'LetterLand This local newsletter is rebuilding an entire town
Sep 16, 2026
Michael Kauffmann, founder of Catskill Crew, is rebuilding a Catskills hamlet through newsletters, businesses, housing, and community spaces. Jack Westerkamp, co-founder of advertising media company Breaking & Entering, explains why social-first brands still need email and how to turn followers into subscribers. They also explore local newsletter networks, premium memberships, media kits, AI-written content, and the future of independent media.
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CRE Daily Moves From Inbox To Yahoo Finance
- CRE Daily evolved from a daily email into one of Yahoo Finance’s five founding editorial partners for its real estate hub.
- The partnership places a newsletter-born brand beside major real estate publishers and in front of a huge financial audience.
Use Newsletters To Reach A Different Audience
- Build a newsletter when it expands your media company’s reach and serves people who prefer reading to video.
- Jack Westerkamp launched What’s Good after prioritizing Breaking & Entering’s video operation and freeing enough time to make it genuinely differentiated.
Let Quality Drive Newsletter Growth
- Convert an existing social audience through personal accounts and brand channels, but expect newsletter growth to take time.
- Jack Westerkamp relies on patience and believes the strongest growth engine is making the newsletter exceptionally useful.