Podcasts Episodes

This week on The Localist, Carrie discusses the state of local businesses as we approach the holiday season (aka shopping season). Carrie dives in discussing You’ve Got Mail — just like the save-the-shop campaign wasn’t successful in the movie, Carrie believes they don’t work in real life either. But where does that leave us in 2020 when small businesses likely do need the utmost support we can give? Well, Carrie has an idea, and she wants your help to make it happen! Find details at thelocalistbham.com.

Susan Rollwagen, owner of Pepperbox Solutions (and also Carrie’s mom and secret weapon in business), is back on the podcast this week to dive into how business owners and managers can add value to the lives of their staff members. Trust is a huge component, and Susan details the many aspects of building trust and the ripple effect that can have in a company’s culture.

This week on the Localist, Pam Sanderson, Director of Account Development at Infomedia, joins Carrie to talk about everything you need to know about websites. Pam and Carrie dive in with where you should start when evaluating your website, and how to assess your goals. One of Pam’s best tips is to focus on your customers and your content first, and she gives you a road map to follow from there. Pam and Carrie then discuss the best ways to strike a balance between your users, good design, and Google’s algorithm (hint: consistent, quality content is a good place to start!).

This week on The Localist, Javacia Harris Bowser, creator of writing collective See Jane Write, joins Carrie to talk about writing in the time of COVID, a membership opportunity with See Jane Write, and some major obstacles Javacia has faced this year. Javacia and Carrie break down the business of being a writer: how to get paid, how to market yourself, how to gain supporters rather than just followers, and how the pandemic has affected Javacia’s workload (you might be surprised by her answer!).

This week on the Localist, Carrie is wrapping up season one and giving listeners a teaser of what to expect in season two. Carrie shares the origin story of the podcast, her hesitation about continuing during quarantine, and why she ultimately decided to continue sharing the stories of local businesses.