Interview Date: January 21, 2024
Table of Content
CREATOR INTERVIEW
Adam Toren is a serial entrepreneur and has been creating a wide range of content since 2009 with a blog, books, online programs and an academy that is dedicated to helping parents raise fulfilled children.
They aim to empower kids through entrepreneurship and gather their efforts under their parent company, Kidpreneurs.
Once they saw that social media alone was not enough to provide high-quality content to their loyal readers, they added a newsletter to the content funnel.
Today, Raising Empowered Kids newsletter stays at the core of their content strategy and reached over 23K subscribers.
Let’s dive in to learn behind-the-scenes!
NEWSLETTER IDENTITY CARD
TOOL STACK
- ESP → ActiveCampaign
- Growth → Sparkloop
- Sponsorship → Passionfroot
MEET THE CREATOR
Welcome Adam. Let’s start with getting to know you.
Thank you for having me.
I’m Adam Toren, a serial entrepreneur, author, and investor with a passion for empowering young entrepreneurs and fostering innovative business ideas.
My journey began at a young age, when my brother Matthew and I launched a series of successful businesses. These early ventures laid the foundation for my entrepreneurial path.
I co-founded YoungEntrepreneur.com, a platform that became one of the largest online communities for young entrepreneurs globally, which was acquired by Entrepreneur Media. This project reflected my brother and my commitment to nurturing entrepreneurial spirit from a young age.
Alongside this, my brother and I have been involved in a multitude of ventures, spanning diverse industries from digital media to publishing and hospitality.
As an author, I’ve co-written several books aimed at guiding aspiring entrepreneurs. Titles like ‘Kidpreneurs,’ which introduces children to the world of entrepreneurship, ‘Real World Money Lessons’ which teaches kids and teens about financial literacy and money management and ‘Small Business, BIG Vision,’ a guide for small business owners, are part of our endeavors to educate and inspire.
Our portfolio is as diverse as our entrepreneurial pursuits, encompassing tech startups, real estate, and various online membership communities. Each investment reflects our belief in the power of innovation and the potential of visionary entrepreneurs to drive positive change.
“In summary, my career is a tapestry of entrepreneurial ventures, educational initiatives, and investments, all centered around the ethos of empowerment, learning, and innovation.”
START
Raising Empowered Kids ® is a media company that includes five books, an online academy, and hundreds of blogs.
At which point did you decide adding a newsletter to your content funnel was a good idea?
“While social media content is an effective way to reach subscribers at scale, newsletters offer an unparalleled level of depth and quality.“
Each week, we’re able to deliver long-form content that provides a far better experience for our loyal audience.
In your welcome e-mail you say “One aspect of Raising Empowered Kids® we’re most proud of is our weekly newsletter.” Which aspects of this newsletter made you feel proud of it most?
The responses we get each week from parents around the world who learn and apply newsletter content to their parenting strategies.
We’ve had parents in Africa, the US, Europe, Australia, and Asia reach out about how they loved one strategy or another – and it’s great to see that our advice is appreciated across cultures and around the globe.
GROWTH
What is your current content strategy, and what role does the newsletter play?
“Our newsletter is at the center of our current content strategy.“
Each email is published on our website, with social content created afterward.
These newsletters are our biggest opportunity to create content, so we syndicate the rest of our funnel around them.
How did you gain your first 1,000 subscribers?
Kidpreneurs.org, our parent company, has been around since 2009.
In those years, hundreds and thousands of kids have learned entrepreneurship through our books and online products.
“Many Kidpreneurs customers were elated to hear about the newsletter, and made up the bulk of our original first 1,000+ subscribers.”
Which growth strategies did you use to grow your e-mail list to over 23,000?
We’ve been experimenting with a few strategies to scale our subscriber count.
For one, we tried an organic referral program where members could share the newsletter with friends to earn rewards.
We also ran paid ads for a period, and partnered with Sparkloop to bring in a small quantity of engaged leads. We cannot express enough gratitude for the incredible team we have the privilege of working alongside. Their dedication, creativity, and commitment are the pillars of our organization’s success.
A significant factor in our recent growth surge is undeniably attributed to our Chief Operating Officer, Ben Wong.
He has been an exceptional force within our team, consistently going above and beyond in every aspect of his role. Ben’s remarkable ability to streamline operations, foster a collaborative work environment, and drive strategic initiatives has not only enhanced our operational efficiency but has also greatly contributed to a positive and productive workplace culture.
His keen insights and forward-thinking strategies have been instrumental in guiding our company through phases of rapid growth and market expansion. His leadership style, which blends empathy with decisiveness, has earned him the respect and admiration of the entire team.
Ben’s contributions extend beyond just measurable outcomes; his passion and enthusiasm have been a source of inspiration for us all, instilling a sense of purpose and direction that resonates throughout our organization.
Which growth channels are the most effective ones?
“I would argue that maintaining engagement is actually the most effective growth strategy.“
Our newsletter and many others utilize engagement screens, which remove unengaged subscribers after a set period of time. Often, we’ll see a thousand or two subscribers unengage in a week, which is roughly on par with industry standards.
“So, while growth is important, preventing engagement decline ensures that your net subscriber count continues to increase alongside marketing efforts.”
Sparkloop tends to bring in the most engaged members, while paid ads are by far the most scalable growth method.
What is your social media strategy?
We’re still working on a full social media strategy but aim to create accompanying content off of our website content, like quote graphics and short-form guides.
“We intend for each newsletter to be repurposed into a website post and 3-5 pieces of social content.”
When you started the newsletter, you already had the blog. What have you done to convert website visitors to subscribers?
After starting the newsletter, we completely transformed the blog.
“We switched to a new blogging and community platform and focused more on being a news and media provider than a store.
We put a subscribe text box at the top of the home page, and there’s always a widget below every post.”
How does your website and newsletter feed each other’s growth?
Our blog contains both exclusive newsletter and re-syndicated content from our freelance journalists.
We’ll provide newsletter readers with an option to read an email online, often providing a better viewing experience.
By repurposing content on the site, we have an efficient method of content production that is both high-quality and simple to produce. Google prioritizes this type of long-form, in-depth content, which contributes to our SEO.
MONETIZATION
How do you monetize your newsletter currently?
We’ll occasionally take on select sponsors to advertise in the newsletter.
In the long term, we intend to create paid products somewhere down the line that leverage our content library and a panel of parenting experts.
Let’s talk about your sponsorship strategy.
When did you start it?
We started opening up to sponsorships in Q3 of 2023.
How did you decide on ad pricing?
We followed industry standards – offering our rates at $50/1000 impressions.
How do you find sponsors and manage the process?
Passionfruit has made it quite easy to create a sponsorship dashboard that has all the tools needed to coordinate with prospects. We’ll also promote it to fellow business owners on our own social media channels.
Any learnings about building strong partnerships?
Really focus on the quality of each partnership even beyond agreed-upon terms. Happy sponsors, happy newsletter!
E-MAIL SERVICE PROVIDER
Why did you choose ActiveCampaign? Pros and cons?
ActiveCampaign is instrumental to our paid Kidpreneurs products, but we would not recommend it as a pure newsletter play, as it was and is intended for automation and email marketing.
NEWSLETTER EXPERIENCE
How did building the Raising Empowered Kids newsletter contribute to your life professionally and personally?
Building the Raising Empowered Kids newsletter has been an enlightening journey, both professionally and personally.
Professionally, it honed my skills in communication, research, and creativity, pushing me to stay updated with the latest parenting trends and psychological insights. This endeavor sharpened my ability to distill complex ideas into relatable and engaging content, a skill invaluable in any professional setting.
On a personal level, it deepened my understanding and empathy towards the challenges and triumphs of parenting. The stories and feedback from subscribers provided a rich tapestry of experiences, making me more aware and appreciative of the diverse approaches to raising empowered, resilient children.
“The newsletter became more than a platform for sharing knowledge; it evolved into a community of growth, learning, and mutual support, enriching my life with a sense of purpose and connection.”
What is the most challenging part of operating a newsletter and how do you handle it?
Maintaining a consistent flow of content.
We understand our responsibility to provide content that dictates the lives of thousands of families and kids.
“So, we need to balance creating quality content with creating consistent content.“
We’re working on building out our content team so that Raising Empowered Kids can achieve this balance at scale.
RECOMMENDATIONS
What would it be if you had the right to give one piece of advice to aspiring newsletter creators?
Focus on engagement and quality of content first, not marketing and growth. If your editorial isn’t solid, you’re essentially filling a cup with a hole in the bottom. Experiment with new ideas and engage your audience to discover what content performs best.
Once you’re fully confident in your editorial, you should begin to look at scaling your audience.
What are your favorite newsletters that you can’t wait for the next issue?
Morning Brew is a great newsletter.
Jay Yang Inspires is a young newsletter writer who interned at Beehiiv and is currently running a newsletter for Z-Fellows. He has some great content too.
FINAL WORDS
I’d like to leave with a thought that resonates at the core of the ‘Raising Empowered Kids’ philosophy.
Parenting is not just about guiding our children but also about continuously learning and growing with them. Each day brings new challenges and opportunities for growth, both for our children and ourselves. Remember, empowerment is a journey, not a destination. It’s about nurturing resilience, fostering independence, and encouraging curiosity in our children, while being patient and kind to ourselves in the process. Let’s embrace this journey with open hearts and minds, knowing that the most profound lessons often come from the smallest teachers in our lives – our children.
If you’re a parent, make sure to check out Raising Empowered Kids!
