$500,000 Newsletter Side Hustle by $30M CEO! The Storytelling Strategy Powering Beehiiv episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 23, 2026 · 36 MIN

$500,000 Newsletter Side Hustle by $30M CEO! The Storytelling Strategy Powering Beehiiv

from SPEAK LIKE A CEO · host Oliver Aust

Every platform eventually turns on the brands that built on it. The leaders winning now aren't begging algorithms for reach – they're owning their audience directly. Tyler Denk is doing exactly that. As CEO of beehiiv, he's built a $500K newsletter in five hours a week while running a $30M business with 110 employees across 15 countries. Before that, he was employee number two at famed newsletter Morning Brew, which sold for $75 million.  He joins Oliver to unpack why storytelling is now your most important business asset, why your social following may be worth less than you think, and how the best leaders today are the ones who know how to communicate, not just manage.  Learn why owning your audience is the most important move leaders can make right now. ⏰Timestamps (00:00) Introduction  (00:58) Why platforms are unreliable now  (02:23) Power of Newsletters (07:31) Why Storytelling is Key (10:16) Founding beehiiv (13:48) Leading Remote 110 Team  (19:39) Creator & CEO Hybrid (21:59) Customer Acquisition in AI Age (25:02) Own Distribution  (29:14) Transparency as a Superpower (32:10) LinkedIn strategy and building a brand as CEO 🎧More Episodes Like This • 316:Surrounded by Idiots w/ Thomas Erikson  https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU?si=87e4724578bf4d51 • 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MjPtegbC6wSmLWG6Nqjvy?si=79801e1f275d4973 • 308: Confidence on Command https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tTFZKF5RA1gWDZvJzSpl9?si=40659e79a0964e07 🔗LinkedIn Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-aust/ Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-denk/ 📩Newsletter Host: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/profile Guest: http://mail.bigdeskenergy.com/  📚Resources • 21 Storytelling Frameworks: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliver • Become a Presentation Genius (Free Course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJloFeNwBg • Speak Like a CEO Academy: https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/ 📧 Email: [email protected] 🙌 This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com 💡 This episode’s supervising editor was Chelsea B. Olsen https://chelseabolsen.com

Every platform eventually turns on the brands that built on it. The leaders winning now aren't begging algorithms for reach – they're owning their audience directly. Tyler Denk is doing exactly that. As CEO of beehiiv, he's built a $500K newsletter in five hours a week while running a $30M business with 110 employees across 15 countries. Before that, he was employee number two at famed newsletter Morning Brew, which sold for $75 million.  He joins Oliver to unpack why storytelling is now your most important business asset, why your social following may be worth less than you think, and how the best leaders today are the ones who know how to communicate, not just manage.  Learn why owning your audience is the most important move leaders can make right now. ⏰Timestamps (00:00) Introduction  (00:58) Why platforms are unreliable now  (02:23) Power of Newsletters (07:31) Why Storytelling is Key (10:16) Founding beehiiv (13:48) Leading Remote 110 Team  (19:39) Creator & CEO Hybrid (21:59) Customer Acquisition in AI Age (25:02) Own Distribution  (29:14) Transparency as a Superpower (32:10) LinkedIn strategy and building a brand as CEO 🎧More Episodes Like This • 316:Surrounded by Idiots w/ Thomas Erikson  https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU?si=87e4724578bf4d51 • 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MjPtegbC6wSmLWG6Nqjvy?si=79801e1f275d4973 • 308: Confidence on Command https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tTFZKF5RA1gWDZvJzSpl9?si=40659e79a0964e07 🔗LinkedIn Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-aust/ Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-denk/ 📩Newsletter Host: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/profile Guest: http://mail.bigdeskenergy.com/  📚Resources • 21 Storytelling Frameworks: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliver • Become a Presentation Genius (Free Course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJloFeNwBg • Speak Like a CEO Academy: https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/ 📧 Email: [email protected] 🙌 This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com 💡 This episode’s supervising editor was Chelsea B. Olsen https://chelseabolsen.com

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$500,000 Newsletter Side Hustle by $30M CEO! The Storytelling Strategy Powering Beehiiv

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This episode was published on April 23, 2026.

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Every platform eventually turns on the brands that built on it. The leaders winning now aren't begging algorithms for reach – they're owning their audience directly. Tyler Denk is doing exactly that. As CEO of beehiiv, he's built a $500K...

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