265: Everyone Says Newsletters Are Saturated… Are They Right?

Is the newsletter market already too crowded… or are we just getting started?

In this episode, I brought together a group of experienced newsletter operators for a candid roundtable conversation about what’s really happening in the newsletter space right now. From creators running paid newsletters to founders using email to power entire businesses, this group brought a wide range of perspectives—and a lot of honest opinions.

We dove into the questions many creators are quietly asking themselves: Is it still worth starting or growing a newsletter today? What’s actually working when it comes to growing and monetizing a list? And how are successful operators thinking about the future of email in a world full of AI, social platforms, and changing content habits?

This conversation went in some fascinating directions—from unexpected list growth strategies to surprising monetization approaches and even predictions about where the newsletter industry may be headed next.

What You’ll Learn

• The question many creators are asking about newsletters right now
• Different ways newsletter operators are growing their audiences today
• Creative approaches to monetizing newsletters beyond traditional launches
• How other platforms like YouTube and podcasts can support newsletter growth
• Why personality-driven content is becoming more important than ever
• Emerging trends that could reshape the future of newsletters

If you’re running a newsletter, thinking about starting one, or simply curious about where the creator economy is heading, you’ll love this behind-the-scenes conversation with people actively building in the space.

Tune in to hear the full discussion—and see what insights might spark your next big idea.

Podcast Show Notes: https://www.destinicopp.com/podcast/everyone-says-newsletters-are-saturated

Transcript

Creator’s MBA Podcast: Newsletter Roundtable Discussion

Host: Dr. Destini Copp
Guests: Russell Nohelty, Kate Kordsmeier, Kate Ahl, Lucy McLaughlin, Rachel Lipson, Emily Claire Hughes

Introduction

Dr. Destini Copp:

Welcome to the Creator’s MBA podcast, your go-to resource for mastering the art and science of digital product entrepreneurship.

My name is Dr. Destini Copp, and I help business owners generate consistent revenue from their digital product businesses without needing to be glued to their desks, constantly live launching, or worrying about social media algorithms.

I’m really excited about today’s conversation. Honestly, I’m honored to be in the room with all of these newsletter operators because they bring a wealth of knowledge about newsletters and audience building.

If you’re joining us live, feel free to drop your questions into the chat. We’ll be monitoring them throughout the discussion. Some of you also submitted questions ahead of time through the Google form, so we’ll be covering those as well.

Before we dive into the conversation, I’d love for each of our panelists to introduce themselves and tell us a little bit about their newsletter.

Emily, you’re at the top of my screen, so let’s start with you.

Panelist Introductions

Emily Claire Hughes:

Thank you so much, Destini. I’m really excited to be here.

My name is Emily Claire Hughes, and I’m the founder of the 10K Email Club. It’s a done-with-you email marketing program that helps female founders turn their email newsletters into six-figure sales generators.

Before this, I actually had a very different career. I was a cruise ship singer, so I’m a big believer in the power of a pivot. Eventually I transitioned into online business and email marketing, and now I’m incredibly passionate about newsletters and helping founders use email to grow their businesses.

Russell Nohelty:

Hi everyone. I’m Russell Nohelty.

I’m a bestselling author and I run a newsletter and community called The Capitalist. Our focus is helping people be brilliantly inefficient and optimize for joy.

I’ve started a lot of companies over the years. Some of them did not survive, but a couple of them have been around for over a decade. So I’ve been in the entrepreneurial world for quite a long time and I’ve learned a lot along the way.

Rachel Lipson:

Hi everyone, I’m Rachel Lipson.

I run a company called The Point, where I help busy families use credit card points to travel. I also founded a songwriting school for children in New York City about 17 years ago, so I’ve been an entrepreneur for quite a while.

I also run a Substack newsletter connected to my work in travel and points strategy.

Kate Ahl:

Hi everyone. I’m Kate Ahl and I run a company called Simple Pin Media.

We’re a Pinterest marketing agency, and we help creators and businesses grow their traffic and reach through Pinterest. Along with the agency, we also run the Simple Pin Podcast and a newsletter called Pinterest Made Simple.

Our newsletter goes out every Wednesday and focuses on helping people understand Pinterest marketing, platform updates, and practical strategies they can use right away.

Lucy McLaughlin:

Hi everyone, I’m Lucy McLaughlin.

I run a newsletter called The Hyper Fix, which focuses on storytelling and AI. Our goal is to help people become better storytellers while also cutting through the hype and fear around AI.

We take a balanced approach, showing people how to use AI responsibly while still focusing on human creativity and original ideas.

We also run a YouTube channel that complements the newsletter, where my co-founder and I dive deeper into many of the topics we cover.

Kate Kordsmeier:

Hi everyone, I’m Kate Kordsmeier, founder of Success With Soul.

I’ve had a newsletter since the early days of my business, and for a long time I used it primarily as a marketing channel to sell my courses, coaching, and programs.

Recently, though, I’ve been thinking about newsletters differently—not just as a marketing tool, but as a product in itself that can generate its own revenue stream.

Before this business, I ran a blog that eventually became a multiple six-figure business and was later acquired. One of the biggest drivers of that success was our email list.

Even today, about 99% of our sales come from email, so newsletters remain a central part of everything we do.

Opening Question: Is the Newsletter Market Saturated?

Dr. Destini Copp:

Let’s start with a question that came in from our audience ahead of time because I think it’s something a lot of people are wondering right now.

The question is:

“Is it still worth continuing my newsletter now that the market feels saturated?”

We have several people here who run very successful newsletters in their niches, so I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Russell Nohelty:

I always laugh a little when people say the market is saturated.

People have been saying that about books for hundreds of years, and yet we still write books.

The reality is that every business needs a way to gather and communicate with its audience. Social platforms are one option, but they’re controlled by algorithms.

Email is different. It gives you direct access to your audience.

If you want to run a business, you need a way to communicate with the people who want to hear from you. A newsletter is simply one of the most effective ways to do that.

Kate Ahl:

I agree with that.

I also think that when people ask about saturation, it often comes from a place of imposter syndrome. They’re wondering if there’s room for their voice.

But the truth is, you don’t really discover your voice until you start writing.

One of the biggest barriers people face isn’t saturation—it’s simply getting started.

Newsletter Growth Strategies

Dr. Destini Copp:

Let’s talk about growth for a moment. Many people feel overwhelmed trying to grow their newsletter. There are so many platforms—YouTube, social media, SEO. How should creators think about growing their list today?

Lucy McLaughlin:

One thing that has worked really well for us recently is YouTube.

Originally, I thought YouTube needed to directly drive newsletter subscribers. But what I realized is that people consume content in different ways. Some people prefer watching videos, while others prefer reading.

Instead of trying to force one platform to feed the other, we started focusing on showing up consistently in both places and meeting our audience where they already are.

Another thing that helped is that we started recording conversations we were already having internally. Our best ideas often came out of our weekly team meetings. Once we realized that, we simply started recording those conversations and turning them into both YouTube content and newsletter material.

We also keep production simple. We use tools like Riverside to clean up the audio and remove filler words, but overall we try not to overcomplicate the process.

Kate Ahl:

YouTube has also been a really strong growth driver for us.

One thing we discovered is that people like to binge content. We created a short video series where people can watch all the lessons at once instead of receiving them slowly through a drip sequence.

That format actually performed better because it matches how people consume content now—they want immediate access.

For beginners, though, I always recommend starting small. If you only have ten subscribers, imagine those ten people sitting in your living room. Write to them the same way you would speak to them in person.

That mindset helps you focus on connection instead of numbers.

How Newsletter Creators Are Monetizing Their Lists

Dr. Destini Copp:

Let’s shift into monetization. A lot of creators spend time writing newsletters but struggle to make money from them. What approaches have worked for you?

Emily Claire Hughes:

One thing I always emphasize is that every email can be a sales email while still delivering value.

Many creators send newsletters that are purely nurturing—they share tips or stories but never actually invite readers to buy anything.

A strong newsletter can do both. You can tell stories, share insights, entertain your readers, and still let them know how they can work with you or buy from you.

People often want to support creators they trust. They just need to know how.

Russell Nohelty:

For us, subscriptions are a big part of the model.

Most of our content is free, but we have paid tiers that unlock additional resources, books, and deeper insights.

Some people pay because they want access to those resources. Others pay because they want faster access to information.

For example, you might send certain content to paid subscribers a few hours earlier than the general audience.

There are a lot of creative ways to structure paid newsletters depending on what your audience values.

Kate Ahl:

Another approach we use is partnerships and sponsorship campaigns.

Instead of just placing ads randomly, we sometimes partner with companies for a multi-week campaign that includes newsletter mentions, podcast placements, and blog content.

Those campaigns require more coordination, but they also allow us to charge significantly more because we’re offering a complete promotional package.

The Future of Newsletters

Dr. Destini Copp:

Before we wrap up, I’d love to hear your thoughts about where newsletters are heading over the next few years.

What changes do you think we’ll see?

Emily Claire Hughes:

I think personality is going to become even more important.

AI is making it easier for anyone to generate content quickly, which means audiences will become more selective. They’ll gravitate toward newsletters that feel personal and authentic.

People want to feel connected to the person behind the email.

Rachel Lipson:

I also think newsletters will continue to evolve into independent media businesses.

More writers and creators are building their own platforms instead of relying on traditional media companies. A newsletter can become an asset that generates income, builds a community, and even becomes something that could eventually be sold.

Russell Nohelty:

I’m really interested in the idea of collaborative newsletters.

In the past, magazines had multiple columnists covering different topics. I could see newsletters moving in a similar direction where one publication includes multiple voices and contributors.

That kind of collaboration could help readers discover new creators while giving writers access to larger audiences.

Final Takeaways From the Panel

Dr. Destini Copp:

Before we wrap up, I’d love for each of you to share one final takeaway for our audience.

Russell Nohelty:

Optimize for joy.

Emily Claire Hughes:

The best newsletters I’ve ever written are the ones where I’m the most myself. Be the most “you” that you can be in your emails.

Rachel Lipson:

Remember who you’re writing for. Picture all of your subscribers in one room listening to you.

Kate Ahl:

Your ideas are worth millions—but only if you put them out into the world.

Dr. Destini Copp:

Thank you so much to our panelists and to everyone who joined us for this conversation.

And thank you to our listeners for tuning in to the Creator’s MBA podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really appreciate it if you left a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast platform.

Have a great day, and I’ll see you in the next episode.