it ain't still a banger 💥
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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.
The 3 Cs of a high-converting landing pageWhy 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 emailThe #1 mistake welcome emails makeThe most important job your welcome email hasA simple incentive trick to encourage repliesThe difference between a “true” and “false” double opt-inHow (and why) to include surveys in your onboardingWhat top creators do with their “almost there” pages to hook new subscribers
KEY TAKEAWAYSLINKS 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/questionsCheck out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/FOLLOW ON SOCIAL
Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | SubstackDylan: LinkedIn | Substack | 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!
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Get Chenell's step-by-step breakdown of Jonathan Goodman's Lead Magnet Strategy: https://growthinreverse.com/jon-content-loops/
We start the next round of 30 Days of Growth on April 20th, you can join to get access when it's live here: https://30daysofgrowth.co/?source=youtube
***
Lead Magnet Episode (Part 1) >>
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Get the FREE Lead Magnet Guide >> growthinreverse.com/leadmagnet
Get Instant Access to the Growth Vault now >> growthinreverse.com/vault
***
“Lead magnets definitely still work. I think they’re having a resurgence right now.” — Chenell Basilio
It took 60 episodes.
But we finally dedicated a full episode to lead magnets — what they are, what’s actually working right now, and what’s quietly a waste of time.
In this episode, we break down the three lead magnet formats we see winning, why “quick win” matters more than length, and how tactics like comment-to-get and pop-up newsletters can create real growth flywheels. We also talk about when lead magnets don’t make sense (yes, that’s a thing) and the simple promotion step most creators skip that could double the impact of what they’ve already built.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The “Trojan horse” that beats the “Subscribe to my newsletter” CTAWhether or not lead magnets still work5 keys to a creating a successful lead magnetThe most critical lead magnet mistakes to avoidThe best types of lead magnets working right now Chenell's number #1 tip for lead magnetsLINKS MENTIONED
The Growth Vault → Sam Vander Wielen Episode → Growth In Reverse ProFOLLOW 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.
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Get Instant Access to the Growth Vault now >> growthinreverse.com/vault
***
In this episode of the GIR Podcast, we're airing "cross-published" episode originally featured on Jay Clouse's Creator Science podcast.
Check out the Creator Science podcast here >>***
“If someone can Google what you wrote and get the same thing elsewhere, it’s not differentiated.” — Chenell Basilio
Chenell Basilio joins Jay Clouse on Creator Science to break down how she built Growth In Reverse into a thriving newsletter with over 35,000 subscribers.
Chenell shares the strategy behind her deep dive format, how she thinks about positioning and differentiation, why focus beats platform sprawl, and how she turned detailed research into sustainable audience growth. Jay and Chenell also discuss monetization, collaboration strategy, audience building, and what it actually takes to build a durable newsletter business.
Why depth beats volume when building a newsletter audienceThe compounding power of collaborations in niche marketsHow to create “internal share” content that spreads inside companiesWhy narrowing your focus accelerates newsletter growthThe difference between building an audience and building a businessHow to turn research into durable newsletter contentWhy distribution strategy matters more than content frequencyThe real value of long-term positioning in the newsletter space
KEY TAKEAWAYSLINKS MENTIONED
Creator Science podcastThe Growth VaultGrowth In Reverse newsletterJay Clouse on LinkedInGrowth In Reverse ProFOLLOW 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.
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Get the FREE Growth Levers Library: growthinreverse.com/growth-levers-library/
***
“Most people underestimate how long it takes for anything meaningful to happen.” — Matt Paulson, MarketBeat
Matt Paulson is the founder of MarketBeat, one of the largest independent financial media brands on the internet. What started as a scrappy side project eventually turned into a multi-newsletter business serving millions of investors, driven primarily by search, disciplined publishing, and long-term thinking.
In this episode, Matt walks through how MarketBeat grew over time, why newsletters became a central growth lever, how monetization evolved alongside the audience, and what most creators misunderstand about “overnight success.” This is a grounded, reality-based look at building a newsletter business that lasts.
Why Matt believes most newsletter creators reach for paid growth far too earlyThe channel Matt actively avoided for years, even as others obsessed over itThe two most important metrics Matt pays attention toMarketBeat's sign-up flow that earns back paid growth spend The surprising channel Matt is most bullish on today and why it prints moneyWhat “organic growth” actually looked like when it wasn’t glamorousHow MarketBeat evaluated channels based on profit, not attentionThe point where “more traffic” stopped being the goalWhat Matt would double down on today if starting from zero
KEY TAKEAWAYS
MarketBeat.comMattPaulson.comMarketBeat YouTube ChannelNewMediaSummit.com (use GIR20 for 20% off your ticket)Take your newsletter to the next level with Chenell & Dylan — join GIR Pro todayAll of Chenell's Free Content →
LINKS MENTIONEDFOLLOW 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.
- Visa fler
