I paid $1500 to stop lying to myself about newsletters

Hey, product-preneur!

Money is motivating and sometimes in a different way than you may think. There comes a time when you need to start paying to learn because you’re at a turning point where you’re either lost or it’s hard to find the type of community you’re looking for, so that’s why I’m here to share what I’ve learned and the path I’m going to be taking and why you should do the same.

Three nuggets from today’s potion:

• You're not broke because you lack ideas — you're broke because you've been using "perfectionism" as an expensive excuse to avoid consistency.

• B2B newsletters aren't just higher-paying — they tap into sleepless business owners hunting for solutions, not bored consumers scrolling for entertainment.

• The platform isn't your problem, your psychology is — sometimes you need to pay $1500 to buy yourself out of your own bullshit and finally hit publish.

Newsletter Navigation

• The Makers Cabinet

• Potion of the Week

• Closing Thoughts

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The Makers Cabinet

Shout out to EG Orren—voted most helpful in the Write, Grow, Sell cohort. Coach, consultant, and solopreneur-whisperer, EG helps you scale with strategies that actually fit.

Mindset? Marketing? Even finance? She’s got you. Check out her Be Yourself Marketing newsletter for grounded growth without the gimmicks.

Want to be featured? Join the waitlist and reply with your project.

Potion of the Week

I paid $1500 to stop lying to myself about newsletters

I just dropped $1500 on Matt McGarry's Write, Grow, Sell cohort to launch my newsletter "the right way." Not because I didn't know how to start one—I'd been "experimenting with content" for over a year (translation: overthinking everything into paralysis).

The brutal truth? I paid $1500 to buy myself out of my own bullshit.

Here's what really happened: I lost my job, had my inevitable "oh shit" moment, and realized I'd been using "perfectionism" as an excuse to avoid the one thing that terrified me most—consistently hitting publish when my brain craves control.

Sound familiar? Good. That means you're human.

The psychology behind why B2B newsletters work

While everyone's debating whether newsletters are "worth it," they're missing the real insight: The difference between B2B and B2C newsletters isn't just pricing—it's psychology.

B2B readers are actively hunting for solutions to problems that cost them sleep. B2C readers are browsing for entertainment during their commute. Guess which one opens wallets faster?

The numbers tell the story:

• Small newsletters: B2C = $1−$5 per click vs. B2B = $5−$10 per click

• Large newsletters (50k+ subs): B2C = $3−$6 per click vs. B2B = $5−$20 per click

But here's the kicker—you don't need 50k subscribers to make money. You need the right 500 people who trust you enough to pay attention when you solve their problems.

Why I chose Beehiiv (and why you should care)

After trying to build the "perfect" newsletter setup for months, I realized the platform wasn't my problem—my commitment was. Beehiiv just happened to remove enough friction that I couldn't make excuses anymore.

What makes Beehiiv perfect for commitment-phobes like us:

• You can start free and scale up to 2,500 subscribers without paying

• The interface is designed for creators, not coders (thank god)

• Built-in monetization tools so you're not cobbling together six different platforms

• Their ad network generated $3.7M for newsletters in 2024 alone

More than 50% of the world will be using email by 2027—that's 4.89 billion people who aren't subject to Instagram's latest algorithm tantrum. You own your email list. Not Meta, not Microsoft. YOU.

The 24-hour newsletter setup that stops procrastination

Here's your game plan to go from "I should really start a newsletter" to "holy shit, I actually did it" in 24 hours:

1. Visit Beehiiv and sign up 

• Pick the free "Launch" tier. No excuses about money.

2. Set your foundation (30 minutes)

• Go to Settings → "General Info"

• Add publication name, one-liner description, logo (800x800 works)

• Use Canva if you're design-challenged

• Pick 3 tags that reflect your content (Business, Marketing, whatever)

3. Configure the basics (15 minutes)

• Add your name as the sender

• Use Gmail or your branded email for replies

• Create a simple welcome email: "Here's what to expect" + your personality

4. Build your signup page (45 minutes)

• Go to the Website tab, edit the homepage, and signup page

• Keep it clean: headline, subhead, form

• Set brand colors (or use defaults if you're in "done beats perfect" mode)

• Turn on the pop-up if you want gentle email collection

5. Optional power moves if you have time:

• Import existing subscribers via CSV

• Connect Stripe for future monetization

• Customize your newsletter template

This sounds like a lot, but if you give yourself one focused evening, you'll be live. Beehiiv was built for creators who want to create, not devs who want to code.

The automation stack that changes everything

Here's the slippery truth: Newsletters aren't hard because of the technical setup—they're hard because consistency requires discipline, and discipline requires systems.

I've built an AI automation stack that handles 80% of newsletter operations—research, ideation, and even first drafts. It's the difference between spending 10 hours per issue and 2 hours.

Poll time: I'm considering packaging this into a step-by-step system.

Vote and I'll share the winner next week.

For the commitment-phobes reading this

If you're thinking "sounds great but I'll probably still procrastinate," I see you. Sometimes you need someone to hold you accountable to stop sabotaging yourself.

Reply with "newsletter therapy" if you want me to consider offering a Done-With-You call where we set up your entire system in one session. I'll walk you through my exact process and make sure you actually launch instead of bookmarking this email for "later."

The question isn't whether newsletters work—it's whether you're ready to stop lying to yourself about why you haven't started one yet.

The only way out is through. And sometimes, you have to pay $1500 to learn what you already knew. 🤷‍♂️

Closing Thoughts

Let's brew something that actually moves the needle. If you're sitting on a newsletter idea that's been collecting dust in your brain for months, or you've started and stopped more content projects than you care to admit, let's talk it through. I want to hear what's keeping you stuck in the "someday I'll be consistent" loop and help you break the cycle and create your business ecosystem.

Catch ya next week 👋 — Dana

P.S. Done with the procrastination Olympics? Hit reply and tell me: What's the real reason you haven't launched your newsletter yet? What excuse has been your favorite go-to for avoiding the publish button?

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