You may have signed up on my homepage, for one of my free resources (1KS Roadmap or Mark Manson onboarding templates), or you were referred here by a friend's newsletter. If not, unsubscribe at the bottom — no harm, no foul.
Sincerely hope your holidays (if you celebrate) were epic, and your new year is off to the start you hoped for!
My kids sure had a memorable holiday.
Not only did they relish in *not* being at school over the winter break... they got to become parents to some new furry babies.
Meet the newest members of our family: Stuffing & Boon.
(🐈🐈⬛)
Needless to say our house is a little bit busier lately—but in the best way.
Here's what's percolating in today's edition:
→ The most important newsletter metric? → The best lead magnets working right now → "10 Newsletter Lessons I Learned in 2025" → How to turn free subs into paid subs (New Substack Feature)
... let's take the plunge.
We're coming back stronger in 2026 — with 17 seconds of your help!
(whoa this is epic than you all!)
2025 marked 1 full year of the Growth In Reverse Podcast — 52 straight episodes 🎉
And honestly? We couldn’t have done it without you.
If you...
→ listened → shared an episode → left a comment → rated the show
— thank you!
Your feedback and support are a huge reason this podcast still exists at all.
Now...
You may have noticed we’re on a short hiatus.
We’re using the break to make sure the podcast comes back better than ever in 2026 — more useful, more focused, and more aligned with what you actually want to hear.
👉 That’s where you come in.
If you can spare ~17 seconds to answer the two poll questions below, you’ll directly shape the format and topics of the show next year.
(This is not an affiliate deal. I don't earn $$ from this promo code. I'm promoting this event because 1) I'm the event MC, 2) I believe in the value you'll get from attending, and 3) it's going to kick ass.)
FREE Resources (created & curated by GC⚡)
→ Increase opt-ins like a best-selling author (FREE templates)
The #1 Newsletter Metric? It's not opens. Or clicks.
It's not subscriber count either.
I won't bury the lede...
It's replies.
Replies matter a helluva lot. Not just for us "little guys". Replies are a strong signal for bigger newsletters, too.
Fact is, replies do many jobs. They:
✅ Improve deliverability ✅ Provide feedback ✅ Signal subscriber engagement ✅ Support our mental health(didn't see that one coming, didja?)
🐘 But there's a big ol' elephant in the room...
→ Getting replies is HARD.
How To Get More Replies
Here are a few ways you can lean into getting more of 'em.
A) Ask for a reply! (Super obvs but are you doing it?)
B) Use a pattern interrupt like Chenell did—and got over 200 replies (check out the episode below at ~17:00 where she shares how)
C) Elicit the 7 key emotions Shaan Puri strives for when creating viral, engaging content.
D) Gamify or incentivize your replies (like Toby did with "the button" and Mario did with 'The Puzzler') 𝗕𝗢𝗡𝗨𝗦: Use Katelyn Bourgoin's poll & giveaway strategy to incentivize replies. She uses this for clicks, but it could easily be altered to a) encourage replies and b) drive product sales! PS - All of these examples above are covered in way more depth in the Growth In Reverse Podcast episode below!
Don't have time to watch it? Okay here's the deal.
Hit reply with the words NO TIME and I'll send you a cheat sheet—but I'll only do it if FIVE people reply 👀
→ Learn from the pros with our live Creator Sessions. → Hop on a Hot Seat with Chenell to solve newsletter & business challenges. → Get free access to all of Chenell's products and courses—including The Growth Vault. → Get near-instant feedback on your landing pages, social posts, newsletters from our active community members—and me & Chenell!