Local Newsletter Insider

About Local Newsletter Insider

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. P.S. If you're monetizing an audience, check out greetform, the form that turns your signup moment into instant revenue. greetform.com

Publisher

TJ Larkin

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Mar 2025

Latest episode

28 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

87 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Local Directory is his Best Sponsorship Funnel (Part 2)

   Build a greetform that turns new newsletter subscribers into data, leads, and offers, https://greetform.com/ (https://greetform.com/) Ken Jee built Austin Founders Feed into a newsletter for Austin founders and entrepreneurs, growing it to approximately 6,500 subscribers by the time of this recording. After years of creating data science content on YouTube, Ken is now focused on local media, newsletter growth, community-building, and AI-resilient businesses in Austin. In this Local Media HQ interview, Ken walks through how Austin Founders Feed grew through Meta ads, organic community campaigns, founder interviews, sponsorships, and a local business directory. He explains why partnered expert columns can outperform traditional ad placements, how the directory became a source of warm sponsorship leads, and why real-world relationships are becoming more valuable as AI makes content easier to commoditize. Ken also shares his plans for the Austin Creator Brief, a newsletter agency for content creators, creator-focused events, and a potential physical space for Austin’s creator economy. Ken’s guiding principle is that local media should create win-win relationships by investing in the community before asking for anything in return. Chapters 00:00 The vision for a physical creator space in Austin 09:09 How Austin Founders Feed's business directory works 13:56 Why monetizing a newsletter requires sales 16:03 Ad break 16:54 Choosing sponsorships that create real value 21:48 Ken's advice for building and nurturing community 28:05 Using Luma to grow local events 30:06 Final thoughts on relationships, community, and AI Guest Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenjee/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenjee/) Austin Founders Feed: https://www.austinfoundersfeed.com/ (https://www.austinfoundersfeed.com/) Austin Creator Brief: https://austincreatorbrief.com/ (https://austincreatorbrief.com/) AI Survival Guide: https://ai-survival-guide.beehiiv.com/ (https://ai-survival-guide.beehiiv.com/) The Growth Account: https://the-growth-account.beehiiv.com/ (https://the-growth-account.beehiiv.com/) Work with me: https://www.localmediahq.com/ (https://www.localmediahq.com/) Discord: https://discord.localmediahq.com/ (https://discord.localmediahq.com/) TJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1) TJ on X: https://x.com/TJLarkin23 (https://x.com/TJLarkin23) TJ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin (https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin) #LocalMedia #Entrepreneurship #NewsletterGrowth #CommunityBuilding #AustinFoundersFeed #CreatorEconomy #NewsletterMonetization #CommunityEvents #KenJee #LocalMediaHQ

2. 

   22 Sept 2026

   His Local B2B Newsletter Sells Out Expert Columns (Part 1)

   Build a greetform that turns new newsletter subscribers into data, leads, and offers, https://greetform.com/ (https://greetform.com/) Ken Jee built Austin Founders Feed into a newsletter for Austin founders and entrepreneurs, growing it to approximately 6,500 subscribers by the time of this recording. After years of creating data science content on YouTube, Ken is now focused on local media, newsletter growth, community-building, and AI-resilient businesses in Austin. In this Local Media HQ interview, Ken walks through how Austin Founders Feed grew through Meta ads, organic community campaigns, founder interviews, sponsorships, and a local business directory. He explains why partnered expert columns can outperform traditional ad placements, how the directory became a source of warm sponsorship leads, and why real-world relationships are becoming more valuable as AI makes content easier to commoditize. Ken also shares his plans for the Austin Creator Brief, a newsletter agency for content creators, creator-focused events, and a potential physical space for Austin’s creator economy. Ken’s guiding principle is that local media should create win-win relationships by investing in the community before asking for anything in return. Chapters 00:00 Ken Jee and Austin Founders Feed introduction 00:57 Why Ken started a local B2B newsletter 03:57 Austin Founders Feed's early growth and business model 06:19 Why expert columns build more trust than traditional ads 08:42 Using interviews and human content to stand out from AI 10:55 The Top Connectors campaign and organic growth 12:40 Building a collaborative local business community 15:19 Why local communities are a hedge against AI 16:05 Ad break 17:41 The Austin Creator Brief and Ken's three-business roadmap 19:37 Building a newsletter agency for content creators 23:08 Ken's vision for a larger national newsletter 26:54 How past relationships create long-term leverage 30:13 Why Ken prefers partnering on events Guest Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenjee/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenjee/) Austin Founders Feed: https://www.austinfoundersfeed.com/ (https://www.austinfoundersfeed.com/) Austin Creator Brief: https://austincreatorbrief.com/ (https://austincreatorbrief.com/) AI Survival Guide: https://ai-survival-guide.beehiiv.com/ (https://ai-survival-guide.beehiiv.com/) The Growth Account: https://the-growth-account.beehiiv.com/ (https://the-growth-account.beehiiv.com/) Work with me: https://www.localmediahq.com/ (https://www.localmediahq.com/) Discord: https://discord.localmediahq.com/ (https://discord.localmediahq.com/) TJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1) TJ on X: https://x.com/TJLarkin23 (https://x.com/TJLarkin23) TJ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin (https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin) #LocalMedia #Entrepreneurship #NewsletterGrowth #CommunityBuilding #AustinFoundersFeed #CreatorEconomy #NewsletterMonetization #CommunityEvents #KenJee #LocalMediaHQ

3. 

   14 Sept 2026

   He Left His W-2 to Go All in on Local Media

   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

Who has been a guest on Local Newsletter Insider

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Katie Myers
• David Grant
• Price Foulger
• Travis
• Andrew Smith

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

3.7 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

14 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

74

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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