Episode Category: The Localist

We’ve got a short and sweet mini episode for you with Jimmy Truong of June Roasters! Jimmy was on the podcast last week and got into the details of the coffee world, but we didn’t get to cover pop ups. Jimmy kindly chatted with us for a few minutes about the ins and outs of pop ups: how he ran his, his process and equipment, and what he learned from doing them. 

This week Jimmy Truong, owner and founder of June Roasters, joins the podcast to dive into the world of coffee! June Roasters started out as Epilogue and mostly focused on wholesale, but Jimmy knew a change was inevitable. He describes that process as well as the meaning behind the name June and what he envisions for the future. Mistakes are also inevitable, and Carrie and Jimmy talk about the mistakes Jimmy made early on (he now encourages everyone to get a lawyer from the beginning!). Jimmy describes how he is preparing to be a boss and how he hopes to involve his staff in the business.

This week, Carrie is diving into how to get back on track (and how to find a track if you didn’t have one to begin with!). Going beyond just Googling for tips, Carrie breaks down actual strategies and ways to implement them, including how to identify what you’re actually struggling with and defining your vision. Inspiration and motivation are incredibly important but can be elusive, so Carrie has tips for finding those, too! 

Wess Gregg, co-owner of Sanctum Tattoos and Comics, is on the podcast this week to give us a peek behind the curtain of running a comic shop. Wess describes how his years of experience in the comic book world gave him an advantage when opening Sanctum, but also shares the areas where he needed some guidance. Wess and Carrie then get into how he and his business partner, Aaron, manage running two separate businesses under the same roof (and LLC), and what surprised Wess about owning a business. They wrap up with the logistics of a comic book shop and a few services Sanctum offers.

Michael Kierspe of Infomedia joins Carrie to dive into the world of digital marketing. We may have a love-hate relationship with digital marketing, but it’s a necessary evil. Approaching it with authenticity in your business is a gamechanger, and Michael breaks down how to do that, the dos and don’ts of getting started, and how to work with the algorithms. We also get into how to best manage your digital assets, what to expect if you want to work with an agency, and give actionable tips to improve your social presence.

This week, Dr. Bertha Hidalgo, epidemiologist, assistant professor, associate scientist, and influencer joins Carrie to dive into influencing in the time of covid. Dr. Hidalgo breaks down how she got started in social media and how her platform started evolving, even before the pandemic. Dr. Hidalgo isn’t a stranger to imposter syndrome, but she describes how she moved past that and embraced her role as a science educator. Dr. Hidalgo shares how she deals with backlash, trolls, and stepping away when social media becomes too much.

With the 4th of July holiday upon us, Carrie is diving into best practices for communicating with your customers and clients around holiday hours. The more your customers understand what to expect, the more likely they are to buy from you! Carrie breaks down exactly what you can say in your social posts and gives easy and actionable tips to beef up your online presence. There’s even a free, no-strings-attached download available to make everything easier!

Ace Graham, founder of lifestyle brand, retail store, and community hub Alchemy, joins Carrie to talk about building an authentic social and community brand. Ace details how Alchemy came to be after he ran several other businesses and consulted for years, and how he landed in Birmingham. Alchemy is a community-focused business and nonprofit, complete with 501c3 status, and Ace and Carrie go into the many ways Alchemy is serving the Birmingham community as well as how you can get involved.

This week, Carrie is back to dive deeper into time blocking and the different ways you can control your schedule! Time blocking isn’t a new concept, but there are so many ways you can go about it. Carrie breaks down theme days, batching, the pomodoro technique, the pros and cons of each method, and who each method might work best for. And if you’re more interested in time blocking and want to try it out with a friend, Carrie details what’s included in the 12 Week Mastermind starting July 1!

This week, Carrie is diving into the first business-related book that has really resonated with her in a while, The 12 Week Year. If you’ve been struggling with motivation, burnout, or feeling aimless, this may be the book for you, too! Carrie breaks down the premise and benefits of a 12 Week Year and shares a few takeaways that are applicable to everyone. If you’re intrigued by a 12 week year, we have good news! Carrie is hosting a Mastermind group and shares all the fun details. Full show notes at localistpodcast.com.