Episode Category: The Localist

The Localist’s showrunner Michelle Phillips joins Carrie on the podcast this week to dive into Carrie’s transition from corporate life to being a small business owner. Carrie describes the process of opening Church Street Coffee and Books, from merely being part of an idea to being fully on board. Both Carrie and her business partner had a lot of experience in their respective fields before opening the shop, and they crafted a business plan to reflect that and gain the confidence of potential investors.

Tanesha Sims-Summers, owner of Naughty But Nice Kettle Corn, tells us the ultimate goal behind her business, the fears she felt in the beginning, and how Naughty But Nice became a family business after a dissolved partnership. Tanesha takes us through the process of getting their food truck up and running, and how they’ve maintained their philanthropic goals even through quarantine.

Laurin Humphries, owner and founder of Humphries Screen Printing, joins Carrie this week on The Localist. Masks and signage have been the bulk of pandemic-related requests they’ve received, and Laurin lists some great options for businesses to both communicate and make their customers feel safe. They wrap up with creative solutions Laurin has seen from businesses during quarantine and how to choose effective signage for your budget.

Andrew Thomson, the freelance graphic designer behind A Studio, joins Carrie this week on The Localist. Andrew and Carrie share their worst quarantine Zoom calls and discuss how the pandemic has affected their work loads. Andrew tells us more about what he does in a day and gives us the inside scoop on the branding of a few local businesses. Andrew and Carrie talk about the pros and cons of freelancing, the need for a creative outlet that’s not also billable hours, and the elusive state of work-life balance.

This week on The Localist, Carrie is diving into all things communication. Communicating with customers and patrons has always been important, but it’s been taken to a new level with the pandemic, subsequent closings, and regulations that seem to change every day. There are a few main things every business needs to communicate, and Carrie breaks those down along with creating a system to communicate with staff, and tips for in-store signage and social media.

Courtenay Rollwagen, the stylist and designer behind AnthroStyle Interiors, joins Carrie on The Localist this week. Courtenay and Carrie dive in with the reasons a small business owner would benefit from hiring an interior designer even if they have a small budget, and they discuss practical design tips for small businesses to consider both in COVID-related times and in general. The sisters wrap up with best practices for vetting and working with your interior designer.

It’s just Carrie this week, and she discusses the why behind buying local, and how that ties in to the bigger issues going on in the world right now related to race. Big changes take time, but Carrie breaks down the ways in which buying decisions can have a positive ripple effect in your community. Carrie tells us more pros of buying local, from better policies and more ethical decisions at local businesses versus corporations, to more money going back into your community from buying local.

Mary Claire Britton of Greenhouse, the salad-forward feel-good eatery in Homewood, AL, joins Carrie this week on The Localist. Mary Claire tells us how she and her husband Bray started Greenhouse less than a year before COVID-19. Fortunately, to-go orders have always been a big part of their business, but Mary Claire describes other ways they have been impacted by the pandemic including sourcing ingredients, partnering with meal delivery apps, and having to downsize staff.

Lemar Storey, owner and CEO of Life Touch Massage, joins Carrie this week on The Localist. Pre-quarantine, Lemar was very intentional with every aspect of his business, from aesthetics to customer experience, and he tells us how he drew from his own experiences to bring his vision to life. Lemar then tells us his about the discrimination and blatant racism he’s faced as a black man, both personally and professionally, and how his mentors have helped him deal with those experiences.

Jody Beasley, owner and head trainer at HMG Fitness, joins Carrie this week to talk about how the fitness industry is adjusting to pandemic related shut downs and stringent new regulations for reopening. Jody tells us when he realized this was going to be a big deal, the “gym library” system to keep members fit at home (complete with classes and training on Zoom!), and how he’s updated the space and practices after reopening last week.