Browse Episodes
Why Treating People Well Is Good Business | Chris Palmer, Green Garage
Show Notes In an industry where customers expect to be disappointed, Green Garage has built a reputation for being different. The reason comes down to something deceptively simple: treating people well. In this episode of The Localist podcast, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Chris Palmer, founder of Green Garage, an auto repair shop in Birmingham’s…
How Good Brands Evolve as Business Grows | Caleb Chancey of Infomedia
Show Notes Your brand is more than your logo. It’s also the gut reaction someone has the moment they encounter your business, and it’s always changing.In this episode of The Localist podcast, host Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Caleb Chancey, Creative Director at Infomedia, to answer real branding questions submitted by small business owners through…
From Garage to Roastery | Daysol Coffee
Show Notes From Backyard Roasting to Birmingham Roastery: The DaySol Coffee Journey What starts as curiosity can turn into something much bigger. In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Bert Davis, co-owner of DaySol Coffee, to talk about how a backyard coffee roasting hobby in Colorado grew into a thriving specialty…
Building a Fan Base with the Alabama Twisters
Members of the Alabama Twisters join The Localist to discuss the PGF, team ownership, and building Alabama jiu jitsu culture.
Why Customer Experience Is the Ultimate Business Hack with Jarrod Morgan
Show Notes In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen chats with entrepreneur Jarrod Morgan, co-founder of ProctorU, a tech company that revolutionized remote test proctoring. Jarrod shares the origin story of ProctorU, how it grew from a university side project to a global business—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic—and the wild stories that came…
Relationships Come First at Son of a Butcher
In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen talks with Brian McMillan and John Litzinger of The Son of a Butcher, a Birmingham-based butcher shop that grew out of Evans Meats during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as curbside meat sales quickly turned into a thriving retail shop in Pepper…
About the Localist Podcast
@crollwagen on InstagramA conversation with local makers and independent entrepreneurs.
Author and local business advocate Carrie Rollwagen invites mom-and-pops, freelancers, side hustlers, and start-up founders to talk about the ins and outs of how they got their start, the pros and cons of owning your own business, how they handle the hard stuff, and yes, even the mistakes they’ve made along the way. Carrie and her guests get into the nitty-gritty details: staffing, funding, hiring, and inspiring — and everything in between.
First-hand accounts of running a business
As a former small business owner, Carrie knows the struggles and triumphs of owning a business first-hand, and that experience helps her ask questions that are often ignored — questions about failure as well as success, and details about exactly how entrepreneurs face challenges, grow their businesses and work with their staffs.
The Localist Team
Carrie Rollwagen
Host
Carrie produces and hosts the podcast. She’s author of the Localist book, co-founder of Church Street Coffee & Books and VP of Infomedia.
Taylor Davis
Show Runner
Taylor keeps the podcast running and makes sure the rest of us stay on track. She’s also a videographer, photographer and marketing specialist.
Jen Tucker
Outreach Manager
Jen handles booking for the podcast and makes sure guests are prepped and welcomed when they visit our studio.
Alana Harmond
Promotions Manager
Alana manages our YouTube channel and handles show notes, as well as helping concept our promotions strategies.
The Localist Reviews
A Gem! I just discovered this podcast and let me tell you, I’m glad I did! The conversations are natural and easy going but you can also tell that Carrie has put a lot of thought and care in her questions. And I love that she’s also in Alabama!
ChelseaR83
A Must-Listen for Those Who Love Local! So excited to listen to Carrie’s new podcast! Whether you’re a small business owner, freelancer or just looking to get inspired — Carrie offers a wealth of information from the many skills she’s picked up throughout her diverse careers. I can’t wait to hear who she brings on The Localist!
SarahCook323
Great Podcast! I just happened upon this podcast and It is really good. It gives really great tips and I especially liked the newest podcast about maintaining company culture in the current work from home environment.
Fun for a dollar
Carrie has an obvious talent for storytelling and making an interview more of an engaging conversation. I’ve been a listener as well as a podcast guest and I’m in awe of Carrie’s ability to connect her guests’ experiences with something helpful and relevant to a wide range of listeners, whether or not they are local to Birmingham, Alabama. I also strongly suggest her book if you are into localism!
Tacheek
Lovely listen — I loved the “In Search Of The Perfect Storefront.” I found it entertaining, yet super informative. I even took notes, who am I?