Build a greetform that turns new newsletter subscribers into data, leads, and offers, https://greetform.com/

Sam Harper built The Waco Buzz to 16,000 readers, left his corporate job three months ago, and is now full-time on local media in Waco, Texas, newsletter, social, job board, and community events.

In this Local Media HQ interview, Sam walks through the side-hustle-to-full-time jump (the newsletter beat his W-2 pay for months first), why relationship capacity is the real unlock when you go full-time, how monthly Dinner Club made Waco Buzz feel like a real brand, Social Studies talks with local professors, and the big swing: renting Baylor’s football stadium for Waco’s first paper airplane championship. He also breaks down his LinkedIn “social selling” play, Meta grows the list; LinkedIn books senior meetings, plus “Good Life in Waco” surveys that feed the newsletter, job board, and a 30-day wealth campaign with a local partner.

Caveat from Sam: events should be fun, get people doing something together, and stay easy to fulfill. He’s not trying to turn the stadium night into a bloated production.

Chapters:

00:00 Sam Harper / The Waco Buzz intro

01:52 16,000 readers and going full-time

03:31 When the side hustle beat the W-2

06:42 Filling a 40-hour week with relationships

10:34 Community builder vs more products

13:33 Dinner Club and Social Studies

14:56 Paper airplane championship at Baylor Stadium

20:23 When local news covered Dinner Club

29:58 LinkedIn social selling playbook

36:18 Good Life in Waco (reader-generated stories)

39:09 Job board + 30-day wealth campaign

45:03 Where to find Sam

Guest links discussed / find Sam:

https://www.thewacobuzz.com/

https://www.instagram.com/waco.buzz/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-harper-coach

https://wacobuzz.beehiiv.com/

Work with me: https://www.localmediahq.com/

Discord: https://discord.localmediahq.com/

TJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1

TJ on X: https://x.com/TJLarkin23

TJ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin

#LocalMedia #NewsletterGrowth #Entrepreneurship #CommunityBuilding #WacoBuzz #DigitalMarketing #SideHustleToFullTime #LinkedInStrategy #LocalEvents #PodcastInterview

greetform turns a newsletter signup into revenue in the first few minutes: https://greetform.com/Katie Myers built Localish in Janesville, Wisconsin (about 65,000 people). Twelve videos for a free-roof giveaway pulled 170 leads. Her first dinner club got 50 people, and she barely has a newsletter.Katie is an insurance agency owner who opened in Janesville on March 1, 2020, knowing one person in town. Personal Facebook content was producing about $60,000 a month in new insurance business within the first year or two. Close rate on quotes is about 50% because people already know her. In 2025 she did 80 million views across platforms. About 50 million of those were content about small businesses and what was going on around town.She built a Localish app on Replit, got 1,800 downloads in the first month from three videos, could not pay the developer, and pivoted. Localish Janesville as a media brand started February 2026. It runs mainly on Facebook and TikTok (about 90,000 followers across platforms, Instagram under 1,000). She says it is averaging about a million views a month, all organic. She is launching Localish Madison with a partner (another insurance agency owner) and does not want her face on the brand. The vision is Localish in every city. She only wants advertisers spending $50,000+ a year on ads. She will not film a shop for $100.Dinner club: she heard it on this show and planned one that morning. First event, June 2026, 50 people, mostly strangers, town of 65,000. Four dinners this summer. A business-only dinner got 15 people. She is not repeating that. Localish Madison dinner club was announced the day before this recording.Free roof with Brady Boland / Rooster Roofing: idea from Cole Simpson (Soda City Simpson) on this show. Google Form, disclosed they would be contacted for a quote, stories used to pick the winner (not a hat draw). 11–12 videos, 170 form fills. Her private goal was 50. Local roofers pay $40 to $300 a lead. They gave the roof to a veteran's family (seven tours in Iraq, back surgery). She says they have already sold roofs off the list. Best videos: announcement clips and the call. A polished drone video was the worst. Crowd-sourced friend videos and a rooster mascot (Rufus) did better.Also in this episode: digitize your reputation, more volume beats three precious videos a week, a "who's hiring" poll that got 75 comments in under 24 hours, why BNI and chambers fail most operators, and why she wants to give away $100 million someday.Mentioned in this episodeRooster Roofing (Brady Boland): https://rooster-roofing.com/Cole Simpson / Soda City Simpson: https://www.youtube.com/@sodacitysimpsonLocalish Janesville Dinner Club: https://localishjanesvilledinnerclub.dnnr.io/Katie MyersEmail: [email protected]: https://www.facebook.com/ThekatiemyersshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the_katie_myersInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_katie_myers/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-myers-388515105Localish JanesvilleFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LocalishjanesvilleTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@localishjanesvilleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/localishjanesville/Build your own local media business:https://localmediahq.com/Subscribe to the weekly newsletter:https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribeJoin the community (Discord):https://discord.localmediahq.comFollow TJX: https://x.com/TJLarkin23Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1Website: https://tjlarkin.com/Work with me:https://www.localmediahq.com/#LocalMedia #LocalNewsletters #Janesville #TikTok #DinnerClub #Roofing #Localish #NewsletterGrowth #AdSales #CreatorEconomy

Local Media Camp: localmediacamp.com (discount code: LOCALHQ)

Check out Greetform here: https://greetform.com/

Join TJ Larkin as he interviews David Grant, GM at Blue Engine Collaborative, to dissect what separates struggling local publications from thriving media businesses. David breaks down data from thousands of media organizations, explaining why print mailing targeting high-value zip codes remains an unbeatable ad format and how Facebook's creator monetization features are paying smaller publishers real monthly returns.

Throughout the episode, David emphasizes the role of localized storytelling, training dedicated ad sales personnel, and expanding media brands beyond standard editorial into local agency work. The discussion highlights real success stories from publications taking advantage of short-form video, intern talent programs, and experiential community events like dinner clubs and local summits.

If you are looking to build or scale a local media empire, this interview delivers straight talk, practical frameworks, and high-impact monetization strategies you can deploy immediately in your market.

Guest Information:

Name: David Grant

Company: Blue Engine Collaborative

Website: blueenginecollaborative.com

Upcoming Event: Local Media Camp (October 14–16, Durham, NC) at localmediacamp.com (Discount Code: LOCALHQ)

Socials: Instagram: @_austinpowell (Austin Powell, Meta Growth)

Build your own local media business:

https://localmediahq.com/  

https://lightbreak.ai

Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter:

https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe 

Join the Community (Discord):

Connect with TJ, share ideas, ask questions, and be part of a growing creator & media community

👉 Join here: https://discord.localmediahq.com/

Follow My Journey

Twitter/X: https://x.com/TJLarkin23 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1 

Website: https://tjlarkin.com/ 

Work With Me

For brand partnerships, sponsorships, and business inquiries:

[email protected]  

#LocalNews #LocalMedia #Publishing #MediaBusiness #Journalism #NewsletterGrowth #AdSales #DigitalPublishing #PrintMedia #MediaStrategy

Check out Greetform here: https://greetform.com/

In this episode of the Local Media HQ show, host TJ Larkin interviews Price Foulger, the creator of Low Tide Local in Northern California. Price shares his journey of launching a local newsletter focused on community events in Santa Cruz while simultaneously building a new roofing business. He explains how he views the newsletter not only as a passion project for community connection, but also as an effective, long-term marketing engine for high-ticket home services.

Price walks through his early growth strategies, detail how organic posts on Facebook and Nextdoor brought in thousands of initial subscribers, followed by cost-effective Meta ad campaigns. The conversation covers the balance between short-term lead generation and long-term community trust, as well as how local media brands create "local gravity" that benefits backend business offers.

Additionally, Price discusses leveraging technology to streamline operations, including using AI coding tools to build interactive, map-based event calendars for subscribers. The episode provides practical perspectives for local media operators and home service entrepreneurs looking to integrate media with traditional local business models.

For more information or to connect with Price Foulger, visit his website at lowtidelocal.media. You can also follow his updates on Twitter and Instagram under the handle @PriceFoulger.

Build your own local media business:

https://localmediahq.com/  

https://lightbreak.ai

Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter:

https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe 

Join the Community (Discord):

Connect with TJ, share ideas, ask questions, and be part of a growing creator & media community

👉 Join here: https://discord.localmediahq.com/

Follow My Journey

Twitter/X: https://x.com/TJLarkin23 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1 

Website: https://tjlarkin.com/ 

Work With Me

For brand partnerships, sponsorships, and business inquiries:

[email protected]  

#LocalNewsletters #LocalMedia #HomeServices #RoofingBusiness #SantaCruz #Entrepreneurship #ContentMarketing #CommunityBuilding #BusinessGrowth #LocalMarketing

Check out Greetform here: https://greetform.com/ 

In this episode, TJ Larkin interviews Travis from What's on Goldie to discuss how he built a massive local media presence on Australia's Gold Coast. Travis shares his journey from managing the platform as a side project to quitting his full-time tech sales job to go all-in on his media business. The conversation focuses heavily on how local publishers can leverage organic Instagram growth, integrate automated event calendars, and transition from a simple social media page into a highly profitable, multi-channel local media empire.

Travis breaks down the exact mechanics behind his explosive Instagram growth, revealing why unbranded, raw carousels using native Instagram text massively outperform highly polished, heavily branded corporate content. He also discusses his innovative approach to managing local content creators through a custom-built portal, solving the common headache of content creation while scaling up inbound advertising demand from local venues. Additionally, they explore a brilliant strategy for utilizing Facebook group onboarding questions to rapidly grow a high-open-rate local newsletter.

Viewers will walk away with actionable insights on monetization, including how to price and structure guaranteed event listings, carousel inclusions, and long-term multi-channel media packages. Travis emphasizes the long-term value of building community brand equity first and leveraging automation tools on the back end to keep operations lean while scaling into new geographic locations.

Connect with Travis and check out his work via the What's on Goldie website at whatsongoldie.com. You can reach out directly via email at [email protected], follow his updates on Instagram (@whatsongoldie), or connect with him directly inside the Local Media HQ Discord community.

Build your own local media business:https://localmediahq.com/ 

https://lightbreak.ai

Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter:https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe 

Join the Community (Discord):

Connect with TJ, share ideas, ask questions, and be part of a growing creator & media community

👉 Join here: https://discord.localmediahq.com/

Follow My Journey

Twitter/X: https://x.com/TJLarkin23

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1

Website: https://tjlarkin.com/ 

Work With MeFor brand partnerships, sponsorships, and business inquiries:[email protected]  

#LocalMedia #InstagramGrowth #LocalPublishing #DigitalMediaBusiness #Hyperlocal #ContentCreatorEconomy #InstagramCarousels #NewsletterGrowth #WhatsonGoldie #MediaMonetization

In this episode of the Local Media HQ Show, host TJ Larkin sits down with Andrew Smith, the founder of Huntsville Explorer, a hyper-local media brand based in Huntsville, Alabama. Andrew shares his journey of transitioning from a planned statewide blog network to running a hyper-focused city newsletter that currently boasts over 25,000 subscribers. The conversation breaks down the mechanics of local media monetization, organic and paid audience growth strategies, and how to effectively build authority within a specific geographic market.

Andrew details the exact operational numbers behind Huntsville Explorer, revealing how the brand brought in $55,000 in revenue through the first six months of the year with a target of crossing six figures annually. He explains how he leveraged Facebook "Page Like" ads early on to build a massive 50,000-follower baseline, which served as a crucial psychological tool for establishing legitimacy with local business owners. Additionally, the episode covers the logistics behind his upcoming event, the Huntsville Food Fest, demonstrating how live events can generate substantial profit margins while providing free marketing opportunities for community restaurants.

Listeners will walk away with actionable insights regarding local business outreach and advertiser psychology. Andrew explains why targeting companies with dedicated marketing budgets is vastly more efficient than selling to tightly run small businesses, and how naturally featuring brands before a pitch changes the sales dynamic. The episode emphasizes the necessity of automated low-ticket options for smaller local entities to protect your time while scaling your operations.

The best place to reach Andrew is via email at [email protected] (or [email protected]) or by sending a direct message on the Huntsville Explorer Instagram account, where he remains highly active monitoring community outreach.

Check out Greetform! https://greetform.com/

Build your own local media business:https://localmediahq.com/  https://lightbreak.ai

Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter:https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe 

Join the Community (Discord):Connect with TJ, share ideas, ask questions, and be part of a growing creator & media community👉 Join here: https://discord.localmediahq.com/

Follow My Journey

Twitter/X: https://x.com/TJLarkin23 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1 Website: https://tjlarkin.com/ 

Work With MeFor brand partnerships, sponsorships, and business inquiries:[email protected]  

#LocalMedia #NewsletterGrowth #HuntsvilleExplorer #HyperLocal #DigitalMarketing #MediaEntrepreneur #FacebookAds #AudienceBuilding #LocalAdvertising #BusinessAutomation

Welcome to Part 2 of our masterclass with Marissa Lavelle, the founder of From Boise. In this segment, host TJ Larkin pushes past basic business theories to uncover the exact day-to-day operations, hiring systems, and backend frameworks that keep a six-figure newsletter running smoothly. If you have ever wondered how to step back from micromanaging your brand and actually delegate tasks to a team, this half of the conversation is for you.

Marissa delivers a literal blueprint for recruiting raw talent right out of local university sales clubs, specifically highlighting her experience with Boise State University graduates. She reveals her exact commission structure—detailing why a $500 monthly base pay paired with a 25% commission rate creates the perfect incentive model for a new sales rep. Marissa discusses the critical necessity of setting up a clear two-month grace period to allow team members to properly populate their pipeline without overwhelming immediate pressure.

Beyond hiring, Marissa details how she organized her entire workflow history into a dedicated onboarding system using Notion. By integrating tools like Google Docs, Notion, and Canva, her team can independently create content and seamlessly coordinate with corporate partners. She also provides an actionable strategy for client retention, explaining how to format clear sponsor "impact reports" that automatically lock in recurring advertising renewals.

Guest Information:

Connect with Marissa Lavelle and check out her hyper-local newsletter via the official website at fromboise.com. You can follow their local community updates on Instagram @from.boise or check out Marissa's business insights on LinkedIn and Instagram under Marissa from Boise. To explore the specific branding and in-person outreach strategies discussed in this episode, you can connect with her sales contractor, Leslie E. Johnson, on Instagram @leslie.e.johnson.
Check out Greetform!

https://greetform.com/

Build your own local media business:

https://localmediahq.com/ 

https://lightbreak.ai

Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter:https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe 

Join the Community (Discord):

Connect with TJ, share ideas, ask questions, and be part of a growing creator & media community

👉 Join here: https://discord.localmediahq.com/

Follow My Journey

Twitter/X: https://x.com/TJLarkin23

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1

Website: https://tjlarkin.com/ 

Work With Me

For brand partnerships, sponsorships, and business inquiries:[email protected]  

#LocalMedia #NewsletterBusiness #EmailMarketing #FromBoise #HyperLocalNews #MediaMonetization #SalesContractors #OnboardingSystems #CreatorEconomy #BoiseBusiness

In Part 1 of this episode, host TJ Larkin sits down with Marissa Lavelle, founder of the hyper-local media brand From Boise, to pull back the curtain on building a highly profitable local newsletter. Marissa shares her foundational journey, detailing how she grew her subscriber base to over 25,000 readers and an Instagram following of over 40,000. The conversation targets the financial realities of moving away from a casual solo side hustle to establishing a sustainable local business model pacing toward a six-figure revenue.

Marissa highlights the massive growth that occurred after hiring her first dedicated sales contractor, Leslie. Instead of leaning into automated AI tools or digital agency spam bots, Leslie utilizes high-touch, hyper-personalized email outreach and active networking at local restaurant and venue openings to win over corporate sponsors. Marissa breaks down the exact sales mindset required to build relationships with local business owners and how in-person local presence serves as a primary competitive advantage.

The core lesson of this first half focuses on simplifying your business structure to capture financial traction. Marissa candidly talks about the necessity of shifting out of a content writer's shoes and stepping into a true CEO mindset to better monetize local news. Her primary piece of advice for early-stage digital publishers is to stop obsessing over huge subscriber metrics, emphasizing that even a small list of 200 highly dedicated community subscribers offers incredible, pitchable value to local advertisers.

Guest Information:

Connect with Marissa Lavelle and check out her hyper-local newsletter via the official website at fromboise.com. You can follow their local community updates on Instagram @from.boise or check out Marissa's business insights on LinkedIn and Instagram under Marissa from Boise. To explore the specific branding and in-person outreach strategies discussed in this episode, you can connect with her sales contractor, Leslie E. Johnson, on Instagram @leslie.e.johnson.

Build your own local media business:https://localmediahq.com/  https://lightbreak.ai

Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter:https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe 

Join the Community (Discord):Connect with TJ, share ideas, ask questions, and be part of a growing creator & media community👉 Join here: https://discord.localmediahq.com/

Follow My Journey

Twitter/X: https://x.com/TJLarkin23

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1

Website: https://tjlarkin.com/ 

Work With MeFor brand partnerships, sponsorships, and business inquiries:[email protected]  

#LocalMedia #NewsletterBusiness #EmailMarketing #FromBoise #HyperLocalNews #MediaMonetization #SalesContractors #OnboardingSystems #CreatorEconomy #BoiseBusiness 

In this episode, TJ Larkin sits down with Ethan Brooks, founder of the Austin Business Review, to explore the mechanics of building a successful local media company. Drawing on his background as an editorial writer at The Hustle and a founding team member at Hampton, Ethan breaks down why scaling to multiple cities isn't the only path to a multi-million dollar media business. The conversation sheds light on why a deep, hyper-local focus can build massive authority and out-earn traditional ad-supported national models.

Ethan shares the exact framework he used to replace his corporate six-figure salary within nine months of launching his local newsletter, shifting the focus from ad space sales to local consulting services. He walks through the "newsletter engine" model, which is a clear, three-part monetization blueprint consisting of free distribution, front-end entry products, and high-ticket back-end services. This breakdown illustrates how an audience of local business owners can yield significantly higher value per reader than traditional display advertising.

Viewers will walk away with actionable advice on mapping out their own free, front-end, and back-end offerings to ensure robust business operations. Ethan explains how data on founder lifestyles reveals that business owners often overestimate the capital required to achieve financial independence, meaning localized operations are fully capable of funding a dream lifestyle. The episode provides a clear blueprint for entrepreneurs looking to build sustainable, deeply rooted media brands right in their own hometowns.

To get in touch with Ethan Brooks or subscribe to his local business newsletter, visit the Austin Business Review website at austinbusinessreview.com or connect with him directly on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ethanbrooks.

Build your own local media business:https://localmediahq.com/  https://lightbreak.ai

Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter:https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe 

Join the Community (Discord):Connect with TJ, share ideas, ask questions, and be part of a growing creator & media community👉 Join here: https://discord.localmediahq.com/

Follow My Journey

Twitter/X: https://x.com/TJLarkin23

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1

Website: https://tjlarkin.com/ 

Work With MeFor brand partnerships, sponsorships, and business inquiries:[email protected]  

#LocalMedia #NewsletterStrategy #AustinBusinessReview #MediaMonetization #TheHustle #CommunityBuilding #BusinessGrowth #FounderMindset #Entrepreneurship #HyperLocal

In this episode of the Local Media HQ show, host TJ Larkin sits down with Paul Gewuerz, founder of LocalPod and creator of LocalPod Studio. The conversation focuses on the modern intersection of AI technology and the legacy local media landscape. They discuss how traditional media companies are adapting to a rapidly changing digital ecosystem, the shifting dynamics of audience trust, and how new operational models can help older local brands survive.

The duo shares insights into how artificial intelligence is changing operational workflows overnight, moving from simple assistance to comprehensive design and development capabilities. Paul breaks down how mission-driven career journalists are navigating the tension between investigative storytelling and the commercial realities of running a business. They highlight real-world success stories, including publishers using AI to run multiple publications and large legacy brands leveraging advanced coding setups to stay ahead of the technical curve.

The key takeaway is that AI shouldn't be viewed as a threat to local journalism, but rather as an operational "lightsaber" that handles tedious backend tasks. By reducing time spent on administrative duties like database sorting, bookkeeping, and formatting, media teams can dedicate 100% of their energy to high-value reporting and community relationships. This creates a highly efficient business model where proprietary, ground-level local news remains irreplaceable by big tech models.

To connect with Paul Gewuerz, learn more about his insights on local media, or try out his platform, visit the LocalPod website at localpod.co or email him directly at [email protected]. You can also find him on LinkedIn under Paul Gowertz or listen to his podcast "Small Press, Big Ideas" on all major streaming applications. For those interested in utilizing the LocalPod Studio platform, Paul offers a 20% discount on the first month using the promo code TJ20 at checkout.

Build your own local media business:https://localmediahq.com/  https://lightbreak.ai

Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter:https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe 

Join the Community (Discord):Connect with TJ, share ideas, ask questions, and be part of a growing creator & media community👉 Join here: https://discord.localmediahq.com/

Follow My JourneyTwitter/X: https://x.com/TJLarkin23 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1 Website: https://tjlarkin.com/ 

Work With MeFor brand partnerships, sponsorships, and business inquiries:[email protected]  

#LocalMedia #Journalism #ArtificialIntelligence #Podcasting #Newsletters #MediaBusiness #ContentStrategy #SoftwareDevelopment #LegacyMedia #PaulGewuerz