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We're diving into one of the most underrated growth strategies out there: collaborations and cross-promotions.

Whether you're building a newsletter, launching a podcast, or growing a YouTube channel, collabs are one of the most high-leverage plays you can run — and we break down exactly how to do them right.

We get into real-life examples, from simple newsletter swaps to co-created content that drives thousands of subscribers (even when you're the smaller creator). We also talk through common mistakes we’ve made, what to watch out for, and how to build a repeatable system that makes these partnerships easy and effective. If you're feeling burned out by social algorithms or just want more control over your growth, this one’s for you.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why social platforms aren't cutting it anymore—and why we're bullish on collaborations
• The basic newsletter swap (and why it's still effective)
• Creative cross-promo formats beyond the typical swap—articles, email courses, and more
• The Alex Garcia x Pat Walls YouTube/article collab that brought in thousands of subscribers
• Why adjacent audiences are the sweet spot
• The myth of audience size: why alignment > numbers
• Chenell's horror story: zero subscribers from a 4K list cross-promo
• Co-created content: The powerhouse play that helped Maja Voje go from 3K to 15K subs
• CJ Gustafson’s “quadruple stack” strategy that gets him paid + subscribers
• How to keep collab partners happy (especially if things don’t go as planned)
• The no-BS guide to tracking your collab results
• Tools, systems, and blurb templates that’ll save you time and headaches

DEEP DIVES & LINKS MENTIONED

• CJ Gustafson's Mostly Metrics Deep Dive
• Maja Voje website
• Pat Walls Deep Dive
• Alex Garcia Deep Dive
• 'Antisocial' Newsletter Growth Course waitlist
• Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here.
• Growth In Reverse PRO Community
• Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

• Chenell: Twitter | LinkedIn | Bluesky
• Dylan: LinkedIn | Bluesky

OUR NEWSLETTERS

• growthinreverse.com
• growthcurrency.net

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Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.