From Dorm to $40M: Daniella Pierson's Newsette Story
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Turning a College Side Project into a $40M Media Brand
In 2015, while most roommates were sleeping in or studying for finals, 19-year-old Daniella Pierson was up at 6 a.m. crafting the first edition of The Newsette. She used a free Mailchimp account and a simple Wix landing page to send a daily digest on beauty, fashion, and business news to just 11 friends.
Balancing a full course load at Boston University, Daniella treated her newsletter like a part-time job—writing between classes, on weekend mornings, and after midnight. She built momentum not by buying ads but through an unpaid ambassador program: refer 10 people, earn a T-shirt and résumé bragging rights.
Rapid Early Growth
By year one, The Newsette had 14,000 subscribers thanks to friend-of-friend messages on Facebook and word of mouth. Daniella never called herself CEO at first—she told brands she was an intern—because she lacked confidence to own her role.
Building a Focused Brand
Rather than branching into podcasts or social channels, Daniella kept it simple: a daily newsletter and occasional Instagram reposts. The minimalist approach let a small team excel at curating content instead of spreading thin.
Monetization and Scaling Up
In the first three years, affiliate marketing and small brand partnerships covered costs. A breakthrough six-figure deal with Ulta Beauty validated the model and attracted other big names. By 2021, The Newsette hit $40 million in annual revenue and grew to 50 full-time employees—all without VC funding.
Lessons Learned
Daniella credits clear goals, consistent daily output, and smart partnerships for turning a side hustle into a full-time media business. She advises new founders to pick a niche, stay lean, and focus on building real relationships via email.
The Newsette Today
With over 500,000 subscribers—mainly women aged 18–35—The Newsette continues to grow. It remains free, link-driven, and email-first, proving that a focused product and authentic audience connection can drive millions in revenue.
Key Takeaways
- 1Starting small and staying consistent can turn a newsletter from 11 readers to over half a million subscribers.
- 2Using an ambassador program accelerated early growth by rewarding referrals with branded merch and résumé recognition.
- 3Maintaining a narrow focus on daily email content allowed a lean team to excel at curation without overextending resources.
- 4Securing a six-figure partnership with a major brand unlocked revenue streams without external funding.
- 5Transitioning affiliate marketing deals to top-tier brand sponsorships drove annual revenue from $1M to $40M in just two years.
- 6Clear goals, authenticity, and direct inbox relationships helped scale a campus side project into a 50-person media company.
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