Building a Hyperlocal Media Engine to Power a Franchise Empire

What happens when a finance professional leaves a high-powered job in venture capital to start a power washing franchise—and launches a newsletter to build a local media presence along the way?

In this episode, we meet Ethan Realander, a former NYC-based fundraisings executive who traded suits and spreadsheets for suds and suburbia. As the founder of a Rolling Suds franchise and the publisher of Westchester Weekly, he’s carving out a unique local niche with massive potential. This conversation dives into how local media can power small business success, what it takes to build trust with a community, and how a small newsletter could become a regional powerhouse.

Quitting private equity to power wash houses may sound crazy—but it was exactly what Ethan needed.

After six years in fundraising for venture capital and private equity in New York City, Ethan knew he wanted more than to sell someone else’s vision. “I found myself wishing I was building my own thing,” he said. Despite a fast-track career—breaking into distribution at 25, years ahead of most peers—he longed for ownership and autonomy.

Rather than build a startup from scratch, Ethan went the franchising route, acquiring a Rolling Suds territory covering Westchester, NY, and Fairfield County, CT. “Franchising felt like business with small training wheels,” he explained. “I didn’t have to figure everything out—just build the team, sell hard, and execute.”

And yes, the timing is aggressive: he launched the business just two months prior to this conversation.

Ethan’s market isn’t just suburban—it’s sophisticated. And he’s treating it that way.

Rolling Suds is America’s largest power washing franchise, capable of cleaning anything from residential siding to high schools and commercial properties. But in Ethan’s high-income, image-conscious region, the key differentiator is professionalism.

“We’re not just some guy in a pickup truck,” he said. “Around here, people care deeply about how their house looks. Our value prop is high-level service with top-tier equipment, delivered by a team that treats their property like it’s our own.”

Typical pricing for a 2,500-square-foot home: $300–$500, depending on factors like scope, seasonality, and regional economics. Ethan is also working toward a recurring revenue model, where annual or biennial service becomes a habit.

What started as a growth tactic became a media business with serious upside.

Ethan launched Westchester Weekly after noticing a gap in local information. “There was no high-quality curator of local events, happenings, or activities in my area,” he said. “It just felt like that needed to exist.”

The newsletter targets Westchester County—about a million residents—where people identify more with the county than with their individual towns. It's the perfect size: large enough to matter, small enough to serve personally.

His first realization? Local Facebook ads work like magic. “I was getting subscribers for 18 to 21 cents,” he said. That discovery led him to formalize the newsletter with two friends—one handling writing, the other managing potential ad sales.

Even on a shoestring budget, the results are promising.

Ethan attributes much of the early traction to testing quickly and not overthinking things. “We knew the design wasn’t perfect, but we needed to get in the game,” he said.

He’s also been intentional about including a banner ad for Rolling Suds in the newsletter. “It’s not even a full ad—just a clickable logo with a line about a $100-off deal. But it’s getting my brand in front of people every week.”

The real magic? Using the newsletter as a marketing engine with negative CAC.

By owning both the media and the service business, Ethan is creating a rare opportunity: free distribution for a local service in a high-value market.

This creates a self-reinforcing loop:

“I’m not stressing over ownership splits,” Ethan said. “If it works, there will be enough good stuff to go around.”

Ethan is just getting started—and the playbook is evolving in real time.

Upcoming plans include:

He’s also thinking through branding. “Yeah, calling it Westchester Weekly boxes us in a little,” he admitted. “But I didn’t want to let perfect be the enemy of progress. If it works, we can rebrand later—or turn it into a story that makes us more relatable.”

Ethan Realander’s story is a masterclass in modern local entrepreneurship: identify a market gap, move fast, test small, and build a media flywheel that powers your core business. Whether or not you run a franchise, his approach is packed with insight.

He’s proving that owning attention in your neighborhood might just be the ultimate growth hack for any Main Street business.

Before we dive into this week's insights, I want to make sure you know about all the resources available to support your local newsletter journey:

🎙️ The Podcast - Deep-dive conversations with successful newsletter operators sharing their playbooks and lessons learned | Link

📧 This Weekly Newsletter - Quick, actionable tips delivered straight to your inbox every week | Link

🧠 1:1 Consulting - Personalized guidance tailored to your specific newsletter challenges Link

🚀 Launch Accelerator - A structured program to help you go from idea to profitable newsletter in record time | Link

Subscribe to our newsletter.

Discover all these resources and more at localnewsletterinsider.com