📌 This 'Spy' Built a Media Empire

Hey there! 👋

This week, the spotlight is on Car Dealership Guy - the anonymous Twitter account that, in just two years, evolved into the auto industry’s viral economy whisperer in the US and beyond.

This week’s 3 handpicked email gems…

1. How Small Creators Can Get Sponsors with Justin Moore

2.  Here’s a cheat sheet for the Morning Brew Design

3. How to sell AI 500K sub Newsletter

Backstory - The Faceless vs The Face

For nearly two years, Yossi Levi built his audience from behind an anonymous Twitter account.

No name, no face- just raw, unfiltered industry insights. He wasn’t playing it safe.

He was exposing the hidden truths of the dealership industry - a space notorious for keeping its playbook locked away.

Car buyers found his insights invaluable. Industry professionals - dealers, lenders, and vendors—found it refreshing and brutally honest. Yossi was saying the quiet part out loud. And because of that, his following exploded.

Then came the moment of truth.

Could he turn a viral Twitter account into a real business?

Could he transition from a faceless truth-teller to the CEO of a vertical media company?

And he did it in record time. Not only did he step into the spotlight, but he did it with authenticity and presence.

Instead of losing the mystique of anonymity, he transformed it into a strength - his audience didn’t just accept the face behind the account, they embraced it.

Watch It!

What's in it for you?

1. How Yossi’s content strategy breaks all the traditional media rules.

2. The monetization model that turns trust into revenue.

3. The playbook for dominating a niche media vertical.

Email Delivery

There’s no shortage of advice on how to get people to open emails - optimized subject lines, fancy segmentation, and perfectly timed sends.

The truth: People don’t open emails because of tricks. They open emails because they value what’s inside.

That’s exactly why Car Dealership Guy’s media works.

No public data exists on its open rates, but the 91K+ email subscribers and 50K+ podcast downloads per episode tell us everything we need to know—his content delivers real value.

What Makes His Signup Flow Work?

1️⃣ Landing Page: Clear, Fast, and Credible

• Straight-to-the-point benefits—why should readers care?

• Highlights time efficiency (reads in minutes, insights that matter).

• Social proof that works: 91K+ subscribers can’t be wrong.

2️⃣ Survey With a Smart Hook + SOI Trick

• Knowing your audience is key, but how do you get people to answer a survey?

• Yossi’s method

  After opting in, readers see a message prompting them to complete a quick survey before fully unlocking their subscription.

• He uses Single Opt-In (SOI)- Learn in 1 minute how SOI works

• It’s a win-win - subscribers get more personalized content, and Yossi gathers insights to fine-tune his messaging.

3️⃣ Welcome Email: Built for Deliverability

• Sleek, lightweight design—no unnecessary images that trigger spam filters.

• Strong sender reputation—consistent formatting and clean HTML.

• Engagement-first approach—clear call-to-action so readers interact early.

No gimmicks. Just a frictionless, high-conversion flow that makes sure the right people get the right content.

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Join thousands of top newsletters (including CDG) using Beehiiv and

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Content - The Backbone of Car Dealership Guy's Growth

Yossi Levi didn’t just build an audience - he created an information hub that auto professionals, vendors, and consumers trust. His content strategy is built on a simple yet powerful formula:

1. Real-time industry insights – Breaking news, dealership strategies, and market trends that mainstream media often miss.

2. No-fluff, high-value deep dives – Long-form newsletter editions that analyze industry shifts, financing tactics, and dealership economics.

3. Multi-platform content execution – A podcast, Twitter/X threads, LinkedIn posts, and now, an independent news site.

Content Structure: A Multi-Layered Approach

Car Dealership Guy’s (CDG) content isn’t just about volume - it’s about layering different formats to reach his audience wherever they consume information.

• Daily Social Content: Quick, high-impact industry updates on Twitter/X and LinkedIn.

• Weekly Newsletter: A deep dive into a single topic, blending insights with opinion.

• Podcast Interviews: High-level conversations with industry leaders, offering exclusive behind-the-scenes knowledge.

• News Platform: A new expansion into objective, insight-driven reporting on the auto industry.

How It’s All Connected

Unlike traditional media companies that treat their platforms as separate entities, CDG’s content ecosystem is tightly interconnected.

Social media attracts attention, the newsletter builds deeper engagement, and the podcast brings industry credibility.

His move into independent automotive journalism is a natural evolution.

With direct industry access and an engaged audience, he can outpace mainstream automotive media on breaking news and insider trends.

Keeping Consistency Across Markets

Yossi’s content model works across different segments of the auto industry - dealerships, lenders, vendors - because he creates content that speaks directly to professionals in all corners of the market.

He follows one golden rule: Make every piece of content immediately useful to the audience.

Whether it’s a dealership looking for pricing strategies or a consumer trying to negotiate a better deal, every post, episode, and email delivers tangible value.

This consistency is what turned Car Dealership Guy from an anonymous Twitter account into a trusted industry voice with 120M+ impressions per month.

Growth

This wasn’t some VC-funded media blitz. Yossi’s growth was organic, strategic, and relentlessly audience-first.

It all started on X, where faceless, brutally honest car biz content resonated fast.

• From 0 to 30K, it was all about exposing dealership secrets for everyday buyers.

• From 30K to 100K, Yossi layered in sharp market insights—pulling in dealers, lenders, and Wall Street.

• Then came the inflection point: an Elon Musk’s retweet. 

  His visibility exploded, the media picked it up, and his credibility soared.

Key channels:

• X (Twitter) & LinkedIn: Core platforms for thought leadership

• Instagram & TikTok: Grown via smart influencer collabs like Russ Flip Whips

• Newsletter & Podcast: Long-form trust machines fueling deeper engagement

From a single voice in the dark to a 120M+ monthly impression powerhouse.

Monetization

1. Unit Economics & Revenue Sources – Business operates as a media company, generating revenue through:

• Sponsorships & Brand Deals – Automotive industry brands pay for ad placements in newsletters, podcasts, and posts.

• Influencer Management – Representing top auto creators, monetizing their content through brand partnerships.

• Industry Job Board – A free-to-use platform monetized via premium job postings and partnerships.

  

2. Revenue Progression & Examples

• 2021: Primarily content-driven, minimal monetization.

• 2022: Sponsored content and podcast ads introduced.

• 2023: Full media expansion, talent network launched, multi-channel sponsorships scaled.

• 2024+: Expected growth via deeper B2B integrations, further talent acquisitions.

P.S. oh, and…

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P.P.S.

Questions about newsletter growth, monetization, or other how-to topics?

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