265: Everyone Says Newsletters Are Saturated…But Are They?
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.
Roundtable Panelists & Their Newsletters
In this episode of the Creator’s MBA Podcast, I’m joined by several experienced newsletter creators and entrepreneurs who are actively building audiences and businesses through email. Each panelist brings a unique perspective on newsletter growth, monetization, and the future of email marketing.
Below you can learn more about each expert and explore their newsletters.
Kate Kordsmeier – Success with Soul Newsletter
Kate Kordsmeier is a certified life and business coach who helps entrepreneurs build profitable, sustainable, soul-aligned businesses without relying on social media. She teaches founders how to grow through email marketing, SEO, and strategic business systems.
Newsletter: Success with Soul
Where to find Kate: Website
Russell Nohelty – The Hapitalist Newsletter
Russell Nohelty is a USA Today bestselling author, entrepreneur, and founder of The Hapitalist newsletter and community. Through his writing and courses, he helps creators, authors, and entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses while optimizing for joy and creative freedom.
Newsletter: The Hapitalist
Where to find Russell: Website
Kate Ahl – Pinterest Made Simple Newsletter
Kate Ahl is the founder and CEO of Simple Pin Media, a Pinterest marketing agency that helps creators and businesses grow their audience and website traffic using Pinterest. Her newsletter and podcast share practical Pinterest marketing strategies and platform updates.
Newsletter: Pinterest Made Simple
Where to find Kate: Website
Lucy McLaughlin – The Hyper Fix Newsletter
Lucy McLaughlin is the founder of The Hyper Fix, a newsletter focused on storytelling, creativity, and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in content creation. Through her work, she explores how creators can use AI thoughtfully while still prioritizing human insight and original ideas.
Newsletter: The Hyper Fix
Where to find Lucy: Website
Rachel Lipson – The Point Newsletter
Rachel Lipson is the founder of The Point, where she teaches families how to travel more by using credit card points and travel strategies. Her newsletter helps readers understand how to maximize points, rewards, and travel opportunities.
Newsletter: The Point
Where to find Rachel: Website
Emily Claire Hughes – 10K Email Club Newsletter
Emily Claire Hughes is an email marketing strategist and the founder of the 10K Email Club. She helps female founders turn their email newsletters into powerful revenue drivers that support six-figure businesses.
Where to find Emily: Website and 10K Email Club
Is the Newsletter Market Saturated? What Today’s Top Newsletter Creators Are Saying
Is the newsletter market already too crowded… or are we just getting started?
If you spend any time in the creator economy, you’ve probably heard someone say that newsletters are “saturated.” With platforms like Substack, Beehiiv, and ConvertKit making it easier than ever to publish, it can feel like everyone suddenly has a newsletter.
But is that actually true?
In this episode of the Creator’s MBA Podcast, I hosted a roundtable discussion with several successful newsletter operators to explore what’s really happening in the newsletter space right now. These creators come from very different industries—from email marketing to travel hacking to AI storytelling—but they all share one thing in common: newsletters play a central role in their business.
And the conversation revealed some fascinating insights about where newsletters are today—and where they may be headed next.
Why Newsletters Are Still One of the Most Powerful Digital Assets
One of the biggest themes that came up in our conversation is that newsletters remain one of the few platforms creators truly own.
Unlike social media platforms, where algorithms control who sees your content, email allows you to communicate directly with the people who choose to hear from you. Your subscribers have raised their hands and said, “Yes, I want to receive this.”
That direct relationship is incredibly valuable.
Several panelists shared that email isn’t just a marketing channel—it’s the primary driver of their business. In some cases, newsletters generate the majority of their revenue, support product launches, or serve as the foundation for larger ecosystems that include podcasts, courses, and communities.
In other words, a newsletter isn’t just content. It’s an asset.
The “Saturation” Myth: Why There’s Still Room for Your Voice
One of the first questions we tackled during the roundtable was something many creators worry about:
Is it too late to start a newsletter?
It’s easy to assume the market is crowded. But when you zoom out, that assumption starts to fall apart.
People don’t subscribe to just one newsletter in a topic. They subscribe to many. The same way someone might read multiple books on business or listen to multiple podcasts about entrepreneurship, readers often follow several voices in the same space.
What truly differentiates newsletters today isn’t the topic—it’s the perspective.
Your experiences, stories, and voice create a connection that no one else can replicate. In fact, many of the creators in this discussion emphasized that their most successful newsletters are the ones where their personality comes through the strongest.
As one panelist put it, the best newsletters are the ones where you are “the most you.”
How Successful Creators Are Growing Their Email Lists
Another major theme in our conversation was audience growth. Many creators assume that building a newsletter requires complex funnels or expensive advertising.
But the panelists shared a wide range of growth strategies—many of which were surprisingly simple.
Some creators are using YouTube as a discovery platform, turning viewers into email subscribers. Others rely on podcasts, SEO content, or partnerships with other creators. In some cases, newsletters started with just a handful of subscribers—clients, colleagues, or members of a small community—and grew organically from there.
One piece of advice that stood out during the conversation was this:
Write your newsletter as if your subscribers are sitting in your living room.
Even if you only have ten readers, those ten people matter. Focusing on serving them well often leads to the kind of word-of-mouth growth that algorithms can’t replicate.
Different Ways Creators Are Monetizing Their Newsletters
While newsletters often start as a way to nurture relationships with an audience, many creators are now turning them into revenue-generating products.
During the roundtable, several monetization models came up, including:
Paid newsletter subscriptions
Sponsorships and brand partnerships
Advertising through newsletter ad networks
Promoting courses, coaching programs, and digital products
Affiliate recommendations and curated resources
Some creators treat their newsletter as a free content hub that drives revenue through products and services. Others build paid communities or subscription tiers around premium content.
There isn’t a single “right” way to monetize a newsletter. What matters most is aligning your approach with the value you’re providing and the type of relationship you want with your audience.
What the Future of Newsletters Might Look Like
Toward the end of our discussion, we explored where the newsletter space might be heading in the next few years.
Several panelists predicted that personality-driven content will become even more important as AI-generated writing becomes more common. When inboxes are flooded with automated content, readers will naturally gravitate toward voices that feel authentic and human.
Another interesting idea that surfaced was the possibility of more collaborative newsletter models—similar to digital magazines—where multiple creators contribute different “columns” within a single publication.
This type of collaboration could allow readers to discover new voices while giving creators opportunities to reach new audiences.
At the same time, one thing seems unlikely to change: people will always want to hear from other people they trust.
And email remains one of the best ways to build that trust over time.
The Biggest Lesson From This Newsletter Roundtable
If there was one message that came through clearly in this conversation, it’s this:
Your ideas are valuable—but only if you share them.
Newsletters are still one of the simplest and most powerful ways to connect with an audience, build authority, and create opportunities for your business. Whether you’re starting from scratch or continuing a newsletter you’ve already built, the most important step is simply to keep writing.
Your voice might be exactly what someone in your audience is looking for.
If you want to hear the full discussion and all the insights shared during this roundtable, be sure to listen to the full episode of the Creator’s MBA Podcast.
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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.