Local Media HQ

discord.localmediahq.com localnewsletteros.com ⁠ https://signup.memelord.com/tj ⁠ In this episode I wanted to open up my notebook and share a few things I am seeing across local newsletters, high ticket service businesses and software. No script. Just ideas that feel early but important. The first one is the “local MrBeast” concept. My First Million mentioned it this week. I had just written about...

What does it take to run a daily local newsletter in a big metro, completely solo? In this conversation, Nick Hageman of KC Daily walks through his journey from side project in between orthopedic surgery cases to full-time operator of a daily newsletter reaching tens of thousands of Kansas Citians. He talks openly about starting with someone else’s blueprint from NWA Daily, adapting it to Kansas C...

Local media operators love to talk about “diversified revenue,” but in this conversation, Nate Spangle shows exactly what that looks like in practice. TJ and Nate unpack how Get Indiana evolved from a struggling tech-company podcast into a growing Indiana-focused media company with a statewide podcast, multiple newsletters, and a strong social presence. Nate explains why he reoriented the show tow...

How do you turn a local newsletter into the default media brand in your city? In this conversation, Jas walks TJ through exactly how he did it, shrinking his team from several part-time VAs to one highly leveraged full-timer, tightening his processes, and freeing up his own time by cutting newsletter production from 12 hours a week down to about four. They unpack Beehive’s big feature announcement...

This episode dives deep into building a durable local media business with Michael Kauffman of Catskill Crew and The Newsletter Club. We unpack why communities crave print again, how to monetize beyond banner ads, and what it takes to turn a newsletter into a multi-revenue platform. You’ll hear how Discord-powered peer learning accelerates growth and why “quality over quantity” in ads is non-negoti...

This episode digs into how Jimmy Farrell grew CHS Happenings —a Charleston, SC local newsletter—from 0 to 10,000+ subscribers with a deliberate, community-first approach. We cover why he chose a personality-led brand, how he thinks about weekly cadence, and why Instagram—not LinkedIn—is his main growth channel for local audiences. We also talk through the real tradeoffs of pausing paid growth to f...

In this episode, Tance Hughes shares how he launched and grew The Miss Lou Brew across two small river towns (Vidalia, LA and Natchez, MS) with a combined population around 20,000. We cover realistic upsides and downsides of operating in a tiny market, why list size isn’t everything, and how he ties the newsletter to his other local businesses. We also dig into acquisition strategy, where Meta ads...

Nick “NoHo Nick” Roberts joins TJ to share the operating system behind his San Fernando Valley newsletter: organic growth, consistent social video, and community-first curation. He compares TikTok vs. Instagram, explains why he edits inside TikTok for speed, and shows how he slices one newsletter into multiple neighborhood-specific posts to find what the algorithm favors. You’ll hear how collabora...

Creators and local newsletter operators want in-person connection without the headache of planning events. In this episode, Rae Lambert shares how DNNR (pronounced “dinner”) turns audiences into white-labeled dinner clubs with zero heavy lifting. Listeners learn how personality quizzes, AI matching, and day-of restaurant reveals create table groups of six and a post-dinner meetup that brings multi...

Justin Gordon returns to share the LA Grind playbook: a local newsletter for founders, operators, and investors in Los Angeles that blends curated events, deal flow, jobs, and “living in LA” picks. In just four months, he’s crossed ~5,200 subscribers (as of Sept 25) and turned the list into a thriving in-person community. We dig into the growth stack (Meta ads + LinkedIn + event flywheels + Luma),...

Ashlyn of Cypress Digest breaks down how she grew a Houston-area local newsletter to ~3,300 subscribers with a ~53.6% open rate and ~11% CTR, then flipped the switch on revenue. The headline tactic: a simple Facebook Lead Ad campaign that brought in ~75 advertiser leads for about $60—sub-$1 per lead—by pitching “partnerships” to local businesses instead of generic ads. She compares this inbound fl...

This episode dives into how a local newsletter can punch above its weight by pairing digital reach with in-person events. John Apolinar of Scottsdale Scoop shares the playbook behind his first paid happy hour—securing a sponsor, choosing a venue (the W in Old Town), and using raffle incentives to boost registrations. We dig into why IRL touchpoints build trust and open doors for bigger partnership...

In this episode, TJ digs in with creator and local media operator Jacob Espinoza on what really works for a city-focused podcast and Instagram presence. They cover why local podcasts are hard to grow, the outsized networking value of interviews, and how to keep production simple enough to sustain week after week. You’ll hear how Jacob repurposes interviews across newsletters and short-form video t...

This episode dives into how local newsrooms can turn written stories into habit-forming podcasts. Paul Gewuerz of LocalPod explains his “news blast” format—8–12 minute shows that package top stories, quick ad breaks, and local happenings—plus how AI text-to-speech streamlines production without sacrificing editorial quality. We also unpack why newsletters and podcasts overlap so strongly and why u...

Agency operator Nathan May joins to unpack what actually scales newsletters in 2025: disciplined paid acquisition on Meta, creative that calls out real problems, and a monetization ladder that doesn’t stop at ad slots. We contrast broad B2C with small-but-mighty B2B niches—and show why “local + [professional audience]” can 10x sponsor value. We get tactical: swipeable internal workflows for AI-ass...

In this conversation, entrepreneur and creator Tim Stoddart explains why authenticity and consistency outperform overproduction—and how those same principles power high-margin local service businesses. We dig into his journey from documenting sobriety to building media assets, agencies, and newsletters, and why local SEO remains a durable path for independents. Tim shares a clear model: start with...

In this episode, TJ sits down again with Jas from Winnipeg Digest to talk about the latest experiments and strategies in local newsletter publishing. They discuss the upcoming Business of Local conference in Salt Lake City, the pros and cons of cash giveaways, and the importance of building trust with your audience instead of chasing vanity metrics. Jas shares updates on his community-building eff...

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...