#56: How To Grow Your Email List Without Funnels or Freebies with Adam Schaeuble

In 2025, Adam Schaeuble did something most email marketers would never dare to do. He deleted every funnel and lead magnet he had ever built and started promoting his weekly newsletter as the only opt-in.The result? Over 2,000 new subscribers, a 70% open rate, and a list full of people who actually want his emails.In this episode, the podcasting business coach and host of Podcasting Business School shares the full story, including the content flywheel that powers his podcast, newsletter, and social media without burning out, and the welcome email strategy that gets replies every single time.INSIDE THIS EPISODE1. Why Adam deleted every lead magnet and funnel he had and what happened next2. The big difference between people who want your freebie and people who actually want your emails3. How he maintains a 70% open rate with a 4,000+ person list without clever subject line4. The content flywheel that powers his podcast, newsletter, and social media without starting from scratch every week5. The welcome email strategy designed to get replies and clicks and why he only sends one6. How to sell through email without sending more emails during a launch7. Why promoting your newsletter every week is not being salesy and how to do it well8. What his exact Thursday newsletter format looks like from the warm open to the PS9. How he decides who gets the bonus Monday email and why it works10. Why podcasters who want to grow their email list need to hear this episodeGUEST RESOURCESGuest: Adam SchaeubleWebsite: https://www.podcastingbusiness.school/Threads: https://www.threads.com/@podcastingbusinessschoolRecommended Episode: Episode 608 -The SEO strategy that helped Adam reach 1 million downloads - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5bC46ZOU0xBZlzLyqQ4AcN?si=On72q7RCS22KD047og-7YwEPISODE TIMELINE ⏱️[03:07] – Adam's background: from fitness entrepreneur to full-time podcasting business coach[04:16] – If email had a job description in Adam's business, it would be this[05:29] – Open Rates Confession: the tagging mistake that left an entire list without emails[08:58] – The big pivot: deleting all lead magnets and funnels in 2025[10:25] – Why your lead magnet attracts people who want the freebie, not your emails[13:03] – How his podcast and newsletter work together without repeating the same content[16:29] – Why people now open his emails based on who it is from, not the subject line[17:45] – The content flywheel: how one piece of content powers weeks of content[22:11] – The bonus Monday email and how he decides who gets it[26:29] – His exact Thursday newsletter format from warm open to PS[31:54] – The welcome email strategy that gets replies and keeps him out of spam[35:28] – What changes and what does not during a launch[38:29] – Why one clear newsletter opt-in beats five lead magnets every time[43:25] – Email marketing myth: do we really need funnels?[47:18] – Advice for podcasters who want to bring email into their content strategyConnect with UsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.sapphire_/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayebanoabenwari/Threads: https://www.threads.com/@dr.sapphire_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/sapphirelearninghub/Website: https://sapphirelearninghub.com/