📌Laid-Off at 43. Now - solopreneur, author, podcaster, speaker, coach

Dennis Geelen isn't your typical success story.

Laid-Off at 43.

6 years later: solopreneur, author (newsletter, books, courses), podcaster, speaker, coach.

In this edition:

1. An example of a well-structured newsletter content.

2. Leverage your newsletter as a channel to grow your business.

3. Happy Accidents templates - download & adapt them for your needs in 5 minutes.

Quick Facts:

Creator: Dennis Geelen

Newsletters: Happy Accidents

Start Date: Feb 2023

Niche: Business Ideas

Where to find it: ​dennisgeelen.me/#newsletter​

Frequency: every Tuesday

Subscriber Count: 1,100

Platform: Beehiiv

Let’s break down how Dennis grows from the 4 perspectives:

1. Content

2. Deliverability

3. Growth

4. Monetization

Content

What to learn from the content structure of Happy Accidents?

1. Simple, recognizable email subject line. Its formula is:

[Newsletter's Initials] + [Newsletter's sequential number] + [Attention-grabbing hook]

Ex. HA #072 - From Broken Flask to Life-Saving Innovation

2. Happy Accidents is a classic example of a content structure:

- Balanced with visuals and deep dives

- Builds reader habits through repetition

- Entertaining and educational

The content's 10-section formula is:

1. Intro: Today's topic

2. Sponsored segment

3. Setting the Stage: Who's involved

4. The Happy Accident: How it happened

5. Capitalizing: How it turned into a popular product

6. Too long; didn’t read (TL;DR): Quick summary

7. Some fun facts: Extra info about the person

8. The lessons here: Your takeaway

9. Happy Accidents Podcast: Dennis's podcast promotion

10. Promotion of other Dennis products

In just 1,000 words (a less than 5-minute read), you get a well-written, motivational story with a life-teaching moral.

Want the well-structured template of Happy Accidents?

Download it now and tailor it to your niche:

Get Your Template Here:

​HA - Content Template.docx​

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Deliverability

The deliverability foundation lies in your sign-up flow.

Dennis does what works well – simplifies, incentivizes, and brings up social proof.

The Opt-in Page:

1. No distractions.

2. Mobile-Friendly.

3. Clean design.

4. Simple SOI.

Welcome Email:

1. Subject Line: Welcome to the Happy Accidents newsletter!

2. A brief hello and thank-you message, setting a good start.

3. Straightforward message of what and when readers can expect.

4. Great appealing social proof bringing testimonials from Big names.

5. Entice readers to click and boost email deliverability by offering a freebie.

Leverage Dennis’ sign-up flow for your newsletter.

Download the templates for the Opt-In page, and Welcome Email here:

Get Your Templates Here:

​​​HA – Opt in Page Template.docx​

​HA – Welcome Email Template.docx​

Growth

Dennis not only built a newsletter, he created an eco-system of services and products.

His eco-system is:

- Public speaking

- Social Media

- Newsletter

- Podcast

And now Solopreneur membership community in work.

His presence on social media.

Dennis isn't just a solopreneur; he's a master ecosystem builder.

He takes the solopreneur journey and offers value at every stage.

This isn't just growth, this is how to use content to build a community.

And that’s not it, Dennis works his journey to even greater heights – paid community.

Monetization

Happy Accident is an entertaining read.

But also, this is a channel that passively generates income.

Here is how it’s done.

A new subscriber will earn money from the start through paid recommendations.

A reader opens a newsletter or Dennis's website – it’s full of options:

- Promotions of his books & online courses

- Sponsorship of the newsletter

- Deals for the 1:1 calls

Learn how Dennis helps solopreneurs & businesses.

To summarize:

Dennis is proof that a setback can be a setup for success.

His story is inspiring, but his strategies are even more valuable.

Check out Happy Accidents, and increase Your Luck Surface Area.

STOP!

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P.S. Oh, and..

If you have specific questions about how other newsletters grow, monetize, or use segmentation tactics (or any other detail that's hard to find), feel free to connect with me:

Always happy to chat!