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Hello {{first_name | EduCreator}},

When I left Clubhouse in 2023 and came over to Spaces on X, I had no clue what I was doing. I kept hearing these Spaces hosts with massive accounts talk about how much revenue they were generating from their newsletter.

I’ve always loved to write. I’ve been writing longer than I’ve been doing anything else.

I was resistant at first because I had “email trauma” after working in the public school system for 10 years. I couldn’t imagine why someone would want to get an email from me.

So I shifted and reframed it in my mind:

This publication didn’t start as a newsletter. It started as “community mail.”

I used the beehiiv platform to sell lifelong membership packages to my new EduCreator community (which now has over 1,000 members on X). This is where most of my subscribers come from to this day.

I had no idea I was starting a whole business with what started as a creative way to grow my community email list and communicate with members.

Before we go further, let’s check out these words from today’s sponsor. Thank you so much for supporting the partners of this newsletter.

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A Guide (With Prompts) for Starting Your Newsletter Business

Most newsletters do not fail because they are small.
They stall because they were never designed to become a business.

A newsletter is distribution you own.
But distribution alone does not create momentum.

This guide shows you how founders turn a newsletter into infrastructure that supports revenue retention and long term growth.

No hype.
No shortcuts.
Just clear sequencing.

Part 1. Reframing What a Newsletter Is

A newsletter is not the product.
It is the entry point.

Founders who build successful newsletter based businesses treat the newsletter as:

• A front door
• A filter for the right audience
• A signal of authority
• A distribution engine for assets

If your newsletter only exists to send content, it will always feel like work.

The shift happens when you decide what the newsletter is meant to power.

Part 2. The Three Business Layers Behind a Strong Newsletter

Every newsletter that becomes a business eventually supports three layers.

1. Distribution you own

Your email list is the only audience you control.

This layer answers one question
How do people reliably hear from you

2. Leverage through a simple asset

This is where most newsletters break.

Leverage can be:

• A paid or free tool
• An assessment or audit
• A calculator or generator
• A clear service or offer

This layer answers
What problem do you solve in a repeatable way

3. Retention through connection

This is where momentum compounds.

Retention can look like:

• A membership
• A cohort or program
• A community with purpose

This layer answers
Why people stay connected after reading

When these three layers are aligned the newsletter stops being a task and starts being a system.

Part 3. The Most Common Mistakes Founders Make

If your newsletter is not moving forward it is usually because of one of these.

• Growing subscribers without a next step
• Monetizing too early without clarity
• Waiting to build an offer until the list is big
• Treating community as a nice to have instead of infrastructure

These are sequencing problems not skill problems.

Part 4. The 90 Day Build Logic

You do not build everything at once.

A focused 90 day build follows this logic.

Phase 1. Clarity and foundation

• Define who the newsletter is for
• Clarify the core problem you help solve
• Decide what success looks like

Phase 2. Asset creation

• Design one simple asset that creates leverage
• Connect it directly to your newsletter
• Make the next step obvious

Phase 3. Retention and optimization

• Add a reason for people to stay
• Create a simple engagement loop
• Improve based on real usage

You are not trying to build a startup overnight.
You are building infrastructure that compounds.

Why AI Isn’t Replacing Affiliate Marketing After All

“AI will make affiliate marketing irrelevant.”

Our research shows the opposite.

Shoppers use AI to explore options, but they trust creators, communities, and reviews before buying. With less than 10 percent clicking AI links, affiliate content now shapes both conversions and AI recommendations.

Part 5. ChatGPT Prompts to Support Your Build

Use these prompts slowly.
Answer honestly.
Save your responses.

Prompt 1. Clarify your newsletter role

Act as a business strategist.
Ask me five questions that help clarify what my newsletter should ultimately support as a business asset.
Wait for my answers before continuing.

Prompt 2. Define the problem you solve

Help me clearly define one painful problem my ideal reader has that they would want help solving beyond content.
Give me three versions and explain the difference between them.

Prompt 3. Identify a simple leverage asset

Based on my problem and audience, suggest five simple assets I could build that create leverage.
Explain how each could connect back to my newsletter.

Prompt 4. Map a clear next step

Help me design a single clear next step for readers of my newsletter that feels natural and valuable rather than sales driven.

Prompt 5. Diagnose my biggest constraint

Based on everything we have discussed, tell me whether my biggest constraint right now is distribution conversion leverage or retention and explain why.

Part 6. How to Use This Guide

This guide is not meant to be consumed once.

Use it to:

• Reevaluate your newsletter strategy
• Identify what you are missing
• Decide what to build next
• Avoid building in the wrong order

If you feel clearer after reading this, that is the point.

If you still feel unsure, the next step is guided support.

Next Step. Live Workshop

If you want to see this framework applied live with real examples and clear direction, join the workshop.

Build a Newsletter That Becomes a Business

In this live session you will:

• See the full flywheel in action
• Identify your current stage
• Pinpoint your biggest blocker
• Leave with a clear first move

This is for founders who are ready to stop guessing and start building with intention.

Save your seat and bring your questions.

Use code EDU50OFF to get 50% off ticket price. Free for Miami Global members.

Live Spaces 🎙

Yesterday’s Space: Why don’t you have an offer? replay here

Today’s Space at 2pmEST: How to build a newsletter business join here

That’s all for now,

Christel

Want to support my work? You can buy me a flower here 🌸

Ready to start your newsletter? Click here to sign up for a free trial and reply to any of my emails to let me know so I can help you set up.

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