Was this e-mail shared with you? Sign up here.
Hi newsletter operators,
The last two episodes have been all about events, with so much good info and insights from two people who are true experts on the topic.
This is an area that most of us have not ventured into yet, but I know it’s of real interest because we all see the potential. Mike has been crushing events for a long time in the Catskills, Jas from Winnipeg did great partnering with a farmers market company, John from Scottsdale just did his first happy hour meet up. So many different angles to take at in person events, and some really good discussions about them in these episodes.
Quick note on the software I’m building. Thanks to everyone who joined the waitlist. One of the things I’m really wanting to get working correctly is an RSS style feed of events, since I know that’s one of the most time consuming parts of putting a newsletter together. And it’s been the piece I’ve been concerned I wouldn’t be able to get working correctly anytime soon. But my former AI partner has been building out this tech on the backend and thinks it’s almost ready to go. So feeling pretty confident now I might have that killer feature.
Because of that, I’m feeling like it might make sense to sell it, because the value becomes immediately obvious if we can make adding events nearly instant. If this sounds like something you might be interested, make sure you’re on the waitlist. And if you want to help me out, I’d love to show it to you and get your honest feedback, plus ideas to add to it. If that’s you, REPLY to this email and we’ll set up a time.
Justin Gordon - Crushing it with local events
This is Justin’s second time on, and he crushed it. Such a dichotomy from his first episode, when he had just started and wasn’t even sure if the LA Grind was even a viable business. Four months and $20k MRR later, he clearly knows he’s on to something very big. I couldn’t be more excited for him, because this is 100% a life changing business for him. And if you’re in a top 20 start up city, this is a great opportunity for you too.
Top Three Takeaways
1) Build a local flywheel, not a list
Meta ads drive targeted subs, LinkedIn surfaces sponsors and attendees, events reinforce both. “Lifetime value is what matters.”
Subs: ~5,200 by 9/25, first send 5/19
CAC: started $0.50–$0.60, now ~$1–$1.50
Audience: founders, operators, investors, LA-only
Curation: promotes the good events, deprioritizes duds from feedback
2) Membership turns community into recurring cash
A simple offer funds high-touch connection without heavy ops.
$29/mo on Luma, 37 members, ~99% retention
Promise: 2+ curated events monthly, plus free or discounted tickets
Mixer: $20–$30 tickets, two sponsors, sells out monthly
Free hikes, runs, games act as top-of-funnel that converts to paid
3) Monetize the data, then scale formats
Surveys and Beehiiv polls close sponsors and de-risk new products.
Posting list growth + survey cuts brought multiple repeat sponsors
Recruiting rev share in motion, leveraging founders hiring and operators searching
Expansion eyed: SF next, then NYC, with city leads
Events roadmap: small founder retreats, plus a larger summit target in early–mid 2026
Run rate already six figures, newsletter ad inventory booked through November
Ray Lambert - Launch and Monetize Dinner Clubs
Rae has been deep in the community and meetup space for years. I met her a few years ago when I was hosting My First Million meetups in Austin. She knows the value of being the host at events and all the benefits that come from it. And now she’s built an app to streamline the process of hosting 6 person dinners in your area called DNNR. This app has tons of potential for local newsletter operators to help build real community and connections, while also making a profit. Definitely check this one out!
Top Three Takeaways
1) White-Label, AI-Matched, Zero Logistics
You announce. DNNR handles matching, bookings, reminders, and the bar meet-up after dinner. Creators should not attend tables so guests connect with peers.
Groups: 6 per table
Restaurant revealed morning-of via SMS
After-party: all tables converge
Creator branding on the landing page
2) Easy Money That Also Grows Your Audience
Ticket includes ops, not food. DNNR takes 30% of ticket revenue. No upfront fee. Early users see cash and compounding reach.
Typical ticket: $16
Creator take: 70%
Seacoast Stories launch: 7 tables of 6 (42 diners)
IG growth cited: ~4.5k to 7k in 2–3 months
3) Segment With a Quiz, Not Separate Clubs
Keep one big funnel, then match cohorts on the back end. Works for moms, dads, business owners, founders vs investors, or parents vs child-free.
Custom quiz per community
Weighted matching for the right mix
Aim for 3+ full tables to power the after-party
Food and drink split at the table
Local News Outlet Finds Success Serving Women
Older article but very interesting concept. Especially the co-working space, as this is something that’s on my dream list (open a half co-working/half gym for local entrepreneurs and business owners).
“Indy Maven built a sustainable business by creating content and events tailored to women in Indianapolis. Its founder also launched a women-focused coworking space, expanding the brand into a community hub.”
Read it HERE.
How to Win Back Disengaged Subscribers
Matt McGarry gives some great insights on how to win back disengaged readers. This isn’t something I’ve done much of yet, but when we decide to start, this is exactly the process we’ll follow.
Read it HERE.
Chris Koerner’s thoughts on the Huge Opportunity in the Local Newsletter Space
Chris Koerner does a write up of his episode with Jas on the power of local newsletters. One of our own on a massive show, it already has 35k views on Youtube alone. Nice job Jas!
Chris is one of the smartest business minds out there. Getting his take on the opportunity for local newsletters is a really great read. Check it out!
Read it HERE.
Looking for more from me? Here are the ways I can help:
⌨️Local Newsletter OS - Software to manage your entire local newsletter business, then copy/paste to beehiiv | Join the waitlist
🎙️ The Podcast - Deep-dive conversations with successful newsletter operators sharing their playbooks and lessons learned | Link
📧 This 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
🔗Sign Up for Beehiiv - Use my link, because you’re a thoughtful person who wants to help others succeed. And it’ll save you 20%, so just be selfish and do it | Link
Discover all these resources and more at localnewsletterinsider.com
That’s all I got for this issue. If there’s anything you want me to cover or talk about for the next edition, reply to this and let me know!
And reply and let me know if you want to be a guest on the show. Just tell me what you’re up to, and assuming you’re a good fit, I’ll have you on (if you’re reading this, you’re most likely a good fit).
How'd I do?
Thanks for reading Local Newsletter Insider! Please reply and let me know what you think, or anything you think I could do better. Love to get some actionable feedback.
