Local Media HQ

Baltimore creator Matt Diehl explains how a spontaneous “cash-drop” video, just $80 taped to a harbor post, skyrocketed to 1.5 million views across Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. The 10-second clip added 10 K followers and 500 new email subscribers to his Eating Baltimore newsletter. He breaks down the tactics that made it pop: filming with zero polish, posting natively on each platform, and even...

I’m going solo in this episode to share eight key strategies and lessons I’ve picked up over the past month. I walk through a high-performing apartment locator ad campaign, what I’ve learned from cold DMs on Instagram, and why I believe custom home builders are perfect targets for newsletter advertisers. I even show how I used ChatGPT to craft outreach messages that are already turning into real d...

Brian Skinner joins TJ Larkin to break down the growth strategy behind Marin Buzz, his successful local newsletter. The two discuss how local content can open doors in business, community involvement, and influence, even without a clear long-term plan. Brian credits a single podcast for sparking his idea, and within weeks he launched a brand that's now a growing asset in his local ecosystem. T...

Jas from Winnipeg Digest returns to talk growth, revenue, and diversification. In just three months, he's scaled up recurring events, coffee parties, and brought in steady advertising revenue—without burning out. He shares tactical insights into acquiring subscribers at under $1 through Facebook ads and optimizing creatives to keep costs low. Jas also previews his next business move: launching...

Want to grow a local newsletter without waiting months to recoup ad spend? Louis Nicholls, co-founder of SparkLoop, breaks down “zero-day payback” tactics—mixing paid recommendations, trip-wire offers, and high-value local lead-gen deals—to help operators turn every 50-cent subscriber into immediate profit. Louis shares real-world tests (including his own) that combine three monetization layers on...

In this episode, TJ Larkin sits down with Jacob Espinoza from What’s Happening Salem to unpack how Jacob built a thriving local media presence using Instagram, newsletters, and a podcast. Jacob breaks down his process of launching a local brand from scratch just over a year ago and how he's since scaled to 35k+ Instagram followers and 10k newsletter subscribers. Jacob shares specific tactics t...

What’s the real opportunity behind building online directories? In this insightful interview, Frey Chu outlines how he built multiple passive income streams from niche directories using SEO and strategic content design. TJ and Frey also unpack how these learnings can be applied to local media—especially newsletters. Frey explains how local directory builders can shortcut growth by scraping data, o...

Geoff Matthews of North Shore Now joins TJ Larkin to unpack the real story behind launching a successful newsletter in a small geographic niche. Geoff candidly shares the challenges of selling local ads, testing paid subscriber models, and staying motivated despite uncertain ROI. With refreshing honesty, he outlines what worked, what flopped, and why feedback from his community keeps him going. Fr...

In this episode, TJ Larkin interviews Justin Gordon, the creator of two high-impact newsletters: Just Go Grind and LA Grind. Justin shares how his journey began with a podcast back in 2018, eventually transitioning into newsletters focused on startup founders, investors, and the LA tech scene. He walks us through how he built up an audience of over 20,000 for Just Go Grind and used his unique posi...

In this episode, TJ Larkin chats with Matt Deal, the creator of Eating Baltimore , a growing local newsletter focused on food, events, and community in the Baltimore area. With a background in financial newsletters and wine club marketing, Matt shares how he transitioned into building a hyperlocal media product from scratch. Matt dives deep into his strategies for acquiring subscribers—like using...

TJ welcomes Alec Kremins, Beehive's Partnership Manager and founder of the JLM Scoop, a local Jerusalem newsletter with nearly 6,000 subscribers. Alec shares his journey of starting the newsletter while onboarding at Beehive, how he validated the idea in a new city, and why local newsletters can open doors—even beyond revenue. From sponsor negotiations to delegation and audience building, this...

Feeling stagnant with newsletter revenue? TJ Larkin explains a new path: charge $300 for a half-day, face-to-face crash course on ChatGPT basics, marketed straight to the subscribers who already trust him. The episode breaks down his market-validation call with another publisher, the city-government referral loop, and why timing finally favors beginner AI education. You’ll also hear a mini-tutoria...

In this episode, TJ Larkin reconnects with John Apolinar of Scottsdale Scoop for a deep dive into practical strategies for growing a local newsletter business. They discuss what’s been working for John over the past two months, particularly his high-performing combination of Instagram DMs and in-person networking through the Chamber of Commerce. John breaks down how he tailors quick, engaging Inst...

In this episode, TJ Larkin is joined once again by Landon from Wichita Life—a returning guest and a pioneer in the local newsletter space. They dive deep into the operational side of running a successful local media business, including ad placement strategies, pricing models, and campaign management using simple tools like Google Sheets. Landon shares his evolution from an Instagram account to a f...

Local‑media veteran Kyle Scott joins TJ Larkin to unpack how a tiny beach‑town newsletter ballooned into a 17,000‑subscriber powerhouse—and why owning your audience matters more than ever in 2025. From his Philly sports‑blog roots to mastering Beehive, Kyle reveals the playbook for transforming passion projects into real businesses. He breaks down the forks in the road every publisher faces: stay...

TJ Larkin shares a powerful concept that could revolutionize local newsletter monetization: the negative CAC model. Based on insights from a B2B newsletter called The Assist, TJ explains how strategic onboarding emails with affiliate-style offers can actually earn more than the subscriber acquisition cost in the first week. He illustrates how this could work in the local context using examples lik...

TJ Larkin interviews Ethan Realander about his journey from finance to entrepreneurship through his Rolling Suds power washing franchise and Westchester Weekly newsletter. Ethan shares how he's acquiring subscribers for just 20-25 cents each and his vision for creating multiple revenue streams through these complementary businesses. The conversation covers newsletter design, content creation,...

TJ Larkin interviews Phat Chiem, founder of The 518 newsletter serving Albany, NY. With a background from the Chicago Tribune and Yahoo, Phat combines professional journalism with content curation, creating original stories alongside local event listings. This approach built 2,300+ subscribers in one year without significant ad spend. The 518's distinct branding draws on Albany's history,...

TJ Larkin interviews Phat Chiem, founder of The 518 newsletter serving Albany, NY. With a background from the Chicago Tribune and Yahoo, Phat combines professional journalism with content curation, creating original stories alongside local event listings. This approach built 2,300+ subscribers in one year without significant ad spend. The 518's distinct branding draws on Albany's history,...

TJ Larkin interviews Jas Singh about building the Winnipeg Digest to 25,000 email subscribers and 60,000 social media followers in one year. Jas explains why reels are essential for Instagram growth initially and how a simple landing page optimization cut his subscriber acquisition costs by 50%. The discussion covers monetization strategies, with Jas sharing his approach to selling $10,000 annual...

Shane Brady reveals how he built a local newsletter capturing 25% of his town's adult population. Working full-time, Shane creates compelling content in just one hour using AI and automation to analyze subscriber data and curate more effectively. He shares his monetization strategy that achieved a 90% ad slot sell-out rate for six months, explaining why simple subscription models work better t...

Shane Brady reveals how he built a local newsletter capturing 25% of his town's adult population. Working full-time, Shane creates compelling content in just one hour using AI and automation to analyze subscriber data and curate more effectively. He shares his monetization strategy that achieved a 90% ad slot sell-out rate for six months, explaining why simple subscription models work better t...

Scott Brodbeck shares his 15-year journey building Local News Now, a successful media company with multiple publications in the DC area. He explains the differences between newsletter-first and website-first approaches, revenue diversification strategies, and how automation has been critical to his success. Scott discusses his multi-faceted revenue approach including programmatic advertising, dire...

Scott Brodbeck shares his 15-year journey building Local News Now, a successful media company with multiple publications in the DC area. He explains the differences between newsletter-first and website-first approaches, revenue diversification strategies, and how automation has been critical to his success. Scott discusses his multi-faceted revenue approach including programmatic advertising, dire...

Entrepreneur Trenton Hughes shares how he grew Wilmi Weekly to 10,000 subscribers in Wilmington, North Carolina. In this conversation with TJ Larkin, Trenton reveals why local newsletters should be viewed as strategic community-building assets rather than quick revenue generators, focusing on creating long-term value. The discussion covers content creation, social media acquisition, and brand deve...