220: How to grow a newsletter, build a paid community, and stay human online (with Chenell Basilio)

➡️ Grab my FREE 7-day email course, Substack Launchpad - you’ll get one email a day for 7 days to help build your confidence, consistency, and traction on Substack. Get it here.

---

Season 2, episode 20 is here!

In this conversation,

Chenell Basilio

shares how she went from a solo deep-dive experiment to building a newsletter followed by tens of thousands and her own successful community. We get into what drives real growth, how to stay visible without burning out, and why keeping things human is still the most underrated advantage online.

What we covered:

• How Growth in Reverse started with a 60-hour research obsession and four subscribers

• The simple moment that got Jay Clouse to become one of Chenell’s first readers and how that early support changed everything

• Why human connection and 1:1 outreach still outperform any automation or tactic

• How Chenell approaches branding without overthinking it and the little design details that actually matter

• What makes a sponsorship worth taking and how to grow trust without ever calling yourself an expert

• The tool Chenell’s most excited about right now and why it exists

• Why creators should worry less about followers and more about retention, relationships, and staying in the game long enough to get great

👉 Make sure to subscribe to

Growth in Reverse

before you go.

---

Go deeper:

• 219: How to build a high-trust creator business (with Jay Clouse)

• How to Fortify Your Mind Against Rejection as a Writer

• How to Systemize & Monetize Your Personality

---

What’s next?

I’m ready and waiting to support you in the next stages of your creator journey. Here’s a reminder of how I can help:

1. Start Your Podcast on Substack: A complete course guiding you from concept to launch, based on everything I’ve learned so far during my own podcasting journey. Learn to plan, brand, record, edit, publish, and promote your podcast while building an audience. Perfect for creators eager to share their voice with the world.

2. The 1K Daily Writing Challenge: Build a consistent habit by writing 1,000 words daily for 30 days. Along the way, you'll get encouraging video prompts, accountability support, and plenty of inspiration to ignite your creative spark. Nail your rhythm. Find your flow. Transform your writing journey forever.

3. Substack Basics: A video guide showing you exactly how to: set up your first publications; create polished posts from scratch; share, structure, and schedule effectively; and master Notes, CTAs, and growth levers (bonus section: Going Live on Substack).

4. Sustainable Scalable Social Strategy: This 6-part, online, self-driven course will guide you through the same process I used to develop a strategy for my social media management. When you finish, you’ll have a sustainable social strategy in place that will help you scale your business properly.

---

Table of Contents [Start Here]