Podcasts Episodes

Michael Stuckey, Head of Support Development at Infomedia, joins Carrie this week to talk about working remotely and the systems that can help remote work run smoothly. Stuckey and Carrie discuss why they chose the products they currently use at Infomedia, and why Slack is superior to all (Stuckey really, really loves Slack!). They move on to the Google Suite, Trello, VPN security and password managers.

Brooke Fleming, Chief Revenue Officer of the tech focused event services and AV company Digital Motion, joins Carrie this week on The Localist. Brooke and Carrie discuss how Digital Motion actually pulls off virtual and hybrid events, including partnerships, sponsorships, breakout sessions, and even marketing.

The Localist’s showrunner Michelle Phillips joins Carrie again this week for part two of Carrie’s journey from employee to business owner, and back to corporate life. Michelle and Carrie dive in with how a side business for Church Street led to Carrie writing a book and ultimately realizing she needed to move on. Carrie describes building up her freelance work again, and how she landed a steady job that gave her both stability and freedom to continue freelancing and pursuing creative projects.

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.