by TJ Larkin
Local Media HQ is the definitive podcast and consulting resource for entrepreneurs or anyone interested in modern, creator-led local media brands, as well as local newsletters. Host TJ Larkin provides exclusive insights, proven frameworks, and actionable strategies that help local media and newsletter publishers accelerate growth and maximize profitability.
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Publishing Since
3/7/2025
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July 20, 2026
<p>Check out Greetform here: <a href="https://greetform.com/"><u>https://greetform.com/</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>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 travis@whatsongoldie.com, follow his updates on Instagram (@whatsongoldie), or connect with him directly inside the Local Media HQ Discord community.</p><p><br></p><p>Build your own local media business:<a href="https://localmediahq.com/"><u>https://localmediahq.com/</u></a> </p><p><a href="https://lightbreak.ai/"><u>https://lightbreak.ai</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter:<a href="https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe"><u>https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>Join the Community (Discord):</p><p>Connect with TJ, share ideas, ask questions, and be part of a growing creator & media community</p><p>👉 Join here: <a href="https://discord.localmediahq.com/"><u>https://discord.localmediahq.com/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Follow My Journey</p><p>Twitter/X: <a href="https://x.com/TJLarkin23"><u>https://x.com/TJLarkin23</u></a> </p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin"><u>https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin</u></a> </p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1"><u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1</u></a> </p><p>Website: <a href="https://tjlarkin.com/"><u>https://tjlarkin.com/</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>Work With MeFor brand partnerships, sponsorships, and business inquiries:<a href="http://tj@localmediahq.com"><u>tj@localmediahq.com</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>#LocalMedia #InstagramGrowth #LocalPublishing #DigitalMediaBusiness #Hyperlocal #ContentCreatorEconomy #InstagramCarousels #NewsletterGrowth #WhatsonGoldie #MediaMonetization </p>
July 13, 2026
<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The best place to reach Andrew is via email at andrew@hsv-explorer.com (or andrew@hsvexplorer.com) or by sending a direct message on the Huntsville Explorer Instagram account, where he remains highly active monitoring community outreach.</p><p><br></p><p>Check out Greetform! <a href="https://greetform.com/"><u>https://greetform.com/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Build your own local media business:<a href="https://localmediahq.com/"><u>https://localmediahq.com/</u></a> <a href="https://lightbreak.ai/"><u>https://lightbreak.ai</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter:<a href="https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe"><u>https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>Join the Community (Discord):Connect with TJ, share ideas, ask questions, and be part of a growing creator & media community👉 Join here: <a href="https://discord.localmediahq.com/"><u>https://discord.localmediahq.com/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Follow My Journey</p><p>Twitter/X: <a href="https://x.com/TJLarkin23"><u>https://x.com/TJLarkin23</u></a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin"><u>https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin</u></a> LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1"><u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1</u></a> Website: <a href="https://tjlarkin.com/"><u>https://tjlarkin.com/</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>Work With MeFor brand partnerships, sponsorships, and business inquiries:<a href="http://tj@localmediahq.com"><u>tj@localmediahq.com</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>#LocalMedia #NewsletterGrowth #HuntsvilleExplorer #HyperLocal #DigitalMarketing #MediaEntrepreneur #FacebookAds #AudienceBuilding #LocalAdvertising #BusinessAutomation </p>
July 7, 2026
<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Guest Information:</p><p>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.<br>Check out Greetform! </p><p><a href="https://greetform.com/"><u>https://greetform.com/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Build your own local media business:</p><p><a href="https://localmediahq.com/"><u>https://localmediahq.com/</u></a> </p><p><a href="https://lightbreak.ai/"><u>https://lightbreak.ai</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter:<a href="https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe"><u>https://www.localmediahq.com/subscribe</u></a> </p><p>Join the Community (Discord):</p><p>Connect with TJ, share ideas, ask questions, and be part of a growing creator & media community</p><p>👉 Join here: <a href="https://discord.localmediahq.com/"><u>https://discord.localmediahq.com/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>Follow My Journey</p><p>Twitter/X: <a href="https://x.com/TJLarkin23"><u>https://x.com/TJLarkin23</u></a> </p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin"><u>https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin</u></a> </p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1"><u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1</u></a> </p><p>Website: <a href="https://tjlarkin.com/"><u>https://tjlarkin.com/</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>Work With Me</p><p>For brand partnerships, sponsorships, and business inquiries:<a href="http://tj@localmediahq.com"><u>tj@localmediahq.com</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>#LocalMedia #NewsletterBusiness #EmailMarketing #FromBoise #HyperLocalNews #MediaMonetization #SalesContractors #OnboardingSystems #CreatorEconomy #BoiseBusiness </p>
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Local Media HQ is the definitive podcast and consulting resource for entrepreneurs or anyone interested in modern, creator-led local media brands, as well as local newsletters.
Host TJ Larkin provides exclusive insights, proven frameworks, and actionable strategies that help local media and newsletter publishers accelerate growth and maximize profitability.
This podcast updates daily.
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