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[#Sponsored]​
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This issue is in partnership with ConvertKit.

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This is GC⚡ #100 — We did it, fam.

Fireworks! With this edition, I've achieved the ONE and ONLY goal I had starting Growth Currency: publish 100 weekly editions. More on that below.

A special welcome to the 65 newest readers of the Growth Currency newsletter!

Thank you for giving me space in your inbox. 🙏

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here »​
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​
​[GC News & Announcements]​
What You Need To Know

​[In case you missed it last week] Gumroad to increase fees on sales to 10% plus processing fees​
​Gumroad CEO Sahil Lavingia announced (very casually) a flat increase in fees across the board to 10% for all creators starting January 31, 2023. Currently, fees are tiered—the lowest tier only paying 2.9% + processing fees.

Want an alternative? Try ConvertKit Commerce with a free ConvertKit starter account. CK only charges processing fees (3.5% + $0.30/transaction). That's it.

​Start a FREE ConvertKit account »

​

​ANNOUNCING: Growth Currency Referral Program — Share & Earn ⚡​
​It only took me 99 editions—but now you get *rewarded* for sharing this newsletter! Check it out and your personal referral link below!

[GC #GuestPost Editorial]​
How my newsletter went from aimless hobby to media business

A reflection on 100 published editions.

Remember 2020? What words come to mind?

COVID. Global pandemic. Shutdown. "Unprecedented times."

At least one of those, right?

I relate. And it was a tough year. But as tough as it was, 2020 was an inflection point in my online journey:

1. I got more active on Twitter.
2. I started listening to more podcasts.
3. I began working remotely full-time.
4. And I heard about this thing called Substack.

I worked in marketing and understood the importance of building an email list. A newsletter seemed like a good way to do it.

So I signed up for a Substack account in September 2020.

One Problem: I had no idea what to write about.

And I had nothing to sell. But after months of plan-crastination, I finally hit publish.

My first newsletter included a few thoughts on leadership and interesting things I was consuming online, like: tools, articles, courses, Twitter threads, communities, etc.

I had no “original” content, so I published a lot of curated links paired with my opinion. I enjoyed the process of creating a newsletter and sharing it.

But for all intents & purposes — my newsletter was an aimless hobby.

TL;DR — This reflection article covers:

• The one simple goal I made to myself that got me to 100 editions
• Why I switched newsletter platforms
• How and why I niched down — TWICE
• How I stumbled into newsletter ad monetization
• The mistakes I made & lessons learned

​How my newsletter I went from "aimless" to business »​
​

[GC Curated: Start + Grow + Improve + Monetize your newsletter]​
Your Growth Currency ⚡ This Week

"Knowledge is the currency of growth."

​

START YOUR NEWSLETTER

⚡ 10 Formulas to Brainstorm Newsletter Names by Mitt Ray (via Appsumo)

My Take: Stop letting a newsletter name hold you back from starting. No more excuses after running through this.

(Worth noting: the original name for this newsletter was "Knowledge UP!" — I hated it. But I didn't use a shitty name as an excuse not to start).

​

​

GROW YOUR NEWSLETTER

⚡ I’ve grown my newsletter to 36,121 readers in 6 months. My step-by-step process by Nathan Baugh

My Take: Love this Twitter thread by Nathan. Most newsletters eventually resort to paid subscriber acquisition. Nathan shares with you how he avoided it. Loads of insights here.

Nathan Baugh 🗺️ @nathanbaugh27 I’ve grown my newsletter to 36,121 readers in 6 months. And ran 0 paid ads. Here’s my step-by-step process for you to steal: October 31st 2022 85 Retweets 781 Likes

​

​

IMPROVE YOUR NEWSLETTER

⚡ ChatGPT: The AI Writing Partner You Never Knew You Needed by Alana Rister

My Take: I'm not in any way suggesting or recommending you write a newsletter with AI. Neither is Alana. But using AI as a *tool* for ideation and help with subject lines is something I'm definitely curious to try.

​

​

MONETIZE YOUR NEWSLETTER

⚡ How to land sponsorships from major brands as a creator by Dana Nicole (via ConvertKit)

My Take: Dana goes deep here. A must-add to your newsletter swipe file or bookmarks—or whatever your preference. But do NOT ignore it if sponsorships is a monetization goal.
​

(Newsletter #Affiliate Of The Week)​
The GC NOTW 🤘

​Craftsman Creative by Daren Smith

Helping 5-figure creators build 6-figure businesses.

I got my physical copy of Daren's Craftsman Creative book this week. I'm 30 pages in—and it's hard to put down. I want to take GC⚡ to the next level, and Daren lays out a blueprint do it. Start with his free newsletter as it's a weekly must-read. Then consider his book ;)

​Subscribe today »​
​

Thanks for making it to the end—I try and save some personal ramblings for this space.

By the time I'm in your inbox again, it'll be a new year.

New year, new goals — amirite?

Personally, I love the turn of the calendar as a clean slate. I'm somehow able to reset and turn the Discipline knob to 11.

Funny thing, it only works for me with physical goals & challenges:

• Eliminate seed oils & sugar from my diet for 3 months? Piece of organic-gluten-free-sugar-free cake!
• Run 100km this month? Bring it on.
• Quit alcohol for a year? I'll drink to that.
• Do 100 pushups per day? Consider it done.

This is not meant as a humble brag. My brain is wired for physical challenges.

But business & professional goals have always been an issue for me. As soon as I write them down and make them "official", I suddenly don't want to do them. It becomes "work". It's no longer fun and whimsical. It's "hard".

Essentially: declaring my business goals has been the perfect strategy to figure out what I DON'T want to do.

Well, I want to change that for 2023.

I'll fill you in next week on what I'm doing differently, and how you it might help you.

​

How would you rate this edition?​
​⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡ Electrifying!​
​⚡⚡⚡ A decent jolt.​
​⚡ Just static...​

Hit reply and let me know why — I answer every one :) Or DM me on Twitter!

​

And in case you missed it, here are last week's TWO most popular links:

#1: I stole 10 newsletter growth strategies from the top creators in the industry by Alex Llull
#2: Every newsletter writer needs their own Swipe File by Corey Haines (via Growth Currency⚡)
​

Get CLARITY for 2023 with a 1-on-1 newsletter strategy call.

→ Book a Newsletter Consult with me: 30 Mins

​

Other resources to help you:

→ The 1KS Roadmap: A Free Course To Your First 1,000 Subscribers​
→ The Ultimate Creator Database of Awesomeness​
→ Advertise in this newsletter​
​

Peace and platonic love,

Dylan

​Twitter | Medium | Instagram | TikTok​