​[Read the browser version right here]​

Hey it's been a hot minute.

Between camping, working, triathlon training, and just plain ol' summering, I've accidentally taken a solid month+ off from sending you a newsletter.

It was glorious 👇 #noragrets

Here's some proof I stepped away to touch grass. But I've got a big announcement after those pics, so keeeeeeep scrolling ;)

So... did you miss me while I was gone? 😅
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​(Truth is you probably didn't notice, right? And that's on me. I've been inconsistent with my newsletter sends. Well, that's something I'm fixing in September — more on that below)

Okay let's get into it.

11k subscribers...
​In 6 months.

Chenell recently shared her growth numbers from when she started GIR 👇

The first 30 days brought in 283 email subscribers.
And in the following 34 days, she cracked 1,000.

That trajectory only continued. She hit 2,500 subscribers in 90 days.

She'd reach 11k subscribers in 6 months.

Oh and btw, this growth was 100% organic—zero paid ads or paid mentions or any of that.

Instead she focused on TWO things:

1) publish Insanely Valuable Content™️
2) post & engage on social media—every damn day

Announcing the Social Growth Challenge

Don't get me wrong... social media can be a slog. ​
But it can also be fruitful 🍇 (see Chenell's growth).

So to make social less of a slog and something we can actually use to grow our newsletters, we're launching the September Social Growth Challenge!

​Join the Challenge >>​

We just announced the challenge on the GIR podcast (announcement here) —there's 40+ people signed up ready to crush their September growth goals.

And we want you to join us this time.

We ran a similar Growth Challenge in January—which was super successful—but there were two big issues:

PROBLEM #1: EXCLUSIVITY​
Anyone could “participate” — but all the perks like the leaderboard and rewards were only for the Growth In Reverse Pro community (meaning non-members had less incentive and inclusion)
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​PROBLEM #2: LINKEDIN-ONLY​
It was a “LinkedIn” growth challenge. But not everyone uses LinkedIn or cares to grow an audience here. But they still wanna grow... ya know?

This Challenge Is Bigger + Better!

So this time around, we’re fixing those problems. Here's how 👇
​
​#1: The challenge is open to the public! ​
You don't have to be a paying member of GIR Pro to join! Instead, those who pay a much smaller fee to join will be on the leaderboard & entered to win prizes (🏆Most New Followers; 🏆Highest Growth Rate, etc)
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​#2: Growth counts on ANY writing-based platform​
Like LinkedIn, Twitter, Substack, Threads, etc. This is a platform-agnostic challenge!
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​#3: Bonus: we’re holding live sessions! ​
Office Hours sessions, Roast My Post sessions, and weekly coworking hours for all paid entrants to participate in.

The January LinkedIn Growth Challenge got my year started on the right foot with a "publish first" mindset. I even had the second highest growth rate for that challenge and have now gained ~1000 new followers I owe to that January challenge.

Q4 is right around the corner. If you've been neglecting social growth this year, use this challenge to set yourself up for the most success possible over the holidays and into 2026.

We'd love to have you and cheer on your growth success 💯

​Join the Challenge >>​

PS...

We're doing a LIVE kick-off call on August 28th, so if you're considering joining, you'll want to make sure you're "in" before that call!

Newsletter Hits
Of The Week

⚡6 Popular Myths About Paid Newsletters You Should Stop Believing →

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⚡ How He Built the World’s Biggest Local Newsletter Business →

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⚡12 Lessons From Building a Multi-6-Figure Newsletter Business →

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⚡A free 3-step guide to landing your ideal clients—and bigger deals →

👆 that last link is from my friend Michele Kasl. Michele helps her B2B clients stand out with marketing & design. She also writes the Monday Mantra newsletter: delivering fresh design and marketing insights, tech tips, and unexpected business wisdom from the world of board games🕹️

Growing your newsletter feel like this?

Stop beating your head against a wall.

Book a 1:1 Newsletter Strategy Sesh

​30-minute Strategy Sesh →​

Includes:
​→ Live 1:1 call with me
→ Recording of the call + transcript
​

​60-minute Strategy Sesh →

Includes:
​→ Live 1:1 call with me
→ Recording of the call + transcript
→ 1-month async support (via email)

Got more questions about these sessions? Just hit reply and ask me!

🤘 Playlist of the Week

I was an 80s baby. And a 90s teen.

So 90s music shaped my formative years. So I put together a 26-track playlist full of my favorite deeper cuts from some epic 90s rock, alternative, and grunge albums 🎸

Vibe to these gems while writing your next newsletter.

Improve your newsletter with these:

→ The 1KS Roadmap: A Free Course To Your First 1,000 Subscribers​
→ Increase opt-ins like a best-selling author (FREE templates)​​
​→ Start a newsletter for FREE with Kit (free up to 10k subscribers)​*
→ Book a 1:1 newsletter strategy sesh w/me: 30 mins || 60 mins

Peace and platonic love,

Dylan

​LinkedIn | Twitter | Bluesky | Threads

* indicates affiliate links. I get paid a small commission if you use these links to purchase a product or service.

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